The European Union is a geo-political entity covering a large portion of the European continent. Trade surged among the six founding EEC nations, quadrupling between 1958 and 1968. In 1975, Britain’s Labour Party drew up a referendum on EEC membership. Under this system, each member was given multiple votes, the number of which depended on national population, and approval of legislation required roughly two-thirds of the votes of all members. Britain, however, declined to join the EEC at inception. All rights reserved. Eight impartial advocates-general assist the ECJ by presenting opinions on cases before the court.

In 1968, internal tariffs (tariffs on trade between member nations) were eliminated and a common external tariff was fixed. The exception to this rule is the Foreign Affairs Council, which, since the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, is under the permanent supervision of the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. The EEC, Euratom, and the ECSC—collectively referred to as the European Communities—later became the principal institutions of the EU.

In 1973 the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland were admitted, followed by Greece in 1981 and Portugal and Spain in 1986. The agreement brought the European Regional Development Fund formally into the community’s treaties as part of a new section on economic and social cohesion that aimed to encourage the development of economically depressed areas. To facilitate the completion of the common market by 1992, the community’s legislative process was modified. FEN Learning is part of Sandbox Networks, a digital learning company that operates education services and products for the 21st century. Infoplease is part of the FEN Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students. Learn more about the world with our collection of regional and country maps. Following its creation, the Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community. On March 25, 1957, the six ECSC members signed the two Treaties of Rome that established the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)—which was designed to facilitate cooperation in atomic energy development, research, and utilization—and the European Economic Community (EEC). Britain preferred trade with its Commonwealth, a network of mostly former British colonies and protectorates. For subsequent developments, see European Union . Council meetings are chaired by a minister from the country that currently holds the presidency. In the same year, members endorsed the Lomé Convention, a development-assistance package and preferential-trade agreement with numerous African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. The EEC created a common market that featured the elimination of most barriers to the movement of goods, services, capital, and labour, the prohibition of most public policies or private agreements that inhibit market competition, a common agricultural policy (CAP), and a common external trade policy. The president of the European Council serves a term of two and a half years—renewable once—and functions as the “face” of the EU in policy matters. European Economic Community. By 2016, semi-detached wasn’t detached enough for many Britons. The EEC created a common market that featured the elimination of most … In particular, it fundamentally reformed tariff and trade policy by abolishing all internal tariffs by July 1968. As of 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community begins to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace. A variety of legal, technical, fiscal, and physical barriers continued to limit the free movement of goods, labour, capital, and services. Please turn on cookies or check if you have another program set to block cookies to allow full website functionality. It also required that governments eliminate national regulations favouring domestic industries and cooperate in areas in which they traditionally had acted independently, such as international trade (i.e., trade with countries outside the EEC). Each member selects one judge, who serves a renewable six-year term; to increase efficiency, after the accession of 10 additional countries in 2004 the ECJ was allowed to sit in a “grand chamber” of only 13 judges. Significantly, the treaty’s common market reforms did not extend to agriculture. Beginning in 1979, members were elected directly to five-year terms. Second, community law has “supremacy” over national law in cases where the two conflict. Meanwhile, Britain’s Commonwealth trade became increasingly inadequate as the economic links with its former colonies eroded. The CAP, which was implemented in 1962 and which became the costliest and most controversial element of the EEC and later the EU, relied on state intervention to protect the living standards of farmers, to promote agricultural self-sufficiency, and to ensure a reliable supply of products at reasonable prices. The first “president of the EU,” as the office came to be known, was former Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy. As a result of the act, there was a substantial increase in funding for social and regional programs. More generally, the SEA set out a timetable for the completion of a common market. (The United Kingdom had applied for membership in the EEC in 1963 and in 1966, but its application was vetoed by French Pres. The six founding countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In the 1980s West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl worked to create a united Europe that would be both economically and politically integrated. In 1965 members of the EEC signed the Brussels Treaty, which merged the commissions of the EEC and Euratom and the High Authority of the ECSC into a single commission. The composition of the council changes frequently, as governments send different representatives depending on the policy area under discussion. Not sure about the geography of the middle east? Your browser is currently set to block cookies. 01/01/2020 On January 1, 1958, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany formed the European Economic Community (EEC). Not all features of our website will work as intended. The honeymoon lasted only two years. Brush up on your geography and finally learn what countries are in Eastern Europe with our maps.

One of the first important accomplishments of the EEC was the establishment (1962) of common price levels for agricultural products. © 2020 Fisher Investments. Initially, commissioners were appointed by members to renewable four-year terms, which were later extended to five years. This will kick off a transitionary period to negotiate new trade arrangements with the EU.

Announcing our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. See more Encyclopedia articles on: International Organizations. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was an organisation of six European countries created after World War II to regulate their industrial production under a centralised authority. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Even as part of the EU, Britain found ways to stay semi-detached, opting out of several key EU treaty provisions such as the common currency, the free-travel zone and certain criminal justice provisions. Reporters asked former Prime Minister Clement Attlee in 1957 whether Britain was part of Europe or not. January 1958: European Economic Community Founded The European Economic Community (EEC) helped unite a continent—and fostered Britain’s “semi-detached” relationship with the rest of Europe. It gave the meetings of the EPC a legal basis, and it called for more intensive coordination of foreign policy among members, though foreign policy decisions were made outside community institutions. All community legislation requires the approval of the council. The Commission (officially known as the European Commission) consists of a permanent civil service directed by commissioners. Check our encyclopedia for a gloss on thousands of topics from biographies to the table of elements. In consultation with member governments, the president appoints the heads of the Directorate-Generals, which manage specific areas such as agriculture, competition, the environment, and regional policy. Established in 1974, the European Council meets at least twice a year to define the long-term agenda for European political and economic integration. To that end, the EEC created common price levels and removed tariffs within the group. January 1958: European Economic Community Founded. Map showing the composition of the European Economic Community (EEC) from 1957, when it was formed by the members of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), to 1993, when it was renamed the European Community (EC) and was subsumed under the European Union (EU). The main decision-making institution of the EEC and the European Community (as the EEC was renamed in 1993) and the EU has been the Council of the European Union (originally the Council of Ministers), which consists of ministerial representatives. The Single European Act (SEA), which entered into force on July 1, 1987, significantly expanded the EEC’s scope. Investing in stock markets involves the risk of loss and there is no guarantee that all or any capital invested will be repaid. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) interprets community law, settles conflicts between the organization’s institutions, and determines whether members have fulfilled their treaty obligations. On January 1, 1958, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany formed the European Economic Community (EEC). The promulgation of the Lisbon Treaty signaled the acceptance of these legal doctrines by national courts, and the ECJ has acquired a supranational legal authority.

Until 1987 the legislature served only as a consultative body, though in 1970 it was given joint decision-making power (with the Council of Ministers) over community expenditures.

The European Council is led by a president, an office that originally rotated among the heads of state or heads of government of member countries every six months. The president of the council, whose office rotates among council members every six months, manages the legislative agenda. Originally, the Commission proposed legislation, the Parliament was consulted, and the Council of Ministers made a final decision. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. It has had three primary functions: to formulate community policies, to monitor compliance with community decisions, and to oversee the execution of community law. The Common Assembly, renamed the European Parliament in 1962, originally consisted of delegates from national parliaments. “We’re semi-detached,” Attlee replied—a clairvoyant statement that would epitomize Britain’s relationship with Europe for the next sixty years. Upon the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the presidency was made permanent, with the officeholder being selected by European Council members. The SEA introduced qualified majority voting for all legislation related to the completion of the common market. The treaty establishing the EEC required members to eliminate or revise important national laws and regulations. In 1958, Britain proposed that the Common Market be expanded into a transatlantic free-trade area. Learn more about the mythic conflict between the Argives and the Trojans. A new referendum introduced the world to the term “Brexit,” which will likely culminate—on January 31, 2020—with Britain’s formal departure from the EU.