European Community

The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. The 'Economic' was removed from its name by the Maastricht treaty in 1992, which at the same time effectively made the European Community the first of three pillars of the European Union, called the Community (or Communities) Pillar.

European Economic Community

The European Economic Community (EEC) was an organization established (1958) by treaty between Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany, known informally as the Common Market. The EEC was the most significant of the three treaty organizations that were consolidated in 1967 to form the European Community (EC; known since the ratification 1993 of the Maastricht treaty as the European Union, EU). The EEC had as its aim the eventual economic union of its member nations, ultimately leading to political union. It worked for the free movement of labor and capital, the abolition of trusts and cartels, and the development of joint and reciprocal policies on labor, social welfare, agriculture, transport, and foreign trade.

Related Topics:
1958 - Belgium - France - Italy - Luxembourg - Netherlands - West Germany - 1967 - 1993

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1958, Britain proposed that the Common Market be expanded into a transatlantic free-trade area. After the proposal was vetoed by France, Britain engineered the formation (1960) of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and was joined by other European nations that did not belong to the Common Market. Beginning in 1973, with British, Irish, and Danish accession to the EEC, the EFTA and the EEC negotiated a series of agreements that would ensure uniformity between the two organizations in many areas of economic policy, and by 1995, all but four EFTA members had joined the European Union.

Related Topics:
1958 - Britain - 1960 - European Free Trade Association - 1973 - Irish - Danish - 1995

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the first important accomplishments of the EEC was the establishment (1962) of common price levels for agricultural products. In 1968, internal tariffs (tariffs on trade between member nations) were scrapped on certain products.

Related Topics:
1962 - 1968

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~