Treaty of Rome
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The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony |
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Signatures in the Treaty |
The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the
European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by
France, West
Germany,
Italy,
Belgium, the
Netherlands and
Luxembourg (the latter three as part of the
Benelux) on
March 25,
1957.
Great Britain was denied access by the French leader
de Gaulle on account of British ownership of
U.S. missiles. The treaty's original full name was the
Treaty establishing the European Economic Community -- however the
Treaty of Maastricht amended it and among other things removed the word "Economic" from the name of both the community and the treaty. The treaty is therefore now generally called the
Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) or the
EC Treaty.
Another treaty was signed the same day establishing the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom): both treaties in conjunction with the
Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, which expired in 2002, have become known as
the Treaties of Rome (plural). As well the Treaty of Rome as the Euratom Treaty came into force on
1 January 1958.
The original Treaty was amended by all the subsequent
treaties; the
Treaty of Nice sought to consolidate all treaties into one document but the EC Treaty as amended remains a single section within this, with its own article numbering.
Though the entry in force of the
Treaty of Maastricht in
1993 was a further step in the direction of European integration, most decisions of the institutions of the
Union are still taken on the legal basis of EC Treaty, which remains the main source of communitary legislation.
The treaty was signed by the following:
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Paul-Henri Spaak and J. Ch.
Snoy et d'Oppuers on behalf of
Belgium.
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Konrad Adenauer and
Walter Hallstein on behalf of
Germany.
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Christian Pineau and
Maurice Faure on behalf of
France.
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Antonio Segni and
Gaetano Martino on behalf of
Italy.
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Joseph Bech and
Lambert Schaus on behalf of
Luxembourg.
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Joseph Luns and
J. Linthorst Homan on behalf of the
Netherlands.
Timeline of the Treaties and EU Constitution*
History of the European Union*
Common Agricultural Policy*
Consolidated version of the Treaty (
OJEC C325 of
24 December 2002)
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Treaty establishing the European Economic Community European NAvigator
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Happy Birthday EU - Union wide design competition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty
