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Yalta Conference
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End of the Second World War in Europe
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Potsdam Conference
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Winston Churchill speaks of the Cold War in a speech at Fulton, Missourion 5 March 1946.
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In a speech at the University of Zurich, Winston Churchill calls for thebuilding of a ‘kind of United States of Europe’.
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Promoting Europe’s economic recovery (The Marshall Plan)
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Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdomsign the Western European Union Treaty (Treaty of Brussels).
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The Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) is set upto coordinate the Marshall Plan.
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The North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) is signed in Washington.
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In a speech inspired by Jean Monnet, the French Foreign MinisterRobert Schuman proposes that France and Germany and any otherEuropean country wishing to join them pool their coal and steel resources('Schuman Declaration').
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The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and FundamentalFreedoms is signed in Rome, Italy.
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Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal andSteel Community (ECSC)
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(Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands)sign the European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty inParis
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ECSC Parliamentary Assembly with 78 members holds its firstmeeting.
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The Common Market in coal and Steel ore comes into force
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Election of Alcide De Gasperi (Christian Democrat, Italy) to thePresidency of the Common Assembly
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The French National Assembly rejects the Treaty establishing the EuropeanDefence Community
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The Warsaw Pact is signed.
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Messina Conference
the decision is taken to revive the European integration
process. -
Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, submits a report on the draftCommunity Treaties establishing the EEC and Euratom.
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Treaties of Rome
Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaties establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in Rome -
Robert Schuman is elected President of the ParliamentaryAssembly which is to replace the ECSC Assembly
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A conference in Stresa (Italy) lays the foundations for the Common AgriculturalPolicy (CAP)
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Greece requests an Association Agreement with the EEC
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European Free Trade Association(EFTA)
by Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom is signed in Stockholm, Sweden -
The Treaty establishing the Organisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), which replaces the OEEC, is signed in Paris
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Construction of the Berlin Wall
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The United Kingdom formally applies for accession to the EEC
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Spain formally applies for accession to the EEC
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Norway formally applies for accession to the EEC
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The regulations establishing a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) enterinto force
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General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, states that Francedoubts that the United Kingdom has the political will to become a memberof the Community.
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The Association Agreement signed by the EEC and Turkey enters intoforce
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The Merger Treaty enters intoforce
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France practices the ‘empty chair policy’, and breaks off negotiationson the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
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Luxembourg Compromise
After conducting its ‘empty chair’ policy for seven months, France takes up its seat on the Council again; in return, it manages to ensure that the unanimous voting procedure continues to be applied when vital interests are at stake -
The United Kingdom re-applies for accession to the Community. Ireland,Denmark and, shortly after, Norway, follow suit. General de Gaulle continuesto be reluctant to accept British accession.
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Customs Union enters into force.
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Invasion of Czechoslovakia
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The transitional period of twelve years for the introduction of the commonmarket set out in the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community(EEC) comes to an end.
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Treaty of Luxembourg
It also decides to extend the budgetary powers of the European
Parliament. -
The Member States approve the Davignon Report on political cooperation.This is to allow Europe to speak with a single voice on major internationalissues.
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The Council adopts the third medium-term economic policy programme.
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Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom sign the Treaties ofAccession to the European Communities
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Introduction of the ‘currency snake’: the Six undertake to limit the marginof fluctuation of exchange rates between their currencies to 2.25%.
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First meeting of enlarged Parliament of 198 members followingaccession of the UK, Ireland and Denmark.
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Greece formally applies for accession to the European Communities
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The Treaty strengthening Parliament’s budgetary powers enters intoforce.
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Parliament rejects budget for the first time.
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Greece becomes the tenth member of the European Community
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Belgium takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities
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The MEP Altiero Spinelli presents a draft Treaty establishing the EuropeanUnion to the European Parliament.
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The European Parliament adopts the draft Treaty establishingthe European Union by a large majority (Spinelli Plan).
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Signature of the Acts of Accession of Spain and Portugal
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The Single European Act amending the Treaty of Rome is signed inLuxembourg
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The Single European Act enters into force
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Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities
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Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.
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Velvet Revolutionin Czechoslovakia
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The Schengen Agreement to abolish border checks is signed by Germany,the Benelux countries and France.
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Malta formally applies for accession to the European Communities
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First stepstowards the break-up of the Yugoslav Federation
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Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
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‘Europe Agreements’ are signed with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
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Signature of the Treaty on European Union in Maastricht by theForeign and Finance Ministers of the Member States
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Finland formally applies for accession to the European Communities
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Italy ratifies the Treaty on European Union
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The Netherlands ratifies the Treaty on European Union
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Germany ratifies the Treaty on European Union
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The Single European Market comes into force.
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Czechoslovakia is divided into two States: the Czech Republic andthe Slovak Republic.
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The Maastricht Treaty on European Union allocates furtherpowers to the European Parliament.
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Adoption of the Action Plan for theEPP Group in the 1994-1999 parliamentary term: "Europe 2000 -Unity in Diversity".
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Hungary formally applies for accession to the European Union.
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Austria, Finland and Sweden become members of the EuropeanUnion.
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The Schengen Agreement enters into force in Belgium, France,Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
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Latvia formally applies for accession to the European Union.
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The Dayton Agreement, on peace in the former Yugoslavia, is signed inParis
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Customs Union between the EU and Turkey comes into force.
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The Czech Republic formally applies for accession to the European Union
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Denmark, Finland and Sweden sign the Schengen Agreement.
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Agenda 2000
The Commission presents Agenda 2000 – for a stronger and wider Union.
The Commission names the countries likely to be in the first wave of enlargement of the EU: Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Cyprus. This choice is endorsed by the Luxembourg European Council (12-13 December 1997) -
The Foreign Ministers of the European Union’s Member States sign theTreaty of Amsterdam.
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Adoption of the Action Programmefor the fifth EP legislature "On the Way to the 21st Century".
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Establishment of the European Central Bank.
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Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic join NATO.
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The Treaty of Amsterdam enters into force
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Denmark holds a referendum on transition to the single currency
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The Treaty of Nice enters into force.
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Euro notes and coins come into circulation in the twelve participatingMember States: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
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The Treaty of Nice enters into force.
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Italy takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
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The Heads of State or Government and the Foreign Ministers sign theTreaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
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Spain is the first Member State to hold a referendum on the EuropeanConstitution (76.73% in favour).
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European Union accession negotiations open with Turkey and Croatia.
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XVII EPP Congress in Rome: ‘Our Aim, Your Europe’. This coincideswith the 30th Anniversary of the founding of the EPP.
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the European Council approves the Europe 2020 Strategy and agrees five EU-level targets