The European Community (EC) is the term given to the first pillar of the European Union (EU). It was originally established as the European Communities (also EC) following the merger of the European Economic Community, the European Coal and Steel...

A CUSTOMS UNION of Western Europe, also known as the Common Market. It was founded by the Treaty of Rome in 1958 when France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg agreed to enter into a customs union with a common external...

The European Economic Community (EEC) was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1958. The EEC institutional framework was merged with the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1967. From then on the EEC...

(See European Union...

This article is part of the series: Politics and government ofthe European...