Key Dates

Question 1

18 April 1951

Answer 1

6 Countries sign the treaty establishing the European coal and steel community (ECSC).

• Belgium
• The Federal Republic of Germany
• France
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands

Question 2

1-2 June 1955

Answer 2

At a meeting in Messina, the foreign ministers of the six countries decide to extend European integration to the economy as a whole.

Question 3

25 March 1957

Answer 3

In Rome, the six countries sign the treaties establishing the European economic community (ECC) and the European atomic energy community (Euratom)

Question 4

4 January 1960

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

20 July 1963

Answer 5

In Yaounde, an association agreement is signed between the EEC and 18 African countries.

Question 6

8 April 1965

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

29 January 1966

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

1 July 1968

Answer 8

Custom duties between the member states on industrial goods are completely abolished, 18 months ahead of schedule, and a common external tariff is introduced.

Question 9

1-2 December 1969

Answer 9

At the Hague summit, the EEC’s political leaders decide to move further ahead with European integration, opening the way for its first enlargement.

Question 10

22 April 1970

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

22 January 1972

Answer 11

In Brussels, treaties of accession to the European communities are signed with Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Question 12

1 January 1973

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

9-10 December 1974

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

28 February 1975

Answer 14

In Lomé, a convention (Lomé 1) is signed between the EEC and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Question 15

22 July 1975

Answer 15

A treaty is signed giving the European parliament greater power over the budget and establishing the European Court of auditors.

Question 16

7-10 June 1979

Answer 16

The first direct elections to the 410-seat European parliament.

Question 17

1 January 1981

Answer 17

Greece joins the European communities, bringing the number of members to 10.

Question 18

14-17 June 1984

Answer 18

The second direct elections to the European parliament.

Question 19

7 January 1985

Answer 19

Jacques Delors becomes president of the commission

Question 20

14 June 1985

Answer 20

The Schengen Agreement is signed with the aim of abolishing checks at the borders between member countries of the European communities.

Question 21

1 January 1986

Answer 21

Spain and Portugal join the European communities, bringing membership to 12.

Question 22

17 & 28 February 1986

Answer 22

The single European act is signed in Luxembourg and the Hague.

Question 23

15 & 18 June 1989

Answer 23

The third direct elections to the European parliament.

Question 24

9 November 1989

Answer 24

The fall of the Berlin Wall.

Question 25

3 October 1990

Answer 25

German unification

Question 26

9-10 December 1991

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

7 February 1992

Answer 27

The Treaty on European Union is signed at Maastricht.

Question 28

1 January 1993

Answer 28

The single market is created

Question 29

9 and 12 June 1994

Answer 29

The fourth direct elections to the European parliament.

Question 30

1 January 1995

Answer 30

Austria, Finland, and Sweden join the EU, bringing its membership to 15. Norway stays out again following a referendum.

Question 31

23 January 1995

Answer 31

A new European Commission takes office with Jacques Santer as its president.

Question 32

27-28 November 1995

Answer 32

The Euro-Mediterrainean Conference in Barcelona launches a partnership between the EU and the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.

Question 33

2 October 1997

Answer 33

The Amsterdam treaty is signed. It comes into force on 1 May 1999.

Question 34

30 March 1998

Answer 34

The accession process behind for new candidate countries. Cyprus, Malta and 10 central and eastern European countries will be involved in this process.

Question 35

1 January 1999

Answer 35

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.

Question 36

10 and 13 June 1999

Answer 36

The fifth direct elections to the European parliament.

Question 37

15 September 1999

Answer 37

A new European Commission takes office with Romano Prodi as its president.

Question 38

15-16 October 1999

Answer 38

The Tampere European Council decides to make the EU an area of freedom, security and justice.

Question 39

23-24 March 2000

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

7-8 December 2000

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

26 February 2001

Answer 41

Signing of the Treaty of Nice. It comes into force on 1 February 2003.

Question 42

14-15 December 2001

Answer 42

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.

Question 43

1 January 2002

Answer 43

Euro notes and coins are introduced in the 12 euro-area countries.

Question 44

13 December 2002

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

10 July 2003

Answer 45

The convention on the Future of Europe completed its work on the draft European Constitution

Question 46

4 October 2003

Answer 46

Start of the intergovernmental conference responsible for drawing up the constitutional treaty.

Question 47

1 May 2004

Answer 47

Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia join the European Union.

Question 48

10 and 13 June 2004

Answer 48

The sixth direct elections to the European parliament.

Question 49

29 October 2004

Answer 49

The European Constitution is adopted in Rome.

Question 50

22 November 2004

Answer 50

A new European Commission takes office with José Manuel Barroso as its president.

Question 51

29 May and 1 June 2005

Answer 51

Voters in France reject the Constitution in a referendum, followed 3 days later by voters in the Netherlands.

Question 52

3 October 2005

Answer 52

Accession negotiations begin with Turkey and Croatia.

Question 53

1 January 2007

Answer 53

Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union. | Slovenia adopts the Euro.

Question 54

1 July 2013

Answer 54

Croatia joins the European Union.

Question 55

9 May 1950

Answer 55

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.