Treaty on European Union (consolidated version)

Preamble

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND,

RESOLVED to mark a new stage in the process of European integration undertaken with the establishment of the European Communities,

RECALLING the historic importance of the ending of the division of the European continent and the need to create firm bases for the construction of the future Europe,

CONFIRMING their attachment to the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and of the rule of law,

CONFIRMING their attachment to fundamental social rights as defined in the European Social Charter signed at Turin on 18 October 1961 and in the 1989 Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers,

DESIRING to deepen the solidarity between their peoples while respecting their history, their culture and their traditions,

DESIRING to enhance further the democratic and efficient functioning of the institutions so as to enable them better to carry out, within a single institutional framework, the tasks entrusted to them,

RESOLVED to achieve the strengthening and the convergence of their economies and to establish an economic and monetary union including, in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, a single and stable currency,

DETERMINED to promote economic and social progress for their peoples, taking into account the principle of sustainable development and within the context of the accomplishment of the internal market and of reinforced cohesion and environmental protection, and to implement policies ensuring that advances in economic integration are accompanied by parallel progress in other fields,

RESOLVED to establish a citizenship common to nationals of their countries,

RESOLVED to implement a common foreign and security policy including the progressive framing of a common defence policy, which might lead to a common defence in accordance with the provisions of Article 17, thereby reinforcing the European identity and its independence in order to promote peace, security and progress in Europe and in the world,

RESOLVED to facilitate the free movement of persons, while ensuring the safety and security of their peoples, by establishing an area of freedom, security and justice, in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty,

RESOLVED to continue the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,

IN VIEW of further steps to be taken in order to advance European integration,

HAVE DECIDED to establish a European Union and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries:

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS:

Mark EYSKENS, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Philippe MAYSTADT, Minister for Finance;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK:

Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Anders FOGH RASMUSSEN, Minister for Economic Affairs;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY:

Hans-Dietrich GENSCHER, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Theodor WAIGEL, Federal Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC:

Antonios SAMARAS, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Efthymios CHRISTODOULOU, Minister for Economic Affairs;

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN:

Francisco FERNÁNDEZ ORDÓÑEZ, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Carlos SOLCHAGA CATALÁN, Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC:

Roland DUMAS, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Pierre BÉRÉGOVOY, Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Budget;

THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND:

Gerard COLLINS, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Bertie AHERN, Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC:

Gianni DE MICHELIS, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Guido CARLI, Minister for the Treasury;

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG:

Jacques F. POOS, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Minister for Finance;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS:

Hans VAN DEN BROEK, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Willem KOK, Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC:

João de Deus PINHEIRO, Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Jorge BRAGA DE MACEDO, Minister for Finance;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND:

The Rt. Hon. Douglas HURD, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,

The Hon. Francis MAUDE, Financial Secretary to the Treasury;

WHO, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows.

In witness whereof the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty.

Done at Maastricht on the seventh day of February in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-two.

Mark EYSKENS

Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN

Hans-Dietrich GENSCHER

Antonios SAMARAS

Francisco FERNÁNDEZ ORDÓÑEZ

Roland DUMAS

Gerard COLLINS

Gianni DE MICHELIS

Jacques F. POOS

Hans VAN DEN BROEK

João de Deus PINHEIRO

Douglas HURD

Philippe MAYSTADT

Anders FOGH RASMUSSEN

Theodor WAIGEL

Efthymios CHRISTODOULOU

Carlos SOLCHAGA CATALÁN

Pierre BÉRÉGOVOY

Bertie AHERN

Guido CARLI

Jean-Claude JUNCKER

Willem KOK

Jorge BRAGA DE MACEDO

Francis MAUDE