History of EU

Contents
	1946 - 1959
	1960 - 1969
	1970 - 1979
	1980 - 1989
	1990 - 1999
	2000 -

1946

January  19
Winston Churchill calls for a "kind of United States of Europe" in a speech he gives at the  Zurich University.
December  17
The European Federalists Union is set into place in Paris, France.

1947

May  14
Fostered by Winston Churchill, the United Europe Movement is created. It is hostile to supranational organs and in favour of an intergovernmental cooperation.
June  1
Rene Courtin creates the French Council for a United Europe that will later be absorbed by the European Movement (1953). Fostered by Christian Democrats, the Nouvelles Equipes Internationales, that later known as European Union of Christian Democrats (1965), is created.
June  3
The Socialist United States of Europe Movement is created. In 1961 it will be renamed European Left.
June 5
The Marshall Plan, set up for the economic revival of Europe, is announced.
August  27-31
The European Union Federalists Congress is held in Montreux, Switzerland.
December  13-14
Federalist and Unionist organisations meet within the International Coordination of Movements for the Unification of Europe Committee.

1948

January  1
The custom convention between Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands enters into force.
March  17
The Western Union Treaty (Brussels Treaty) is signed by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
April  16
The Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) is created to coordinate the Marshall Plan.
May  7-11
Fostered by the International Coordination of Movements for the Unification of Europe Committee, the Europe Congress meets in The Hague, The Netherlands. It is chaired by Winston Churchill and attended by 800 delegates. Participants recommend that a European Deliberative Assembly and a European Special Council, in charge of preparing political and economic integration of European Countries, be created. They also advise the adoption of a Human Rights Charter and, to ensure the respect of such charter, the creation of a Court of Justice.

1949

January  28
France, Great Britain and the Benelux countries decide to set into place a Council of Europe and ask Denmark, Ireland, Italy Norway and Switzerland to help them prepare the statute of such Council.
April  4
Signature in Washington of the North Atlantic Treaty.
May  5
The statute of the Council of Europe is signed in London, United Kingdom.
August  3
The statute of the Council of Europe enters into force.
August 10-8/9
The first session of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe is held in Strasbourg, France. Federalist members of parliament request the institution of a European political authority.

1950

May  9
In a speech inspired by Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister, proposes that France and Germany and any other European country wishing to join them pool their Coal and Steel resources ("Schuman Declaration").
June  3
Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany subscribe to the Schuman declaration.
August  26-28
The Council of Europe Assembly approves the Schuman plan.
September  19
The European Union of payments is created.
November  4
Signature of the Human Rights and Fundamental Rights Conventions in Rome, Italy.

1951

February  15
A meeting in view of the creation of the European Community of Defence is held in Paris, France. Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Germany attend the meeting alongside six observer countries (USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands).
April  18
The Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) sign the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
December  10
Paul-Henri Spaak, leaves the Presidency of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in protest to the lukewarm attitude of the United Kingdom towards Europe.

1952

May  27
The Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) sign in Paris the European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty.
July  23
The ECSC Treaty enters into force. Jean Monnet is appointed President of the High Authority and Paul-Henri Spaak of the Common Assembly.
July  30
Luxembourg is chosen as the temporary headquarters for the ECSC.
August  10
The ECSC High Authority takes office.
November  10
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) decides to grant to the Six a derogation from the most-favoured-nation treatment, to allow them to fulfil their ECSC obligations.

1953

January  1
The ECSC levy, the first European tax, comes into force.
February  10
The Common Market for coal and iron ore is set into place. The Six remove custom duties and quantitative restrictions on these raw materials.
March  7
The procedure regulation of the European Court of Justice is published in the Official Journal of the ECSC. As of today appeals foreseen by the Paris Treaty can be placed to the Court.
March  9
Paul-Henri Spaak, President of the ad hoc Assembly created on September 10, 1952, hands to G. Bidault, President of the ECSC Council, a draft treaty instituting a political European Community. Such Community would aim at safeguarding human rights and fundamental rights, at guaranteeing security of Member States against aggression, at ensuring the co-ordination of Member States' external policy and at progressively establishing the Common Market. Five institutions are foreseen in the draft treaty: a European Executive Council, a two-chamber Parliament, a Council of National Ministers, a Court of Justice and a Economic and Social Committee.
March  15
The Common Market for scrap iron is set into place.
August  12
The ECSC and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) sign a cooperation agreement.

1954

May  11
Alcide de Gasperi is elected President of the European Parliamentary Assembly.
August  20-23
The six meet in Brussels, Belgium. The French statesman Pierre Mendes France does not succeed in his request to attenuate the supranational character of the European Defence Community (EDC).
August 30
The French National Assembly rejects the European Defence Community Treaty.
October  20
Following the London Conference, agreements on a modified Brussels Treaty are signed in Paris, and the Western European Union (WEU) comes into being.
November  10
Jean Monnet, President of the ECSC High Authority resigns after the EDC failure.
December  21
The European Court of Justice renders its first ruling.

1955

June  1
Rene Mayer is elected President of the ECSC High Authority.
June  1-2
Meeting in Messina (Italy), the Foreign Ministers of the Six agree to aim at the integration of their countries on the economic front.
October  23
According to referendum results, Saarland rejects its autonomous statute and decides to join Germany.
December  8
The Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts as it emblem the blue flag hosting 12 golden stars.

1956

January  7
The ECSC High Authority confirms the principle of free circulation, within the Community, of steel products imported form third countries.
May  6
Paul-Henri Spaak, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs presents to his ECSC colleagues a report on the draft Community Treaties foreseeing the creation of the EEC and Euratom.
May  29
The Spaak Report is approved. Meeting in Venice, the Foreign Ministers decide to open intergovernmental negotiations for the conclusions of two Treaties setting up a European Economic Community and an Atomic Energy Community.
June  26
Negotiations for the drafting of the instituting texts for the EEC and Euratom open in Brussels.

1957

March  25
The Treaties establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) are signed by the Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) in Rome as of today they will be referred to as the "Treaties of Rome".
April  17
The protocols on the privileges and immunities granted to the European Communities and on the statute of the European Court of Justice are signed in Brussels, Belgium.
October  8
The ECSC High Authority is requested, by its Council, to prepare a general policy on energy.
November  27
Hans Furler is elected President of the Common Assembly of the ECSC.

1958

January  1
The Treaties of Rome enter into force. The EEC and EURATOM Communities are set into place in Brussels. The Parliamentary Assembly, set up in Luxembourg, and the Court of Justice are common to all three Communities.
January  7
Walter Hallstein is elected President of the EEC Commission. Louis Armand is elected President of the Euratom Commission. Paul Finet is elected President of the ECSC High Authority.
January  26
The Six decide to create the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) to prepare the work of the Councils.
February  10
Member States set into place a harmonised tariff for coal and steel. Derogation is granted to France and Italy. Both will be allowed, for some products, to request higher rights for a period of two years.
March  19
The session setting up the European Parliamentary Assembly is held in Strasbourg, France. Mr. Robert Schuman is elected President of the Assembly. This Assembly is to substitute the ECSC one.
April  15
The first Council regulation sets up German, French, Italian and Dutch as the official languages of the Communities.
April  20
The first Official Journal of the European Communities is published. It replaces the Official Journal of the ECSC.
April  22
The Council names the members of the Economic and Social Committee (ESC).
May  13
The deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly sit for the first time according to political groups rather than nationality.
May  19
A meeting is held in Brussels, Belgium, to constitute the ESC.
May  21-27
The Parliamentary Assembly adopts its internal regulation.
July  3-11
A conference held in Stresa (Italy) lays down the basis of a common agricultural policy (CAP).
July  7
In Geneva, Switzerland, Walter Hallstein signs a formal liaison and collaboration agreement between the EEC and the International labour Organisation (ILO).
October  7
The European Court of Justice that replaces the ECSC Court of Justice, is set up in Luxembourg.
December  4
The Governors of the EIB Council adopt the first directives regarding the credit policy of the Bank.
December  29
The European Monetary Agreement enters into force.

1959

January  1
The first steps are taken in the progressive abolition of custom duties and quotas within the EEC.
January  7
Robert Schuman is re-elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly.
February  2
Etienne Hirsch is elected President of the Euratom Commission.
March  3
The European Court of Justice adopts its procedure regulations.
March  20
The European Investment Bank (EIB) grants its first loans.
May  5
The European Council accepts USA's "Dillon proposal" on multi-lateral trade negotiations (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade framework). The Commission, assisted by a special Committee appointed by the Council, will lead these negotiations.
June  8
Greece applies for association with the EEC.
June  22
The EEC National Fiscal Administrations set up three working groups to review the feasibility of harmonising indirect levy legislation.
June  25-26
The first meeting of Member States' experts on dumping is held. They review regulations to be set into place to avoid intra-community dumping.
July  20-21
Seven countries of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), namely Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, decide to establish a European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
July  31
Turkey applies for association with the EEC.
September  10
Negotiations for the association of Greece to the EEC start.
September  11
Piero Malvestiti is elected President of the ECSC High Authority.
September  27
Negotiations for the association of Turkey to the EEC start.
October  13
Pierre Wigny, the Belgian minister for foreign affairs, launches the idea of uniting in a single institution the High Authority of the ECSC and the two Commissions (EEC and Euratom) established by the Rome Treaty.