November 1, 1993

Maastricht Treaty

The Maastricht Treaty enters into force and establishes the European Union

One letter disappeared overnight: the European Economic Community became the European Community. And millions of people acquired a second legal status without losing their national one.

1 November 1993: the Union starts operating

The Treaty on European Union entered into legal force on 1 November 1993, and the European Union began operating around three pillars: the European Communities, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs.

The European Economic Community was renamed the European Community that day. The other existing Communities continued inside the first pillar, and the twelve treaty parties became the initial EU member states.

What Germany's deposit set in motion

Germany, the last of the twelve signatories, deposited its ratification instrument on 13 October 1993. Under the treaty's final clause, the delayed treaty therefore took effect on the first day of the following month.

The German Federal Constitutional Court had cleared the way on 12 October, holding that Maastricht did not strip the Bundestag of constitutionally indispensable democratic powers. The treaty had originally aimed at 1 January 1993; ratification disputes moved the date back by ten months.

Citizenship, and a stronger Parliament

The treaty introduced Union citizenship for nationals of member states, carrying treaty rights that included voting in local and European Parliament elections in a citizen's member state of residence. That citizenship supplemented national citizenship rather than replacing it.

The co-decision procedure took effect, increasing the European Parliament's legislative role. Parliament also gained authority to approve the Commission as a body and to appoint the European Ombudsman.

Sources

Researched 23 Aug 2026 7 sources 2 audit passes

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