Year

Event

1951

-Treaty of Paris establishes European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) on 18 April, which establishes a common (coal and steel) market between six founding countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands).

1957

-The six founding countries form the European Economic Community (EEC), which establishes a wider common market, when the Treaty of Rome is signed on 25 March.

1973

-The first enlargement of the ECC occurs when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join.

1979

-The first direct elections to the European Parliament are held in June.

1981

- Greece joins the EEC.

1986

- Spain and Portugal join the EEC.
-The Single European Act (SEA), which set out to complete a single European market by 1 January 1993, is signed in February.

1992

-The Treaty of Maastricht, which forms a political union amending the previous Treaties’ ( Paris, Rome and SEA) economic unions, is signed on 7 February.

1995

- Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU on 1 January.

1999

-The single currency, or Euro, is introduced in financial transactions.

2002

- Euro notes and coins are issued.

2004

- Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia join, bringing the European Union to 25 members.

2007

-Bulgaria and Romania join bringing the European Union to its current size, at 27 members.