EU Resources Area | Palgrave Macmillan

Neill Nugent's European Union Chronology

1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s

1947
March	Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands agree to establish a customs union. Subsequently an economics union is established in October 1947 and a common customs tariff is introduced in January 1948.
March	France and the United Kingdom sign a military alliance, the Treaty of Dunkirk.
June	General George Marshall, United States Secretary of State, offers US aid for the economic recovery of Europe.
September	Sixteen nations join the European Recovery Programme.

1948
March	Brussels Treaty concluded between France, the UK and the Benelux states. The aim is to promote collective defence and improve cooperation in the economic, social and cultural fields.
April	Founding of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) by sixteen states.
May	A Congress is held in the Hague, attended by many leading supporters of European cooperation and integration. It issues a resolution asserting ‘that it is the urgent duty of the nations of Europe to create an economic and political union in order to assure security and social progress’.

1949
April	Treaty establishing North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) signed in Washington by twelve states.
May	Statute of Council of Europe signed in Strasbourg by ten states.

1950
May	Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister, puts forward his proposals to place French and German coal and steel under a common authority. He declares ‘it is no longer the moment for vain words, but for a bold act – a constructive act’.
October	René Pleven, the French Prime Minister, proposes a European Defence Community (EDC).

1951
April	European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty signed in Paris by six states: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands

1952
May	EDC Treaty signed in Paris by the six ECSC states.
July	ECSC comes into operation.

1954
August	French National Assembly rejects EDC Treaty.
October	WEU Treaty signed by the six ECSC states plus the UK.

1955
June	Messina Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the six ECSC states to discuss further European integration. Spaak Committee established to study ways in which a fresh advance towards the building of Europe could be achieved.

1956
June	Negotiations formally open between the six with a view to creating an Economic Community and an Atomic Energy Community

1957
March	The Treaties of Rome signed establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

1958
January	EEC and Euratom come into operation.

1959
January	First EEC tariff cuts and increases in quotas.

1960
January	European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Convention signed in Stockholm by Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. EFTA comes into force in May 1960.
December	Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Treaty signed in Paris. OECD replaces OEEC and includes Canada and the United States.

1961
July	Signing of Association Agreement between Greece and the EEC. Comes into effect November 1962.
July– August	Ireland, Denmark and United Kingdom request membership negotiations with the Community.

1962
January	Basic features of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agreed.
July	Norway requests negotiations on Community membership.

1963
January	General de Gaulle announces his veto on UK membership.
January	Signing of Franco-German Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
July	A wide-ranging association agreement is signed between the Community and 18 underdeveloped countries in Africa – the Yaoundé Convention, which enters into force in June 1964.

1964
May	The GATT Kennedy Round of international tariff negotiations opens in Geneva. The Community states participate as a single delegation.

1965
April	Signing of Treaty Establishing a Single Council and a Single Commission of the European Communities (The Merger Treaty).
July	France begins a boycott of Community institutions to register its opposition to various proposed supranational developments

1966
January	Foreign Ministers agree to the Luxembourg Compromise. Normal Community processes are resumed.

1967
May	Denmark, Ireland and UK re-apply for Community membership.
July	1965 Merger Treaty takes effect.
July	Norway re-applies for Community membership.
December	The Council of Ministers fails to reach agreement on the re-opening of membership negotiations with the applicant states because of continued French opposition to UK membership.

1968
July	The Customs Union is completed. All internal customs duties and quotas are removed and the common external tariff is established.

1969
July	President Pompidou (who succeeded de Gaulle after his resignation in April) announces he does not oppose UK membership in principle.
July	Signing of the second Yaoundé Convention. Enters into force in January 1971.
December	Hague summit agrees on a number of important matters: strengthening the Community institutions, enlargement, establishing an economic and monetary union by 1980, and developing political cooperation (i.e. foreign policy).

1970
April	The financial base of the Community is changed by the Decision of 21 April 1970 on the Replacement of Financial Contributions From Member States by the Communities’ Own Resources. The Community’s budgetary procedures are regularised and the European Parliament’s budgetary powers are increased by the Treaty Amending Certain Budgetary Provisions of the Treaties.
June	Preferential trade agreement signed between the Community and Spain. Comes into effect in October 1970.
June	Community opens membership negotiations with Denmark, Ireland, Norway and United Kingdom.
October	The six accept the Davignon report on political cooperation. This provides the basis for cooperation on foreign policy matters.

1972
January	Negotiations between the Community and the four applicant countries concluded. Signing of treaties of accession.
May	Irish approve Community accession in a referendum.
July	Conclusion of Special Relations Agreement between Community and EFTA countries.
September	Majority vote against Community accession in a referendum in Norway.
October	Danes approve Community accession in a referendum.
October	Paris summit. Heads of Government set guidelines for the future, including reaffirmation of the goal of achieving economic and monetary union by 1980.

1973
January	Accession of Denmark, Ireland and United Kingdom to the Community.
January	Preferential trade agreement between the Community and most EFTA countries comes into effect. Agreements with other EFTA countries come into force later.

1974
December	Paris summit agrees to the principle of direct elections to the EP and to the details of a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (the establishment of which had been agreed at the 1972 Paris and 1973 Copenhagen summits). It is also agreed to institutionalise summit meetings by establishing the European Council.

1975
February	Signing of the first Lomé Convention between the Community and 46 underdeveloped countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (the ACP states). The Convention replaces and extends the Yaoundé Convention.
March	First meeting of the European Council in Dublin.
June	A majority vote in favour of continued Community membership in UK referendum.
July	Signing of the Treaty Amending Certain Financial Provisions of the Treaties. This strengthens the European Parliament’s budgetary powers and also establishes the Court of Auditors.

1976
July	Opening of negotiations on Greek accession to the Community.

1977
March	Portugal applies for Community membership.
July	Spain applies for Community membership.

1978
October	Community opens accession negotiations with Portugal.

1979
February	Community opens accession negotiations with Spain.
March	European Monetary System (EMS) (which had been the subject of high-level negotiations for over a year) comes into operation.
May	Signing of Accession Treaty between Community and Greece.
June	First direct elections to the EP.
October	Signing of the second Lomé Convention between the Community and 58 ACP states.
December	For the first time the EP does not approve the Community budget. As a result the Community has to operate on the basis of ‘one-twelfths’ from 1 January 1980.

1981
January	Accession of Greece to Community.
October	Community Foreign Ministers reach agreement on the London Report, which strengthens and extends European Political Cooperation (EPC).

1983
January	Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) agreed.
June	At the Stuttgart European Council meeting approval is given to a ‘Solemn Declaration on European Union’.

1984
January	Free trade area between Community and EFTA established.
February	The EP approves The Draft Treaty Establishing the European Union
June	Second set of direct elections to the EP.
June	Fontainebleau European Council meeting. Agreement to reduce UK budgetary contributions (which Margaret Thatcher had been demanding since 1979) and agreement to increase Community resources by raising the VAT ceiling from 1 per cent to 1.4 per cent.
December	Signing of the third Lomé Convention between the Community and 66 ACP countries.
December	Dublin European Council meeting agrees budgetary discipline measures.

1985
June	Signing of accession treaties between the Community and Spain and Portugal.
June	The Commission publishes its White Paper Completing the Internal Market.
June	Milan European Council meeting approves the Commission’s White Paper. It also establishes an Intergovernmental Conference to examine various matters, including treaty reform. The decision to establish the Conference is the first time at a summit meeting that a decision is taken by a majority vote.
December	Luxembourg European Council meeting agrees the principles of the Single European Act (SEA). Amongst other things the Act incorporates various treaty revisions and confirms the objective of completing the internal market by 1992.

1986
January	Accession of Spain and Portugal to Community.

1987
June	Turkey applies for Community membership.
July	After several months delay caused by ratification problems in Ireland, the SEA comes into force.

1988
February	A special European Council meeting at Brussels agrees to increase and widen the Community’s budgetary base. Measures are also agreed to significantly reduce expenditure on the CAP and to double expenditure on the regional and social funds.
June	The Community and Comecon (the East European trading bloc) sign an agreement enabling the two organisations to recognise each other. As part of the agreement the Comecon states officially recognise, for the first time, the authority of the Community to negotiate on behalf of its member states.
June	Hanover European Council meeting entrusts to a committee chaired by Jacques Delors the task of studying how the Community might progress to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

1989
April	The ‘Delors Committee’ presents its report (the Delors Report). It outlines a scheme for a three-stage progression to EMU.
June	Third set of direct elections to the EP.
June	Madrid European Council meeting agrees that Stage 1 of the programme to bring about EMU will begin on 1 July 1990.
July	Austria applies for Community membership.
September	The collapse of communist governments in Eastern Europe. The process ‘begins’ with the appointment of a non-communist Prime Minister in Poland in September and ‘ends’ with the overthrow of the Ceausescu regime in Romania in December.
December	Signing of the fourth Lomé Convention between the Community and 68 ACP countries.
December	Community and USSR sign a ten-year trade and economic cooperation agreement.
December	Commission advises Council of Ministers to reject Turkey’s application for Community membership
December	Strasbourg European Council meeting accepts Social Charter and agrees to establish an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on EMU at the end of 1990. Both decisions taken by eleven votes to one, with the United Kingdom dissenting in each case.

1990
April	Special Dublin European Council meeting confirms the Community’s commitment to political union.
June	Dublin European Council meeting formally agrees that an IGC on Political Union will be convened.
July	Cyprus and Malta apply for Community membership.
October	Unification of Germany. Territory of former East Germany becomes part of the Community.
October	Special Rome European Council meeting agrees that Stage 2 of EMU will begin on 1 January 1994.
December	The two IGCs on EMU and on Political Union are opened at the Rome summit.

1991
July	Sweden applies for Community membership.
August- December	Break-up of the USSR
December	Maastricht European Council meeting agrees to The Treaty on European Union. The Treaty is based on three pillars: the European Communities, a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and Cooperation in the Fields of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). The European Communities pillar includes the strengthening of Community institutions, the extension of the Community’s legal policy competence, and a timetable for the establishment of EMU and a single currency.
December	Association (‘Europe’) Agreements signed with Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland.

1992
February	Treaty on European Union formally signed at Maastricht by Foreign and Finance Ministers.
March	Finland applies to join the EU.
May	After several months’ delay caused by a Court of Justice ruling, the EEA agreement between the EC and EFTA is signed.
May	Switzerland applies to join the EC.
June	In a referendum the Danish people reject the TEU by 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent.
September	Crisis in the ERM. Sterling and the lira suspend their membership.
September	In a referendum the French people endorse the TEU by 51 per cent to 49 per cent.
November	Norway applies to join the EU.
December	In a referendum the Swiss people vote not to ratify the EEA by 50.3 per cent to 49.7 per cent. Amongst other implications this means that Switzerland’s application to join the EU is suspended.
December	Edinburgh European Council meeting agrees on several key issues, notably: (1) Danish opt-outs from the TEU and any future common defence policy; (2) a financial perspective for 1993–9; and (3) the opening of accession negotiations in early 1993 with Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

1993
February	Accession negotiations open with Austria, Finland, and Sweden.
April	Accession negotiations open with Norway.
May	In a second referendum the Danish people vote by 56.8 per cent to 43.2 per cent to ratify the TEU.
June	Copenhagen European Council. It is agreed that Central and Eastern European countries wishing to become members of the EU shall do so once they meet certain economic and political conditions.
August	Following great turbulence in the currency markets, the bands for all currencies in the ERM, apart from the deutschmark and the guilder, are increased to 15 per cent.
October	German Constitutional Court ruling enables Germany to become the last member state to ratify the TEU.
November	TEU enters into force.
December	Settlement of the GATT Uruguay Round.

1994
January	Second stage of EMU comes into effect.
March	Committee of the Regions meets for the first time.
March	Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Norway agree accession terms with the EU.
April	Hungary and Poland apply for membership of the EU.
June	Fourth set of direct elections to the EP.
June	In a referendum on accession to the EU, the Austrian people vote in favour by 66.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent.
June	Corfu European Council. The UK vetoes Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, as the new Commission President.
July	Jacques Santer, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, nominated as the new Commission President at a special half-day European Council meeting in Brussels.
October	Referendum in Finland on EU membership. The people vote in favour by 57 per cent to 43 per cent.
November	Referendum in Sweden on EU membership. The people vote in favour by 52.2 per cent to 46.9 per cent.
November	Referendum in Norway on EU membership. The people reject accession by 52.2 per cent to 47.8 per cent

1995
January	Austria, Finland and Sweden become EU members.
January	EP votes to confirm the Santer Commission: 418 votes in favour, 103 against, and 59 abstentions. The Commission is subsequently formally appointed by the representatives of the member states.
March	Schengen Accord implemented by seven EU member states: Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal.
June	Romania and Slovakia apply to join the EU.
October	Latvia applies to join the EU.
November	Estonia applies to join the EU.
December	Lithuania and Bulgaria apply to join the EU.

1996
January	The Czech Republic and Slovenia apply to join the EU.
March	The IGC provided for in the Maastricht Treaty is formally opened at a special Heads of Government summit in Turin.
May	The UK government announces a policy of non-cooperation with EU decision-making following a Council of Ministers decision not to agree to a timetable for the lifting of the export ban on UK beef products.
June	A formula for ending the UK’s non-cooperation policy agreed at the Florence European Council.

1997
June	Amsterdam European Council agrees to the Treaty of Amsterdam. The Treaty fails to provide for the institutional change that enlargement will require, but does contain some strengthening of EU institutions and policies.
July	Commission issues its Agenda 2000 programme, which contains recommendations on how enlargement to the CEECs should be handled and how EU policies – especially the CAP and the Structural Funds – should be reformed.
October	Amsterdam Treaty formally signed by EU Foreign Ministers.

1998
March	Accession negotiations formally opened with Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus.
May	At a special European Council meeting in Brussels it is agreed that eleven states will participate when the euro is launched in 1999: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Finland and Austria.
May	Denmark and Ireland hold referenda in which the Treaty of Amsterdam is approved.

1999
January	Stage 3 of EMU and the euro come into operation, with eleven of the EU's fifteen states participating. The non-participants are Denmark, Greece, Sweden and the UK.
March	The College of Commissioners resigns following the publication of a highly critical report by the Committee of Independent Experts.
March	At a special European Council meeting in Berlin, the Heads of Government reach agreement on Agenda 2000 measures. The measures include a financial perspective for 2000–6, and CAP and Structural Fund reforms. It is also agreed to nominate Romano Prodi, the former Italian Prime Minister, to succeed Jacques Santer as Commission President.
May	Treaty of Amsterdam enters into force.
May	EP endorses Romano Prodi as Commission President-designate by 392 votes to 72, with 41 abstentions.
June	Fifth set of direct elections to the EP.
September	Prodi Commission assumes office after the EP endorses it by 414 votes to 142, with 35 abstentions.
December	Helsinki European Council meeting takes key decisions on EU enlargement. These include that negotiations will be opened in early 2000 with six more applicant states and that Turkey will be viewed as having candidate status. The summit also decides that the EU will establish a Rapid Reaction Force, 50,000 - 60,000 strong, by 2003.

2000
February	The IGC provided for in a protocol attached to the Amsterdam Treaty is opened. Accession negotiations are opened with Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, and Malta.
June	The Cotonou Agreement, a twenty year Partnership Agreement replacing the Lomé Convention, is signed by the EU and 77 ACP countries.
September	In a referendum the Danish people reject membership of the euro by 53.1 per cent to 46.9 per cent.
December	Nice European Council agrees to the Treaty of Nice. The Treaty consists mainly of a range of institutional reforms designed to prepare the EU for enlargement.

2001
January	Greece becomes a member of the euro zone.
February	Treaty of Nice formally signed by EU Foreign Ministers.
June	In a referendum, the Irish people reject the Treaty of Nice by 54 per cent to 46 per cent on a low 35 per cent turnout

2002
January	Euro coins and notes come into circulation and the national currencies of the twelve Euroland countries are phased out.
March	The Convention on the future of Europe opens under the chairmanship of Valery Giscard d'Estaing.
October	In a referendum the Irish people approve the Treaty of Nice by 63 per cent to 37 per cent on a 48 per cent turnout
December	Copenhagen European Council meeting takes key decisions on enlargement. These include: ten states (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia) are deemed to have completed accession negotiations and will join the EU on 1 May 2004 subject to ratification procedures having been completed; Bulgaria and Romania will be able to join the EU in 2007 if they make satisfactory progress in complying with the membership criteria; the December 2004 summit will authorize the immediate opening of accession negotiations with Turkey if the Commission makes a recommendation to this effect based on Turkey having continued with its reform process.
2003
February	The Treaty of Nice enters into force
	Croatia applies to join the EU.
March	In the first referendum to be held in the '2004 enlargement' round, the Maltese people vote to join the EU by 53.6% to 46.4 % on a 91 % turnout
April	In a referendum, the Slovenian people vote to join the EU by 89.6% to 10.4% on a 60.3% turnout. The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens by representatives of the 15 existing EU member states and the 10 applicant states with which negotiations have been completed In a referendum, the Hungarian people vote to join the EU by 84% to 16% on a 45.6% turnout.
May	In a referendum, the Lithuanian people vote to join the EU by 91.0 per cent to 9.0 percent on a 63.4 per cent turnout. In a referendum, the Slovak people vote to join the EU by 92.5 per cent to 6.2 per cent on a 52.1 per cent turnout.
June	The European Convention on the Future of Europe agrees on the contents of the Draft Treaty Establishing a Constituion for Europe In a referendum, the Polish people vote to join the EU by 77.5 per cent to 22.5 per cent on a 58.8 per cent turnout.
	In a referendum, the Czech people vote to join the EU by 77.3 per cent to 23.7 per cent on a 55.2 per cent turnout.
July	The Cypriot House of Representatives votes unanimously to approve Cyprus's Treat of Accession to the EU. (Of the ten states to sign the April 2003 Accession Treaty, Cyprus is the only one not to hold a referendum)
September	In a referendum, the Estonian people vote to join the EU by 66.8 per cent to 32.2 per cent on a 64.0 per cent turnout In a referendum, the Latvian people vote to join the EU by 67.0 per cent to 32.3 per cent on a 72.5 per cent turnout.
October	The IGC charged with negotiation a constitutional treaty is opened.
December	The Brussels European Council meeting fails to agree on the contents of the constitutional treaty and the IGC is suspended.
2004
March	Macedonia applies to join the EU
	The Brussels European Council meeting decides to re-start the IGC, with a view to a constitutional treaty being agreed at the June European Council.
May	Ten countries become members of the EU: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia
June	Sixth set of direct elections to the EP
	The European Council agrees on the content of the Constitutional Treaty
	At a special meeting of the European Council it is agreed that Portugese Prime Minister, José Manuel Barroso, will be nominated to be President of the European Commission.
October	Barroso withdraws his College-designate from the process of EP approval so as to avoid the possibility of rejection.
	The EP approves the Barroso College following two personnel changes and other changes of portfolio.
	The Constitutional Treaty is formally signed in Rome by Heads of Government or State.
December	The European Council agrees that accession negotiations should be opened with Croatia in March 2005 and with Turkey in October 2005, provided certain conditions are met.
2005
March	The Spanish people vote in a referendum to ratify the Constitutional Treaty by 76.7 per cent to 23.3 per cent on a 42.3 per cent turnout.
May	The French people vote in a referendum not to ratify the Constitutional Treaty by 54.9 per cent to 45.1 per cent on a 69.7 per cent turnout.
June	The Dutch people vote in a referendum not to ratify the Constitutional Treaty by 61.7 per cent to 38.3 per cent on a 63 per cent turnout.
July	The Luxembourg people vote in a referendum to ratify the Constitutional Treaty by 56.5 per cent to 43.5 per cent on a 90.5 per cent turnout.
October	The EU opens accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia.
December	The European Council agrees on the contents of the 2007-13 financial perspective.