European Union

The Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) was signed by six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands) on 25 March 1957 in Rome.  Ireland joined the European Economic Community, which was eventually renamed the European Union, in 1973 along with Great Britain and Denmark.  This marked the first of the “Enlargements” of the EU.  Further enlargements followed in 1981 (Greece), 1986 (Spain and Portugal), 1995 (Austria, Sweden and Finland), 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania).   For further information about the enlargement of the European Union, please see our Enlargement page.

The European Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity. It is not a State intended to replace existing States, nor is it just an organisation for international cooperation. The EU is, in fact, unique. Its Member States have set up common institutions to which they delegate some of their sovereignty so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level.

One of the major priorities of the Department of Foreign Affairs is to:

“Promote and protect Ireland’s interests at the heart of the European Union as it continues to evolve and enlarge, including through the further development of our relations with our current and future EU partners.”

In this section of the website, we aim to provide further information about many of the key issues in the European Union that affect Ireland, as well as providing some information about how the EU works.  There is also some information about how the EU developed and about Ireland’s role in the EU.