Key Dates Flashcards
18 April 1951
6 Countries sign the treaty establishing the European coal and steel community (ECSC).
- Belgium
- The Federal Republic of Germany
- France
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
1-2 June 1955
At a meeting in Messina, the foreign ministers of the six countries decide to extend European integration to the economy as a whole.
25 March 1957
In Rome, the six countries sign the treaties establishing the European economic community (ECC) and the European atomic energy community (Euratom)
4 January 1960
At the instigation of the United Kingdom, the Stockholm convention established the European free trade association comprising a number of European countries that are not part of the EEC.
20 July 1963
In Yaounde, an association agreement is signed between the EEC and 18 African countries.
8 April 1965
A treaty is signed meeting the executive bodies of the three communities (the ECSC, the EEC and Euratom) and creating a single Council and a single Commission.
29 January 1966
The Luxembourg compromise
Following a political crisis, France agrees to take part in Council meetings once again, in return for an agreement that the unanimity rule be maintained when vital national interests are at stake.
1 July 1968
Custom duties between the member states on industrial goods are completely abolished, 18 months ahead of schedule, and a common external tariff is introduced.
1-2 December 1969
At the Hague summit, the EEC’s political leaders decide to move further ahead with European integration, opening the way for its first enlargement.
22 April 1970
In Luxembourg, a treaty is signed allowing the European communities to be increasingly financed from own resources and giving greater supervisory powers to the European parliament.
22 January 1972
In Brussels, treaties of accession to the European communities are signed with Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
1 January 1973
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European communities, bringing membership to 9.
Norway stays out following a referendum in which a majority of people voted against membership.
9-10 December 1974
At the Paris summit, the political leaders of the nine member states decide to meet three times a year as the European council. They also give the go-ahead for direct elections to the European parliament, and agree to set up the European regional development fund.
28 February 1975
In Lomé, a convention (Lomé 1) is signed between the EEC and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
22 July 1975
A treaty is signed giving the European parliament greater power over the budget and establishing the European Court of auditors.
7-10 June 1979
The first direct elections to the 410-seat European parliament.
1 January 1981
Greece joins the European communities, bringing the number of members to 10.
14-17 June 1984
The second direct elections to the European parliament.
7 January 1985
Jacques Delors becomes president of the commission
14 June 1985
The Schengen Agreement is signed with the aim of abolishing checks at the borders between member countries of the European communities.
1 January 1986
Spain and Portugal join the European communities, bringing membership to 12.
17 & 28 February 1986
The single European act is signed in Luxembourg and the Hague.
15 & 18 June 1989
The third direct elections to the European parliament.
9 November 1989
The fall of the Berlin Wall.
3 October 1990
German unification
9-10 December 1991
The Maastricht European Council adopts a Treaty on European Union, laying the foundation for a common foreign and security policy, closer cooperation on justice and home affairs and the creation of an economic and monetary union, including a single currency.
7 February 1992
The Treaty on European Union is signed at Maastricht.
1 January 1993
The single market is created
9 and 12 June 1994
The fourth direct elections to the European parliament.
1 January 1995
Austria, Finland, and Sweden join the EU, bringing its membership to 15.
Norway stays out again following a referendum.
23 January 1995
A new European Commission takes office with Jacques Santer as its president.
27-28 November 1995
The Euro-Mediterrainean Conference in Barcelona launches a partnership between the EU and the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
2 October 1997
The Amsterdam treaty is signed. It comes into force on 1 May 1999.
30 March 1998
The accession process behind for new candidate countries. Cyprus, Malta and 10 central and eastern European countries will be involved in this process.
1 January 1999
Start of the third stage of EMU: 11 Countries adopt the Euro, which landed on the financial markets, replacing their currencies for non-cash transactions.
The European Central Bank takes on responsibility for monetary policy.
The 11 countries are joined by Greece in 2001.
10 and 13 June 1999
The fifth direct elections to the European parliament.
15 September 1999
A new European Commission takes office with Romano Prodi as its president.
15-16 October 1999
The Tampere European Council decides to make the EU an area of freedom, security and justice.
23-24 March 2000
The Lisbon European Council draws up a new strategy for boosting employment in the EU, modernising the economy and strengthening social cohesion in a knowledge-based Europe.
7-8 December 2000
In Nice, the European Council reaches agreement on the text of a new Treaty changing the EU’s decision-making system so that the union will be ready for enlargement. The presidents of the European parliament, the European Council and the European Commission solemnly proclaim the Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
26 February 2001
Signing of the Treaty of Nice. It comes into force on 1 February 2003.
14-15 December 2001
Laeken European Council. A declaration on the future of the EU is agreed. This opens the way for the forthcoming major reform of the EU and for the creation of a convention to draft a European Constitution.
1 January 2002
Euro notes and coins are introduced in the 12 euro-area countries.
13 December 2002
The Copenhagen European Council agrees that 10 of the candidate countries (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) can join the EU on 1 May 2004.
10 July 2003
The convention on the Future of Europe completed its work on the draft European Constitution
4 October 2003
Start of the intergovernmental conference responsible for drawing up the constitutional treaty.
1 May 2004
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia join the European Union.
10 and 13 June 2004
The sixth direct elections to the European parliament.
29 October 2004
The European Constitution is adopted in Rome.
22 November 2004
A new European Commission takes office with José Manuel Barroso as its president.
29 May and 1 June 2005
Voters in France reject the Constitution in a referendum, followed 3 days later by voters in the Netherlands.
3 October 2005
Accession negotiations begin with Turkey and Croatia.
1 January 2007
Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union.
Slovenia adopts the Euro.
1 July 2013
Croatia joins the European Union.
9 May 1950
Robert Schuman, the French minister of foreign affairs makes an important speech putting forward proposals based on the ideas of Jean Monnet.
Proposes that France and the federal Republic of Germany pool their coal and steel resources in a new organisation which other European countries can join.
9 May is regarded as the birth date of the European union and is celebrated as Europe day.
