PREAMBLE
Desiring to give an organisational structure to international exchange and international co-operation, which are focuses of their activities, leading choir conductors from six European countries and the national unions A CŒUR JOIE (France) and ARBEITSKREIS MUSIK IN DER JUGEND (Federal Republic of Germany) decided on May 15th, 1960, in Geneva to create the EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF YOUNG CHOIRS. The first representative meeting of young choirs, EUROPA CANTAT, which took place from July 28th to August 6th, 1961, in Passau/Federal Republic of Germany and in which 69 groups from 12 countries took part, was a convincing confirmation of this decision.
On August 9th, 1962, during the “Fourth Choralies” of A CŒUR JOIE at Vaison-la-Romaine/France and following a proposal submitted by the provisional executive committee, representatives from eight European countries decided to formalise this union by incorporating a “registered society” in accordance with German law, in the absence of any European legal form of a similar nature. On this basis, the society was founded on February 9th, 1963.

Europa Cantat was registered under number VR 2791 at Vereinsregister Bonn on 9.2.1963. Downlaod of full statutes (pdf)