Timeline of European Union history

Part of a series on the
History of the European Union
Timeline Pre-1945 ideas 1945–1957 1958–1972 1973–1993 1993–2004 2004–present
Organisation European Communities (1958–2009) European Coal and Steel Community (1952–2002) European Economic Community (1958–1993) European Atomic Energy Community (1958–present) European Community (1993–2009) Justice and Home Affairs (1993–2003) Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (2003–2009) Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar (1993–2009) Western European Union (1954–2011) Western Union (1948–1954)
Treaties Treaty of Paris 1951 Treaty of Rome 1957 Merger Treaty 1965 Single European Act 1986 Maastricht Treaty 1992 Amsterdam Treaty 1997 Treaty of Nice 2001 Treaty of Lisbon 2007
Commissions Hallstein Commission 1958 Rey Commission 1967 Malfatti Commission 1970 Mansholt Commission 1972 Ortoli Commission 1973 Jenkins Commission 1977 Thorn Commission 1981 Delors Commission 1985 Santer Commission 1994 Prodi Commission 1999 Barroso Commission 2004 Juncker Commission 2014
Topics History of Europe History of the euro History of defence integration History of enlargement List of presidents List of founders
European Union portal

This is a timeline of European Union history and its previous development.

Distinct periods

• Ideas before 1945
• 1945–1957
• 1958–1972
• 1973–1993
• 1993–2004
• 2004–present

Individual years

European Coal and Steel Community

European Economic Community

European Communities

European Union

Key events

• 2016 – UK holds a Membership Referendum and votes to leave the European Union
• 2013 – Accession of Croatia
• 2009 – Lisbon Treaty abolishes the three pillars of the European Union
• 2007 – Accession of Bulgaria and Romania
• 2005 – France and the Netherlands reject the Constitution
• 2004 – Accession of ten countries; signing of Constitution
• 2002 – The euro replaces twelve national currencies
• 1999 – Fraud in the Commission results in resignation
• 1995 – Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden
• 1993 – Copenhagen criteria defined
• 1992 – Maastricht Treaty formally called the Treaty on European Union - The European Union is born and the Euro was introduced as the fellow currency (Denmark and the UK are not included in the EMU (European Monetary Union)).
• 1989 – The fall of the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe
• 1986 – Single European Act; Accession of Portugal and Spain; flag adopted
• 1985 – Delors Commission, Greenland leaves Community.
• 1981 – Accession of Greece
• 1979 – First direct elections to Parliament
• 1973 – Accession of Denmark, Ireland and the UK
• 1967 – ECSC, EEC and Euratom merged
• 1963 – Ankara Agreement initiated a three-step process toward creating a Customs Union which would help secure Turkey's full membership in the EEC.
• 1963 – Charles de Gaulle vetoes UK entry
• 1957 – Treaty of Rome creates Economic Community
• 1951 – Treaty of Paris creates Coal and Steel Community
• 1945 – The end of World War II

Structural evolution

See also

• History of the European Union
  • Ideas of European unity before 1945
  • History of the European Coal and Steel Community (1945–57)
  • History of the European Communities (1958–72)
  • History of the European Communities (1973–93)
  • History of the European Union (1993–2004)
  • History of the European Union (since 2004)
• European Coal and Steel Community
• European Economic Community

External links

• A timeline of the EU – BBC News.
• The history of the European Union – Europa
• European Union Politics Timeline - Oxford University Press: European Union Politics Resource Centre
• Archival material concerning the history of the European Union can be consulted at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence