The founding treaties

The Institutional Framework

Treaty of Rome
Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (“EEC Treaty”): signed in Rome on 25 March 1957/ entry into force January 1958
( Purpose: embrace the whole economic relationships that may exist between MS. (eg agriculture, transportation, free movement of goods and people, etc.) in order to establish a Common Market
(Means: promote the economic integration of national markets

The EEC has evolved since 1957 through:
( Enlargements
_ 6 original MS: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
_ 1973: GB, Denmark, Ireland
_ 1979: Greece
_ 1985: Spain & Portugal
_ 1995: Austria, Finland, Sweden
_ 2004: Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic
_ 2007: Bulgaria & Romania)
_ EFTA
_ EEA
_ Merger Treaty (1965)
_ Single European Act (1986)

Treaty of Maastricht

Treaty on the European Union (EU Treaty) signed in Maastrich on 7 Feb. 1992
(Creation of the Monteray Union
_ converging criteria :
_ budget deficit of less than 3% of MS GDP
_ debt ratio of less than 60% of MS GDP
_ Low inflation
_ Interest rates close to the EU average
(Creation of a « pillar structure » in the EU
_ European Community (most integrated pillar)
_ Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP – IG policy) _ Justice and Home affairs (JHA – IG policy)

Treaty ofAmsterdam

(Treaty of Amsterdam amending EU and EC treaties: signed on 2nd Oct.1997
(This Treaty put an emphasis on:
_ citizenship and the rights of individuals,
_ greater democracy (increased powers for the European Parliament)
_ Marked the beginnings of CFSP
_ reformed the institutions re the run-up to enlargement
_ Introduced the notion of a “Community area of freedom, security and justice”

Treaty of Nice

_ Treaty signed in Nice on 26 Feb. 2001
_ Treaty of Amsterdam provided: "at least one year before the membership of the EU exceeds twenty, a