About Europe and the euro
- 9 May 1950: Robert Schuman, the French Minister for Foreign affairs, lays out in a declaration inspired by Jean Monnet the foundations of European cooperation.
- 8 April 1951: The Treaty of Paris creates the European Coal and Steel Community (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands)
- 25 March 1957: The Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community
- 1st January 1973: + 3 countries: Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom.
- 1979: Creation of the European monetary system, the EMS and the Ecu, European Currency Unit.
- 1981: + 1 country: Greece - 1986: + 2 countries: Spain, Portugal
- 1st July 1987: the Single European Act (SEA) comes into force.
- 7 February 1992: Maastricht Treaty creates European Union and common currency - 1995: + 3 countries: Austria, Finland, Sweden
- 1995: adoption of common currency name, euro -17 June 1997: Amsterdam Treaty.
- 1997: Reference year for the assessment of Member states’ convergence criteria in view of their joining the euro zone.
- 1998: Countries are selected to join the euro in 1999. Nomination of the President of the European Central Bank based in Frankfurt: Willem Duisenberg. The conversion rates between the national currencies adopting the euro and the euro are established.
- 1st January 1999: The euro is introduced in eleven Member states of the EU.
- Establishment of the European Central Bank, the ECB, which replaces the EMI, the European Monetary Institute.
- The definite conversion rates with the euro are fixed, which becomes the bankmoney of 11 Member states; The United Kingdom and Denmark do not feel politically ready to adopt the European common currency; Sweden is not part of the European Monetary System.
- 1st January 2000: Greece joins euro zone.
- 11 December 2000: Nice Treaty.
- 1st January 2002: euro coins and banknotes are introduced in twelve member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands.
- January 2002: National currencies are gradually replaced by the euro which becomes paper money for twelve European Member states.
- 2002: national currencies are withdrawn according to national calendars (February 28th at the latest). In reality, national currencies virtually disappeared within a few weeks of January 1st 2002. The national currencies of the 12 Member states belonging to the euro zone are fully replaced by the euro.
- 1st May 2004: 10 countries join the European Union : Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
- 1st January 2007: Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.
- 1st January 2007: Slovenia joins euro zone.
- 13 December 2007: signature of Lisbon Treaty.
- 1st January 2008: Cyprus and Malta join euro zone.
- 2008: the euro zone is made up of 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, The Netherlands (Slovakia joins in 2009). If they meet the euro zone’s criteria, all countries are required to join the euro zone in the future. One can use any of the euro coins in circulation in any euro zone country, regardless of the place where the coin was minted. Three other states, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of San Marino and Vatican City, which are not part of the European Union were authorised, by virtue of a monetary agreement with France and Italy, to adopt the euro and engrave their own coins.
New one euro coin for the 10 year anniversary "1999 - 2009"
