Treaty of Maastricht

The birth of the European Union

West Germany was one of the founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community (1951) and the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. A common economic policy was intended to lay the foundation for a unified Europe.

The Maastricht Treaty signed on 7 February 1992 sought to advance this process by making provisions for a single market, establishing the free movement of European citizens and planning for a single currency. A longer term aim was to deepen co-operation in the areas of foreign and security policy, justice and home affairs. In signing the Maastricht treaty, Germany moved to pool certain aspects of its sovereignty with the other 11 members of the EU.