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Period: to
Foundation
The European Union is set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbours, which culminated in the Second World War. Six founding countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands -
Period: to
stop charging custom duties
EU countries stop charging custom duties when they trade with each other, agree joint control over food production, surplus agricultural produce. -
Denmark & Ireland
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Union -
Economic problems
Arab-Israeli war of October 1973- energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. -
Salazar regime
Overthrow of the Salazar regime in Portugal -
Francisco Franco
Death of General Franco of Spain in 1975. -
Create jobs
The EU regional policy starts to transfer huge sums of money to create jobs and infrastructure in poorer areas. -
Citizens
1979 all citizens can, for the first time, elect their members directly. -
New Members
In 1981, Greece becomes the 10th member of the EU, and Spain and Portugal follow five years later. -
Single Market
In 1986 the Single European Act is signed. This is a treaty which provides the basis for a vast six-year programme aimed at sorting out the problems with the free flow of trade across EU borders and thus creates the ‘Single Market’. -
Reunification of Germany
reunification of Germany, when both East and West Germany are united in October 1990. -
Single Market
1993 the Single Market is completed with the 'four freedoms' of: movement of goods, services, people and money. -
‘Maastricht’ Treaty on European Union in 1993
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New Members
1995 the EU gains three more new members: Austria, Finland and Sweden. -
Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999.
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Tecnology
Millions of young people study in other countries with EU support. Communication is made easier as more and more people start using mobile phones and the internet. -
Euro
The euro is now the new currency for many Europeans. During the decade more and more countries adopt the euro. -
War of terror
11 September 2001 becomes synonymous with the 'War on Terror' after hijacked airliners are flown into buildings in New York and Washington. EU countries begin to work much more closely together to fight crime. -
Political divission
The political divisions between east and west Europe are finally declared healed when no fewer than 10 new countries join the EU in 2004, -
New Members
2007: Bulgaria and Romania join the EU -
Crisis
A financial crisis hits the global economy in September 2008. -
The Treaty of Lisbon
2009: The Treaty of Lisbon is ratified by all EU countries before entering into force. It provides the EU with modern institutions and more efficient working methods. -
Economic Crisis
The global economic crisis strikes hard in Europe. The EU helps several countries to confront their difficulties and establishes the 'Banking Union' to ensure safer and more reliable banks -
Nobel Ptrize
2012 European Union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. -
New Memebers
2013 Croatia becomes the 28th member of the EU. -
Elections
European elections are held in 2014 and more Eurosceptics are elected into the
European Parliament. -
War
Religious extremism increases in the Middle East and various countries and regions around the world. -
effects of war
People fleeing their homes and seeking refuge in Europe. The EU is not only faced with the dilemma of how to take care of them, but also finds itself the target of several terrorist attacks. -
Brexit
The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union
