European Union

The Treaty of London established in 1949 the Council of Europe in Strasbourg as the first European institution working for European integration.

The Flag of Europe (see below) was adopted by the Council of Europe on December 8, 1955.

Simply Red's 1991 single "Stars" was inspired by the concept of the European Community. The EC's star symbol is tattooed on vocalist Mick Hucknall's arm.

On March 25, 1957, West Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). These two organizations laid the foundation for the modern European Union (EU).

The treaty aimed to create a common market among the signatory countries, which would facilitate the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital. This common market, also known as the Single Market, would help to stimulate economic growth and create jobs by removing trade barriers and promoting competition.

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The European Community was formally created on July 1, 1967 out of a merger with the Common Market, the European Coal and Steel Community, and the European Atomic Energy Commission.

The area of Common Market (now the EU) was halved in 1981 when Greenland (until then part of Denmark) was granted full independence.

Members of the European Community signed the Maastricht Treaty on February 7, 1992 at the Limburg Province government building in Maastricht, Netherlands.

Upon the treaty's entry into force on November 1, 1993 during the Delors Commission, it created the European Union and the single European currency, the euro.

Stone memorial commemorating the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. By Dozura

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia were all admitted to the European Union on May 1, 2004. Their joining was celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.

The Treaty of Lisbon, which amended the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU), was signed by all EU member states on December 13, 2007, and entered into force on December 1, 2009. It was the result of years of negotiations following the rejection of the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2005.

The Treaty of Lisbon sought to address the shortcomings of the existing treaties and to provide a more streamlined decision-making process for the EU. It also introduced a number of new provisions, including a mutual defense clause, a stronger role for the European Parliament, and a clearer division of powers between the EU and its member states.

A referendum took place on June 23, 2016 in the United Kingdom to gauge support for the country's continued membership of the European Union. Membership. The referendum resulted in an overall vote to leave the EU, by 51.9% to 48.1%.

“United in diversity” is the motto of the European Union.