Timeline of European Union history
Encyclopedia
Distinct periods
- Pre-1945 ideasPre-1945 ideas on European unityThe idea of European unity is a historically recent idea.The word 'Europe' originally referred to the south-eastern part of Europe, in the same way that 'Asia' originally referred to western Anatolia, and 'Africa' referred to northern Africa, and it was the ancient Greeks who used the words to...
- 1945–1957
- 1958–1972History of the European Communities (1958–1972)The history of the European Communities between 1958 and 1972 saw the early development of the European Communities. The European Coal and Steel Community had just been joined by the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community , the latter of which soon became the most...
- 1973–1993
- 1993–2004
- 2004–presentHistory of the European Union (2004 onwards)The history of the European Union since 2004 was a period of significant upheaval and reform following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. The EU had just taken on ten new members, eight of which were much poorer than the EU average, and took in a further two in 2007 with many more on the way...
Key events
See also
- History of the European UnionHistory of the European UnionThe European Union is a geo-political entity covering a large portion of the European continent. It is founded upon numerous treaties and has undergone expansions that have taken it from 7 member states to 27, a majority of states in Europe....
- Ideas of European unity before 1945
- History of the European Communities (1945–1957)
- History of the European Communities (1958–1972)History of the European Communities (1958–1972)The history of the European Communities between 1958 and 1972 saw the early development of the European Communities. The European Coal and Steel Community had just been joined by the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community , the latter of which soon became the most...
- History of the European Communities (1973–1993)
- History of the European Union (1993–2004)
- History of the European Union (2004 onwards)History of the European Union (2004 onwards)The history of the European Union since 2004 was a period of significant upheaval and reform following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. The EU had just taken on ten new members, eight of which were much poorer than the EU average, and took in a further two in 2007 with many more on the way...
- European Coal and Steel CommunityEuropean Coal and Steel CommunityThe European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
- European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
External links
- A timeline of the EU – BBC NewsBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
. - The history of the European Union – EuropaEuropa (web portal)Europa is the official web portal of the European Union . It is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions by quickly directing website visitors to the services or information they are seeking. Europa links to all EU agencies and institutions in addition to press releases...
- European Union Politics Timeline - Oxford University Press: European Union Politics Resource Centre