The Franco-British Council is an organisation created on the joint initiative of President Georges Pompidou and Prime Minister Edward Heath in order to promote better understanding between United Kingdom and France and to contribute to the development of joint action through meetings of leading representatives of the worlds of culture, science, education, politics and business in the context of a developing Europe and of an increasingly globalised community.
In Paris in May 1971 the British Prime Minister, Edward Heath, met the French President, Georges Pompidou, for the discussions to pave the way for Britain's entry into the European Community.
These meetings should not be confined just to cultural or educational matters, but aim to cover all fields where the two countries shared common problems, or could benefit from a better understanding of the others position.
[5] The Council organises a programme of specialised meetings on a variety of subjects under the broad headings of: The seminars bring together leading professionals who are encouraged to develop bilateral networks.
Each year, the Franco-British defence conference brings together government people, senior military, industrialists, think tankers, academics and journalists on a set of issues affecting both nations and how they can work together to be better.
"[7] In 2014, HE Sir Peter Ricketts, British Ambassador to France, described the conference as having "showed the value of an organisation like the Franco-British Council, who can convene people from a wider sphere perhaps than two governments would to contribute to the debate that we’re having.