06/14/05

1950. European Coal and Steel Community. (Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands)

1956. (Venice) the bases for the European Economic Community are set

1957. Treaty of Rome. Creation of the European Atomic Energy community and the European Economic Community (Same members)

1967. All three existing communities merged. There will only exist one single commission as well as one Council of Ministers and the European Parliament

1973. First enlargement (Denmark, United Kingdom and Ireland)

1979. First elections for the European Parliament

1981. Second enlargement (Greece)

1986. Third enlargement (Spain and Portugal)

1992. Treaty of Maastricht. The EEC becomes the European Union

1995. Fourth enlargement –first for the EU- (Austria, Finland and Sweden)

2004. Fifth enlargement (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia)

2005. Referendums for the European constitution

E.U. Expansion