1974 – After a conference held in Belgium on the theme « Catholic Education and Tomorrow’s Europe » Monsignor Alfred DAELEMANS, Director of the National Secretariat of Catholic Education in Belgium (SNEC-NSKO) invites some of his European colleagues to create together a permanent Committee of European Catholic Education, also assuming the role of secretariat of the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) for the Region Europe. This Committee does not have its own general secretariat but is integrated to the Belgian secretariat. Founder member countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain. 1975 – Organisation of a conference in Torhout (Belgium) on “Participation in Education”. 1976 – A first Secretary General, Baudouin du BUS de WARNAFFE, is appointed. The name European Committee for Catholic Education (CEEC) is adopted. CEEC, as a de facto association without legal personality, elects its first President: Mr. L.A. STRUIK, from the Netherlands. 1977 – In January, the first European working programmes are presented at a congress held in Strasbourg (France): “European Reality”, “Education to Environment”, “Education to Migrant Children” and “Education and Employment”. The study of these topics continues to 1980 in various working groups who present their conclusions in colloquiums and seminars, generally held in Brussels. 1978 – Ireland is joining the CEEC. The European Organisation of Parents of Pupils in Catholic Education (formerly called OE-GIAPEC and today CEPEC) becomes an associate member of CEEC. 1979 – Denmark is joining the CEEC. Beginning of the 1980s – Mgr. DAELEMANS succeeds Mr. STRUIK as President of CEEC and a new Secretary General is appointed in the person of Raf DE ZUTTER who has a great experience in the associative world. The CEEC secretariat leaves the building of Belgian Catholic Education and moves to nr 42 rue de l’Industrie in Brussels. 1981 – CEEC organises a conference in Rome on the theme “Evangelization and the School”. Portugal is joining the CEEC. 1984 – Organisation of an Academic Session in Belgium for the 10th anniversary of CEEC and starting of the “Network of Catholic Schools”, a partnership project between Catholic schools of various member countries. Three European Youth Forums will be organised in this framework in Palma de Mallorca, Spain (1985), Torhout, Belgium (1989) and Aubenas, France (1994). 1989 – Hungary and Switzerland are joining the CEEC. 1991 – Poland and England & Wales are joining the CEEC. 1992 – The Czech Republic is joining the CEEC. 1993 – The Presidency of CEEC is still assumed by Belgium where education is now communautarized. So the Presidency is assumed in a rotational manner by Canon André DE WOLF (VSKO, Flanders) and Canon Armand BEAUDUIN (SeGEC, French-speaking sector). 1994 – Academic Session for the 20th anniversary of CEEC. Greece and Austria are joining the CEEC. 1995 – Etienne VERHACK (former Headteacher of Jan-van-Ruusbroeckollege in Brussels, a school participating in the CEEC Network) is appointed as Secretary General. He takes up his post in September in a new office located nr 19 Avenue Marnix in Brussels. CEEC is now an international non-profit association with legal statutes. Slovakia is joining the CEEC. 1996 – Bosnia & Herzegovina, Lithuania and Romania are joining the CEEC. 1999 – European Colloquium in Brussels on “The Education Policy of the European Union and the Catholic School”. Norway is joining the CEEC. From the 2000s – Under the impulse of the Secretary General, CEEC develops its contacts with the European bishops responsible for Catholic schools within the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), and with the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. 2001 – Congress in Rome on the theme “The Mission to Educate: Testifying to a Hidden Treasure”. 2002 – Croatia is joining the CEEC. 2003 – Meeting organised in Bensberg (Germany) with the European bishops responsible for Catholic schools, on the themes “The Mission of the Catholic School and the Place of Religious Education” and “Freedom of Education”. 2004 – The CEEC Presidency is entrusted to France, represented by Mr. Jean-Pierre GARDY. Ukraine is joining the CEEC. 2005 – Conference organised jointly with the bishops of CCEE, in Rome, on the theme “How can the Church best support the formation of teachers and the development of leaders for Catholic schools?” Scotland is joining the CEEC. 2006 – Seminar in Bratislava (Slovakia) on the “Spiritual Leadership of the Headteacher”: starting point of a study on the formation of lay people working in Catholic schools, which CEEC will be carrying out for several years. Slovenia is joining the CEEC. 2008 – Conference organised jointly with the bishops of CCEE, in Rome, on the theme “The Catholic School in the European Public Area”. 2011 – Starting of the working theme “Christian Formation and Spiritual Accompaniment of Teachers in Catholic Schools”: study developed in three years with presentation of a synthesis in Brussels in April 2013, and exchange with the bishops at the Sarajevo Congress in May 2014. Sweden is joining the CEEC and Albania becomes a partner. 2012 – Mrs Dr Christine MANN, Director of the Austrian Secretariat of Catholic Schools, becomes the first woman who assumes the CEEC Presidency. The European association of Former Pupils of Catholic Schools (UNAEC-Europe) becomes an associate member of CEEC. 2013 – In September, Guy SELDERSLAGH, also Director of the Study Service of SeGEC, succeeds Etienne VERHACK as Secretary General of CEEC. The secretariat moves and is now located in the building of the SeGEC, nr 100 Avenue E. Mounier, Brussels. 2014 – Conference organised jointly with the bishops of CCEE, in Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina) on the theme “The Personal Christian Formation and Spiritual Accompaniment of Catholic Teachers in Schools”.