ingle Commission of the European Communities (merger Treaty) of 1965, the institutions of the ECSC, the EEC and EURATOM were merged with the aim of strengthening the political influence of the Council and the Commission and streamlining the work of the Community institutions.
             With the Single European Act of 1986, the Treaty on European Union signed in Maastricht on February 7, 1992 and the new Treaty of Amsterdam signed on October 2, 1997, further steps have been taken towards the unification of Europe. Lets take a look at the impact of some of these treaties.
             The Maastrich Treaty laid the foundations for economic and monetary union. This was the third and final stage of which began upon the introduction of a common currency, the euro, on January 1, 1999. This act lead to Europe becoming the worlds second largest single currency area. Since the Maastrich Treaty came into force, the EU has had a common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and a common policy in the fields of justice and home affairs. As a result, the preconditions have been created for the development of the EU into a truly comprehensive political union (German Information Center, 2003).
             The Treaty of Amsterdam laid the foundation for future enlargements of the European Union. The Federal Republic of Germany was the first Member State to ratify the treaty. The treaty went into force on May 1, 1999, and specifically contained the following items:
             A proposal to put the European Union in closer touch with its citizens by strengthening the principle of subsidiarity, better foundations for environmental protection, and improved protection of basic rights.
             A proposal to enhance the efficiency and visibility of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
             It opened the way to incorporate the Western European Union (WEU) into the European Union. It also included the "Petersberg tasks" (peacemaking, peacekeeping and humanitarian tasks).
             It ...