The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 and came into effect on 1 November 1993 after all member states had ratified its terms. These member states were the 12 nations comprising the European Economic Community: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom. The Treaty converted the EEC into the European Union. It prepared the way for the enlargement of the EU through the admission of Austria, Finland and Sweden (Norway and Iceland remaining outside) and former countries of the Soviet bloc, and for European Monetary Union in 1999. It also enabled increasing cooperation in Common Foreign and Security Policy.

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Maastricht Treaty increases European integration". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 January 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4101, accessed 23 November 2024.]