On this day in 1957

The Treaty of Rome signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany to create the European Economic Community. 28 nations are now members of the European Union, its direct successor. Sir Winston Churchill will have seen the EU today as the culmination of his dreams.

Following the Treaty of Paris in 1951, a common market opened on 10 February 1953 for coal, iron ore and scrap and on 1 May 1953 for steel.

In May 1948 Churchill said in the opening speech to the Congress of Europe in Holland, that the drive towards a United Europe, 'should be a movement of the people, not parties'.

Churchill, who also proposed a European 'Charter' and 'Court' of Human Rights, continued, 'We aim at the eventual participation of all the peoples throughout the continent whose society and way of life are in accord with the Charter of Human Rights.'

During this speech, Churchill proclaimed:

'We cannot aim at anything less than the Union of Europe as a whole, and we look forward with confidence to the day when that Union will be achieved.'

The European Union lists Sir Winston Churchill as one of its 'eleven founding fathers'