The European Union has its
roots in the 1951 agreement by France, Germany and four other
countries to pool coal and steel supplies, with the aim of ending
"age-old rivalries".
The European Coal and Steel Community
came into existence in July 1952. Moves to create a broader "common
market" began with the creation of the European Economic Community,
six years later.
The first enlargement took place in 1973.
The fifth and largest is occurring in 2004.