The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community (EEC, later called the European Community) in 1957, using the goal of harmonizing the legal and economic systems of its member states. The EEC was absorbed into the European Union (EU) when it came into existence in 1993, as a result from the (1992) Maastricht Treaty. The EU now comprises 27 member countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom).

- raising capital on an EU-wide basis
- establishing a frequent legal framework for integrated securities and derivatives markets
- achieving a single set of accounting standards for listed corporations