Definition
In the Treaty of Rome in 1957, the same six states (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) created two new organizations. One extended the coal-and-steel idea into a new realm, atomic energy. Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community, was formed to coordinate nuclear power development by pooling research, investment, and management in that issue area. It continues in operation today with an expanded membership. The second organization was the European Economic Community (EEC), later renamed the European Community (EC) . After its founding in 1957 the EEC was often simply called the Common Market. Actually a common market was not immediately created, but was established as a goal (which has since been largely realized). The treaty called for a sequence of steps to more closely coordinate the six states' economies over time. The Maastricht Treaty , signed in the Dutch city of Maastricht in December 1991, renamed the EC the EU and committed it to further progress in two main areas. The first was monetary union. Under the treaty, the existing European currencies would be abolished in 1997 or 1999 and replaced by the euro. A European Central Bank would be created to take over the functions of states' central banks. The second main goal of Maastricht was political and military integration. The treaty commits European states to work toward a common foreign policy with a goal of eventually establishing a joint military force. Both of these goals are highly controversial because they infringe on the core areas of state sovereignty.
European Coal and Steel Community, 1952 - Treaty establishing the coal and steel community
Treaty of Rome 1957 - Entire text on the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)
Single European Act (SEA) 1985 - Provides a historical summary of the Act
Maastricht Treaty 1991 - Entire text of Treaty including links to each title of the document
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UC Davis International Relations