Treaty of Rome - Common Market
The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community
March 25, 1957
Building Peace Through Trade
On March 25, 1957, six European countries — France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg — signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community, commonly known as the Common Market. The idea was to tie the economies of Europe so tightly together that another war between them would become unthinkable. Just over a decade after World War II had devastated the continent, European leaders chose economic cooperation as the path to lasting peace. The treaty created a zone where goods, workers, and money could move freely across borders, without the tariffs and restrictions that had long slowed trade.
How It Changed Everyday Life
The Common Market had real, practical effects on ordinary people. Farmers could sell their products across borders. Factories could source materials from neighboring countries more cheaply. Workers could more easily move to another member country in search of better opportunities. Consumers benefited from lower prices and a wider range of goods. Over time, the member nations began coordinating policies on agriculture, transportation, and competition law. The economic integration went deeper than many had expected, creating shared institutions and a growing sense of European identity alongside national ones.
The Foundation of the European Union
The European Economic Community was the direct ancestor of the European Union. Over the following decades, more countries joined, the rules deepened, and the scope of cooperation expanded far beyond trade. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 transformed the EEC into the EU and set in motion the creation of a shared currency, the euro. By the early 21st century, the EU had 27 member states and represented one of the largest economies in the world. The Common Market, born from the rubble of war, became one of the most ambitious and consequential experiments in international cooperation in history.