On the website https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/eu-in-brief_en is explained that
- The predecessor of the EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries that trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict.
- The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
- Belgium was involved in the EU since the start, on 1 January 1958
- Belgium is Euro area member since 26 March 1995
- Belgium is : Schengen area member since 26 March 1995
