Which international treaty, signed in 1957, established the European Economic Community?

The Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957, established the European Economic Community.

The treaties were signed in Rome on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. One treaty created the European Economic Community, while a second created the European Atomic Energy Community, commonly called Euratom. Both entered into force on 1 January 1958.

The European Economic Community aimed to build a common market by reducing trade barriers and coordinating economic policies among its members. Its institutions helped develop the system that later became the European Union. The treaty was part of postwar European integration, when governments sought closer economic ties as a foundation for long-term peace and cooperation.

The Treaty of Paris of 1951 created the European Coal and Steel Community, an earlier step in integration. The Treaty of Maastricht, signed in 1992, formally established the European Union. The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in 2007, later amended the EU’s institutional framework, so these treaties should not be confused.