The Maastricht Treaty
To this day, the Maastricht Treaty shapes the way Europeans in the European Union live and work together. The signing of the treaty was a milestone achievement following a drawn-out negotiation process, but it was by no means the end of the road. On the contrary: it formed the new starting point for a collective future that we as Europeans continue to shape today. Explore the heritage of Europe and find out everything you need to know about the Maastricht Treaty in this brochure.
The Maastricht Treaty and European Heritage Label
Because of its monumental importance for the Europe we live in today, the European Commission awarded the Maastricht Treaty (1991/1992) the European Heritage Label. The Maastricht Treaty changed the way Europeans live and work together, introducing among others the Euro as a common currency and a common European citizenship. The treaty is a true symbol of European ideals, values, history and integration.
Watch this video to learn more about the selection of the Maastricht Treaty as one of the 38 European Heritage sites.
5 Q&As on the Maastricht Treaty
- What is the Maastricht Treaty about?
- Why is it important?
- Why was the Maastricht Treaty agreed?
- Why Maastricht?
- What does it mean today?
What is the Maastricht Treaty about?
The Maastricht Treaty (1992) is one of the most important treaties in the history of Europe and European integration. With this treaty, the twelve member states of what was then called the European Community (EC) established the European Union (EU). This Union has deepened, broadened and streamlined European cooperation.
The treaty was agreed during a summit of EC leaders in Maastricht on 9 and 10 December 1991. It was signed on 7 February 1992 in the Limburg provincial government building on the river Maas. The Maastricht Treaty, along with the Treaties of Rome (1957), laid the foundations of the EU as we know it today.
In 1992 the European Community consisted of twelve member states, which together established the EU: Belgium; Denmark; France; Germany; Great Britain; Greece Ireland; Italy; Luxembourg; the Netherlands; Portugal and Spain.
Read the Treaty
Would you like to see the Maastricht Treaty for yourself? You can: the Limburg Government on the Meuse has a copy on display. You can see it during one of the guided tours.
The original text of the treaty can also be found in several languages on the EU website. But first, a word of warning: it is an extremely boring and difficult text. This is partly because there were disagreements between the member states on various decisions made in Maastricht. Vague formulations were used to obscure these differences of opinion, allowing each government to interpret the treaty in such a way that they could agree with it. The upshot is that, to this day, there is much debate on how certain provisions should be interpreted.
The official name of the Maastricht Treaty is the Treaty on European Union. This title is rarely used, however, because treaties are conventionally named after the place where they were drawn up.
Why is the Maastricht Treaty important?
The agreements made by the member states in Maastricht set many changes in motion. No treaty in recent history has had so much influence on the daily lives of Europeans. Some of the most important provisions of the Maastricht Treaty are:
More influence for the European Parliament and citizens
More European cooperation
Why was the Maastricht Treaty agreed?
Important agreements such as the Maastricht Treaty are not concluded out of the blue The treaty was the result of a long and complicated process. That process dates back to the 1950s, when the founding nations of European integration (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany) took the first steps towards a united Europe.
Common European market
The Treaties of Rome, agreed in 1957, laid the foundation for amongst others a common European market, which provides for the free movement of people, goods, services and capital between the member states.
Treaties of Rome
With the Treaties of Rome in 1957, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands founded amongst others the European Economic Community, the main predecessor of the EU. After the creation of the EEC, the European Community soon became the collective name for the countries involved in European integration.
By the late 1980s, the time seemed ripe for a major step in European integration: the introduction of a single European currency. This would make trade between the now twelve member states even easier.
Businesses and banks supported the initiative, as did some politicians and the European Commission. Advocates of a European federation (a ‘super state’) also saw the introduction of a single currency as a way of moving one step closer to their ideal. But there were doubts, too. For the member states, giving up their own currency was a radical step. West Germany in particular placed great value on its national currency: the German mark was of such importance to the global economy that it gave the Germans a great deal of influence on the European stage.
The wonder year of 1989 accelerated the debate on a single European currency. On 9 November, the Berlin Wall fell – a momentous occasion initiated the end of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain, which had divided Europe (and Germany) ever since the end of World War II. There was much euphoria, but also fear.
West and East Germany wanted to become one country again. This would create a new and more powerful Germany that could once more dominate its neighbours. The French and German governments, led by President François Mitterrand and Chancellor Helmut Kohl, came up with a proposal: German unification would be allowed to go ahead only if the united Germany was firmly embedded in a new and closer European partnership.
This partnership became the EU, with a single European currency as its most important safeguard: this new currency would tie the member states more closely together and facilitate mutual trade.
In addition, by abolishing the German mark, the single currency would provide a counterweight to the economic power of the German giant. This clever plan, which would maintain the balance of power in Europe after the Cold War while simultaneously fostering European integration, was ultimately set in motion with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty.
The European summit was held in Maastricht in December 1991, when the Netherlands held the six-monthly presidency of the European Community. Major European summits now take place in Brussels, but in those days they were also organised by the country that held the rotating EC presidency.
The Dutch government chose Maastricht partly because of its proximity to Brussels, which was already the main locus of European meetings. Maastricht was also appealing because it possessed the necessary experience, having previously organised a European summit in 1981.
The Maastricht summit of 9 and 10 December 1991 became an exciting affair. All heads of government of the European Community were present, including the French president François Mitterrand, the German chancellor Helmut Kohl and the British prime minister John Major. Their officials and advisers, working with the European Commission and the Netherlands as EC president, had already prepared most of the agreements made in Maastricht during feverish negotiations leading up to the summit. But despite the intensive preparations, it was by no means certain that the summit would succeed; the creation of the EU was hanging by a thread.
All member states had their doubts about this great leap forwards. Great Britain was particularly concerned, seeing no benefit in the introduction of a common currency. Partly as a result of intensive lobbying by the Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers and minister of foreign affairs Hans van den Broek, the British delegation was persuaded to refrain from using its vetoing the treaty altogether. In exchange for Britain being allowed to opt out of adopting the euro, Prime Minister John Major ultimately signed the historical treaty.
The British struggle with the Maastricht Treaty and the introduction of a common European currency is now widely considered to be the beginning of Brexit. The British decision to opt-out of the introduction of the euro can be seen as the first actual step out off the EU.
The treaty today
The Maastricht Treaty continues to be highly influential. Because it forms part of the legal foundations of the EU, it still shapes how member states work together today.
The loose threads of Maastricht
At the same time, the Maastricht Treaty left a number of highly important issues open. The member states were unable to agree on whether the EU should become a genuine political union, with many more national powers transferred to the joint European institutions in Brussels (e.g. the European Commission and the European Parliament). Nor did they specify how the EU should be reformed when new countries join the club, and what role the EU ought to play on the world stage.
These and other delicate issues have only become more urgent over time. But finding joint solutions is not getting any easier, particularly given the steady growth in the number of EU countries since 1992. And this in turn has consequences for European cooperation and the ability to act decisively on pressing issues: consider the euro crisis, the refugee crisis, and the EU’s relationship with the United States and China.
The legacy of the Maastricht Treaty in Europe is both complex and far-reaching. It can be seen not only at the European level, but also at the national and local levels. And it is often closer than you think: in your wallet, your city, your supermarket, on the street, at school and at work.
Studio Europa Maastricht and the Treaty
Studio Europa Maastricht is committed to bring to life the European narrative and the history behind the Maastricht Treaty, and the impact it has on your life as a European citizen. Today and in the future. To make you aware of the impact, Studio Europa Maastricht organises a wide range of events and educational activities, with special attention for young people.
Amongst others we are establishing a European archive together with the Regional Historic Center Limburg. This archive aims at collecting and providing easy access to the relevant historical sources concerning the Maastricht Treaty: the political background and negotiation of the treaty and the evolution of European politics and cooperation since 1992. This archive will become a focal point for many educational projects for all kinds of audiences.
European Cartoon Award
We are proud to present the first edition of the European Cartoon Award, founded by Studio Europa Maastricht and the European Press Prize.
Quality journalism is of vital importance to healthy democracies – and cartoonists play a crucial role in this system of checks and balances. Their creations are the hallmark of an open society: often just a single image, they hold up a mirror, make change negotiable and induce public debate.
Yet, more than any other form of journalism, cartoons are feeling the strain of the shrinking space for freedom of expression. In 2019 the New York Times made the sad decision to stop publishing political cartoons altogether, after the publication of a reputedly antisemitic cartoon prompted outrage.
To encourage cartoonists to continue their essential task, we are launching the European Cartoon Award, worth €10.000, for cartoons that analyse and reflect upon current affairs and events in Europe or concerning Europe, and thus inspire public debate.