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In 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed by six European countries (France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and this established the European Economic Community or the Common Market, which sought to abolish tariffs and trade restrictions between member countries. The dilemma for Britain lay in the fact that it retained considerable extra-European trading links and a strong relationship with the
United States (although it thought it would clearly benefit from closer trade with Western Europe). In response, in 1959, Britain formed the European Free Trade Area (consisting of seven members, including the Scandinavian countries and Switzerland). Britain attempted to join the EEC in 1961 and 1967, but both applications were vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle. Following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, Prime Minister Edward Heath re-opened negotiations with the EEC and, in 1973, Britain became a member of the Community, along with the Irish Republic and Denmark. The drive for deeper integration has continued and the Maastricht Treaty of 1991 - which promotes closer economic and political union through the establishment of a European currency and central bank, and harmonisation of defence, foreign and social policies - has resulted in the transformation of the EEC to the European Union (EU).
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