-
1946
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 -
1957
The six founding countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, LuxembourgIn 1957, the Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community (EEC), or ‘Common Market’. and the Netherlands. -
1960
A period of economic growth The 1960s is a good period for the economy, helped by the fact that EU countries stop charging custom duties when they trade with each other -
1970
A Growing community – the first enlargement -
1973
Denmark,Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Union on January 1st in 1973 raising the number of member states to nine. -
1973
The short, yet brutal, Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 results in an energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. -
1980
The Polish trade union, Solidarność, and its leader Lech Walesa, become household names across Europe and the world following the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980. -
1981
Greece becomes the 10th member of the EU, and Spain and Portugal follow five years later -
1986
SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT is signed -
1993
Single Market is completed with the 'four freedoms' of: movement of goods, services, people and money -
1990-1999
The 1990s is also the decade of two treaties: the ‘Maastricht’ Treaty on European Union in 1993 and the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. -
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. -
2000
the decade more and more countries adopt the euro -
2004
The political divisions between east and west Europe are finally declared healed when no fewer than 10 new countries join the EU -
2008
Financial crisis hits the global economy in September -
2009
The Treaty of Lisbon is ratified by all EU countries before entering into force in 2009 which provides the EU with modern institutions and more efficient working methods. -
1995
The EU gains three more new members: Austria, Finland and Sweden. -
2016
BREXIT and Crimea