On 26 and 27 September 1975, the Conference of Presidents of European Parliamentary Assemblies was held in Rome. This was the first time that the conference was attended by the presidents of parliaments from countries outside the then European Economic Community, and it is still regarded as a milestone for high-level parliamentary meetings within Europe. 

The Conference, opened by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Sandro Pertini, and the President of the Senate, Giovanni Spagnolli, was attended by numerous parliamentary presidents – including those of Austria, Sweden and Switzerland, which were not EEC members – as well as the President of the European Parliament, the Frenchman Spénale, and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Austrian Czernetz.

Since 1980, the Conference has been held every two years, hosted alternately in Strasbourg and in one of the Member states.