European Parliament in Luxembourg granted a city the right to host a number bodies, including the Secretariat of the Assembly (now of the Parliament). Despite the 1965 agreement however, the Parliament's seat was a source of contention. Wishing to be closer to the activities in Brussels and Luxembourg, a few plenary sessions were held by the Parliament between 1967 and 1981 in Luxembourg instead of Strasbourg – against the wishes of France and in 1981 it returned to holding sessions entirely in Strasbourg. There are a handful of buildings in Luxembourg used by the Parliament. The city hosts the Secretariat of the European Parliament
Institutional seats of the European Union less binding than the other seats. The 2011 Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) states that the seat of the ESM must be in Luxembourg. The ESM should be ratified and active in mid-2013 and it is allowed to establish a liaison office in Brussels. There are numerous other bodies and agencies that have not had their seats fixed by treaties. Brussels hosts the European Defence Agency (as NATO and formerly the WEU are also in the city). Luxembourg hosts the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union and the European Investment Bank. Strasbourg and Brussels both