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institution of the European Council
Ten Western European countries establish the Council of Europe to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law. -
European Coal and Steel Community (Ceca)
Based on the Schuman plan, six countries sign a treaty to run their coal and steel industries under a common management. In this way, no single country can make the weapons of war to turn against others, as in the past. The six are Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The European Coal and Steel Community comes into being in 1952. (Ceca = Comunità europea del carbone e dell'acciaio). -
EEC (CEE) and Euratom
The 6 founding countries expand their cooperation to other economic sectors. They formalise this by signing two treaties, creating the European Economic Community (EEC) (CEE= Comunità Economica Europea) , and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). -
European Commission
The European Commission represents the common interests of the EU and is the EU’s main executive body. It uses its ‘right of initiative’ to put forward proposals for new laws, which are scrutinised and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. It'is made up of 27 commissioners and its site is in Bruxelles and Luxembourg. -
Birth of the European Parliament (Parlamento europeo)
The first meeting of the European Parliamentary Assembly, a forerunner of today’s European Parliament, is held in Strasbourg, France, with Robert Schuman elected President. It replaces the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community and changes its name to the European Parliament on 30 March 1962. On June 1979 European citizens directly elect the members of the European Parliament for the first time. -
European Free Trade Association (associazione europea di libero scambio) created
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is created, to promote free trade and economic integration between certain countries not in the EEC: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. -
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Communities
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Born of the European Council
The heads of state or government of the EU countries meet, as the European Council, to define the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. The European Council is chaired by a president who is elected for a 2.5-year term, renewable once. It does not adopt laws except for possible EU Treaty amendments. The site is at Bruxelles, Belgium. -
Greece joins
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Portugal and Spain join
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Launch of the single market
The single market and its 4 freedoms are established – the free movement of people, goods, services and money. Hundreds of laws have been agreed since 1986 covering tax policy, business regulations, professional qualifications and other barriers to open frontiers. However, the free movement of some services is delayed. -
Austria, Finland and Sweden join
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The treaty of Amsterdam
The Treaty of Amsterdam is signed. It builds on the achievements of the Maastricht Treaty, laying down plans to reform the EU institutions, give Europe a stronger voice in the world and devote more resources to employment and the rights of citizens. It enters into force on 1 May 1999. -
Euro notes and coins
Euro notes and coins become the legal currency in 12 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain (Greece joined the euro zone in 2001 and more follow after 2002). Printing, minting and distributing them is a major logistical operation. Notes are the same for all countries. Coins have one standard side, while the other carries a national emblem -
10 new countries join
Cyprus and Malta join the EU along with 8 Central and Eastern European countries — Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. -
Bulgaria and Romania join
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The Treaty of Lisbon
The 27 EU countries sign the Treaty of Lisbon, which amends the previous treaties. It is designed to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent, and thereby able to tackle global challenges such as climate change, security and sustainable development. All EU countries ratify the Treaty before it enters into force on 1 December 2009.