On 25 March 1957, Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed the Treaties of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). This landmark agreement laid the foundation for a unified Europe, fostering economic cooperation and paving the way for the European Union as we know it today.
The Ventotene Manifesto
In 1941, during their internment on the island of Ventotene, anti-fascists Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi drafted the Ventotene Manifesto, calling for a federalist Europe. Their vision was that cooperation between European nations could prevent future wars and ensure long-term peace and prosperity. The manifesto was smuggled off the island by Ursula Hirschmann and Ada Rossi, the respective wives of Eugenio Colorni and Ernesto Rossi, for clandestine dissemination on the mainland.
The first printed edition of the Manifesto di Ventotene with an introduction by Eugenio Colorni is dated 29 August 1943 and circulated while Rome was still occupied by Nazi forces. One of the few surviving copies of this pamphlet is deposited at the Historical Archives of the European Union in the private archives of Altiero Spinelli. In 2021, this rare document was carefully restored and is now available for public access in digital format.
The Schuman Declaration
The Schuman Declaration, inspired by the ideas of Jean Monnet and delivered in a famous speech by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on May 9, 1950, may be considered a turning point in the history of Europe and a genuine first step towards a closer union of member countries. The Declaration formalised the will to create a united, peaceful Europe based on economic and industrial cooperation.
A rich source of documentation on the Schuman Declaration including preparatory documents and the text, notes for the press, and reactions are preserved in the holdings of the HAEU.
The Treaties of Rome
The Rome Treaties, signed on 25 March 1957, marked another defining moment in the process of European integration. By creating the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the Treaties laid out the legal and economic framework for cooperation among the signatory states.
On 5 June 2023 Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) Office deposited an authenticated copy of the Rome Treaties at the Historical Archives of the European Union.