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Six countries sign the treaty France Germany the Benelux states and Italy. It sets up a High Authority to manage the coal and steel industries and a Common Assembly a precursor of the European parliament. The Dutch supported by the Germans also insist on the creation of a Council of Ministers made up of ministers from member states to counterbalance the supranational High Authority.
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France's nationalist leader Charles de Gaulle refuses to back the UK's application to join the EEC saying that the British government lacks commitment to European integration
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In response to the Korean War the USA insists that Europe must contribute more to its own defence and that Germany must rearm. In 1952 the six ECSC members agree to create a European Defence Community which envisages German soldiers joining a European army. But the French parliament delays ratification and ultimately rejects the idea in 1954
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The six members of the ECSC sign the Treaty of Rome setting up the European Economic Community EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community Euratom. The EEC aims to create a common market a customs union plus free movement of capital and labour. To please France it also promises subsidies to farmers. Euratom's goal is the joint development of nuclear energy.
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The UK's decision to apply for membership of the EEC was taken by the government of Harold Macmillan a Conservative. It was not welcomed by French President Charles de Gaulle who saw it as a threat to his goal of using the EEC to amplify France's voice in world affairs. He was also concerned about the UK's close ties with the US.
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France's nationalist leader Charles de Gaulle refuses to back the UK's application to join the EEC saying that the British government lacks commitment to European integration.
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Italy takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Communities. The customs union enters into force. Remaining customs duties in intra-Community trade are abolished 18 months ahead of what was scheduled in the Rome Treaty and the common customs tariff is introduced to replace national customs duties in trade with the rest of the world.
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The three countries and Norway had failed to join 10 years earlier because of General de Gaulle's veto on British membership. This time all sign an accession treaty in 1972 but Norwegians reject it in a referendum later in the year. Denmark and Ireland hold successful referendums. The UK does not hold a referendum until 1975 after renegotiating its entry terms the result is twotoone in favour.
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The European Monetary System EMS introduces the European currency unit Ecu and the exchange rate mechanism ERM. The Ecu a unit for the communitys internal budget also takes on some of the features of a real currency it is used for travellers cheques and bank deposits. The ERM gives national currencies an exchange rate band denominated in Ecus. All EC members join except the UK.
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Legislative elections are held in Greece. At the same time the Greek people elect their members to the European parliament. Mr Pierre Lelong is elected President of the Court of Auditors.
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Jacques Delors proposes that the European Community should by the end of 1992 remove a series of barriers to free trade and free movement of capital and labour creating a "single market". Delors believes the single market programme will revive European integration by spilling over from the economic into the political arena. It is widely seen as a necessity if Europe is to compete with the United States.
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The Netherlands take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities. Spain and Portugal join the European Communities.
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Following the results of the referendum on the ratification of the Single European Act held in Ireland, the Irish constitution is amended in order to allow Ireland to ratify the Single Act and to deposit the instruments of ratification.
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The Maastricht treaty on European Union is signed in December. It paves the way for monetary union and includes a chapter on social policy. The UK negotiates an optout on both. The treaty also introduces European citizenship giving Europeans the right to live and vote in elections in any EU country and launches European cooperation in foreign affairs security asylum and immigration.
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The Maastricht Treaty had a rough ride in national referendums. Danes rejected it in June 1992 and only accepted it in a second vote in May 1993 after receiving an optout on monetary union like the UK. In France it squeaked home by just 50.4 to 49.7. There was also evidence of public discontent in other countries including Germany and the UK.
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The treaty starts to get the EU ready for its eastward expansion. More national vetoes are abolished. Laws on employment and discrimination are strengthened and the social chapter of the Maastricht treaty becomes an official part of EU law. The Schengen agreement also becomes law though Ireland and the UK maintain their optouts. This gives the EU more say on immigration and asylum.
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The EU faces its darkest hour as revelations of fraud nepotism and mismanagement undermine the commission. All 20 commissioners including President Jacques Santer resign before the parliament sacks them. In September Romano Prodi becomes the new president of the commission promising radical change in the way it is run. Only a handful of the old commissioners are reappointed.
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The euro came into existence in 1999 as the official currency of 11 countries. Greece adopted the currency two years later though Sweden Denmark and the UK stayed out. On 1 January 2002 euro notes and coins were introduced in the 12 participating states and over the next few months their national currencies were phased out.
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The Conference on the Reconstruction of Iraq is held in Madrid, Spain. The pledges 28 billion) came in a variety of forms, including humanitarian and reconstruction aid, export credits and project finance, and covered different time periods.
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The accession of Romania and Bulgaria raises the number of Member States to 27 and the population within the Union to 492.8 million inhabitants. The Council of the European Union appoints Ms Meglena Kuneva (Bulgaria) and Mr Leonard Orban (Romania) as members of the European Commission for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 October 2009.
The EU now has 23 official languages, following the addition of Bulgarian, Romanian and Irish.
Slovenia adopts the euro.
Germany takes over the Presidency of t
