History of the EU
The origins of European integration date back to the end of World War II. The war had left Europe in ruins and prompted the search for a lasting peace and, in particular, the need to bring about lasting reconciliation between France and Germany. One of the first initiatives was the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established by the Treaty of Paris in 1951. On 9 May 1950 Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister, proposed that French and German coal and steel production should be 'pooled'. Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands joined France and Germany in setting up the ECSC and merging national interests in these industries. In 1957 the six members of the ECSC formed the European Economic Community (EEC) and began the process of developing a common market for goods and services. The Treaties of Rome, signed in March 1957, created the EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community. The Common Agricultural Policy to support farmers was established. Since 1957, the EEC has seen four stages of enlargement, and now brings together 15 countries in what is known as the European Union (EU). Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined in 1973; Greece in 1981; Portugal and Spain in 1986; and Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1995. The first direct elections to the European Parliament were held in 1979. Before that its members were drawn from national parliaments. Another notable development took place in 1987 with the coming into force of the Single European Act which set out the timetable for the creation of the Single Market by 1993. This brought about the world's largest trading area of 370 million people and the free movement of goods, capital, people and services. The term "European Union" was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty in November 1993. The Treaty established new areas of European co-operation in foreign and security policy, and justice and home affairs. The new Treaty also set out a timetable for economic and monetary union and the introduction of a single currency. Further changes were introduced by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. In particular, the powers of the European Parliament were given a major boost and increased cooperation in foreign policy and home affairs was established. Further enlargement of the European Union is on the cards as another thirteen countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean have applied to join. In order to allow the EU to function effectively with a much larger membership, the fifteen member states agreed to a new EU Treaty in Nice in December 2000. A special Convention -the - began work in February 2002 on drawing up new arrangements to enable the EU to work when it expands to 25 or more countries. In February 2002, the euro became the sole currency of 12 out of 15 EU countries. The three countries remaining outside the euro zone are Denmark, Sweden and the UK.