If you’d like to learn about modern Italian history, then one of the central elements of Italy’s progression as a European country has been its participation in the European Union. How long has Italy been in the EU, though? Let’s take a look.
Italy has been in the ‘European union’ before the European Union existed. That’s because Italy has been the founder of the European Communities – both the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 and the more well known European Economic Community in 1958 (alongside with the European Atomic Energy Community).
The EU only came to exist in 1993, and Italy has been one of the founders of that too. Still, it would be more sensible to say that it has been a member since the onset of the European Economic Community.
Italy is not only a member of the European Union, but also one of the countries that decided to adopt the euro currency at the very beginning. Italy has been in the Eurozone since 1 January, 1999. As for the Schengen Area, Italy was mere two years late to the 1995 launch, as it joined it in 1997. Were you even in this world at this point?
See also:
