This seminal reference tool provides a detailed chronological account of the development of European integration from the fragmentation at the end of the Second World War to the launch of the Euro on 31st December 1998. It offers a descriptive summary of important events, measures, arrangements, conferences and ideas that shaped the progress towards integration. Wim Vanthoor's chronology reveals that the attainment of political unions referred to by Winston Churchill in 1946 as 'The United States of Europe', was on the one hand a controversial point in the struggle for integration while on the other it was always kept in view as the ultimate objective. The author comes to the conclusion that with the creation of the economic and monetary union the efforts to achieve European political unification have reached an interim phase. Previous experience suggests that, in the long run, the European Union needs to be deepened in order to create the supranationality which the founding fathers of the European Community already had in mind when they signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957. This reference work will prove invaluable to students, scholars and professionals interested in the development of the European Union.

This fully revised and updated edition of a seminal reference work provides a detailed chronological account of the development of European integration. The history of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), which began immediately after World War II, is recounted in the form of a descriptive summary of the most significant events, measures, arrangements and conferences. The chronology concludes at the end of 2001 with what is arguably one of the most important events in European history; the introduction of the euro notes and coins in twelve nation states. Throughout, Wim Vanthoor offers a detailed yet concise account of the evolution of the economic and political ideas which have culminated in this defining moment. The book is interspersed with quotations from the addresses, orations and comments of politicians and those closely involved with the process of European integration. This accessible book will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of European integration.