Homework

Edited down to facts alone, this seems helpful when considering what factors are influencing today's politics in the UK. Fill in who signed what at the appropriate dates.
1948 The European Union of Federalists organises a Congress at The Hague in the hope of drawing up a European constitution. But the UK rejects the federal approach and the result is the Council of Europe a loose grouping that becomes a guardian of Europe's human rights.
1949 NATO
The Washington Treaty is signed by the USA Canada and 10 Western European states Britain France the Benelux countries Iceland Italy Norway and Portugal.
1950 The Schuman Declaration
French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman announces a plan for France and Germany to pool coal and steel production and invites other states to join them. Solidarity in production would make war between France and Germany "not merely unthinkable but materially impossible."
1951 Treaty of Paris, European Coal and Steel Community
Six countries sign the treaty France Germany the Benelux states and Italy. It sets up a High Authority to manage the coal and steel industries and a Common Assembly a precursor of the European parliament. The Dutch supported by the Germans also insist on the creation of a Council of Ministers made up of ministers from member states to counterbalance the supranational High Authority.
1952 The ECSC begins work with Jean Monnet at its head
The ECSC guarantees German coal to the French steel industry. It also provides funds to upgrade Belgian and Italian coal mines. Germany agrees to this and to the dismantling of its steel cartels.
1954 The European Defence Community
The USA insists that Europe must contribute more to its own defence and that Germany must rearm. In 1952 the six ECSC members agree to create a European Defence Community which envisages German soldiers joining a European army. But the French parliament delays ratification and ultimately rejects the idea in 1954.
1957 The Treaty of Rome
The six members of the ECSC sign the Treaty of Rome setting up the European Economic Community EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community Euratom. The EEC aims to create a common market a customs union plus free movement of capital and labour. To please France it also promises subsidies to farmers. Euratom's goal is the joint development of nuclear energy.
1958 The EEC
The EEC starts work and quickly establishes itself as the most important of the European communities. It has a commission a council of ministers and an advisory parliamentary assembly whose members are drawn from national parliaments. At the same time the European Court of Justice comes into existence to interpret the Treaty of Rome and rule in disputes over Community decisions.
1960 EFTA is launched
An alternative to the EEC emerges when Austria Denmark Norway Portugal Sweden Switzerland and the UK set up EFTA the European Free Trade Association. Like the EEC EFTA aims to establish free trade but it opposes uniform external tariffs and sees no need for supranational institutions.
1961 Britain Denmark and Ireland apply to join the EEC
The UK's decision to apply for membership of the EEC was taken by the government of Harold Macmillan.
1963 Charles de Gaulle vetoes British membership
saying that the British government lacks commitment to European integration.
1967 Treaty creating a single Council and a Commission for the three communities.
1968 The European Community customs union.
1973 Britain Denmark and Ireland join
The three countries and Norway had failed to join 10 years earlier. This time all sign an accession treaty in 1972 but Norwegians reject it in a referendum later in the year. Denmark and Ireland hold successful referendums. The UK does not hold a referendum until 1975 after renegotiating its entry terms the result is twotoone in favour.
1979 the EMS
The European Monetary System EMS introduces the European currency unit Ecu and the exchange rate mechanism ERM. The Ecu a unit for the communitys internal budget also takes on some of the features of a real currency it is used for travellers cheques and bank deposits. The ERM gives national currencies an exchange rate band denominated in Ecus. All EC members join except the UK.
1981 Greece becomes the ECs 10th member
1984 The UK wins its budget rebate
1985 Jacques Delors
proposes that the European Community should by the end of 1992 remove a series of barriers to free trade and free movement of capital and labour creating a "single market" , a necessity if Europe is to compete with the United States.
1986 Portugal and Spain join the EC and the European flag is unveiled
1987 The Single European Act
modifies the Treaty of Rome to complete the formation of a common market which the earlier treaty had begun. It abolishes national vetoes in areas relating to the single market increases the legislative powers of the European parliament and makes the first commitment by member states to create a "European Union".
1988 Regional aid is doubled
Market liberalisation benefits the more developed northern European member states so allocations for structural funds paid to poorer regions are doubled.
1990 Britain enters the ERM
1991 Maastricht turns the Community into a Union
It paves the way for monetary union and includes a chapter on social policy. The UK negotiates an optout on both. The treaty also introduces European citizenship giving Europeans the right to live and vote in elections in any EU country and launches European cooperation in foreign affairs security asylum and immigration.
1992 The UK is forced out of the ERM
The ERM was intended to harmonise currency values ahead of creating a single currency. In an effort to bolster the £ which had been devalued by the unstable market the UK government raises base rates; continued selling forces the £ out of the ERM.
1993 The Treaty on European Union comes into effect
The Maastricht Treaty ; Danes rejected it in June 1992 ,accepted it in a second vote in May 1993 after receiving an optout on monetary union like the UK .
1995 Borders come down as a result of the Schengen pact
France Germany Portugal Spain and the Benelux countries drop border controls except on the EUs external borders followed later by Austria Italy Denmark Finland Sweden and Greece but not the UK or Ireland. Austria Finland and Sweden joined the EU at the start of 1995 taking membership to 15. Norway would have joined if voters had not rejected the move in a second referendum.
1997 The Amsterdam Treaty is signed
to get the EU ready for its eastward expansion. More national vetoes are abolished. Laws on employment and discrimination are strengthened and the social chapter of the Maastricht treaty becomes an official part of EU law. The Schengen agreement also becomes law though Ireland and the UK maintain their optouts. This gives the EU more say on immigration and asylum.
1998 Enlargement
Accession negotiations open with Cyprus the Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Poland and Slovenia. A year later the EU opens membership talks with Romania Slovakia Latvia Lithuania Bulgaria and Malta.
1999 Crisis at the commission fraud and resignation
Romano Prodi becomes the new president of the commission promising radical change in the way it is run after all 20 commissioners including President Jacques Santer resign before the parliament sacks them. Only a handful of the old commissioners are reappointed.
2002 National currencies replaced by euro notes and coins
The euro came into existence in 1999 as the official currency of 11 countries. Greece adopted the currency two years later though Sweden Denmark and the UK stayed out.
2003 Plans for a European constitution set back
A convention headed by Valery Giscard dEstaing drafts the EUs first constitution to simplify the EU treaties, to make the EU more easily understood by its citizens and to help it work efficiently after enlargement meets disagreement.
2004 The EU enlarges and a new constitution is signed
Enlargement goes ahead on 1 May 2004. Elections to the European parliament in June 2004 the sixth since European polls began in 1979 are held in 25 countries from Ireland to Cyprus and Malta to Finland. On 29 October EU leaders sign a new constitution in the room where the Treaty of Rome was signed.
2005 No votes cause constitution crisis.
Voters in referendums in France and the Netherlands reject their governments plans to ratify the EU constitution, the constitution cannot come into effect unless it is ratified by all 25 member states. The European Union continues on the basis of existing treaties.
2006 Majority of member states ratify the new constitution
2007 New candidates admitted
Romania and Bulgaria become member states on 1 January 2007.