Whensday: Union

Belgium and the Netherlands have long been at the forefront of what has become the European Union. The treaty of Brussels signed in March 1948 set up the Western Union, a military union of France, United Kingdom and the three Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) set up in September of the same year. In 1957 the Benelux, France, Italy and West Germany signed the treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC). Within this community they formed a customs union, making trade easier. 

The United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland joined the EEC in 1973. The first elections to a European Parliament were held in 1979. In 1981 Greece joined and soon after the Schengen Agreement made open borders possible. This meant that travel within the outer borders of Europe could be done without passports. 

I remember the first time that Shirley and I came to the Netherlands on campaign in 1981. A visit to (West) Germany meant a stamp in your passport. When I came to the Netherlands from 1982-84, some of the most interesting stories and experiences in my life were because of border crossings (ask me sometime about sleeping on the way to Switzerland). So when Shirley and I visited in 1987 to research returning to work with the church, it was interesting to see the changes. 

The European flag was adopted in 1986 and Portugal and Spain were added to the group. In 1990, as the Eastern Bloc was falling apart, East Germany was reunited with West Germany and was added to the community. By 1992 the 12 member states were ready to sign the Treaty of Maastricht (which came into force in November 1993). This treaty set in place the basis for the European citizenship, a single currency and common security policies. 

The single currency finally showed up formally in 2002, the Euro supplanting all the other currencies, like the guilder, the franc and the mark. We had moved to Belgium in 1991 and we remember vividly the ease that came with a common currency - not having to carry three different currencies because of where we live on the border. But it also meant that prices - of almost everything - doubled. 

Currently the EU consists of 27 countries. There had been 28, until the United Kingdom exited. There is quite a list of countries waiting to join the EU as well. To think that three little countries joining themselves in the Benelux showing that cooperation was useful could have been the start of such a union.