History of EU

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

1960

January  4
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) convention, regrouping Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom is signed in Stockholm, Sweden.
May  3
The Stockholm Convention establishing the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) enters into force.
May  11
The Council adopts the regulation relative to the European Social Fund. The aim of the Fund is promoting employment and geographical and professional mobility of workers within the Community.
September  20
The European Social Fund regulation enters into force.
December  13
The Convention establishing the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) is signed in Brussels, Belgium.
December  14
The Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) becomes the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

1961

February  10-11
A Summit Conference is held in Paris, France on the necessity of establishing a sound political cooperation.
March  7-10
Mr Furler is re-elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly.
June  27
The Netherlands Government takes the initiative of submitting a draft paper advocating the revision of the treaties of Rome and Paris by the adoption of a convention setting up a single Council for the Communities and a European High Commission (Fusion of the Executives). The European Parliament and the two Commissions are consulted on this draft. The merger of the executives is not proceeded with at this point because of divergences between Member States in the scope of the reform.
July  18
A European Summit meeting is held in Bonn, Germany. The Six voice their wish to set up a political union.
July  31
Ireland formally applies to join the European Communities.
August  9
The United Kingdom formally applies to join the European Communities.
August  10
Denmark formally applies to join the European Communities.
September  1
The first regulation on free movement of workers comes into force.
November  20-21
A colloquy between the institutions of the European Economic Community is held in Strasbourg, France. The subjects discussed are the transition from the first to the second stage of the Common Market and the association with overseas countries.
December  20
Mr Walter Hallstein is re-elected President of the Commission of the European Economic Community

1962

January  10
The new European Economic Community Commission, with Mr Hallstein as its President, takes office. Pierre Chatenet is elected President of the Euratom Commission.
January  14
The Council adopts the first regulations on the common agricultural policy (CAP) created for the establishment of a single market for agricultural products and for financial solidarity through a European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).
February  5-6
The Council approves the rules of procedure of the European Social Fund (ESF).
March  27-30
Mr Gaetano Martino is re-elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly. The Parliamentary Assembly decides to change its name into European Parliament.
April  4
The regulations and basic decisions on the CAP are enacted.
April  30
Norway formally applies to join the European Communities.
July  1
Customs duties on industrial products between member countries are reduced to 50% of their level of 1957.
July  30
The regulations creating a common agricultural policy (CAP) enter into force.
October  13
The Council adopts the first directive relative to the EEC global foodstuff regulation by defining which colorants can be added to foodstuffs.
November  1
The association agreement between Greece and the Community enters into force.

1963

January  14
General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, states that France doubts the political will of the United Kingdom to join the Community. A few days later, negotiations with all applicant countries are suspended.
February  5
Van Gend en Loos ruling. The European Court of Justice specifies that the Community constitutes a new legal order for the benefit of which Member States have consented to a restriction of their sovereign rights.
March  25-29
Mr Gaetano Martino is re-elected President of the European Parliament.
May  4
Official opening of GATT Trade negotiations (Kennedy Round).
July  1
In pursuance of the decision to speed up the establishment of a custom union, the sixth intra-community reduction in customs duties and the second alignment on the common external tariff are effected.
July  20
The Yaounde Convention, an Association Agreement valid for five years, is signed between the Community and 17 African States and Madagascar in Yaounde, Cameroon.
September  4
Death of Robert Schuman.
September  23-24
The Council reaches an agreement in principle on the question of the merger of the Executives.
October  8
Mr Dino del Bo is elected President of the ECSC High Authority.

1964

January  10
Mr Hallstein is re-elected President of the EEC Commission.
March  20
Mr Duvieusart is elected President of the European Parliament.
May  4
Official opening of the Kennedy Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The Community takes part in the meeting.
May  23-15/6
The World Conference on Trade and Development is held in Geneva, Switzerland.
June  1
The Yaounde Convention enters into force.
July  1
The European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) is set into place.
July  15
Costa/ENEL ruling. The European Court of Justice holds that Community law overrules national law.
September  18
The Council reaches an agreement as to the composition of the single Commission that will ultimately have nine members.
December  1
The Association Treaty signed by the EEC and Turkey enters into force.
December  15
The Council instructs the Commission to submit proposals on the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and to submit proposals on the conditions for implementing the transfer to Community budget of levies on agricultural products.
December  30
The United Nations General Assembly creates the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as an organ of the General Assembly.

1965

March  2
Mr Leemans is elected President of the European Parliament.
April  5-30
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Board, the permanent organ of the Conference, holds its first meeting in New York, USA. It adopts its work programme, it sets up its subsidiary agencies and lays down their term of reference.
April  8
The Treaty merging the executives of the three Communities (ECSC, EEC, Euratom) is signed in Brussels. It will enter into force on July 1, 1967.
June  26
France ratifies the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
June  30
Germany ratifies the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
July  1
France breaks off the negotiations on financing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The French Government recalls its Permanent Representative. For the time being, the French Delegation will not take part in Council's or Permanent Representatives Committee's meetings.
July  22
The Commission submits to the Council a memorandum on the financing of the CAP and on independent revenues for the Community.
July  26-27
The Council accepts the memorandum of the Commission on the financing of the CAP as a sound basis for discussion.
September  20
The Commission addresses a recommendation to the Member States. It asks to avoid creating new obstacles to intra-Community trade when they adopt laws and regulations of a technical nature.
December  1
Dekker ruling. Within the framework of social security of migrant workers, the European Court of Justice clarifies that the term "benefits in kind" does not infer sums paid in addition to pensions intended to cover part of the pensioner's health-insurance contributions.

1966

January  1
The EEC enters the third and last phase of the transition to the Common Market. This implies the replacement of the unanimity vote by the majority system for most of the decisions of the Council.
January  20
The annual joint meeting between the European Institutions is held in Brussels, Belgium. The discussion deals mainly with two institutional problems: cooperation between the Commission and the Council and the Council's majority decisions.
January  28-29
Luxembourg Compromise. France, after operating an "empty chair" policy for seven months, resumes its place in the Council in return for retention of the unanimity vote when major interests are at stake.
March  7
Mr Alain Poher is elected President of the European Parliament.
March  31
The Commission lays before the Council its proposal concerning the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), independent revenue for the Community and wider powers for the European Parliament.
April  5
Belgium ratifies the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
April  29
Italy ratifies the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
May  11
The Council adopts decisions and resolutions governing the timetable and the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and determines its objectives in other fields of common interest.
June  30
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ratifies the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
October  25
The Netherlands ratify the Treaty instituting a Council and Commission of the European Communities.
November  28
A joint meeting of the European Institutions is held. The discussion mainly concentrates on the progress of the Community towards economic union and future prospects.

1967

February  9
The EEC Council of Ministers decides to harmonise indirect taxes in the Community, to adopt the principle of the added-value tax system and to approve the first medium-term economic policy programme defining and fixing the aims of the economic policy of the Community for the years ahead.
March  13
Mr Alain Poher is re-elected President of the European Parliament.
May  11
The United Kingdom re-applies to join the Community. It is followed by Ireland and Denmark and, a little later, by Norway. General de Gaulle is still reluctant to accept British accession.
May  29-30
A Summit Conference is held in Rome, Italy, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the signature of the EEC and Euratom Treaties. Heads of State or Government express their intention of bringing into force the Treaty merging the institutions of the three Communities as of July 1, 1967.
June  30
The Commission signs the final Act of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) multi-lateral negotiations (Kennedy Round).
1967    July  1
The Merger Treaty, fusing the Executives of the European Communities (ECSC, EEC, Euratom), enters into force. From now on the European Communities will have a single Commission and a single Council. However, both continue to act in accordance with the rules governing each of the Communities.
July  3
The Council of the European Communities holds its first session with Germany at its Presidency.
July  6
The new Commission, with Jean Rey as its President, takes office.
September  13
The Commission renders an opinion on the applications for EC membership of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Norway.
November  28
The Institutions hold their annual joint meeting and discuss on the outlook for development of the Communities following the merger of the institutions.

1968

January  1
France takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.
March  12
Mr Alain Poher is re-elected President of the European Parliament.
July  1
Italy takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.
Customs union enters into force. Remaining customs duties in intra-Community trade are abolished 18 months ahead of what was scheduled in the Rome Treaty and the Common Customs Tariff is introduced to replace national customs duties in trade with the rest of the world.
October  23
The European Court of Justice celebrates its 10th anniversary. A large number of representatives of the Community institutions, the Governments and the Senior Courts and Administrative Tribunals of the Member States attend the formal meeting held for the occasion.
November  27
The Council, the Parliament and the Commission hold an exchange of views on the prospects of the Communities. It gives rise to a discussion on the need to render the institutional machinery of the Communities democratic and to strengthen and widen it, to guarantee the future of Euratom and to institute close cooperation in the monetary field.

1969

January  1
Luxembourg takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.
February  6-7
A Western European Union (WEU) Council meeting takes place in Luxembourg.
July  1
The Netherlands take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.
July  6
Mr. Jean Rey is re-elected President of the Commission.
July  16
The Commission submits to the Council a memorandum on replacing the financial contributions of the Member States by Communities' own resources and on increasing the budgetary powers of the European Parliament.
July  22-23
The Council resumes the examination of the application for EC membership of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Norway. It asks the Commission to bring up to date the opinion it rendered on the matter in September 1967.
July  29
Signature of the second Yaounde convention.
August  10
Upon request of the Council, the Commission brings up to date the opinion it rendered on the EC membership application of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Norway.
August  26-23/9
The ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is held in Geneva, Switzerland. The discussion is mainly centred around UNCTAD's contribution to the second UN Development Decade.
October  1
The Commission submits a supplementary opinion on the applications for EC membership of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Norway.
October  15
The Commission submits to the Council a draft decision to provide the Community with the instruments it needs to promote a regional development policy.
November  12
Stauder ruling. For the first time the European Court of Justice comments on the protection of the individual maintaining that the general principles of Community law, the respect of which the Court is to ensure, include the fundamental rights of the individual.
December  1-2
A Summit meeting is held in The Hague, the Netherlands. The heads of State or Government confirm their willingness to maintain the gradual advance towards a genuine economic and monetary union and the close alignment of social policies this entails, and reaffirm their agreement on the principle of the enlargement of the Community.
December  11
Mr Rey, President of the Commission, expresses before the European Parliament his satisfaction with the decisions taken at the Summit conference concerning the completion and strengthening of the Community.
December  31
The 12-year transitional period forecast by the treaty on the European Economic Communities (EEC) for setting into practice the common market, comes to an end.