Six countries (Belgium, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands) sign the treaty that establish the European Coal and steel Community (ECSC).
The ECSC is the first step of what has become the European Union. Members of the ECSC pledged to pool their coal and steel resources by providing a unified market for their coal and steel products, lifting restrictions on imports and exports, and creating a unified labor market.
Economically, the Coal and Steel Community achieved early success. Between 1952 and 1960 iron and steel production rose by 75% in the ECSC nations and industrial production rose 58%.
Picture of the signature of the treaty: Click here

At the Messina meeting the ECSC foreign ministers discussed the European integration and is now considered as a pivotal point of the European History.
Belgium's foreign minister, Paul Henri Spaak, had prepared a memorandum on behalf of the Benelux countries suggesting further integration along the lines of Jean Monnet's idea for an atomic energy community and the rival proposal for a common market.
This conference in Messina opened the discussions about a political deepeining of the European Union.

In 25th March 1957, two treaties were signed in Rome that gave existence to the European Economic Community (EEC) and to European Atomic Energy Community: the Treaties of Rome.
The Treaty establishing the EEC affirmed in its preamble that signatory States were « determined to lay the foundations of an eve closer union among the people of Europe ». In this way, the member States distinctively affirmed the political objective of a progressive political integration. Actually, a customs union was created. Therefore, the EEC was colloquially known as the Common Market.
The other essential agreement included in the treaty of Rome was the adoption of a Common agriculture policy. Essentially, the CAP enacted a free market of agricultural products inside the EEC and established protectionist policies that guaranteed to European farmers sufficient revenues, avoiding third countries products competition by means of granting agricultural prices.
Photograph of the treaty: click here
The members in 1957: click here

This date corresponds to the completion of the customs union (imports and exports between EEC members tariff-free). The other important step is the introduction of a common external tariff that implies the deepening of the economic integration.
It is interesting to underline the fact that customs duties on industrial goods have been abolished 18 months ahead of schedule wchich shows the efficiency of the European cooperation by that time.

First enlargement of the European Communities with Denmark, Ireland and United Kingdom as new members. The European community is now composed of 9 members.
Norway stays out since a national referendum expressed people hostility to join the European Community although the country meet all the necessary criteria.
By 1973, the population of the European Communities was over 250 millions whereas it was it was only 170 millions before the enlargement.
The European enlargement in 1973 : click here

After the European Summit in Paris on the 12th March 1979, it has been decided that the European Monetary System (EMS) is to enter into force on the 13th of March.
The main principle of the EMS is to link the European currencies together to prevent large fluctuations relative to one another. It has also been created to limit the inflation to a low level in the State members.
The EMS helped stabilize exchange rates and encouraged the community member states to create strict policies that allowed them to maintain their multinational solidarity and discipline.
European harmonized inflation since 1988: click here

The ECSC was given a "Parliamentary Assembly" which met for the first time in September 1952 in Strasbourg.
By 1987 the European parliament numbered 142 members that were delegates from their national parliaments. With the enlargement of 1973 it increased in size 198 members.
The first direct election of the European Parliament took place in 1979.
Link to a picture of the European parliament: click here

Second enlargement with Greece that join the European Communities, bringing the number of members states to 10. This enlargement marks the start of the European extention to the south.
Map of the members in 1981: click here

Third enlargement with Spain and Portugal that join the European Communities.
Map of the members in 1986: click here

The Single Act is signed in Luxembourg and the Hague. This treaty institutionalized some important political reforms such as the European Council that has been created in 1974 by Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt.Since then it became the engine of the European integration.
Moreover the European Single Act is a way for the State Members to adopt all the ambitious goals that were presented in Jacque Delors' "white paper". The French president of the European Commission was setting out a timetable for completing the European Single Market by January 1st 1993.
Link to the European Single Act: click here

Signature of the Schengen agreement. Its key points relate to measures designed to create, following the abolition of common border checks, a common area of security and justice.
Specifically it is concerned with harmonizing provisions relating to entry into and short stays in the Schengen area by non-EU citizens (uniform Schengen visa).
Some other key issues are the asylum matters (determining in which Member State an application for asylum may be submitted).
Moreover the Schengen agreement introduces the deepening of cooperation among Schengen States on police and judicial matters.
The Schengen treaty is very important in the History of European integration because it deals with very sensitive issues but also because it is the first time that only part of the members signed a treaty.
Link to a map of the Schengen countries: click here

The treaty on European Union is signed at Maastricht. The treaty moved significantly towards economic, political and social union and set out the detailed timetable for economic and monetary Union (EMU). It also set out the convergence criteria for economies who wanted to join in EMU.
This treaty brings also to the European Union new institutions and way of organisation. Three pillars have been creates in order to clarify and classify the prerogatives and the goals of the supranational organisation.
The Maastricht treaty: click here

Fourth enlargement of the European Union with Austria, Finland and Sweden as new members. As in 1973, Norway stays out of the organization since most people voted against membership during a national referendum.
The organization is now composed by 15 members.
Map of the enlarged European Union: click here

A new European treaty has been signed in Amsterdam that gives the European Union new powers and responsabilities.
The Amsterdam Treaty provides for a stronger role for Europol in the fight against crime and drugs. To reinforce the external borders of the Union, the European Commission can now act to provide policy measures on visa and immigration as these areas have now been moved to pillar one (the European Community).
The Amsterdam Treaty goes even further than the Maastricht Treaty to combat the drugs problem by extending the Union's responsibility in this area and the scope of cooperation between the Member States.
Moreover the Amsterdam treaty also brings to European Union few institutional change and extent to more issues the vote at the qualified majority which makes the EU closer ton the idea of a federation.
The Amsterdam treaty: click here

This date corresponds to the third stage of European Monetary Union (EMU). The currencies of 11 countries are replaced by the new European currency: the Euro. This reform increases the importance of the European Central Bank (ECB) which has responsibility for the EU's monetary policy.
The introduction of bills and coins took place three years later in 12 countries on January 1st 2002.
Map of the countries that adopted the Euro: click here

The European council of Nice took place by the end of 2000. The treaty of Nice tries to adapt the European's institutions so that the Union will be ready for the enlargement. Yet, these institutions will have to change in a deeper way so that the Union will actually survive the 2004 enlargement.
An EU Charter of Fundamental Rights have been proclaimed during the Nice summit by the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.
Charter of Fundamental rights (Home Page): click here
Charter of Fundamental rights (PDF): click here

In Copenhagen on 13 December 2002, the European council took one of the most momentous steps in the entire history of the European integration. It decided to welcome 10 more countries to join the EU.
The 10 new members are: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia
The enlarged European Community is now composed by 25 countries which represents 454 million people.
In December 2004, the European Union could start to begin formal accession negotiations with Turkey if the European Commission's report recommends it.
The enlargement of the European Union: click here