The European Union can be traced back to the 1940s, when wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill envisioned a United States of Europe. However, Churchill had no idea how powerful an institution it would become at the end of the 20th century. The formation of the EU occurred just over a decade after the Second World War, in 1957. For the creators of the EU, the EU was a way to reduce national hostility. , resentment and competition, which had led the continent to war. The European Coal and Steel Community began to unite European countries not only economically but politically to prolong peace. There were only six member states at the time: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. For fifty years now the European Union has been made up of twenty-seven member states. The ECSC in 1952 was the first step towards a supranational Europe, as the six member states renounced part of their sovereignty in favor of the community. Integration suffered a setback in 1954 due to the failure of the European Defense Community. However, contrary to what some feared, this would not be the end of the ECSC as a committee of ministers presented two projects which agreed on the options selected by the member states, namely the creation of a general market and the creation of an atomic energy community . Member states ratified the treaties in March 1957. The first treaty established the EEC; the objectives are those of determination to provide a closer union between the peoples of Europe, including the creation of a common market that eliminates trade barriers. However, restrictions were placed on the free movement of people, capital and services until the next major revision, the Single European Act. Another significant agreement included the...... half of the document ......en a success, from six to twenty-seven member states. Despite the one major concern, the loss of national sovereignty, many countries benefit from being members of the EU. As is the case with signing treaties once they become members of the EU, countries choose to give up some of their individualism. All countries that joined, despite domestic skeptics, recognized the benefits of addressing problems globally with collective decision-making, which they could not change by working as an isolated nation. The direction the EU will take is up to member states for now, but it is clear that continued sharing of sovereignty is essential to achieving shared goals and if countries want to see change they can protect their sense of identity by sharing sovereignty and building continually “an ever closer union”.”.