The European Union (EU)

Established: European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) created by treaty signed in Paris, France, April 18, 1951, effective July 24, 1952; European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) created by Treaties of Rome, signed March 25, 1957, in Rome, Italy, effective January 1, 1958; common institutions of the three European Communities (EC) established by Merger Treaty signed April 8, 1965, in Brussels, Belgium, effective July 1, 1967; European Union (EU) created by Treaty on European Union, initialed by the heads of state and government of the 12 members of the EC on December 11, 1991, in Maastricht, Netherlands, signed by the EC foreign and finance ministers on February 7, 1992, and entered into force November 1, 1993. (The ECSC terminated upon expiry ...