European Union: Primary law

The Treaties establishing the different European Communities

• Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community  (Paris, 1951);
• the Treaties of Rome (Euratom Treaty and the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community) (1957);
• Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (1957);
• Treaty on European Union (Maastricht, 1992).

The amending Treaties

• the Single European Act (17 and 28 February 1986);
• het Treaty of Amsterdam (2 October 1997);
• het Treaty of Nice (26 February 2001);
• the Treaty of Lisbon (13 December 2007) entered into force on 1 December 2009.

The additional Treaties making changes to specific sections of the founding treaties are:

• the Treaty on the merger of the executive institutions (8 April 1965);
• the Treaty amending certain budgetary provisions of the Community treaties (22 April 1970);
• the Treaty of Brussels amending certain financial provisions of the Community treaties and establishing a Court of Auditors (22 July 1975);
• the "Act" on the election of members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (20 September 1976).

Accession Treaties

• Treaty of Accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom (1972);
• Treaty of Accession of Greece (1979);
• Treaty of Accession of Spain and Portugal (1985);
• Treaty of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden (1994);
• Treaty of Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (2003);
• Treaty of Accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania (2005);
• Treaty of Accession of Croatia (2012).

The Acts of Accession signed by Norway on 22 January 1972 and 24 June 1994 never came into force. A Treaty signed on 1 February 1985 gives Greenland a special status.¹

1. EUR-Lex