European Union Timeline
For centuries, Europe was the scene of frequent and bloody wars. In the period 1870
to 1945, France and Germany fought each other three times, with terrible loss of life.
A number of European leaders became convinced that the only way to secure a lasting
peace between their countries was to unite them economically and politically.
1946-1949
19 January 1946, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill calls for a "kind of
United States of Europe" in a speech he gives at the Zurich University.
1949, France, Great Britain and the Benelux countries decide to set into place a
Council of Europe and ask Denmark, Ireland, Italy Norway and Switzerland to help
them prepare the statute of such Council.
1950
9 May, in a speech inspired by Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign
Minister, proposes that France and Germany and any other European country wishing
to join them pool their Coal and Steel resources ("Schuman Declaration").
3 June, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany
subscribe to the Schuman declaration.
1951
18 April, the Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) sign
the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
1952
27 May, the Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) sign in
Paris the European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty.
The ECSC Treaty enters into force. Jean Monnet is appointed President of the High
Authority and Paul-Henri Spaak of the Common Assembly.
1954
8 December, The Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts as it emblem
the blue flag hosting 12 golden stars.
1957
25 March, the Treaties establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and
the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) are signed by the Six (Belgium,
France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) in Rome as of today they will be
referred to as the "Treaties of Rome".
1958
January, Walter Hallstein is elected President of the EEC Commission. The Six
decide to create the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) to prepare
the work of the Councils. In March the first session of the European Parliamentary
Assembly is held in Strasbourg, France. Robert Schuman is elected President of the
Assembly. The first Council regulation sets up German, French, Italian and Dutch as
the official languages of the Communities.
1959
8 June, Greece applies for association with the EEC.
July, seven countries of the Organisation for European Economic Co-
operation (OEEC), namely Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom, decide to establish a European Free Trade
Association (EFTA).
Turkey applies for association with the EEC.
1961
July, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Denmark formally apply to join the European
Communities.
1962
The Parliamentary Assembly decides to change its name into European Parliament.
April, Norway formally applies to join the European Communities.
1963
General de Gaulle, President of the FrenchRepublic, states that France doubts the
political will of the United Kingdom to join the Community. A few days later,
negotiations with all applicant countries are suspended.
1964
December, the Association Treaty signed by the EEC and Turkey enters into force.
1965
8 April, the Treaty merging the executives of the three Communities (ECSC, EEC,
Euratom) is signed in Brussels. It will enter into force on July 1, 1967.
1 July, France breaks off the negotiations on financing the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP). The French Government recalls its Permanent Representative. For the
time being, the French Delegation will not take part in Council's or Permanent
Representatives Committee's meetings.
1966
January, Luxembourg Compromise is reached. France, after operating an "empty
chair" policy for seven months, resumes its place in the Council in return for retention
of the unanimity vote in the Council when major interests are at stake.
1967
The United Kingdom re-applies to join the Community. It is followed by Ireland and
Denmark and, a little later, by Norway. General de Gaulle is still reluctant to accept
British accession.
1970
June, negotiations with four prospective Member States (Denmark, Ireland, Norway
and the United Kingdom) open in Luxembourg.
1972
22 January, Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom sign their Treaties
of accession to the European Communities.
25 September, a referendum is held in Norway on the country joining the European
Communities. The majority is unfavorable to accession.
Following the vote, the Norwegian Government declares that Norway will not bring
the accession ratification Bill before the Parliament.
1973
1 January, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European
Communities.
1974
January, the Commission addresses to the Heads of Government a declaration on the
state of the Community. The declaration stresses the need to get Europe moving again
bringing national policies closer into line and by working out common policies. The
Parliament declares that the unity of Europe can only be realised if the Community
institutions are enabled to pursue a policy funded on real European solidarity.
1 April, following a change of Government in the United Kingdom, the British
secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs makes a statement to the
Council on the new Government's policy on the Community. He calls for major
changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), "fairer methods of financing the
Community budget" and solutions to monetary problems. Renegotiation of UK’s
entry into the EU starts.
9-10 December, a Summit meeting is held in Paris, France. The Community's Heads
of State or Government decide to hold meetings three times a year as the European
Council, they give the go-ahead for direct elections to the European Parliament, agree
to set up the European Regional Development Fund and resolved to establish
economic and monetary union. They also ask Mr Tindemans, the Belgian Prime
Minister, to produce a summary report on the European Union by the end of 1975.
1975
5 June, the outcome of the British referendum reveals that 67.2% of voters are in
favour of the United Kingdom remaining a member of the Community.
12 June, Greece formally applies to join the European Communities.
1976
1-2 April, a European Council meets in Luxembourg. Heads of Government hold an
initial exchange of views on the Tindemans report on the European Union of January
7.
27 July, negotiations for the accession of Greece to the Community open formally.
1977
28 March, Portugal formally applies to join the European Communities. 28 July,
Spain formally applies to join the European Communities.
1978
4-5 December, a European Council is held in Brussels, Belgium. It establishes the
European Monetary System based on a European currency unit (the ECU) and the
Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). The Ecu, which was originally a unit used for the
Community internal budget, takes on some of the characteristics of a real currency
and is also used, for example, in travellers' cheques and bank deposits. The ERM is a
system, which gives national currencies a central exchange rate against the Ecu. Each
currency can fluctuate above and below this rate within certain boundaries. All the
community's members apart from the UK join the ERM at this time.
1979
5 February, Spanish accession negotiations formally open in Brussels.
28 May, the acts relating to Greece's accession to the Communities are signed in
Athens, Greece.
June, the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage are
held.
17-20 July, first part-session of the directly elected Parliament is held in Strasbourg,
France. Ms Simone Veil is elected President by an absolute majority in the second
ballot.
1981
1 January, Greece becomes the 10th member of the European Community.
November, France and the Federal Republic of Germany present the Genscher-
Colombo Plan, a project of "European Act" to improve institutional mechanisms.
1982
23 February, in a consultative referendum, Greenland, which became a member of
the European Community as part of Denmark, opts for withdrawal from the
Community.
1983
The European Deputy Altiero Spinelli presents to the European Parliament a draft
treaty establishing the European Union.
1984
February, the draft Treaty on the establishment of the European Union (Spinelli
draft) is passed by the European Parliament by a large majority.
June, a European Council is held in Fontainebleau, France. The Ten reach an
agreement on the amount of compensation (rebate) to be granted to the United
Kingdom to reduce its contribution to the Community budget.
1985
12 June, the Accession Treaties of Spain and Portugal are signed.
2-4 December, a European Council is held in Luxembourg. The Ten agree to amend
the Treaty of Rome and to revitalise the process of European integration by drawing
up a Single European Act.
1986
1 January, Spain and Portugal join the European Communities.
17 and 28 February, the Single European Act modifying the Treaty of Rome is
signed in Luxembourg and The Hague.
29 May, the European flag, adopted by Community institutions, runs up for the first
time in front of the Berlaymont building to the music of the European anthem.
1987
14 April, Turkey formally applies to join the European Communities.
1989
April, the President of the Commission Jacques Delors presents the report on the
economic and monetary union.
17 July, Austria formally applies to join the European Community.
9 November, the Berlin Wall collapses. The German Democratic Republic opens its
borders.
1990
28 April, a Special European Council is held in Dublin, Ireland. It agrees on a
common approach on German unification and on the Community relations with
Central and Eastern European countries.
29 May, the Agreement establishing the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) to provide financial support to Central and Eastern Europe
countries is signed in Paris, France.
4 July, Cyprus formally applies to join the European Communities.
16 July, Malta formally applies to join the European Communities.
3 October, Germany is unified, and the Lander of the former East Germany become
part of the EU.
14-15 December, a European Council is held in Rome, Italy. The two
Intergovernmental Conferences, one on Economic and Monetary Union, the other on
Political Union, are launched.
1991
1 July, Sweden formally applies to join the European Communities.
21 October, the Council reaches an agreement on the establishment of the
European Economic Area (EEA) between the EEC and EFTA countries.
9-10 December, a European Council is held in Maastricht, The Netherlands. It
reaches an agreement on the draft Treaty on the European Union.
1992
7 February, the Treaty on the European Union is signed in Maastricht by the
Foreign and Finance Ministers of the Member States.
18 March, Finland formally applies to join the European Communities.
20 May, Switzerland formally applies to join the European Communities.
2 June, a referendum is held in Denmark, the people vote against the ratification of
the Treaty on the European Union.
25 November, Norway formally applies to join the European Communities.
11-12 December, the European Council is held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It
offers Denmark special arrangements to enable it to hold a second referendum on the
ratification of the Treaty.
1993
1 January, the Single European Market enters into force.
1 February, negotiations on accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden open in
Brussels.
5 April, negotiations on accession of Norway open in Luxembourg.
18 May, in a second referendum, the Danish people vote in favor of the Treaty on
European Union.
21-22 June, a European Council is held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Council
assures associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe that they will become full
members as soon as they satisfy the requisite political and economic conditions.
On November the Treaty on the European Union enters into force.
1994
31 March, Hungary formally applies to join the European Union.
5 April, Poland formally applies to join the European Union.
24-25 June, Acts of Accession of Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway are signed.
28 November, the Norwegian referendum rejects accession to the European Union.
1995
1 January, Austria, Finland and Sweden join the Union, bringing membership up to
15.
25-26 February, the G7 Ministerial Conference on Information Society is held in
Brussels. On that occasion "Europa", the European Union web site, is launched.
26 March, the Schengen Agreement comes into force between Belgium, France,
Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. EU citizens can now
leave their passports at home as there is no border control.The UK and Ireland stay
out of the agreement due to fears of terrorism and illegal immigration.
22 June, Romania applies to join the European Union.
27 June, Slovakia applies to join the European Union.
12 July, the European Parliament appoints Jacob Soderman, a Finn, as
Ombudsman of the European Union.
27 October, Latvia formally applies to join the European Union.
27 November, Estonia formally applies to join the European Union.
12 December, Lithuania formally applies to join the European Union.
14 December, Bulgaria formally applies to join the Community.
1996
17 January, the Czech Republic formally applies to join the European Union.
10 June, Slovenia formally applies to join the European Union.
1997
2 October, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the European
Union sign the Treaty of Amsterdam.
1 June, establishment of the European Central Bank.
10 November, accession negotiations open with Cyprus, Poland, Estonia, the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Slovenia.
1999
1 January, the Euro is officially launched. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain adopt the
euro as their official currency.
15 March, collective resignation of the Commission in wake of the report by the
Committee of Independent Experts on the allegations regarding fraud,
mismanagement and nepotism in the Commission.
1 May, the Amsterdam Treaty enters into force.
10-11 December, European Council is held in Helsinki, Finland. It decides to open
accession negotiations with Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Malta
and to recognise Turkey as an applicant country.
2000
15 January, the opening session of the Ministerial Intergovernemental Conferences
for accession negotiations of Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and
Bulgaria, is held in Brussels, Belgium.
28 September, Denmark holds a referendum on the euro. The majority rejects joining
the single European currency.
7-9 December, The European Council in Nice, France reaches a political agreement
on the Treaty of Nice.
In the margins of the European Council, the Presidents of Parliament, the European
Council and the Commission formally proclaim the Charter of Fundamental Rights
of the European Union.
2001
2 January, Greece becomes the 12th member of the euro zone.
26 February, a new Treaty amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties
establishing the European Communities, is signed (Treaty of Nice).
7 June, a referendum is held in Ireland, the people vote against the Treaty of Nice.
14-15 December, a European Council is held in Laeken, Belgium. It adopts a
declaration on the future of the Union paving the way for major reform and plans a
convention to prepare the ground.
2002
1 January, the euro coins and notes enter into circulation in the twelve participating
Member States: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
28 February, the opening session of the Convention on the Future of Europe is held
in Brussels. The Convention starts to prepare the draft of the Treaty, establishing a
Constitution for Europe.
23 July, the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
expires after fifty years in force.
19 October, in a second referendum, the Irish people vote in favour of the Treaty of
Nice.
2003
16 April, the Treaty of Accession between the EU and the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia is signed
in Athens, Greece.
20-21 June, a European Council is held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The draft EU
constitution is welcomed as a good basis for forthcoming negotiations on the future of
Europe. EU leaders meet with representatives of the Balkan states and express their
intention to include the latter in the European Union provided they promote
democratic stability, the rule of law and economic development.
2004
22 March, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia applies for membership.
1 May, European Union's biggest enlargement ever in terms of scope and diversity
becomes a reality with 10 new countries - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia -
representing all together more than 100 million citizens, joining the European Union.
17-18 June, a European Council is held in Brussels, Belgium. The Council decides,
among other issues, that Croatia meets the political criteria set by the Copenhagen
European Council in 1993 and can get a candidate country status.
29 October, the Heads of State and Government and the EU Foreign Ministers sign
the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
16-17 December, European Council in Brussels, Belgium takes decision to conclude
accession negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania.
2005
1 February, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European
Union and Croatia enters into force.
7 March, an agreement is signed between the European Union and the Republic of
Albania on the participation of the Republic of Albania in the European Union
military crisis management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation Althea).
25 April, the Accession Treaty of Bulgaria and Romania is signed in Luxemburg.
29 May, French voters vote no to ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty.
2 June, the voters in Netherlands reject on a referendum the ratification of the
European Constitutional Treaty.
03 October, the European Union accession negotiations open with Turkey and
Croatia.
16 December, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was granted candidate
status.
2006
1 February, the European Commission launches a Communication policy White
Paper “Debating Europe - involving citizens” as the foundation of a European Union
Communication Policy.
2007
1 January, Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union bringing membership up
to 27.
1 January, Slovenia becomes the 13th member of the eurozone.
2008
1 January, Cyprus and Malta join the Eurozone.
1 January, Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.
1 January, Slovenia starts the presidency of European Union as the first of the new
Member States.
29 March, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,
Slovakia and Slovenia implement the Schengen Agreement for airports.
June 2008, Ireland's voters rejected Lisbon Treaty. The governments of more than a
dozen states have ratified the treaty.
1 July, France takes over the Presidency from Slovenia.
2009
1 January, the Czech Republic assumes the Presidency for the first time.
1 January, Slovakia adopts the euro and becomes the 16th member of the Eurozone.
1 January, Deadline by which goods in all member states of the European Union
must be sold in metric units (this has already been completed everywhere, except in
the United Kingdom).
1 July, Sweden assumes the Presidency.
2010
1 January,Spain assumes the Presidency
1 July,Belgium takes over the Presidency from Spain
