The European Community is a body comprised of three entities: the European Economic Community, the European Coal and Steel Community, and the European Atomic Energy Community. These three bodies officially merged in 1967 as a result of ratification of the Brussels Treaty. The purpose of this merger was to facilitate trust and cooperation among the member nations. The assimilation of these three entities evolved into what is now know as the European Union.
The first step in the creation of the European Communities came shortly after the end of World War II with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 and the ratification of the Paris Treaty the following year. The Treaties of Rome in 1957 saw the creation of the Eurotom Community and the European Economic Community. The European countries instrumental in the creation of these communities were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. These nations were known as the 'inner six.' Denmark, Ireland, and Great Britain joined in 1973, followed by Greece in 1981, and finally Portugal and Spain in 1986. East Germany was added after the German reunification in 1990, rounding out the original 12 nations of the European Union.