The Treaty of Rome The aims and policies of the EEC The structures of the EEC
The signing of the Treaty of Rome
The Treaty of Rome, 1957
By the late 1950s, given the success of the ECSC, it seemed natural to extend its principles to other economic areas. The six members signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and the European Economic Community (EEC) came into being on 1 January in 1958. The EEC would seek to promote closer economic cooperation and trade amongst its members. It had three core aims:
• to promote economic activity • to raise the standard of living • to forge ‘an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe’.
The structure of the EEC
The EEC had a complicated institutional organisation that was designed to implement the Treaty of Rome and also to grow and adapt in the decades that followed:
• The Commission: runs the EEC day to day and implements the treaties. It is made up of nominees of the member states – the commissioners.
• The Council of Ministers: national ministers meet regularly to discuss common issues and make decisions.
• The European Parliament: is intended to represent the people of Europe. Its members were initially nominated by national parliaments but since 1979, they have been directly elected. At fi rst, it had very limited powers but it has grown over time to have equal powers with the commission and council.
• The Court of Justice: rules on interpretations of the treaties and on disputes between the other institutions and member states.
