Intergovernmental Conferences towards the EU Begin

At the European Council in Rome (14-15 December 1990), the work of two Intergovernmental Conferences is inaugurated; one concerning the path towards Economic and Monetary Union and the other the path towards Political Union. On 18 June 1991, the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council presents a draft Treaty on European Union, which emerged from the work of the two Intergovernmental Conferences. This draft presents a Union under a three-pillar system and formed the basis for discussions at the two Conferences. Thus, the work of the Intergovernmental Conferences resulted in the Treaty on European Union, which was formally approved by the Heads of State and Government at the Maastricht Summit in December 1991 and signed on 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty).