1950–1993 CE · Europe · Trade
European integration: coal, steel and the common market
Post-war European integration developed through successive treaties and institutions. The European Union did not appear fully formed in 1951.
Enlarge and examine the pictureBundesarchiv, Bild 183-45653-0001 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany · Processed 1200 × 640 rendition retained; derivative under the same licence · Source and rights ↗ · Licence terms
From a declaration to the European Union
Play the sequence, step through it, or choose a milestone. Spacing on the axis measures elapsed time.
1 November 1993 · European Union established. The Maastricht Treaty entered into force and established the European Union. Earlier communities should not be renamed retrospectively as if their institutions were identical. European Union: founding agreements ↗
Read every milestone as text
- 9 May 1950 — Schuman Declaration. The proposal placed French and German coal and steel production under a common authority, open to other European countries. European Union: Schuman Declaration ↗
- 18 April 1951 — Paris treaty signed. Six states signed the treaty creating the European Coal and Steel Community. Signature and legal entry into force were separate steps. European Union: founding agreements ↗
- 23 July 1952 — Coal and steel treaty enters into force. The European Coal and Steel Community began operating under the treaty. This was not yet the European Union. European Union: 1945–1959 ↗
- 25 March 1957 — Treaties of Rome signed. The six founding states signed treaties establishing the European Economic Community and Euratom. European Union: founding agreements ↗
- 1 January 1958 — Rome treaties enter into force. The new communities widened cooperation beyond coal and steel, including a common-market project. European Union: 1945–1959 ↗
- 7 February 1992 — Maastricht Treaty signed. The treaty set out the next institutional stage. Signing did not itself mark its entry into force. European Union: founding agreements ↗
- 1 November 1993 — European Union established. The Maastricht Treaty entered into force and established the European Union. Earlier communities should not be renamed retrospectively as if their institutions were identical. European Union: founding agreements ↗
Pooling industries associated with war
The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 proposed placing coal and steel production under a common authority. France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg became the founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, whose treaty was signed in 1951 and entered into force on 23 July 1952.
A wider economic project
The Treaties of Rome were signed on 25 March 1957 and entered into force on 1 January 1958, establishing the European Economic Community and Euratom. A common market and shared institutions extended cooperation beyond the original industries. This western European project developed within a continent divided by the Cold War.
Distinguish institutions and dates
The Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992 and entered into force in 1993, establishing the European Union. Using “EU” for all earlier stages can obscure the sequence. Treaty signatures, entry into force, enlargement and practical implementation are different milestones.