EUROPEAN UNION CHRONOLOGY

• Early Predecessors: Holy Roman Empire, Concert of Europe (1815), League of Nations, Hitler's "European New Order."
• Jean Monnet and the case for a supranational organization.
• The Benelux Customs Union (1948)
• The European Coal and Steel Community (1951)
• The European Economic Community (EEC) and the Treaty of Rome (1957)
• Enlargement in 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, and 2004
• The European Monetary System (1979) (ECU)
• The Delors Plan for the Single Market by 1992 (1985)
• The Single European Act (SEA) (1987)
• Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) (1989)
• The Maastricht Treaty (1992); "European Union" (Overview of Treaty) (Timetable) (Criteria (1)) (Criteria (2))
• Euro conversion rates are fixed (Dec. 1998)
• Amsterdam Treaty (1999)
• The Euro is Introduced (Jan. 1, 1999).
• Full adoption of the Euro. Notes and coins are inaugurated (Jan. 1, 2002)
• Constitution of the European Union is drafted (2003-04) and subject to national ratifications (2005-?)