Editing European Economic Community (section)

{{Short description|Former international organisation}}
{{About-distinguish-text|one of the three [[European Communities]] that existed from 1958 until 2009 and was renamed European Community in 1993|the present-day [[European Union]], which incorporated the European Communities in 1993}}
{{Redirect-multi|3|European Common Market|Common Market|EEC|the EU's internal market|European single market|the type of trade bloc|Single market|other uses|Common market (disambiguation)|and|EEC (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = {{collapsible list
  | titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:78%;
  | title = European Economic Community/European Community
  | {{Infobox |subbox=yes |bodystyle=font-size:74%;font-weight:normal;
    | rowclass4 = mergedrow | label4 = [[Danish language|Danish]]: | data4 = {{lang|da|Europæiske Økonomiske Fællesskab}}
    | rowclass5 = mergedrow | label5 = [[Dutch language|Dutch]]: | data5 = {{lang|nl|Europese Economische Gemeenschap}}
    | rowclass8 = mergedrow | label8 = [[French language|French]]: | data8 = {{lang|fr|Communauté économique européenne}}
    | rowclass9 = mergedrow | label9 = [[German language|German]]: | data9 = {{lang|de|Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft}}
    | rowclass10 = mergedrow | label10 = [[Greek language|Greek]]: | data10 = {{lang|el|Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική Κοινότητα}}
    | rowclass13 = mergedrow | label13 = [[Italian language|Italian]]: | data13 = {{lang|it|Comunità Economica Europea}}
    | rowclass18 = mergedrow | label18 = [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: | data18 = {{lang|pt|Comunidade Económica Europeia}}
    | rowclass22 = mergedrow | label22 = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: | data22 = {{lang|es|Comunidad Económica Europea}}
    }}
  }}
| common_name            = EEC/EC
| status                 = [[Economic union]]
| era                    = Cold War
| s1                     = European Union
| flag_s1                = Flag of Europe.svg
| flag_caption           = [[Flag of Europe#European Community|Flag (1986)]]<ref name="emblem"/>
| image_flag             = Flag of Europe.svg
| image_map              = European Economic Community (orthographic projection).svg
| image_map_caption      = EEC in 1993
| image_map_size         = 220px
| capital_type           = [[Institutional seats of the European Union|Institutional seats]]
| capital                = {{plainlist|
*[[City of Brussels|Brussels]]
*[[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]]
*[[Strasbourg]]²}}
| largest_city           = [[London]]
| official_languages     = {{Collapsible list|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;|title=[[Languages of the European Union|9]] (1993)|[[Danish language|Danish]] |[[Dutch language|Dutch]] |[[English language|English]] |[[French language|French]] |[[German language|German]] |[[Greek language|Greek]] |[[Italian language|Italian]] |[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] |[[Spanish language|Spanish]]}}
| national_anthem        = "[[Anthem of Europe|Ode to Joy]]" {{small|(orchestral)}}
[[File:Anthem of Europe (US Navy instrumental short version).ogg|center]]
| currency               = {{Collapsible list |titlestyle=font-weight:normal; background:transparent; text-align:left;|title=13 currencies|[[European Unit of Account|EUA]]/[[European Currency Unit|ECU]] (accounting)|[[Belgian franc]]|[[Danish krone]]|[[French franc]]|[[Deutsche Mark|German mark]]|[[Modern drachma|Greek drachma]]|[[Irish pound]]|[[Italian lira]]|[[Luxembourgish franc]]|[[Dutch guilder]]|[[Portuguese escudo]]|[[Spanish peseta]]|[[Pound sterling]]}}
| title_leader           = [[President of the European Commission|Commission President]]
| leader1                = [[Walter Hallstein]]
| year_leader1           = 1958–1967
| leader2                = [[Jean Rey (politician)|Jean Rey]]
| year_leader2           = 1967–1970
| leader3                = [[Franco Maria Malfatti]]
| year_leader3           = 1970–1972
| leader4                = [[Sicco Mansholt]]
| year_leader4           = 1972–1973
| leader5                = [[François-Xavier Ortoli]]
| year_leader5           = 1973–1977
| leader6                = [[Roy Jenkins]]
| year_leader6           = 1977–1981
| leader7                = [[Gaston Thorn]]
| year_leader7           = 1981–1985
| leader8                = [[Jacques Delors]]
| year_leader8           = 1985–1993
| legislature            = {{plainlist|
*[[Council of the European Union|Council of Ministers]]
*[[European&nbsp;Parliament]]}}
| life_span              = 1958–1993
| event_pre              = [[Treaty of Rome|Treaty signed]]
| date_pre               = 25 March 1957
| event_start            = [[Treaty of Rome|Established]]
| year_start             = 1958
| date_start             = 1 January
| event1                 = [[Merger Treaty|European Communities]]
| date_event1            = 1 July 1967
| event2                 = [[European single market|Single market]]
| date_event2            = 1 January 1993
| event_end              = [[Maastricht Treaty|EEC becomes the European Community, one of the 3 European Communities constituting the I pillar of the EU]]
| year_end               = 1993
| date_end               = 1 November
| event_post             = [[Treaty of Lisbon|Pillar abolished]]
| date_post              = 1 December 2009
| today                  = {{nowrap|[[European Union]]}} <br/>{{nowrap|[[United Kingdom]]}}
| footnotes              = ¹ The information in this infobox covers the EEC's time as an independent organisation. It does not give details of post-1993 operation within the EU as that is explained in greater length in the [[European Union]] and [[European Communities]] articles.<br />² ''De facto'' only, these cities hosted the main institutions but were not titled as capitals.
}}
{{EU history|expanded=Organization}}

The '''European Economic Community''' ('''EEC''') was a [[regional organisation]] created by the [[Treaty of Rome]] of 1957,<ref group="note">Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbon Treaty.</ref> aiming to foster [[economic integration]] among its member states. It was subsequently renamed the '''European Community''' ('''EC''') upon becoming integrated into the [[Three pillars of the European Union|first pillar]] of the newly formed [[European Union]] (EU) in 1993. In the popular language, the singular ''European Community'' was sometimes inaccurately used in the wider sense of the plural ''[[European Communities]]'', in spite of the latter designation covering all the three constituent entities of the first pillar.<ref name="singular">{{unordered list|{{cite web|title=European Community|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-364013.html|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|quote=The term also commonly refers to the 'European Communities', which comprise&nbsp;...|access-date=30 January 2009}}|{{cite web|title=Introduction to EU Publications|publisher=The University of Exeter|work=Guide to European Union Publications at the EDC|url=http://library.exeter.ac.uk/guides/libraries/edcguide.html|quote=The European Community originally consisted of three separate Communities founded by treaty&nbsp;...|access-date=30 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070924171113/http://www.library.exeter.ac.uk/guides/libraries/edcguide.html|archive-date=24 September 2007|url-status=dead}}|{{cite web|title=Glossary of The European Union and European Communities|author=Derek Urwin, University of Aberdeen|url=http://www.uta.fi/FAST/GC/eurgloss.html|quote=European Community (EC). The often used singular of the European Communities.|access-date=30 January 2009}}}}</ref> The EEC was also known as the '''European Common Market''' (ECM) in the English-speaking countries,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/two-faces-common-market|title=From 1963: The Two Faces of the Common Market|publisher=The University of Chicago Booth School of Business}}</ref> and sometimes referred to as the European Community even before it was officially renamed as such in 1993. In 2009, the EC formally ceased to exist and its institutions were directly absorbed by the EU. This made the Union the formal successor institution of the Community.

The Community's initial aim was to bring about economic integration, including a [[Single market|common market]] and [[customs union]], among its [[Inner Six|six founding members]]: [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[West Germany]]. It gained a common set of [[Institutions of the European Union|institutions]] along with the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC) and the [[Euratom|European Atomic Energy Community]] (EURATOM) as one of the [[European Communities]] under the 1965 [[Merger Treaty]] (Treaty of Brussels). In 1993, a complete [[single market]] was achieved, known as the [[European single market|internal market]], which allowed for the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people within the EEC. In 1994 the internal market was formalised by the EEA agreement. This agreement also extended the internal market to include most of the member states of the [[European Free Trade Association]], forming the [[European Economic Area]], which encompasses 15 countries.

Upon the entry into force of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] in 1993, the EEC was renamed the European Community to reflect that it covered a wider range than economic policy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maastricht Treaty|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/in-the-past/the-parliament-and-the-treaties/maastricht-treaty|access-date=30 August 2024|website=Maastricht Treaty|language=en}}</ref> This was also when the three European Communities, including the EC, were collectively made to constitute the first of the [[three pillars of the European Union]], which the treaty also founded. The EC existed in this form until it was abolished by the 2009 [[Treaty of Lisbon]], which incorporated the EC's institutions into the EU's wider framework and provided that the EU would "replace and succeed the European Community".<ref>{{Cite web|last=by|date=10 November 2019|title=European Economic Community|url=https://jammukashmir.pscnotes.com/international-booster/european-economic-community/|access-date=30 August 2024|website=Jammu&Kashmir PCS Exam Notes|language=en-US}}</ref>