European Economic Community

American  

noun

1. official name of the Common Market. EEC

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European Economic Community British  

noun

1.  EEC.  Informal name: Common Market.  the former W European economic association created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957; in 1967 its executive and legislative bodies merged with those of the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community to form the European Community (now part of the European Union)

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Etymology

Origin of European Economic Community

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Witness the manner in which trade liberalization in the European Economic Community and its successor, the European Union, brought unparalleled prosperity first to Western Europe and later to the former members of the Warsaw Pact.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The list also includes the European Economic Community - a precursor to the European Union.

From Reuters • Jul. 21, 2023

When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973 many New Zealand exporters felt abandoned.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2021

Indeed, the desire to please Washington was among Macmillan’s main reasons for applying for membership in the European Economic Community.

From New York Times • Aug. 28, 2020

Declaration on Article 109 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community 9.

From The Treaty of the European Union, Maastricht Treaty, 7th February, 1992 by European Union