The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. Its original full name was Treaty establishing the European Economic Community -- however the Treaty of Maastricht amended it and among other things removed the word "Economic" from the name of both the community and the treaty. The treaty is therefore now generally called the Treaty establishing the European Community or the EC Treaty.

Another treaty was signed the same day establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) : their conjunction is known as the Treaties of Rome (plural). Both came into force on 1 January 1958.

The original Treaty was amended by all the subsequent treaties; the Treaty of Nice sought to consolidate all treaties into one document but the EC Treaty as amended remains a single section within this, with its own article numbering.

Though the entry in force of the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 was a further step in the direction of European integration, most decisions of the institutions of the Union are still taken on the legal basis of EC Treaty, which remains the main source of communitary legislation.

The treaty was signed by the following:

• Paul-Henri Spaak and J. Ch. Snoy et d'Oppuers on behalf of Belgium.
• Konrad Adenauer and Walter Hallstein on behalf of Germany.
• Christian Pineau and Maurice Faure on behalf of France.
• Antonio Segni and Gaetano Martino on behalf of Italy.
• Joseph Bech and Lambert Schaus on behalf of Luxembourg.
• Joseph Luns and J. Linthorst Homan on behalf of the Netherlands.

See also: History of the European Union

Timeline of the Treaties and EU Constitution