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Before the European Union there was "ECSC"

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Before the European Union there was "ECSC"

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In 1951, "The European Coal and Steel Community" pooled the coal and steel resources of six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and paved the way to the current European Union.

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The European Union is an economic and political agreement between 27 European countries. This Union was created after the Second World War and, firstly, the main purpose was to manage trade and commerce among those countries.

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Two treaties were signed on 25 March 1957 - the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom).

The Treaty of Rome established the "European Economic Community" (EEC), whose aim was to promote economic integration among its members.

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From 1 January 1973, the United Kingdom joined the Union as a way to avoid its economic decline. The UK’s per capita GDP (PIL) relative to the EU founding members’ declined steadily from 1945 to 1972. However, it was relatively stable between 1973 and 2010. This suggests substantial benefits from EU.

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Since the foundation of the EEC, the UK had been an important neighbour and then leading member state, until Brexit ended 47 years of membership. During the UK's time as a member state two referendums were held on the issue of its membership, with the first being held on 5 June 1975, resulting in a vote to stay in the European Community (the Conservatives wanted to stay in, while the Labour Party wanted to leave), and the second, held on 23 June 2016, which resulted in the vote to leave the EU.

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The Single European Act brought amendments to the Treaties establishing the European Communities and established European political cooperation. Once the Single European Act (SEA) entered into force, the title 'European Parliament' (which the Assembly had used since 1962) was made official.

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The European Union was created by the Maastricht Treaty and ratified by all members of the European Community (EC), out of which the EU developed.

The  Union was formally established when Horst Köhler, Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand proposed the Maastricht Treaty. This Treaty also gave the name European Community to the EEC, even if it was referred to as such before the Treaty.

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The "Euro" was launched on 1 January 1999 but for the first three years it was an 'invisible' currency, only used for accounting purposes and electronic payments. Coins and banknotes were launched on 1 January 2002, and in 12 EU countries the biggest cash changeover in history took place.