EU seeks Rome summit for Treaty anniversary

The European Union is aiming to hold a leaders' summit in Rome in March to mark 70 years since the signing of the Treaty of Rome, an EU official said Wednesday.

European Council President Antonio Costa is looking to move the March 18-19 gathering from Brussels to the Italian capital “in view of the 70th anniversary of the Rome Treaty”, the official said.

The move needs unanimous approval from the EU's 27 countries. Belgium has already given its green light, according to a diplomatic source.

On March 25, 1957, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, a common market and the precursor to the EU.