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".
EC dibubarkan lewat Perjanjian Lisbon tahun 2009; perjanjian ini juga meleburkan semua lembaga EC ke dalam kerangka UE dan menjamin bahwa UE akan "menggantikan dan melanjutkan Masyarakat Eropa".