November 1st

On this day – November 1st 1993 – EU was created (The Maastricht Treaty became effective)

The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, was created with the goal of integrating Europe. It was based on the European Economic Community. The treaty had been signed already in February in 1992, but it became effective on November 1st in 1993. The treaty created the European Union and its structure of three pillars (European Community, Common Foreign and Security Policy and Justice and Home affairs). The treaty also led to the introduction of the common currency, the Euro, a few years later. 

Ratification of the treaty became complicated in three countries. Denmark had to add four exceptions before its citizens voted yes in a second referendum. In France the treaty was only narrowly supported. The treaty also created political disagreement in United Kingdom, who are now about to leave the union after a referendum.