What was the name of the predecessor to the European Community?

Explanation

The European Community (EC) was formed as the successor to the Coal and Steel Union (or the European Coal and Steel Community). The Coal and Steel Union was founded by West Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Italy, who were also called The Six. The European Union can be traced back to the 1950s, when six states—Benelux, France, Italy, and Germany—established the European Coal and Steel Community. The Community has since been greatly expanded, both in terms of content and member countries. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many of the former communist countries were admitted—a total of 10 countries were admitted in 2004 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta, Cyprus), and three years later, in 2007, Romania and Bulgaria were also admitted.