The Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992 and is one of the most important treaties in European history since the Second World War. Few treaties have had so much impact on the daily lives of European citizens as this one. For it was with the Maastricht Treaty that the member states of the European Community established the European Union and introduced EU citizenship. This citizenship is additional to one’s national identity (such as being Dutch or Belgian). It gives citizens of EU member states various rights, including the right to live, work and study anywhere in the EU.
The Maastricht Treaty also lay the foundation for the European currency, the euro, which was launched in 1999. The Treaty also gave the European Parliament a greater say in European decision-making. It furthermore expanded European cooperation to new areas such as migration and anti-terrorism, and cross-border criminality.
In 2018 the Maastricht Treaty was awarded the European Heritage label, following an initiative by the Dutch Province of Limburg.
Studio Europa Maastricht
Few treaties have had so much impact on the daily lives of European citizens as this one.
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As the founding document of the European Union, the euro and EU citizenship, the Maastricht Treaty embodies the history and the values of the EU. It is European heritage in its purest form. It is also intangible heritage: the European Heritage label is attached to the agreements and the ideas underlying the treaty. But how can you make such an abstract subject and its history accessible to the general public?
That’s what Studio Europa Maastricht aims to do. It is the expertise centre for Europe-related debates, heritage and research by Maastricht University. The centre has been asked by the Province of Limburg to collect stories and documents concerning people and public institutions that were involved in developing the Treaty. These include diplomats, economists, bankers, politicians and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These parties explain why the EU was established, the euro was introduced, and European Parliament was given a greater say. And how these decisions continue to affect life in the EU today.
All historical information about the Treaty is kept in the Europa Archief Mathieu Segers. Mathieu Segers was an expert on Europe and the founder of the archive, who died in 2023. Studio Europa uses the information kept in this archive to develop various educational projects and events for a general and international public. For example, it worked with the Province of Limburg to create a permanent exhibition about the Treaty, on display in the provincial government house, Gouvernement aan de Maas. The highlight of this exhibition is a copy of the Treaty. Studio Europa also teamed up with Maastricht Museum to create an exhibition about the tense European Summit in Maastricht in 1991, where the member states took the most important decisions regarding the Treaty.
To read more about these exhibitions, the Europa Archief Mathieu Segers, and other projects by Studio Europa Maastricht, go to:
https://studioeuropamaastricht.nl/nl/heritage/
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Studio Europa Maastricht also develops projects specifically for young people. One example is Europe for and against. This educational magazine for young people aged 16 and over is about the history of the EU and its biggest challenges. Read or download the PDF here, for free:
https://studioeuropamaastricht.nl/project/europa-voor-en-tegen-english/
