EUR-Lex - xy0023 - EN - EUR-Lex Text Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, EEC Treaty - original text (non-consolidated version) The EEC Treaty, signed in Rome in 1957, brings together France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries in a community whose aim is to achieve integration via trade with a view to economic expansion. After the Treaty of Maastricht the EEC became the European Community, reflecting the determination of the Member States to expand the Community's powers to non-economic domains. CREATION The establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in July 1952 was the first step towards a supranational Europe. For the first time the six Member States of this organisation relinquished part of their sovereignty, albeit in a limited domain, in favour of the Community. This first drive towards integration soon came to a halt with the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC) in 1954. Although there was reason to fear that the effort undertaken by the ECSC was doomed to fail, the Messina Conference of June 1955 endeavoured to add a new impetus to European construction.

It was followed by a series of meetings of ministers or experts. A preparatory committee responsible for drafting a report on the creation of a European common market was created at the beginning of 1956. It met in Brussels under the Presidency of P.H. Spaak, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time. In April 1956 this Committee submitted two drafts, which corresponded to the two options selected by the Member States: the creation of a general common market; the creation of an atomic energy community. It was in Rome that the famous "Treaties of Rome" were signed in March 1957. The first Treaty established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the second the European Atomic Energy Community , better known as Euratom. Since ratification at national level did not pose any problems, these two Treaties entered into force on 1 January 1958. This summary fact sheet is uniquely devoted to the EEC Treaty. OBJECTIVES After the failure of the EDC, the economy, which was less subject to national resistance than other areas, became the focus of consensus in the field of supranational cooperation.

The establishment of the EEC and the creation of the Common Market had two objectives. The first was to transform the conditions of trade and manufacture on the territory of the Community. The second, more political, saw the EEC as a contribution towards the functional construction of a political Europe and constituted a step towards the closer unification of Europe.

In the preamble, the signatories of the Treaty declare that: "- determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, resolved to ensure the economic and social progress of their countries by common action to eliminate the barriers which divide Europe, affirming as the essential objective of their efforts the constant improvements of the living and working conditions of their peoples, - recognising that the removal of existing obstacles calls for concerted action in order to guarantee steady expansion, balanced trade and fair competition; - anxious to strengthen the unity of their economies and to ensure their harmonious development by reducing the differences existing between the various regions and the backwardness of the less-favoured regions; - desiring to contribute, by means of a common commercial policy, to the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade; - intending to confirm the solidarity which binds Europe and the overseas countries and desiring to ensure the development of their prosperity, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; - resolved by thus pooling their resources to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty, and calling upon the other peoples of Europe who share their ideal to join in their efforts...". These intentions were fleshed out by creating a common market and a customs union and by developing common policies.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TREATY The EEC Treaty provided for the establishment of a common market, a customs union and common policies. Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty directly address these three issues. They state that the Community's primary mission is to create a common market and specify the measures that it must undertake to achieve this objective. The establishment of a common market Article 2 of the EEC Treaty specifies that "The Community shall have as its task, by establishing a common market and progressively approximating the economic policies of member states, to promote throughout the community a harmonious development of economic activities, a continuous and balanced expansion, an increase in stability, an accelerated raising of the standard of living and closer relations between the states belonging to it". This common market is founded on the famous "four freedoms", namely the free movement of persons, services, goods and capital. It creates a single economic area establishing free competition between undertakings. It lays the basis for approximating the conditions governing trade in products and services over and above those already covered by the other treaties (ECSC and Euratom).

Article 8 of the EEC Treaty states that the Common Market will be progressively established during a transitional period of 12 years, divided into three stages of four years each. To each stage there is assigned a set of actions to be initiated and carried through concurrently. Subject to the exceptions and procedures provided for in the Treaty, the expiry of the transitional period constitutes the latest date by which all the rules laid down must enter into force. The market being based on the principle of free competition, the Treaty prohibits restrictive agreements and state aids (except for the derogations provided for in the Treaty) which can affect trade between Member States and whose objective is to prevent, restrict or distort competition. Finally, the overseas countries and territories are associated with the Common Market and the customs union with a view to fostering trade and promoting jointly economic and social development. The establishment of a customs union The EEC Treaty abolishes quotas and customs duties between the Member States. It establishes a common external tariff, a sort of external frontier for Member States' products, replacing the preceding tariffs of the different states. This customs union is accompanied by a common trade policy. This policy, managed at Community level and no longer at state level, totally dissociates the customs union from a mere free-trade association.

The effects of dismantling customs barriers and eliminating quantitative restrictions to trade during the transitional period were very positive, allowing intra-Community trade and trade between the EEC and third countries to develop rapidly. The development of common policies Certain policies are formally enshrined in the Treaty, such as the common agricultural policy (Articles 38 to 47), common trade policy (Articles 110 to 116) and transport policy (Articles 74 to 84). Others may be launched depending on needs, as specified in Article 235, which stipulates that: "If action by the Community should prove necessary to attain, in the course of the operation of the common market, one of the objectives of the Community and this Treaty has not provided the necessary powers, the Council shall, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the Assembly, take the appropriate measures." After the Paris Summit of October 1972, recourse to this Article enabled the Community to develop actions in the field of environmental, regional, social and industrial policy.

The development of these policies was accompanied by the creation of a European Social Fund whose aim is to improve job opportunities for workers and to raise their standard of living as well as to establish a European Investment Bank in order to facilitate the Community's economic expansion by creating new resources. STRUCTURE The EEC Treaty consists of 240 articles in six separate parts, preceded by a preamble. the first part is devoted to the principles which underline the establishment of the EC via the common market, the customs union and the common policies; the second part concerns the foundations of the Community. It comprises four titles devoted respectively to the free movement of goods; agriculture; the free movement of persons, services and capital; and finally transport; the third part concerns Community policy and includes four titles relating to common rules, economic policy, social policy and the European Investment Bank; the fourth part is devoted to the association of overseas countries and territories; the fifth part is devoted to the Community institutions, with one title on the institutional provisions and another on the financial provisions; the final part of the Treaty concerns general and final provisions. The Treaty also includes four annexes relating to certain tariff positions, agricultural products, invisible transactions and overseas countries and territories. A total of twelve protocols were annexed to the Treaty.

The first concerns the status of the European Investment Bank and the following concern various problems linked to specific countries (Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) or to a product such as mineral oil, bananas, green coffee. Finally, nine declarations were annexed to the final Act. INSTITUTIONS The EEC Treaty establishes institutions and decision-making mechanisms which make it possible to express both national interests and a Community vision. The institutional balance is based on a triangle consisting of the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament, all three of which are called upon to work together. The Council prepares the standards, the Commission drafts the proposals and the Parliament plays an advisory role. Another body is also involved in the decision-making procedure in an advisory capacity, namely the Economic and Social Committee. The Commission, an independent college of the governments of the Member States; appointed by common agreement, represents the common interest. It has a monopoly on initiating legislation and proposes Community acts to the Council of Ministers. As guardian of the treaties, it monitors the implementation of the treaties and secondary law. In this connection it has a wide assortment of measures to police the Member States and the business community. In the framework of its mission the Commission has the executive power to implement Community policies.

The Council of Ministers is made up of representatives of the governments of the Member States and is vested with decision-making powers. It is assisted by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), which prepares the Council's work and carries out the tasks conferred on it by the Council. The Parliamentary Assembly originally had only an advisory role and its members were not yet elected by direct universal suffrage. The Treaty also provides for the creation of the Court of Justice. In compliance with the Convention on certain common institutions, which was signed and entered into force at the same time as the Treaty of Rome, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Court of Justice are common to the EEC Treaties and the Euratom Treaty. With the entry into force of the Merger Treaty in 1967, the Council and the Commission become institutions shared by the three Communities (ECSC, EEC and Euratom) and the principle of budgetary unity was imposed.

AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE TREATY This Treaty was amended by the following treaties: Treaty of Brussels, known as the "Merger Treaty" (1965)This Treaty replaced the three Councils of Ministers (EEC, ECSC and Euratom) on the one hand and the two Commissions (EEC, Euratom) and the High Authority (ECSC) on the other hand with a single Council and a single Commission. This administrative merger was supplemented by the institution of a single operative budget. Treaty amending Certain Budgetary Provisions (1970)This Treaty replaced the system whereby the Communities were funded by contributions from Member States with that of own resources . It also put in place a single budget for the Communities.. Treaty amending Certain Financial Provisions (1975)This Treaty gave the European Parliament the right to reject the budget and to grant a discharge to the Commission for the implementation of the budget. It established a single Court of Auditors for the three Communities to monitor their accounts and financial management.

Treaty on Greenland (1984)This Treaty meant that the Treaties would no longer apply to Greenland and established special relations between the European Community and Greenland modelled on the rules which applied to overseas territories. Single European Act (1986)The Single European Act was the first major reform of the Treaties. It extended the areas of qualified majority voting in the Council, increased the role of the European Parliament (cooperation procedure) and widened Community powers. It set the objective of achieving the internal market by 1992. Treaty on European Union, known as the "Maastricht Treaty" (1992)The Maastricht Treaty brought the three Communities (Euratom, ECSC, EEC) and institutionalised cooperation in the fields of foreign policy, defence, police and justice together under one umbrella, the European Union. The EEC was renamed, becoming the EC.

Furthermore, this Treaty created economic and monetary union, put in place new Community policies (education, culture) and increased the powers of the European Parliament (codecision procedure).Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)The Treaty of Amsterdam increased the powers of the Union by creating a Community employment policy, transferring to the Communities some of the areas which were previously subject to intergovernmental cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, introducing measures aimed at bringing the Union closer to its citizens and enabling closer cooperation between certain Member States (enhanced cooperation). It also extended the codecision procedure and qualified majority voting and simplified and renumbered the articles of the Treaties. Treaty of Nice (2001)The Treaty of Nice was essentially devoted to the "leftovers" of Amsterdam, i.e. the institutional problems linked to enlargement which were not resolved in 1997. It dealt with the make-up of the Commission, the weighting of votes in the Council and the extension of the areas of qualified majority voting. It simplified the rules on use of the enhanced cooperation procedure and made the judicial system more effective.

Treaty of Lisbon (2007) The Treaty of Lisbon makes sweeping reforms. It brings an end to the European Community, abolishes the former EU architecture and makes a new allocation of competencies between the EU and the Member States. The way in which the European institutions function and the decision-making process are also subject to modifications. The aim is to improve the way in which decisions are made in an enlarged Union of 27 Member States. The Treaty of Lisbon also reforms several of the EU’s internal and external policies. In particular, it enables the institutions to legislate and take measures in new policy areas. This Treaty has also been amended by the following treaties of accession: Treaty of Accession of the United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland (1972) which increased the number of Member States of the European Community from six to nine. Treaty of Accession of Greece (1979) Treaty of Accession of Spain and Portugal (1985), which increased the number of Member States of the European Community from 10 to12. Treaty of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden (1994), which increased the number of Member States of the European Community to 15.

Treaty of Accession of Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia (2003)This Treaty increases the number of Member States of the European Community from 15 to 25. Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (2005). This Treaty increased the number of Member States of the European Community from 25 to 27. References Common Market founded - Mar 25, 1957 - HISTORY.com Common Market founded Publisher A+E Networks On March 25, 1957, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg sign a treaty in Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market. The EEC, which came into operation in January 1958, was a major step in Europe’s movement toward economic and political union. By 1950, it was apparent that centuries of Western European world supremacy was at an end. The national markets of Europe, isolated from each other by archaic trade laws, were no match for the giant market enjoyed by the United States.

And looming over Europe from the east was the Soviet Union, whose communist leaders commanded vast territory and economic resources under a single system. Many European leaders also feared the resumption of conflict between traditional European antagonists such as France and Germany, which would only diminish the European economies further. As a means of improving Europe’s economic climate and preventing war, some influential statesman and political theorists suggested economic integration. The first major step in this direction was taken in 1951, when France and West Germany formed the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), integrating their coal and steel industries. French leaders proposed the organization primarily as a means of monitoring German industry, and West German leaders immediately agreed, to allay fears of German militarization. To supervise the ECSC, several supranational bodies were established, including an executive authority, a council of ministers, an advisory assembly, and a court of justice to settle disputes. Italy and the three nations of the Benelux Economic Union–Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg–soon joined. The groundwork for the EEC was laid. On March 25, 1957, representatives of six European nations signed two treaties in Rome.

One created the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for the common and peaceful development of Europe’s nuclear resources. The other created the EEC. In the Common Market, trade barriers between member nations were gradually eliminated, and common policies regarding transportation, agriculture, and economic relations with nonmember countries were implemented. Eventually, labor and capital were permitted to move freely within the boundaries of the community. The EEC, the ECSC, and Euratom were served by a single council of ministers, representative assembly, and court of justice. In 1967, the three organizations were fully merged as the European Community (EC). Britain and other European nations initially declined to join the Common Market and established the weaker European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960 as an alternative. By the early 1960s, however, the Common Market nations showed signs of significant economic growth, and Britain changed its mind. Because of its close ties to the United States, however, French President Charles de Gaulle twice vetoed British admission, and Britain did not join the EC until January 1973, when Ireland and Denmark also became EC members.

Greece joined in 1981, Portugal and Spain in 1986, and the former East Germany as part of reunified Germany in 1990. In early 1990s, the European Community became the basis for the European Union (EU), which was established in 1993 following ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. The treaty called for a strengthened European parliament, the creation of a central European bank and common currency, and a common defense policy. In addition to a single European common market, member states would also participate in a larger common market, called the European Economic Area. Austria, Finland, and Sweden became members of the EU in 1995. As of early 2007, there were twenty-seven member states in total, and further growth was expected.

More on This Topic The Treaty of Rome (1957) - The history of the European Union and European Citizenship The Treaties of Rome (1957) The signing of the Treaties of Rome On 25th March 1957, two treaties were signed in Rome that gave birth to the European Economic Community (EEC) and to European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) : the Treaties of Rome. The signatories of the historic agreement were Christian Pineau on behalf of France, Joseph Luns from the Netherlands, Paul Henri Spaak from Belgium, Joseph Bech from Luxemburg, Antonio Segni from Italy and Konrad Adenauer from the Federal Republic of Germany. The Treaties were ratified by National Parliaments over the following months and came into force on 1st January 1958. The Treaty establishing the EEC affirmed in its preamble that signatory States were "determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe". In this way, the member States specifically affirmed the political objective of a progressive political integration. In fact, the brand new institution was a customs union. As a consequence, the EEC was colloquially known as "Common Market".

The member countries agreed to dismantle all tariff barriers over a 12-year transitional period. In view of the economic success that freer commercial exchanges brought about, the transitory term was shortened and in July 1968 all tariffs among the EEC States were abrogated. At the same time, a common tariff was established for all products coming from third countries. As a matter of fact, the common market meant exclusively free circulation of goods. Free movement of persons, capitals and services continued to be subject to numerous limitations. It was necessary to wait until the Single European Act , in 1987, when a definitive boost was given to establish a genuine unified market. This brought about the European Union Treaty in 1992. The other essential agreement included in the Treaty of Rome was the adoption of a Common agricultural policy (CAP) . Essentially, the CAP enacted a free market of agricultural products inside the EEC and established protectionist policies that guaranteed sufficient revenues to European farmers, avoiding competition from third countries' products by guaranteeing agricultural prices. With the aim of financing the CAP, the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) was established in 1962.

The CAP has continued absorbing most of the community budget, and its reform has been one of the most badly needed in recent years. The Treaty of Rome also established the prohibition of monopolies, some transport common policies, and the grant of some commercial privileges to the colonial territories of the member States. The Treaty of Rome signified the triumph of a very realistic and gradualist approach to building the EU. This method was personified by Jean Monnet . The failure of the CED demonstrated that tremendous obstacles lay in the path of the final construction of a political union. Consequently, the new strategy sought to adopt a process of integration that gradually incorporated diverse economic sectors and that established supranational institutions with increasingly political competences.. The EEC from its birth was based on a series of institutions: the European Commission , the European Commission , the European Assembly, later known as European Parliament , the Court of Justice and the Economic and Social Committee , whose competences were enlarged and modified in the diverse agreements and treaties that succeeded the Treaty of Rome. To sum up, a process put in motion in which progressive economic integration was paving the way to the long term objective, the political union. The Treaty that instituted the EURATOM tried to create the conditions for developing a strong nuclear industry.

It was much less important than the treaty that brought into existence the EEC and, in fact, when people speak about the treaties of Rome refer, incorrectly, to the one which established the EEC. The "British problem" and the enlargement of the EEC in 1973 The absence of the United Kingdom constituted the main political problem that the EEC had to face in its early years. The British government refused to participate for different reasons: The importance of its commercial, political and, even, sentimental bonds with its colonies and former colonies, most of them integrated in the Commonwealth; Its refusal to join a customs union. The British government defended the establishment of a free trade area, in which the internal customs rights were abolished, but national governments would maintain their competences of enacting their own tariffs with regard to third countries; The fact that Britain was totally opposed to embarking on a project whose long-term aim was to surrender the sovereignty of national states to supranational European institutions. In other words, the British were, and many of them still remain, very far from the objective of an European political union.

After negotiations to integrate Britain in the EEC broke down, the British government proposed the foundation of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Austria and Portugal joined to that new organisation. It fell far short of any project of political integration, and constituted a mere free trade area. Shortly, Britain realized its mistake. Whereas the EEC witnessed a spectacular economic growth, with growth rates in the sixties clearly superior to those in America, Great Britain continued its downward trend in relation to the Continent. Therefore, in August of 1961 the British Prime Minister requested the beginning of negotiations on accession to the EEC. However, after starting negotiations, the French leader, Charles De Gaulle , in 1963 vetoed British accession to the EEC. He was resolved to build up a Europe of the homelands that would become a third superpower between the USA and the USSR, and was suspicious of the Britain�s close bonds with Washington. In 1967, when British Labour prime minister, Harold Wilson, again requested to join the EEC, the French general once more banned the accession of the United Kingdom.

Charles De Gaulle De Gaulle , in spite of defending a strong Europe before USA and USSR, never believed in a politically united Europe. In his view, the national independence of France, the country that he tried boldly to maintain in a role of power, was an non-negotiable question. De Gaulle 's nationalism brought about the empty chair crisis in 1966 that kept paralysed the Community for seven months and that, finally, concluded with the Commitment of Luxemburg. France resumed its place in the Council in return for keeping the unanimity vote when major interests were at stake. Only the resignation of De Gaulle in 1969, for reasons of home affairs, opened up the possibility of British accession. After overcoming the tough opposition of a significant section of the British public that claimed to maintain an anti-European stance, negotiations came to an end in 1972. Eventually the United Kingdom joined the EEC. Denmark and Ireland accompanied it. The Europe of the Nine was born. Edward Heath, British prime minister signs the accesion to the EEC (1973) The Norwegian people, contradicting their own government's opinion, voted against entering the EEC.

Henceforth, Norway has since stayed apart from the Community. Progress in European integration and the enlargement to the "Europe of the Twelve" (1973-1986) The 1973 economic crisis put an end to a period of impressive economic growth that European countries had enjoyed for a long time. Unemployment, inflation and crisis of traditional industrial sectors characterized the economic landscape of the EEC in the second half of the 70es and early 80s. In spite of the fact that some journalists coined the terms euroscepticism and eurosclerosis to refer to an integration process that seemed to fade, the fact was that, over these years, important advancements took place. Not only was a higher level of integration achieved, but the process of enlargement proceeded. These were the key advancements: From 1975 the denominated European Council was instituted as a periodical meeting of Heads of State or Government. This was tobe the institution where major long-term decisions would be agreed. In 1979, the European Monetary System (EMS) came into force. At the same time, the European Currency Unit (ECU), direct predecessor of the Euro, was born.

Member countries' currencies were tied in a narrow 2.5% band of fluctuation and national governments committed to coordinate their monetary policies. It was the first significant step toward monetary union. First elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage were held in 1979. The end of military dictatorships in Greece (1974), Portugal (1974) and Spain (Franco died in 1975) 3. made possible the accession of these nations. Greece, in 1981, and Spain and Portugal, in 1986, became new members of the EEC. The Community was enlarged toward the Mediterranean Europe. Spain managed to accomplish an old aspiration. Spain's representatives signing the accesion to EEC (1986) In 1984, a group of European MPs, chaired by the Italian Altiero Spinelli , introduced in Parliament a project of Treaty of the European Union. They intended to obtain the approval of a new treaty that substituted the old one signed in Rome and that constituted a great advancement in the European integration.

In spite of not being passed by the governments, the scheme�s merit was that it anticipated the debate on the main advancements that would take place in the 90s. Altiero Spinelli In 1985, the three countries of the Benelux, France and Germany signed the Schengen Agreement . Most of the member States would join in subsequent years. It constituted the beginning of an ambitious initiative to guarantee the free movement of persons and the gradual removal of frontiers among the community States. In the second half of the 80s, the integration process received an important political impulse, largely due to Jacques Delors . A French socialist, he was elected president of the European Commission in 1985. The first step was the enacting of the Single European Act in 1986. Search WWW What Was The Maastricht Treaty? - WorldAtlas.com What Was The Maastricht Treaty? The treaty forming the European Union was signed on February 7th, 1992 in the Netherlands. Stone memorial in front of the site of the signing of treaty froming the European Union in the Dutch city of Maastricht. 6.

Historical Background For more than two millennia, Europe has been a continent of different nationalities and ethnicities, and many of these different neighboring peoples living in almost perpetual conflict with each other. While the Middle Ages brought about somewhat of a cultural unification under the banner of Christendom, and the consciousness of a European Civilization was formed, events such as the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and, much later, the World Wars, effectively destroyed all pretensions of there being a unified Europe. Still, Count Coudenhove Kalergi of Austria founded the Pan-European Movement in 1923, and brought together diverse political personages in the First Pan-European Congress of Vienna in 1926. 5. Signatory Countries The European Community has enlarged six times since the Treaty of Paris. The U.K., Denmark, and Ireland joined in 1973, and Greece joined in 1981. Then came Portugal and Spain, followed by Austria, Finland, and Sweden in 1995. The fifth enlargement in 2004 included the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus.

When Bulgaria and Romania came to the fold in 2007, they had joined what was now the present shape of the community, the European Union (EU). The original signatory nations of the Maastricht Treaty included Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, and Denmark. 4. Terms And Accomplishments The Maastricht Treaty grants EU citizenship to citizens of each member state. It also defines the geographical extent to which EU citizens can travel, work, and live freely to include any other member country without the need for any restrictions and permits. The Maastricht Treaty also unified the monetary and foreign policies of states of the European Union. The central banking system which it established led to the creation of a common, multinational European currency: the Euro. The European Union was built around three ‘pillars’. The first pillar is the institutional structure of the EU and every organization involved within it. It provides for the resolutions of disputes, and is a standard for all nations in areas of environmental protection, agricultural production, socialized medicine, education, transportation, and highway infrastructure.

The second pillar of the treaty is the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the official Foreign Policy agenda of the European Union. It relates to such areas as trade, commercial issues, security, and dealings with third party nations. The third pillar of the European Union is the Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (PJCCM). It deals with law enforcement and the prevention of such major crimes as terrorism, drugs, arms and human trafficking, crimes against children, and corruption and fraud in businesses and governments within the EU. 3. Challenges and Controversies World War II put a definitive end to European dominance of the world, and Europeans came to realize many of their own weaknesses. The two new superpowers of the world (the United States and the Soviet Union) were extremely superior to European nations economically, politically, and militarily. The USA promoted a centralized European organization that could organize the delivery of the resources of the Marshall Plan (meant to restore and rebuild war-torn Europe). Towards this goal, the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was established in 1948, which became the first institution that fostered Western European cooperation in important multilateral areas.

The constitution of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meant that now European countries would be fighting together against a common Communist enemy instead of amongst themselves. 2. Economic Significance The 1951 Treaty of Paris established the first European Community bound by common political and economic interests. It included France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, who also made up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and allowed all of these countries to pool their respective economic resources. Foreign ministers of these countries met in Messina, Italy in 1995, and signed the Treaties of Rome. There they established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). 1. Historical Legacy After the reunification of Germany, Europe suddenly had a new major economic power which could undermine the fledgling cooperation among the member states. The collapse of the Soviet Union contributed to the creation of several new eastern European states as well. A need was felt by all to create a European Political Union by building on common historical traditions and present economic contingencies. The result was the European Union: a supranational community bound by common political, economic, and social interests.

The EU came into being with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty on February 7th, 1992, in the Limburg governmental buildings in Maastricht, the Netherlands. This page was last modified on June 6, 2016. On WorldAtlas.com Treaties Library » International & Area Studies Library » Portal to The European Union at Illinois » EU Institutions » Treaties Treaties Official Treaties are the foundations of the European Union and the primary source of EU law. Europa's European Treaties page provides an overview of the major treaties and includes links to explanatory texts for certain treaties (see lower-right corner of page).

The Founding Treaties (Quotations taken from Europa's How the European Union Works ) Treaty Establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Also known as "Treaty of Paris" Signed: April 18, 1951, Paris Came into force: July 23, 1952 Expired: July 23, 2002 Created the three "European Communities"--"the system of joint decision-making on coal, steel, nuclear power and other major sectors of the member states' economies." Established free trade area for many important economic and military resources. Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Also known as "Treaty of Rome" Formerly known as the Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) Signed: March 25, 1957, Rome Came into force: January 1, 1958 Amended by the Treaty of Lisbon as of December 1, 2009 Created a common market aimed at facilitating the movement of goods, services, capital, and labor. Abolished all internal tariffs. Established a common agricultural policy (CAP) and a common external trade policy.

Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) Also signed in Rome--same dates as above Euratom was established to facilitate and encourage cooperation in atomic energy development and use. Treaty on European Union (EU) Also known as "The Maastricht Treaty" Signed: February 7, 1992, Maastricht Came into force: November 1, 1993 Amended by the Treaty of Lisbon as of December 1, 2009 Established the European Union. Granted EU citizenship to every citizen of EU member states. Introduced central banking system and unified currency, the euro. "Introduced new forms of co-operation between the member state governments--for example on defence and in the area of 'justice and home affairs.' By adding this inter-governmental co-operation to the existing 'Community' system, the Maastricht Treaty created a new structure with three "pillars" which is political as well as economic. This is the European Union." Maastricht also renamed the EEC (created in the Treaty of Rome) to simply the EC--European Community--since the community's role had expanded beyond just economic concerns.

Treaty of Lisbon Signed: December 13, 2007 came into force: December 1, 2009 The Treaty of Lisbon amends the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community. It increased the legislative and budgetary powers of the European Parliament, and created the function of President of the European Council. The voting rules in the Council were also amended, calculating a double majority according to member states and according to EU population as a whole. The Treaty of Lisbon is also notable for containing the first explicit recognition of the right of a member state to leave the Union. Other Treaties (Quotations taken from Europa's How the European Union Works ) Single European Act (SEA) Signed: February 1986 Came into force: July 1, 1987 Expanded scope of EEC.

"Amended the EEC treaty and paved the way for completing the Single Market." Treaty of Amsterdam Signed: October 2, 1997 Came into force: May 1, 1999 "Amended the EU and EC treaties, giving numbers (instead of letters) to the EU Treaty articles" Treaty of Nice Signed: February 26, 2001 Came into force: February 1, 2003 "Further amends the other treaties, streamlining the EU's institutional system so it can continue to work effectively after a new wave of member states joins in 2004" Treaties of Accession Various dates The founding treaties are amended whenever new member states join the European Union. The most recent such amendment was in 2005, when Romania and Bulgaria were admitted to the EU. A complete list of the accession treaties is here .

The Treaties area of EUR-Lex contains the full text of all EU treaties, including The Founding Treaties [the European Coal and Steel Community (Paris, 1951), European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community (Rome, 1957), Treaty on European Union (Maastricht, 1992]

Question: In which capital city were the treaties signed that established the European Economic Community?
Answer: Rome