1.1 Key dates

Fact Sheet 1.1: Key Dates

The 1940s and 1950s

Date	Event
1946	September: Winston Churchill's speech in Zurich advocating a kind of "United States of Europe".
1947	Creation of Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) customs union.
1948	Creation of Brussels Treaty Organisation (BTO), comprising Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK.
1949	Council of Europe created with 10 (founder) members.

1950	Schuman Declaration, proposing that French and German coal and steel industries be placed under a common Authority (the "Schuman Plan").
1951	Treaty of Paris, The Treaty Establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), signed by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The ECSC came into effect in 1952. The ECSC Treaty expired in July 2002.
1952	The European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty, based on Pleven plan of 1950, signed by the six ECSC countries.
1954	EDC Treaty rejected by French Parliament - the EDC was abandoned.
1954	The Western European Union (WEU) formed when the BTO (1948) was extended to include West Germany and Italy.
1954	UK and ECSC signed an association agreement.
1955	West Germany joined NATO.
1955	Messina Conference on integration attended by the foreign ministers of the 6 ECSC states. The Spaak Committee was established to examine options for further integration.
1957	Two Treaties signed in Rome (25 March) by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg ("the Six"):

	(1) The Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community (EEC).

	(2) The Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC, Euratom).
1958	The EEC and Euratom Treaties, the Rome Treaties, came into force.
1959	The European Free Trade Area (EFTA) convention signed in Stockholm by the UK, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland ("the Seven"). EFTA was established, with the HQ in Geneva, in 1961.


The 1960s
Date	Event
1961	The 6 EEC members issue the "Bonn Declaration" aimed at political union.
1961	Ireland applied, and the UK and Denmark requested negotiations, for EEC membership.
1962	Framework of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agreed.
1962	Norway requested negotiations aimed at EEC membership.
1963	EEC negotiations on UK entry suspended, following opposition by French President Charles de Gaulle to UK entry.
1963	Franco-German Treaty of Co-operation signed (The Treaty of the Elysée) by President de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer.
1963	Yaoundé Convention, providing for economic aid and trade concessions for 17 African states, signed in the capital of Cameroon.
1964	The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) came into effect.
1965	The Merger Treaty, which established a Single Council and a Single Commission of the European Communities (thus merging the institutions of the 3 European Communities), was signed. It came into force in 1967.
1965	French boycott of institutions began over disagreements on budgetary and institutional issues - the "empty chair crisis".
1966	The "Luxembourg Compromise" (which allowed key issues to be decided by unanimity, irrespective of the Treaty of Rome) was agreed, ending French boycott.
1967	UK, Ireland, Denmark and Norway reapplied for membership. The applications were left "on the table" because of de Gaulle's continuing hostility to UK membership. De Gaulle's 2^nd veto on UK membership occurred in December.
1967	The EEC, the ECSC and Euratom effectively joined to form a single "European Community" (under the 1965 Merger Treaty) but they were still strictly known as the "European Communities". The EEC became "The European Community" (EC) under Maastricht.
1968	The EEC Customs Union was completed. Customs duties on intra-Community trade were finally abolished for manufactured goods and a common external tariff (CET) was introduced for non-EEC countries.
1969	France's President Pompidou agreed with other EC leaders at a "summit" meeting in The Hague to consider an enlargement of EC membership. Pompidou lifted the French veto on British membership.


The 1970s
Date	Event
1970	The Treaty amending certain Budgetary Provisions of the Treaties establishing the European Communities (and of the Merger Treaty), the Treaty of Luxembourg, was signed. This Treaty introduced the revenue raising facility of "own resources".
1970	New negotiations for accession of UK, Ireland, Denmark and Norway were started.
1971	"The Snake", a short-lived attempt to create a zone of monetary stability, introduced. It was replaced by the "Snake in the Tunnel", also short-lived, in 1972.
1971	Development of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
1972	The treaties of accession for UK, Ireland, Denmark and Norway were signed. The British Parliament passed the European Communities Act.
1972	Free trade agreements signed with the EFTA states which had not applied for EC membership
1972	Norwegian referendum (46% for, 54% against) led to withdrawal of Norway's application (September).
1972	The PMs of the UK, Ireland and Denmark attended the Paris summit (October 1972). The EC's member states committed themselves at this summit to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and to converting "their entire relationship into a European Union" by the end of the decade. Economic and political union was explicitly "the Six's" stated ambition.
1973	UK, Denmark and Ireland joined the European Communities ("the Nine").
1973	Norway signed a free trade agreement with the EC.
1974	The UK, under PM Harold Wilson, requested "renegotiation" of membership terms. The settlement on British renegotiation occurred at the Dublin summit (March 1975).
1974	At the Paris summit (December) there was the decision to establish the European Council. Leo Tindemans (Belgian Foreign Minister) was asked to draw up a report on European Union (this led to the "Tindemans report").
1975	Treaty amending certain Financial Provisions of the Treaties establishing the European Communities (and the Merger Treaty) was signed. It came into force in 1978. This Treaty refined budgetary procedures to give the European Parliament more power and set up the Court of Auditors.
1975	European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was established.
1975	First Lomé Convention, replacing the 1963 Yaoundé Convention, signed, giving aid to 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states.
1975	UK referendum resulted in 2:1 majority in favour of staying in the EC (June).
1975	Agreement on the European passport and on European elections (Rome summit, December).
1976	Agreement on the total number of seats in the European Parliament (EP) (Brussels summit, July).
1977	Portugal and Spain applied to join.
1977	Decision to create the European Monetary System (EMS) (Bremen summit, July). Agreement on the introduction of the European Unit of Account (EUA) from 1 January 1978 and a resolution on the European Monetary System (EMS) agreed (Brussels summit, December).
1977	"Three Wise Men" commissioned to draw up report on the European Communities institutions (Brussels summit, December).
1979	The European Monetary System (EMS), (including the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), established (March).
1979	First direct elections to the European Parliament (June). They are conducted every 5 years: 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009 etc.
1979	The "British Budget problem" was first raised (Dublin summit, November). There was a provisional agreement in May 1980 and a final settlement in 1984.

The 1980s

Date	Event
1981	Greece joined the Community ("the Ten") (January).
1983	The Labour party manifesto included a call for UK withdrawal. This had followed a resolution passed at the 1980 annual conference.
1983	Adoption of the Solemn Declaration on European Union ("Stuttgart Declaration"), which effectively ended the 1966 Luxembourg Compromise and signalled France's conversion to political integration (June).
1984	European Parliament approved Spinelli's draft Treaty on European Union (February).
1984	"Final" settlement of the "British Budget problem", accompanied by agreement on new resources and budgetary discipline (Fontainebleau summit, June).
1985	Beethoven's 9^th symphony, last movement (with Schiller's Ode to Joy), adopted as the European Communities anthem.
1985	Greenland withdrew from the European Communities (February) following a referendum in 1982.
1985	Commission White Paper on the completion of the Single European Market (SEM). Agreement on 7-year timetable to remove 300 barriers to the "internal market" by 1992, according to a programme devised by Lord Cockfield. Milan summit, June.
1985	Agreement, by qualified majority, to convene an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to discuss institutional reform and consider amendments to the Treaty of Rome. Milan summit, June.
1985	Schengen Agreement, an accord, signed by the Benelux countries, France and Germany (June).
1985	Agreement in principle to extend Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) in order to complete the Single Market Programme by the end of 1992, to increase the powers of the European Parliament (EP), to give European Political Cooperation a sounder legal base, and to extend European Communities competences (Luxembourg, December).
1986	Portugal and Spain joined the European Communities ("the Twelve") (January).
1986	The Single European Act (SEA) signed by all member states (February). It came into force in 1987. The SEA was a series of treaty amendments designed to speed up decision-making, especially on internal market measures.
1987	Agreement that the Western European Union (WEU) should represent joint WEU-European Communities security policy.
1988	"Delors I" proposed by the Commission for setting the guidelines for expanding European Communities (EC) budgets for 1988-1992. (Brussels, February). Delors I was only partly agreed for the eventual 1988-1992 budget settlement, which underpinned the Single European Act.
1988	The European Council gave Commission President Jacques Delors instructions for the development of proposals for Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) (Hanover, June). This led to the Delors Report on EMU in 1989.
1989	Revolutions in Eastern Europe. G7 summit asked EC to co-ordinate western aid to Poland and Hungary and, subsequently, to other Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) (July). The Berlin wall was brought down (November).
1989	Austria applied to join EC.
1989	Delors committee prepared report on EMU (April). At the European Council there was approval for a three-stage introduction of EMU, with PM Margaret Thatcher reserving the UK's position (Madrid summit, June).
1989	Agreement to start negotiations between the EC and EFTA states to form the European Economic Area (EEA), adoption of the Social Charter and decision on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) (December). The EBRD was set up in 1991.
1989	Decision to convene an Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) (Strasbourg, December), leading to Maastricht Treaty on Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and European Political Union (EPU).

The 1990s
Date	Event
1990	Stage 1 of EMU began, with (partial) removal of exchange controls (January). UK joined the ERM (October).
1990	Extraordinary meeting on German reunification (Dublin, April). German reunification occurred in October, following German Monetary Union (GMU) in July.
1990	The Dublin Convention on asylum was signed in 1990 - it came into force in 1997.
1990	The Schengen Convention on the application of the 1985 Schengen Agreement on the elimination of border controls for internal borders was signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (June). It was enforced in March 1995.
1990	Two IGCs began work on: (1) Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and European Political Union (EPU) (December).
1991	Agreement reached to set up EEA (for 1 January 1993) (November).
1991	Maastricht summit (December) of European Council agreed Treaty on European Union. Title II of the Maastricht Treaty amended the 1957 Treaty establishing the EEC "with a view" to establishing the "European Community" (EC), as the "first pillar" of the European Union. The Maastricht Treaty's two other pillars were a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP, the "second pillar") and co-operation in the fields of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA, the "third pillar"). The 2^nd and 3^rd pillars were intergovernmental. The Maastricht Treaty was signed in February 1992 and came into force in November 1993.
1992	"Delors II" proposed increasing the budget by 30% over 5 years for 1993-1997. It was only partly accepted and the budget period was set for 7 years, from 1993 to 1999. The settlement underpinned the Maastricht Treaty.
1992	European Economic Area (EEA) Treaty, extending the Single Market to the remaining EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein), was signed. The EEA Treaty came into effect in 1994 - but without Switzerland, following rejection off EEA membership in a referendum of December 1992, and without Liechtenstein (which joined in 1995).
1992	Maastricht Treaty referenda: the Danes narrowly rejected the Treaty (June), the Irish accepted the Treaty (June) and the French narrowly accepted the Treaty (September). Special arrangements for Denmark for a 2^nd referendum on the Maastricht Treaty were agreed in December. Denmark voted in favour of the Treaty in May 1993.
1992	Withdrawal of UK (16 September, "Black Wednesday") from ERM, following Italian Lira devaluation and ERM turbulence.
1992	Decision to allow enlargement negotiations to begin with Austria, Finland and Sweden (Edinburgh, December).
1992	Single European Market (SEM, "1992") programme "completed" by end 1992.
1993	Decision that Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) with "Europe Agreements" which "so desire, shall become members of the EU".
1993	Turbulence in the ERM leading to de facto suspension of ERM (August).
1993	Maastricht Treaty came into force and the creation of the European Union (EU) (November).
1993	Discussion of the Commission White Paper "Growth, Competitiveness and Employment" (June). Adoption of action plan on employment based on White Paper (November).
1994	Stage 2 of EMU began, with the newly created European Monetary Institute (EMI) (January).
1994	Entry terms agreed for Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Accession referenda: Austria, Sweden and Finland voted in favour but Norway voted against entry (for a 2^nd time).
1994	Commitment to include Cyprus and Malta in next round of enlargement and establishment of Reflection Group to prepare 1996 IGC (for further enlargement).
1995	Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU (EU15) in January.
1995	Jacques Santer became Commission President (January).
1995	Schengen Agreement on open borders came into force (March), signing of Europol convention establishing Europol (July) and first EU ombudsman elected (July).
1995	Agreement on name of single European currency (the "euro") and affirmation of 1 January 1999 as launch date for the new currency (December).
1996	IGC on the reform of the EU opened in Turin (March).
1996	"Beef crisis" in wake of BSE disease in UK.
1996	Preparations for EMU. Growth and Stability Pact agreed and exchange rate relations between the "ins" and "outs" ("pre-ins") and the new ERM framework ("ERM2") prior to EMU discussed (December).
1997	The Treaty of Amsterdam and the conclusion of IGC agreed in June. The UK adopted the Social Chapter (from Maastricht). The Amsterdam Treaty was signed in October 1997 and came into force in May 1999.
1997	Commission adopted the "Agenda 2000" policy statement, preparing the ground for further enlargement and setting targets for long-term financial and agricultural reforms (July). Luxembourg summit cleared way for membership negotiations with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia (December).
1997	The EU signed up to the Kyoto Protocol on the UN Convention on Climate Change.
1998	Agreement for 11 countries to join EMU on 1 January 1999 (stage 3 of EMU) (May). Final preparations for EMU made in December.
1998	European Parliament (EP) refused to approve final accounts of the 1996 budget, precipitating a crisis with the Commission (December).
1998	Adoption of the "Vienna Action Plan." on JHA. (December, Vienna.)
1999	EMU launch date (Stage 3) with 11 members: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Austria and Finland (January).
1999	Entire Commission, under President Santer, resigned over claims of fraud and mismanagement (March), followed by the Appointment of Romano Prodi as President-designate of the Commission. In September a new Commission with Prodi as President took over.
1999	Agreement on Agenda 2000, including the budget for 2000-2006 (March).
1999	Following the enforcement of the Amsterdam Treaty (May), Javier Solana was appointed as Secretary-General of the Council and High Representative for the CFSP (June) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) was set up as part of the CFSP (June). At the Helsinki summit (December) there was further agreement on the defence and security aspects of the CFSP.
1999	A special summit on JHA was called for the creation of a "Union of freedom, security and justice", covering asylum and immigration, racism and xenophobia, police and judicial cooperation and money laundering (Tampere, October).
1999	Helsinki summit decided to open accession negotiations with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia (6 countries). Turkey was accepted as a member state (December). There was also the adoption of "guidelines for reform" of the working methods of the Council of Ministers.


The 2000s
Date	Event
2000	Start of 7-year budget period (2000-2006), which underpinned the new enlargement.
2000	Lisbon summit inaugurated 10-year programme (the "Lisbon Agenda") to make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world," progress to be reviewed every spring, with a commitment to "a European Area of Research and Innovation" (March). Endorsement of the eEurope 2002 Action Plan (the "dot.com summit") and partial agreement on further tax harmonization (June).
2000	Cotonou Agreement signed (June).
2000	A key treaty, described as a "Framework agreement" was signed between the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden (July). It concerned the restructuring and operation of the European defence industry.
2000	Denmark voted against the euro (53.3% to 46.7%) (September).
2000	The Nice Treaty adopted, to facilitate the admission of 12 new member states (December). The Nice Treaty was signed in February 2001 and came into force in February 2003.
2000	Endorsement of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Agenda (SPA) (December).
2001	Greece joined the Eurozone as the 12^th member.
2001	Switzerland voted decisively against closer ties with the EU (March).
2001	Irish referendum rejected the Nice Treaty (53.87% to 46.13%) (June). The Treaty was accepted in a 2^nd referendum (October 2002).
2001	The Laeken summit agreed to set up a Convention for the Future of Europe, to consider the future balance of powers in an enlarged EU. The Laeken declaration suggested (1) electing the President of the Commission, (2) creating pan-EU parties, (3) creating a "European political area" and (4) a constitution for the EU (December).
2001	The Laeken summit also adopted wide-ranging proposals to combat terrorism in the wake of 9/11 (December).
2002	Euro notes and coins replaced legacy currencies (January/February).
2002	The Convention on the Future of Europe, under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, was set up (February).
2002	Galileo, the European satellite navigation and positioning system was launched (March). The EU ratified the Kyoto protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (May).
2003	Athens Summit agreed to 10 more countries joining the EU (April).
2003	European Council meeting discussed the draft Constitutional Treaty at Thessaloniki, as prepared by the Convention on a European Constitution (June).
2003	Sweden voted "no" in a euro referendum (September).
2003	The Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) on the Convention's draft Constitutional Treaty, which included the Charter of Fundamental Rights, began in October. Talks broke down on the draft Constitution over voting rights (December).
2004	The Commission adopted the "financial perspectives" for 2007-2013 (February).
2004	UK PM Tony Blair announced referendum on the Constitutional Treaty (April).
2004	Greek part of Cyprus voted against unification of Cyprus; Turkish part voted for unification (April).
2004	10 new members joined: the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia - making EU25 (May). Development of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
2004	Signing of the Constitutional Treaty (in Rome), ending of the IGC (October).
2004	New Commission under President Barroso took office - to serve until October 2009 (November).
2004	December summit agreed the Presidencies up to the first half of 2020, to be run in groups of three, with each group generally containing a large and a small member state and at least one new member state.
2005	Jean-Claude Juncker started as the first semi-permanent President of the Eurogroup, the informal meeting of the Eurozone's finance ministers (January).
2005	The (semi-optional) introduction of the new Single Payment Scheme (SPS) for CAP (January).
2005	The Commission produced a road map for implementing the Hague Programme (agreed during the Dutch Presidency in the 2^nd half of 2004) with 10 specific priority areas. Immigration and asylum and the control of terrorism topped the Hague agenda (May).
2005	"Schengen III" Treaty signed by Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and Belgium, concerned the deepening of cross-border cooperation (May).
2005	Referenda on the Constitution resulted in two "no" votes: France (29 May) and the Netherlands (1 June). This led to a "pause for reflection" about the future of the Constitution.
2005	Agreement on the budget ("financial perspectives") for 2007-2013 (December).
2006	First 6 months: Austrian Presidency.
2006	Second 6 months: Finnish Presidency.
2007	First 6 months: German Presidency
2007	New 7-year EU budget period, for 2007-2013, started (January).
2007	Slovenia joined the Eurozone (making 13 countries)
2007	Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (January), making EU27.
2007	The EU declaration (the "Berlin declaration") on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Rome Treaties (25 March).
2007	June summit: the European Council agreed to convene an IGC on the new ‘Reform Treaty'.
2007	Second 6 months: Portuguese Presidency.
2007	July: start of 2007 IGC on the "Draft Treaty Amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community" - the "Reform Treaty"
2007	October: agreement on the text of the 'Reform Treaty'
2007	December: extension of Schengen border-free zone to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
2007	Signing of the Reform Treaty (The Treaty of Lisbon)
2008 2008	First 6 months: Slovenian Presidency

	January: Cyprus and Malta join the eurozone, bringing to 15 the number of EU27 countries sharing the euro.
2008	January: Treaty of Lisbon enters House of Commons
2008	April: Treaty of Lisbon moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords
2008	June: Irish reject Lisbon Treaty in a referendum

Future Events
2008	Second 6 months: French Presidency
2009	First 6 months: The Czech Republic
2009	June: European Parliamentary Elections

RL, April 2008