ABSTRACT
More properly known as the Treaty on European Union, the Maastricht Treaty (signed in 1992) was the most significant step so far in the process of European integration. Conceived during the period of 'Europhoria' after the SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT (SEA) and of the almost simultaneous collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the treaty was designed to promote continental stability by means of further economic and political integration.
