From prehistoric to modern times, Europe has been occupied by numerous peoples and nations. The following summary will emphasize only those events, developments, trends, and individuals that have been responsible for decisive transitions or transformations in Europe through the ages. The history sections of the articles on European countries contain more detailed data on the genesis, growth, and present state of continental civilization. These sections also refer the reader to a wide range of articles dealing with broader aspects of European history. Moreover, a number of articles contain references to other related entries on continental affairs. Further reading on specific periods of European history will provide greater understanding of the continent’s development.
Links between West and East continued to develop. NATO established a Partnership for Peace agreement with all Eastern countries, including Russia, in which these nations could share information, conduct joint military exercises, and participate in peacekeeping operations with NATO forces. In 1999, despite Russian concerns and objections over the growing strength of the organization, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic officially joined NATO. This marked the first time that countries of the former Warsaw Pact had been allowed to join NATO (with the exception of East Germany, which became part of the organization with the reunification of Germany in 1990), and it was seen by many as an important step toward further European cooperation and integration.
In addition to growing relations with NATO, many Eastern countries also had economic and trade agreements with the former EEC, which by this time had become first the European Community (EC) and then, in 1993, the European Union (EU). Although the EU did not immediately offer membership to Eastern European countries, by the late 1990s all European nations belonged to several European cooperative organizations, including the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The cooperation and integration in Western Europe that had begun with the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community had continued to grow in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the admission of new members to the EEC or further integration of the EEC was impossible while Charles de Gaulle was president of France. De Gaulle opposed any possible reduction of French authority in the EEC. De Gaulle resigned in 1969, and the new French president, Georges Pompidou, was more receptive to expansion. In 1970 the six member states of the EEC, by this time renamed European Community, or EC, agreed to consider applications for new members. The enlargement process was successful. Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined in 1973. Greece became a member in 1980, and Portugal and Spain joined in 1986.
Less successful was another agreement made by the six original members of the EEC in 1970. They had agreed to establish by 1980 an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), in which the economies and currencies of the member states would be integrated. The timetable for EMU was quickly destroyed by instability in the international monetary system, the quadrupling of oil prices in 1973, and economic recession. However, progress was made gradually, and in the mid-1970s two structural funds, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, began to provide grants for economic restructuring in the less-developed areas of the EC. In addition, the European Monetary System (EMS) was established in 1979 and linked the exchange rates of members’ currencies to the strong and stable West German deutsche mark. The EMS helped to create a zone of relative monetary stability in Europe
History of Europe and the European Union | European Economic Community European Union, Structure and evolution | Europe
External Links:
www.eu-real-history.org.uk
European Union or common market many countries forming a single
europe made from member countries with a common community policy
for trade begining with coal and steel
www.euro-history.org.uk
This site also briefly explores the true History which preceded
the secretive stealthy formation of the EU. After the ECSC was
formed in April 1951, there evolved a mythology which the EU
refers to as part of its formation history.
www.vote-veritas.org.uk
This independent site supports any political party that wants
Britain to withdraw from the European Union including the
charismatic Robert Kilroy-Silk who heads Veritas.
European Union on line
Europa provides an access to information (press releases,
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Institute
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Independent news from the Balkans, Caucasus and former Soviet
Union, in several languages
European Common Fisheries Policy
The European commission, fisheries and maritime affairs,
homepage.
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European Economic Community European Union, Structure and evolution