Treaties: Institutional Law of the EU

TREATIES OF ROME

1957 — created European Economic Community (EEC) and European Community for Atomic Energy (Euratom)

THE ÉLYSÉE TREATY

1963 — symbolic reconciliation between France and Germany 

THE MERGER TREATY

1965 — one set of institutions for the three communities

THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT

1986 — Complete single market by 1993 (4 freedoms: goods, persons, services, capital).

THE SCHUMAN DECLARATION

1950 — ECSC: Pool coal & steel among France, Germany, and others.

THE MAASTRICHT TREATY

1992 — Creates the European Union structured around 3 pillars:

1. European Communities (economic stuff).

2. Justice & Home Affairs.

3. Common Foreign and Security Policy

Introduces:

• EMU (Economic and Monetary Union) → euro.

• EU citizenship.

THE AMSTERDAM TREATY

1997— moves part of Justice and Home Affairs into the Community “first pillar” (more supranational — transfers more power to European Institutions and less to states).

THE NICE TREATY

2001 — mainly institutional tweaks ahead of enlargement

THE LISBON TREATY

2007 — 

• Abolishes the separate Communities → one European Union.

• Gives the EU legal personality (can sign treaties itself).

• Creates office of President of the European Council.

• Renames treaties:

  • TEU (from Maastricht)

  • TFEU (from Rome/EEC).