Flags of the 10 New Member Countries, Republic of Cyprus

Flags of the 10 New Member Countries, Republic of Cyprus

Postage stamps--Cyprus--History

Γραμματόσημα--Κύπρος--Ιστορία

After the devastation brought about by the 2nd World War, visionary statesmen such as Konrad Adenauer, Winston Churchill, Alcide de Gasperi and Robert Schuman set about to persuade their people to enter a new era and a new order in Western Europe. It was thus that the foundations of what was to become the European Union were laid on 9th May 1950, when six countries, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg took the decision to pool their coal and steel resources. With the Treaty of Paris they set up the Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951. This act set in motion a peaceful co-operation that has been moving forward progressively for over half a century. In 1957 the Treaty of Rome set up the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC was based on the concept of a common market in goods and services. The success of this venture saw the first enlargement of the EEC with Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark joining in 1973. Greece joined in 1981 followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986. In 1991 the member states negotiated the Treaty of Maastricht. The EEC was re-named ""The European Community"" (EC).
By adding areas of intergovernmental co-operation to the existing community system, the Treaty created the European Union (EU), which came into force on 1st November 1993. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU in 1995. This treaty envisaged, among other things, the creation of a monetary union by 1999, and on 1st January 2002 twelve countries replaced their national currencies with the new currency the ""EURO"". At the Copenhagen summit on 13th December 2002, The European Council took the decision to welcome ten more countries to join the EU on 1st May 2004.
This was one of the most significant steps in the entire history of the European Union. In Athens on 16th April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia signed the accession treaties. They joined the EU as full members on 1st May 2004. Cyprus aims to adopt the ""Euro"" in 2007 or early 2008.

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Library of Cyprus University of Technology

Digital Heritage Research Lab of Cyprus University of Technology

1st May 2004

Designer: J. P. Mizzi, Malta

Απαγορεύεται η δημοσίευση ή αναπαραγωγή, ηλεκτρονική ή άλλη χωρίς τη γραπτή συγκατάθεση του δημιουργού.

www.cypruspost.gov.cy

TIFF

EL, EN

Image

2004-UN. EUROPE-30C

35.160417, 33.346556

Alex Matsoukis, Athens