The Treaty of Rome, signed on March 25, 1957, was a pivotal moment in European history. It established the European Economic Community (EEC), which aimed to create a customs union and promote economic integration among its member states. But how many countries actually signed this historic treaty?
The Original Six:
When the Treaty of Rome was signed, it had six founding member states:
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
These six countries laid the foundation for what would later become the European Union (EU) as we know it today.
Expansion and Enlargement:
Over the years, more countries joined the EU through various waves of enlargement. Let’s take a closer look at how these numbers have changed:
First Wave: United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark (1973)
In 1973, three new member states joined the EU:
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Denmark
Second Wave: Greece (1981)
Greece became the seventh member state to join the EU in 1981.
Third Wave: Spain and Portugal (1986)
In 1986, both Spain and Portugal joined the EU, bringing the total number of member states to twelve.
Fourth Wave: Austria, Finland, Sweden (1995)
The EU expanded again in 1995 with the addition of three more member states:
Fifth Wave: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia (2004)
In 2004, the largest wave of enlargement took place with ten countries joining the EU:
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Poland
- Slovakia
Slovenia
Sixth Wave: Bulgaria and Romania (2007)
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In 2007, both Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. This brought the total number of member states to twenty-seven.
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Seventh Wave: Croatia (2013)
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The most recent enlargement took place in July 2013 when Croatia became the twenty-eighth member state to join the EU.
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To summarize:
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- The Treaty of Rome was signed by six founding member states in 1957.
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- Since then, the EU has grown to include twenty-eight member states.
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Each new country that joins the EU brings unique perspectives and contributes to the shared goals of European integration and cooperation.
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