The members and history of the European Union
In 1951, six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) decided to go down the path of economic cooperation by setting up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the first instance of European integration. In 1957, the six founding Member States went even further, signing the Treaty of Rome that established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). As cooperation between the Member States became ever tighter and the list of countries wishing to join the EU grew ever longer, several treaties adapting the Treaty of Rome were signed.
The European Union has enlarged in successive phases from 6 to 27 Member States and is destined to grow further, with Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Iceland,Turkey and Montenegro already lined up as would-be members.
Over half a century after its establishment, the European Union is adapting to its successive phases of enlargement by inventing a new way of formulating policy, in a bid to make its workings simpler and clearer. The Lisbon Treaty sets out the course for EU integration in the 21st century in line with the concerns of its citizens and people around the world.
