- Previously (from 1957 until Nov. 1, 1993):
- European Economic Community (EEC)
- Byname:
- Common Market
- Date:
- 1957 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- economic integration
- federation
- common market
- Related People:
- Konrad Adenauer
- Willy Brandt
- Sir Edward Heath
- Renato Ruggiero
- Jack Lynch
- On the Web:
- Oxford Public International Law - European (Economic) Community (Oct. 25, 2026)
European Community
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What is the European Community?
The European Community (EC) was an organization created to integrate the economies of Europe. It was initially called the European Economic Community (EEC) and was formed in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome. In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty renamed the EEC to the European Community and embedded it into the European Union (EU). Until 2009, the EC was the EU's main component, but the Lisbon Treaty eliminated the EC and established the EU as its institutional successor.
The EEC was created to establish a common market through the elimination of trade barriers and the establishment of a common external trade policy. The organization had four governing institutions: a commission, a ministerial council, an assembly, and a court.
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Why was the European Community formed?
The European Community (EC) was created to foster economic integration among its member states. It aimed to promote economic growth, stability, and closer relations between participating countries.
The EC's origins can be traced back to the Treaty of Rome in 1957, where six member governments committed to establishing a common market. This involved eliminating trade barriers, harmonizing economic policies, and promoting the free movement of people, services, and capital.
The ultimate goal was to create a unified and prosperous Europe, preventing a repeat of past economic errors and solidifying Europe's position in the face of global superpowers.
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How did the European Community help countries trade with each other?
The European Community (EC) was created in 1957 to integrate the economies of Europe. The EC, also known as the Common Market, was designed to create a common market among its members by eliminating most trade barriers and establishing a common external trade policy.
The first reduction in the EC's internal tariffs was implemented in January 1959, and by July 1968, all internal tariffs had been removed. Between 1958 and 1968, trade among the EC's members quadrupled in value. The Treaty of Rome aimed to establish a common market and progressively bring the economic policies of members into alignment.
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What is a common market, and how did it relate to the European Community?
A common market is an economic association where member countries eliminate trade barriers among themselves. It also establishes a common external trade policy. This arrangement aims to foster trade, economic growth, and closer relations between participating states.
The European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market, was created in 1957 through the Treaty of Rome. It sought to create a common market among its members by removing trade barriers and establishing a common external trade policy. In 1993, the EEC was renamed the European Community (EC) and integrated into the European Union (EU). The EC then became the principal component of the EU until the EU legally replaced it in 2009.
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How did the European Community become part of the European Union?
The European Community (EC) transitioned into the European Union (EU) through the Maastricht Treaty, also known as the Treaty on European Union, which was signed on February 7, 1992. It was embedded into the EU as the first of its three pillars. Ratification was not easy, as it faced substantial resistance and was officially enacted on November 1, 1993.
The treaty renamed the European Economic Community to the European Community (EC), which then became the primary component of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty, ratified in 2009, eliminated the name European Community, with the EU legally replacing the EC as its institutional successor.
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What are some economic benefits and challenges that the European Community brought to its member countries?
The European Economic Community (EEC), established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, aimed to foster economic integration among its member states.
Economic Benefits: The EEC brought about the elimination of customs duties and quantitative restrictions on trade between member countries, promoting trade and economic growth. It established a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was implemented to protect farmers' living standards and ensure stable agricultural supplies.
Challenges: The CAP, while beneficial for some, led to surpluses and conflicts of interest between large and small-scale producers, as well as between net food exporters and importers.Harmonizing diverse economic policies and agricultural price levels also posed significant challenges.
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European Community (EC), former association designed to integrate the economies of Europe. The term also refers to the “European Communities,” which originally comprised the European Economic Community (EEC), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC; dissolved in 2002), and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). In 1993 the three communities were subsumed under the European Union (EU). The EC, or Common Market, then became the principal component of the EU. It remained as such until 2009, when the EU legally replaced the EC as its institutional successor.
The EEC was created in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, which was signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland joined in 1973, followed by Greece in 1981 and Portugal and Spain in 1986. The former East Germany was admitted as part of reunified Germany in 1990.
The EEC was designed to create a common market among its members through the elimination of most trade barriers and the establishment of a common external trade policy. The treaty also provided for a common agricultural policy, which was established in 1962 to protect EEC farmers from agricultural imports. The first reduction in EEC internal tariffs was implemented in January 1959, and by July 1968 all internal tariffs had been removed. Between 1958 and 1968 trade among the EEC’s members quadrupled in value.
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Politically, the EEC aimed to reduce tensions in the aftermath of World War II. In particular, it was hoped that integration would promote a lasting reconciliation of France and Germany, thereby reducing the potential for war. EEC governance required political cooperation among its members through formal supranational institutions. These institutions included the Commission, which formulated and administered EEC policies; the Council of Ministers, which enacted legislation; the European Parliament, originally a strictly consultative body whose members were delegates from national parliaments (later they would be directly elected); and the European Court of Justice, which interpreted community law and arbitrated legal disputes.
Members revamped the organization several times in order to expand its policy-making powers and to revise its political structure. On July 1, 1967, the governing bodies of the EEC, ECSC, and Euratom were merged. Through the Single European Act, which entered into force in 1987, EEC members committed themselves to remove all remaining barriers to a common market by 1992. The act also gave the EEC formal control of community policies on the environment, research and technology, education, health, consumer protection, and other areas.
By the Maastricht Treaty (formally known as the Treaty on European Union; 1991), which went into force on November 1, 1993, the European Economic Community was renamed the European Community and was embedded into the EU as the first of its three “pillars” (the second being a common foreign and security policy and the third being police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters). The treaty also provided the foundation for an economic and monetary union, which included the creation of a single currency, the euro. The Lisbon Treaty, ratified in November 2009, extensively amended the governing documents of the EU. With the treaty’s entry into force on Dec. 1, 2009, the name European Community as well as the “pillars” concept were eliminated.