European Economic Community - wikipedia European Economic Community This article is about one of the three European Communities that existed from 1958 until 2009. It is not to be confused with the present - day European Union which incorporated the European Communities in 1993. `` European Common Market '', `` Common Market '', and `` EEC '' redirect here. For the EU 's internal market, see European Single Market. For the type of trade bloc, see Single market. For other uses, see Common market ( disambiguation ) and EEC ( disambiguation ). European Economic Community ( later, European Community ) 1 Danish : Europæiske Økonomiske Fællesskab Dutch : Europese Economische Gemeenschap French : Communauté Économique Européenne German : Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft Greek : Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική Κοινότητα Italian : Comunità Economica Europea Portuguese : Comunidade Económica Europeia Spanish : Comunidad Económica Europea Economic union 1958 -- 1993 / 2009 Emblem ( 1986 ) Anthem `` Ode to Joy '' ( orchestral ) EEC in 1993 Capital Brussels Luxembourg Strasbourg 2 Languages 9 ( 1993 ) Danish Dutch English French German Greek Italian Portuguese Spanish Political structure Economic union Commission President 1958 -- 1967 Walter Hallstein 1967 -- 1970 Jean Rey 1973 -- 1977 François - Xavier Ortoli 1977 -- 1981 Roy Jenkins 1981 -- 1985 Gaston Thorn 1985 -- 1993 Jacques Delors Legislature Council of Ministers European Parliament Historical era Cold War Treaty signed 25 March 1957 Established 1 January 1958 European Communities 1 July 1967 Single market 1 January 1993 Communities become a pillar of the EU 1 November 1993 Pillar abolished 1 December 2009 Currency 13 currencies EUA / ECU ( accounting ) Belgian franc Danish krone French franc German mark Greek drachma Irish pound Italian lira Luxembourgish franc Dutch guilder Portuguese escudo Spanish peseta Pound sterling Succeeded by European Union Today part of European Union 1 The information in this infobox covers the EEC 's time as an independent organisation. It does not give details of post-1993 operation within the EU as that is explained in greater length in the European Union and European Communities articles. 2 De facto only, these cities hosted the main institutions but were not titled as capitals due to the EEC being primarily an international organisation. Part of a series on the History of the European Union Timeline Pre-1945 ideas 1945 -- 1957 1958 -- 1972 1973 -- 1993 1993 -- 2004 2004 -- present Organisation European Communities ( 1958 -- 2009 ) European Coal and Steel Community ( 1952 -- 2002 ) European Economic Community ( 1958 -- 1993 ) European Atomic Energy Community ( 1958 -- present ) European Community ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Justice and Home Affairs ( 1993 -- 2003 ) Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters ( 2003 -- 2009 ) Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Western European Union ( 1954 -- 2011 ) Western Union ( 1948 -- 1954 ) Treaties Treaty of Paris 1951 Treaty of Rome 1957 Merger Treaty 1965 Single European Act 1986 Maastricht Treaty 1992 Amsterdam Treaty 1997 Treaty of Nice 2001 Treaty of Lisbon 2007 Commissions Hallstein Commission 1958 Rey Commission 1967 Malfatti Commission 1970 Mansholt Commission 1972 Ortoli Commission 1973 Jenkins Commission 1977 Thorn Commission 1981 Delors Commission 1985 Santer Commission Prodi Commission 1999 Barroso Commission Juncker Commission 2014 Topics History of Europe History of the euro History of defence integration History of enlargement List of presidents List of founders European Union portal The European Economic Community ( EEC ) was a regional organisation which aimed to bring about economic integration among its member states. It was created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957. Upon the formation of the European Union ( EU ) in 1993, the EEC was incorporated and renamed as the European Community ( EC ). In 2009 the EC 's institutions were absorbed into the EU 's wider framework and the community ceased to exist. The Community 's initial aim was to bring about economic integration, including a common market and customs union, among its six founding members : Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. It gained a common set of institutions along with the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ) and the European Atomic Energy Community ( EURATOM ) as one of the European Communities under the 1965 Merger Treaty ( Treaty of Brussels ). In 1993, a complete single market was achieved, known as the internal market, which allowed for the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people within the EEC. In 1994, the internal market was formalised by the EEA agreement. This agreement also extended the internal market to include most of the member states of the European Free Trade Association, forming the European Economic Area covering 15 countries. Upon the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, the EEC was renamed the European Community to reflect that it covered a wider range than economic policy. This was also when the three European Communities, including the EC, were collectively made to constitute the first of the three pillars of the European Union, which the treaty also founded. The EC existed in this form until it was abolished by the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon, which incorporated the EC 's institutions into the EU 's wider framework and provided that the EU would `` replace and succeed the European Community ''. The EEC was also known as the Common Market in the English - speaking countries and sometimes referred to as the European Community even before it was officially renamed as such in 1993. Contents 1 History 1.1 Background 1.2 Creation and early years 1.3 Enlargement and elections 1.4 Towards Maastricht 1.5 European Community 2 Aims and achievements 3 Members 4 Institutions 4.1 Background 4.2 Council 4.3 Commission 4.4 Parliament 4.5 Court 4.6 Auditors 5 Policy areas 6 See also 7 EU evolution timeline 8 Notes and references 8.1 Notes 8.2 References 9 Further reading 10 External links History Further information : History of the European Union Background In 1951, the Treaty of Paris was signed, creating the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ). This was an international community based on supranationalism and international law, designed to help the economy of Europe and prevent future war by integrating its members. In the aim of creating a federal Europe two further communities were proposed : a European Defence Community and a European Political Community. While the treaty for the latter was being drawn up by the Common Assembly, the ECSC parliamentary chamber, the proposed defense community was rejected by the French Parliament. ECSC President Jean Monnet, a leading figure behind the communities, resigned from the High Authority in protest and began work on alternative communities, based on economic integration rather than political integration. After the Messina Conference in 1955, Paul Henri Spaak was given the task to prepare a report on the idea of a customs union. The so - called Spaak Report of the Spaak Committee formed the cornerstone of the intergovernmental negotiations at Val Duchesse conference centre in 1956. Together with the Ohlin Report the Spaak Report would provide the basis for the Treaty of Rome. In 1956, Paul Henri Spaak led the Intergovernmental Conference on the Common Market and Euratom at the Val Duchesse conference centre, which prepared for the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The conference led to the signature, on 25 March 1957, of the Treaty of Rome establishing a European Economic Community. Creation and early years The resulting communities were the European Economic Community ( EEC ) and the European Atomic Energy Community ( EURATOM or sometimes EAEC ). These were markedly less supranational than the previous communities, due to protests from some countries that their sovereignty was being infringed ( however there would still be concerns with the behaviour of the Hallstein Commission ). The first formal meeting of the Hallstein Commission was held on 16 January 1958 at the Chateau de Val - Duchesse. The EEC ( direct ancestor of the modern Community ) was to create a customs union while Euratom would promote co-operation in the nuclear power sphere. The EEC rapidly became the most important of these and expanded its activities. One of the first important accomplishments of the EEC was the establishment ( 1962 ) of common price levels for agricultural products. In 1968, internal tariffs ( tariffs on trade between member nations ) were removed on certain products. Another crisis was triggered in regard to proposals for the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy, which came into force in 1962. The transitional period whereby decisions were made by unanimity had come to an end, and majority - voting in the Council had taken effect. Then - French President Charles de Gaulle 's opposition to supranationalism and fear of the other members challenging the CAP led to an `` empty chair policy '' whereby French representatives were withdrawn from the European institutions until the French veto was reinstated. Eventually, a compromise was reached with the Luxembourg compromise on 29 January 1966 whereby a gentlemen 's agreement permitted members to use a veto on areas of national interest. On 1 July 1967 when the Merger Treaty came into operation, combining the institutions of the ECSC and Euratom into that of the EEC, they already shared a Parliamentary Assembly and Courts. Collectively they were known as the European Communities. The Communities still had independent personalities although were increasingly integrated. Future treaties granted the community new powers beyond simple economic matters which had achieved a high level of integration. As it got closer to the goal of political integration and a peaceful and united Europe, what Mikhail Gorbachev described as a Common European Home. Enlargement and elections French President Charles de Gaulle vetoed British membership, held back the development of Parliament 's powers and was at the centre of the ' empty chair crisis ' of 1965 The 1960s saw the first attempts at enlargement. In 1961, Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom applied to join the three Communities. However, President Charles de Gaulle saw British membership as a Trojan horse for U.S. influence and vetoed membership, and the applications of all four countries were suspended. Greece became the first country to join the EC in 1961 as an associate member, however its membership was suspended in 1967 after the Colonels coup d ' etat. A year later, in February 1962, Spain attempted to join the European Communities. However, because Spain, then ruled by Francisco Franco was not a democracy, all members rejected the request in 1964. The four countries resubmitted their applications on 11 May 1967 and with Georges Pompidou succeeding Charles de Gaulle as French president in 1969, the veto was lifted. Negotiations began in 1970 under the pro-European government of Edward Heath, who had to deal with disagreements relating to the Common Agricultural Policy and the UK 's relationship with the Commonwealth of Nations. Nevertheless, two years later the accession treaties were signed so that Denmark, Ireland and the UK joined the Community effective 1 January 1973. The Norwegian people had finally rejected membership in a referendum on 25 September 1972. The Treaties of Rome had stated that the European Parliament must be directly elected, however this required the Council to agree on a common voting system first. The Council procrastinated on the issue and the Parliament remained appointed, French President Charles de Gaulle was particularly active in blocking the development of the Parliament, with it only being granted Budgetary powers following his resignation. Parliament pressured for agreement and on 20 September 1976 the Council agreed part of the necessary instruments for election, deferring details on electoral systems which remain varied to this day. During the tenure of President Jenkins, in June 1979, the elections were held in all the then - members ( see European Parliament election, 1979 ). The new Parliament, galvanised by direct election and new powers, started working full - time and became more active than the previous assemblies. Shortly after its election, the Parliament proposed that the Community adopt the flag of Europe design used by the Council of Europe. The European Council in 1984 appointed an ad hoc committee for this purpose. The European Council in 1985 largely followed the Committee 's recommendations, but as the adoption of a flag was strongly reminiscent of a national flag representing statehood, was controversial, the `` flag of Europe '' design was adopted only with the status of a `` logo '' or `` emblem ''. The European Council, or European summit, had developed since the 1960s as an informal meeting of the Council at the level of heads of state. It had originated from then - French President Charles de Gaulle 's resentment at the domination of supranational institutions ( e.g. the Commission ) over the integration process. It was mentioned in the treaties for the first time in the Single European Act ( see below ). Enlargement, 1957 to 2013 Community enlargement Since 1995 Towards Maastricht Greece re-applied to join the community on 12 June 1975, following the restoration of democracy, and re-joined on 1 January 1981. Following on from Greece, and after their own democratic restoration, Spain and Portugal applied to the communities in 1977 and joined together on 1 January 1986. In 1987 Turkey formally applied to join the Community and began the longest application process for any country. With the prospect of further enlargement, and a desire to increase areas of co-operation, the Single European Act was signed by the foreign ministers on the 17 and 28 February 1986 in Luxembourg and the Hague respectively. In a single document it dealt with reform of institutions, extension of powers, foreign policy cooperation and the single market. It came into force on 1 July 1987. The act was followed by work on what would be the Maastricht Treaty, which was agreed on 10 December 1991, signed the following year and coming into force on 1 November 1993 establishing the European Union. European Community The EU absorbed the European Communities as one of its three pillars. The EEC 's areas of activities were enlarged and were renamed the European Community, continuing to follow the supranational structure of the EEC. The EEC institutions became those of the EU, however the Court, Parliament and Commission had only limited input in the new pillars, as they worked on a more intergovernmental system than the European Communities. This was reflected in the names of the institutions, the Council was formally the `` Council of the European Union '' while the Commission was formally the `` Commission of the European Communities ''. However, after the Treaty of Maastricht, Parliament gained a much bigger role. Maastricht brought in the codecision procedure, which gave it equal legislative power with the Council on Community matters. Hence, with the greater powers of the supranational institutions and the operation of Qualified Majority Voting in the Council, the Community pillar could be described as a far more federal method of decision making. The Treaty of Amsterdam transferred responsibility for free movement of persons ( e.g., visas, illegal immigration, asylum ) from the Justice and Home Affairs ( JHA ) pillar to the European Community ( JHA was renamed Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters ( PJCC ) as a result ). Both Amsterdam and the Treaty of Nice also extended codecision procedure to nearly all policy areas, giving Parliament equal power to the Council in the Community. In 2002, the Treaty of Paris which established the ECSC expired, having reached its 50 - year limit ( as the first treaty, it was the only one with a limit ). No attempt was made to renew its mandate ; instead, the Treaty of Nice transferred certain of its elements to the Treaty of Rome and hence its work continued as part of the EC area of the European Community 's remit. After the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 the pillar structure ceased to exist. The European Community, together with its legal personality, was absorbed into the newly consolidated European Union which merged in the other two pillars ( however Euratom remained distinct ). This was originally proposed under the European Constitution but that treaty failed ratification in 2005. Aims and achievements This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( December 2007 ) The main aim of the EEC, as stated in its preamble, was to `` preserve peace and liberty and to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe ''. Calling for balanced economic growth, this was to be accomplished through : The establishment of a customs union with a common external tariff Common policies for agriculture, transport and trade, including standardization ( for example, the CE marking designates standards compliance ) Enlargement of the EEC to the rest of Europe For the customs union, the treaty provided for a 10 % reduction in custom duties and up to 20 % of global import quotas. Progress on the customs union proceeded much faster than the twelve years planned. However, France faced some setbacks due to their war with Algeria. Members Further information : Member state of the European Union and Enlargement of the European Union The six states that founded the EEC and the other two Communities were known as the `` inner six '' ( the `` outer seven '' were those countries who formed the European Free Trade Association ). The six were France, West Germany, Italy and the three Benelux countries : Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The first enlargement was in 1973, with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s. The former East Germany became part of the EEC upon German reunification in 1990. Following the creation of the EU in 1993, it has enlarged to include an additional sixteen countries by 2013. Founding members of EEC Later members of EEC Flag State Accession Language ( s ) Currency Population ( 1990 ) Belgium 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 Dutch, French and German Belgian franc 7007100160000000000 ♠ 10,016,000 France 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 French French franc 7007567180000000000 ♠ 56,718,000 West Germany / Germany 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 German German mark 7007632540000000000 ♠ 63,254,000 Italy 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 Italian Italian lira 7007567627000000000 ♠ 56,762,700 Luxembourg 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 French, German and Luxembourgish Luxembourgish franc 7005384400000000000 ♠ 384,400 Netherlands 000000001957 - 03 - 25 - 0000 25 March 1957 Dutch and Frisian Dutch guilder 7007148923000000000 ♠ 14,892,300 Denmark 000000001973 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1973 Danish Danish krone 7006514650000000000 ♠ 5,146,500 Ireland 000000001973 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1973 Irish and English Irish pound 7006352100000000000 ♠ 3,521,000 United Kingdom 000000001973 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1973 English Pound sterling 7007576810000000000 ♠ 57,681,000 Greece 000000001981 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1981 Greek Greek drachma 7007101200000000000 ♠ 10,120,000 Portugal 000000001986 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1986 Portuguese Portuguese escudo 7006986250000000000 ♠ 9,862,500 Spain 000000001986 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1 January 1986 Spanish Spanish peseta 7007389938000000000 ♠ 38,993,800 Member states are represented in some form in each institution. The Council is also composed of one national minister who represents their national government. Each state also has a right to one European Commissioner each, although in the European Commission they are not supposed to represent their national interest but that of the Community. Prior to 2004, the larger members ( France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom ) have had two Commissioners. In the European Parliament, members are allocated a set number seats related to their population, however these ( since 1979 ) have been directly elected and they sit according to political allegiance, not national origin. Most other institutions, including the European Court of Justice, have some form of national division of its members. Institutions Further information : Institutions of the European Union There were three political institutions which held the executive and legislative power of the EEC, plus one judicial institution and a fifth body created in 1975. These institutions ( except for the auditors ) were created in 1957 by the EEC but from 1967 onwards they applied to all three Communities. The Council represents governments, the Parliament represents citizens and the Commission represents the European interest. Essentially, the Council, Parliament or another party place a request for legislation to the Commission. The Commission then drafts this and presents it to the Council for approval and the Parliament for an opinion ( in some cases it had a veto, depending upon the legislative procedure in use ). The Commission 's duty is to ensure it is implemented by dealing with the day - to - day running of the Union and taking others to Court if they fail to comply. After the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, these institutions became those of the European Union, though limited in some areas due to the pillar structure. Despite this, Parliament in particular has gained more power over legislation and security of the Commission. The Court was the highest authority in the law, settling legal disputes in the Community, while the Auditors had no power but to investigate. Background The High Authority had more executive powers than the Commission which replaced it The EEC inherited some of the Institutions of the ECSC in that the Common Assembly and Court of Justice of the ECSC had their authority extended to the EEC and Euratom in the same role. However the EEC, and Euratom, had different executive bodies to the ECSC. In place of the ECSC 's Council of Ministers was the Council of the European Economic Community, and in place of the High Authority was the Commission of the European Communities. There was greater difference between these than name : the French government of the day had grown suspicious of the supranational power of the High Authority and sought to curb its powers in favour of the intergovernmental style Council. Hence the Council had a greater executive role in the running of the EEC than was the situation in the ECSC. By virtue of the Merger Treaty in 1967, the executives of the ECSC and Euratom were merged with that of the EEC, creating a single institutional structure governing the three separate Communities. From here on, the term European Communities were used for the institutions ( for example, from Commission of the European Economic Community to the Commission of the European Communities ). Council President Jacques Delors the last EEC Commission President. The Council of the European Communities was a body holding legislative and executive powers and was thus the main decision making body of the Community. Its Presidency rotated between the member states every six months and it is related to the European Council, which was an informal gathering of national leaders ( started in 1961 ) on the same basis as the Council. The Council was composed of one national minister from each member state. However the Council met in various forms depending upon the topic. For example, if agriculture was being discussed, the Council would be composed of each national minister for agriculture. They represented their governments and were accountable to their national political systems. Votes were taken either by majority ( with votes allocated according to population ) or unanimity. In these various forms they share some legislative and budgetary power of the Parliament. Since the 1960s the Council also began to meet informally at the level of national leaders ; these European summits followed the same presidency system and secretariat as the Council but was not a formal formation of it. Commission The Commission of the European Communities was the executive arm of the community, drafting Community law, dealing with the day to running of the Community and upholding the treaties. It was designed to be independent, representing the Community interest, but was composed of national representatives ( two from each of the larger states, one from the smaller states ). One of its members was the President, appointed by the Council, who chaired the body and represented it. Parliament The European Parliament held its first elections in 1979, slowly gaining more influence over Community decision making. Under the Community, the European Parliament ( formerly the European Parliamentary Assembly ) had an advisory role to the Council and Commission. There were a number of Community legislative procedures, at first there was only the consultation procedure, which meant Parliament had to be consulted, although it was often ignored. The Single European Act gave Parliament more power, with the assent procedure giving it a right to veto proposals and the cooperation procedure giving it equal power with the Council if the Council was not unanimous. In 1970 and 1975, the Budgetary treaties gave Parliament power over the Community budget. The Parliament 's members, up - until 1980 were national MPs serving part - time in the Parliament. The Treaties of Rome had required elections to be held once the Council had decided on a voting system, but this did not happen and elections were delayed until 1979 ( see European Parliament election, 1979 ). After that, Parliament was elected every five years. In the following 20 years, it gradually won co-decision powers with the Council over the adoption of legislation, the right to approve or reject the appointment of the Commission President and the Commission as a whole, and the right to approve or reject international agreements entered into by the Community. Court The Court of Justice of the European Communities was the highest court of on matters of Community law and was composed of one judge per state with a president elected from among them. Its role was to ensure that Community law was applied in the same way across all states and to settle legal disputes between institutions or states. It became a powerful institution as Community law overrides national law. Auditors The fifth institution is the European Court of Auditors, which despite its name had no judicial powers like the Court of Justice. Instead, it ensured that taxpayer funds from the Community budget have been correctly spent. The court provided an audit report for each financial year to the Council and Parliament and gives opinions and proposals on financial legislation and anti-fraud actions. It is the only institution not mentioned in the original treaties, having been set up in 1975. Policy areas Further information : Three pillars of the European Union At the time of its abolition, the European Community pillar covered the following areas ; Asylum policy Border control Common Agricultural Policy Common Fisheries Policy Competition Consumer protection Customs Union and Single market Economic and monetary union Education and Culture Employment Environmental law EU Citizenship Healthcare Immigration policy Research Schengen treaty Social policy Trade policy Trans - European Networks See also Economy of the European Union Brussels and the European Union Delors Commission European Commission European Customs Information Portal ( ECIP ) European Institutions in Strasbourg History of the European Communities ( 1958 - 1972 ) History of the European Communities ( 1973 - 1993 ) Location of European Union institutions Snake in the tunnel EU evolution timeline Signed : In force : Document : 1947 1947 Dunkirk Treaty 1948 1948 Brussels Treaty 1951 1952 Paris Treaty 1954 1955 Modified Brussels Treaty 1957 1958 Rome Treaty & EURATOM 1965 1967 Merger Treaty 1976 Council Agreement on TREVI 1986 Single European Act 1985 + 90 1995 Schengen Treaty & Convention 1992 Maastricht Treaty ( TEU ) 1997 1999 Amsterdam Treaty 2001 2003 Nice Treaty 2007 2009 Lisbon Treaty Content : ( est. alliance ) ( founded WU ) ( founded ECSC ) ( protocol amending WU to become WEU ) ( founded EEC and EURATOM ) ( merging the legislative & administrative bodies of the 3 European communities ) ( founded TREVI ) ( amended : EURATOM, ECSC, EEC ) + ( founded EPC ) ( founded Schengen ) ( implemented Schengen ) ( amended : EURATOM, ECSC, and EEC to transform it into EC ) + ( founded : JHA + CFSP ) ( amended : EURATOM, ECSC, EC to also contain Schengen, and TEU where PJCC replaced JHA ) ( amended with focus on institutional changes : EURATOM, ECSC, EC and TEU ) ( abolished the 3 pillars and WEU by amending : EURATOM, EC = > TFEU, and TEU ) ( founded EU as an overall legal unit with Charter of Fundamental Rights, and reformed governance structures & decision procedures ) Three pillars of the European Union : European Communities ( with a single Commission & Council ) European Atomic Energy Community ( EURATOM ) European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ) Treaty expired in 2002 European Union ( EU ) European Economic Community ( EEC ) European Community ( EC ) Schengen Rules Terrorism, Radicalism, Extremism and Violence Internationally ( TREVI ) Justice and Home Affairs ( JHA ) Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters ( PJCC ) European Political Cooperation ( EPC ) Common Foreign and Security Policy ( CFSP ) Franco - British alliance Western Union ( WU ) Western European Union ( WEU ) Treaty terminated in 2011 Notes and references Notes Jump up ^ German reunification took place in 1990 Jump up ^ And recognised regional languages : Aranese, Galician, Basque and Catalan References ^ Jump up to : Tobias Theiler, Political Symbolism and European Integration, Manchester University Press, 2005 p. 61 -- 65. The compromise was widely disregarded from the beginning, and the `` European logo '' in spite of the explicit avoidance of giving it the status of a `` flag '' was referred to as `` Community flag '' or even `` European flag '' from the outset. Tobias Theiler, Political Symbolism and European Integration, Manchester University Press, 2005 p. 6. Jump up ^ Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, as renamed by the Lisbon Treaty. Jump up ^ Raymond F. Mikesell, The Lessons of Benelux and the European Coal and Steel Community for the European Economic Community, The American Economic Review, Vol. 48, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Seventieth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association ( May 1958 ), pp. 428 -- 441 Jump up ^ `` Spaak report ''. Jump up ^ Fifty years of fraternal rivalry news.bbc.co.uk 19 / 03 / 07 Jump up ^ `` The ' empty chair ' policy ''. Jump up ^ Deschamps, Etienne ; Lekl, Christian. `` The accession of Greece '' ( PDF ). CVCE. University of Luxemburg. Retrieved 18 March 2018. ^ Jump up to : Hoskyns, Catherine ; Michael Newman ( 2000 ). Democratizing the European Union : Issues for the twenty - first Century ( Perspectives on Democratization ). Manchester University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7190 - 5666 - 6. Jump up ^ `` European Parliament press releases ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 02 - 19. Jump up ^ Regarding The `` Adonnino Report '' - Report to the European Council by the ad hoc committee `` On a People 's Europe '', A 10.04 COM 85, SN / 2536 / 3 / 85. Under the header of `` strengthening of the Community 's image and identity '', the Committee suggested the introduction of `` a flag and an emblem '', recommending a design based on the Council of Europe flag, but with the addition of `` a gold letter E '' in the center of the circle of stars : `` bearing in mind the independence and the different nature of the two organizations, the Committee proposes to the European Concil that the European Community emblem and flag should be a blue rectangle with, in the center, a circle of twelve five - pointed gold stars which do not touch, surrounding a gold letter E, of the design already used by the Commission. '' Adonnino Report, p. 31. Jump up ^ Stark, Christine. `` Evolution of the European Council : The implications of a permanent seat '' ( PDF ). Dragoman.org. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 07 - 12. Jump up ^ `` The accession of Greece ''. CVCE. 2016. Jump up ^ The Accession Treaties with Spain and Portugal on CVCE website Jump up ^ `` The provisions of the Single European Act ''. ^ Jump up to : What are the three pillars of the EU ?, Folketingets EU - Oplysning Jump up ^ `` The achievements of the EEC ''. CVCE. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` The European Customs Union ''. CVCE. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ Data from Populstat.info ^ Jump up to : The Belgian and Luxembourgish francs were 1 : 1 and theoretically interchangeable as a single currency. Jump up ^ Including East Germany : 80,274,200 Jump up ^ Williamson, Adrian ( 5 May 2015 ). `` The case for Brexit : lessons from the 1960s and 1970s ''. History & Policy. History & Policy. Retrieved 13 July 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Institutions : The European Commission ''. Europa ( web portal ). Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Merging of the executives ''. CVCE. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Council of the European Union ''. CVCE. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` European Commission ''. CVCE. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 26. ^ Jump up to : `` Institutions : The Council of the European Union ''. Europa ( web portal ). Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 25 June 2007. Jump up ^ `` Institutions : Court of Auditors ''. Europa ( web portal ). Archived from the original on 22 December 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2007. Further reading Acocella, Nicola ( 1992 ), ' Trade and direct investment within the EC : The impact of strategic considerations ', in : Cantwell, John ( ed. ), ' Multinational investment in modern Europe ', E. Elgar, Cheltenham, ISBN 978 - 1 - 8527 - 8421 - 8. Balassa, Bela ( 1962 ). The Theory of Economic Integration Eichengreen, Barry ( 1992 ). `` European Economic Community ''. In David R. Henderson ( ed. ). Concise Encyclopedia of Economics ( 1st ed. ). Library of Economics and Liberty. CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list ( link ) OCLC 317650570, 50016270, 163149563 Hallstein, Walter ( 1962 ). A New Path to Peaceful Union Monnet, Jean ( 1959 ). Prospect for a New Europe Spaak, Paul - Henri ( 1971 ). The Continuing Battle : Memories of a European External links Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` European Economic Community '' dated 2012 - 03 - 26, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles Wikimedia Commons has media related to European Economic Community. European Union website Documents of the European Economic Community are consultable at the Historical Archives of the EU in Florence Treaty establishing the European Economic Community on CVCE website History of the Rome Treaties on CVCE website Papers of J. Robert Schaetzel, ambassador to European Economic Community, 1966 -- 1972, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library European Customs Information Portal ( ECIP ) European Union articles History Timeline Pre-1945 1945 -- 57 1958 -- 72 1973 -- 93 1993 -- 2004 Since 2004 Predecessors Timeline Founders European Coal and Steel Community ( 1951 -- 2002 ) European Economic Community ( 1958 -- 1993 / 2009 ) Euratom ( 1958 -- present ) European Communities ( 1967 -- 1993 / 2009 ) Justice and Home Affairs ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Geography Extreme points Geographic centre Largest municipalities Urban areas Larger urban zones Member states Regions ( first - level NUTS ) Special territories Politics Institutions European Council European Commission European Parliament Council of the European Union Court of Justice of the European Union European Central Bank European Court of Auditors Agencies Banking Border and coast security ( Frontex ) Disease prevention and control Environment Foreign affairs ( External Action Service ) Judicial cooperation ( Eurojust ) Law enforcement cooperation ( Europol ) Maritime safety Reconstruction Law Acquis Charter of Fundamental Rights Competition law Copyright law Directive Citizens ' Rights Directive Enhanced cooperation Environmental policy Four freedoms labour mobility Government procurement Journal Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification Legislative procedure Citizens ' Initiative Regulation Rural Development Policy Schengen Area Treaties opt - outs LGBT rights Politics Elections parliamentary constituencies Enlargement 1973 1981 1986 1995 2007 2013 Future Euromyths Political parties ( National parties by affiliation ) Euroscepticism Foreign relations ( defence ) Integration Parliamentary groups Pro-Europeanism Withdrawal ( Brexit ) 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Economy Budget Central bank Agricultural policy Fisheries policy Currencies Energy policy Euro Eurozone Free trade agreements Investment bank Investment fund Regional development Single market Societas Europaea Solidarity Fund Transport Galileo navigation system minimum wage average wage unemployment rate health expense per person Healthcare Health Insurance Card Driving licence European Common Aviation Area Culture Citizenship passports identity cards Cultural policies Demographics Douzelage Driving licence Education House of European History Institute of Innovation and Technology Laissez - passer Languages Media freedom Public holidays Religion Sport Telephone numbers Statistics Symbols Lists Concepts, acronyms, & jargon Agencies Books Companies Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants Largest cities by population within city limits Directives Tallest buildings Terrorist incidents Vehicle registration plates Theory Eurosphere Intergovernmentalism Multi-speed Neofunctionalism Optimum currency area Supranational union Outline Book Portal BNF : cb119480207 ( data ) GND : 35433 - 8 ISNI : 0000 0001 2290 4914 LCCN : n79054869 NDL : 00309334 SUDOC : 027438902 VIAF : 135819217 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Economic_Community&oldid=840078575 '' Categories : European Economic Community History of the European Union Organizations established in 1958 Organizations disestablished in 1993 Former international organizations 1958 establishments in Europe 1993 disestablishments in Europe Hidden categories : Use British English from March 2013 Articles containing Danish - language text Articles containing Dutch - language text Articles containing French - language text Articles containing German - language text Articles containing Greek - language text Articles containing Italian - language text Articles containing Portuguese - language text Articles containing Spanish - language text Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2012 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018 Articles to be expanded from December 2007 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list Spoken articles Articles with hAudio microformats Use dmy dates from March 2013 Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Interlingue Íslenska Italiano ქართული Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Mirandés မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Nordfriisk Norsk Occitan Polski Português Română Русский Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray ייִדיש 粵語 中文 63 more Edit links This page was last edited on 7 May 2018, at 15 : 58. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: the first organization that helped promote european economic cooperation was founded in 1951 as the
Answer: the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)