The first European grouping dates back to April 18, 1951, when six European countries met and agreed to form the European Coal and Steel Community. On March 25, 1957, the countries signed the Rome Convention, which expanded the areas of cooperation, and the group became the European Economic Community.
In February 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed in the Netherlands, under which the various European bodies were grouped into a single framework, the European Union. The EU is governed by a rotating presidency system where member states alternate for a six-month presidency.