Europe

1951 Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg found the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

1957 The Treaties of Rome are signed. The six ECSC founder states establish the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). A Parliamentary Assembly is instated (from 1986: European Parliament).

1967 ECSC, EEC and EURATOM merge to become the European Communities (EC). The European Commission takes up its seat in Brussels.

1968 The customs union is established and a common external tariff introduced.

1973 Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland accede to the EC.

1979 The European Monetary System comes into force, and the ECU is introduced as a unit of currency. First direct election of the European Parliament.

1981 Greece joins the EC.

1986 Portugal and Spain accede to the EC.

1987 The Single European Act comes into force, stipulating the completion of the internal market by 1 January 1993.

1993  The Treaty on European Union, also known as the Maastricht Treaty, comes into force. It regulates cooperation in further policy areas, including common security and foreign policy and judicial and interior affairs.

1995 Finland, Sweden and Austria become EU Member States.

1997 The Treaty of Amsterdam envisages further reform of EU institutions and an intensification of cooperation on judicial, interior, foreign and security policy.

1999 Third stage of European Monetary Union; introduction of the euro for cashless transactions.

2000 European Council of Nice. Proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, expansion of European security and defence policy, agreement on institutional reforms that will maintain the EU’s ability to act also after the accession of new Member States.

2001 The Treaty of Nice is signed; ratification is pending.

2002 The euro becomes the single currency in the Eurozone’s 12 Member States. The Convention on the future of Europe meets for the first time. The European Council of Copenhagen approves the accession of ten new members in 2004 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus).

2003 Accession agreements are signed with the ten states listed above. Approval by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The Convention on the future of Europe submits its draft Constitution for Europe (July).

2004 Enlargement of the EU to include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus (1 May). The EU’s Heads of State and Government reach final agreement on the draft constitution (18 June). Signing of the Treaty on establishing a Constitution for Europe in Rome (29 October) and beginning of the ratification process in the individual Member States. The start of accession negotiations with Turkey is decided at the EU summit (December).

2005 The European Parliament approves the Treaty on establishing a Constitution for Europe by a significant majority (12 January).