The museum houses a collection of objects and documents representative of European history, educational programs, cultural events and publications, as well as a wide range of online content.

In June 2009, the Bureau of the European Parliament decided to assign the former Eastman Dental Hospital to the future museum and, in July, launched an international architectural competition.

On 31 March 2011, Atelier d'architecture Chaix & Morel et associés (France),[3] JSWD Architects (Germany)[4] and TPF (Belgium)[5] were awarded the contract to carry out the building's renovation and extension.

With the backing of an expert board, which brought together internationally renowned specialists chaired by Professor Włodzimierz Borodziej, a multi-disciplinary team of professionals led by historian and curator Taja Vovk van Gaal was set up within the European Parliament's Directorate-General for Communication[6] to prepare the exhibitions and the structure of the future establishment.

The originality of the project lies, therefore, in the endeavour to convey a transnational overview of European history, while taking into account its diversity and its many interpretations and perceptions.

It aims to enable a wide public to understand recent history in the context of previous centuries that have marked and shaped ideas and values.

Using 1500 objects and documents from over 300 museums and collections from across Europe and beyond, and an extensive range of media, it provides a journey through European history, principally that of the 20th century, with retrospectives on developments and events in earlier periods that were of particular significance for the whole continent.

[2] Spanning four floors, the permanent exhibition's galleries use objects and multimedia resources to take visitors on a thought-provoking narrative that focuses on European history, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries.

[12] In 1933, the Eastman Foundation approached the Swiss-Belgian architect Michel Polak, known for his Art Deco style and particularly the famous Résidence Palace in Brussels, to design the new building.

Its members have included Étienne Davignon, Włodzimierz Borodziej, Miguel Angel Martinez, Gérard Onesta, Doris Pack, Chrysoula Paliadeli, Hans-Walter Hütter, Charles Picqué, Alain Lamassoure, Peter Sutherland, Androulla Vassiliou, Diana Wallis, Francis Wurtz, Mariya Gabriel, Rudi Vervoort, Pierluigi Castagnetti, Sabine Verheyen, Johan Van Overtveldt, Domènec Ruiz Deveza, Harald Rømer, Pedro Silva Pereira, Martin Hojsík, Iliana Ivanova, Reinhard Bütikofer, Assita Kanko, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Oliver Rathkolb and Klaus Welle.

Its members have included Basil Kerski, John Erik Fossum, Constantin Iordachi, Emmanuelle Loyer, Sharon Macdonald, Daniela Preda, Kaja Širok, Luke van Middelaar, Daniele Wagener, Andreas Wirsching, Matti Klinge, Anita Meinarte, Hélène Miard-Delacroix, Mary Michailidou, Maria Schmidt, Anastasia Filippoupoliti, Louis Godart, Luisa Passerini, Wolfgang Schmale, Dietmar Preißler, Paul Basu, Gurminder K. Bhambra, Josep Maria Fradera, Olivette Otele and Steven van Hecke.