Inner Six

The six founders of the European Communities (European Coal and Steel Community, European Community, Euratom)

The Inner Six, also known as the Six, the Six founders, or the founding members of the European Union, refers to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands, the six founding member states of the European Communities, now succeeded by the European Union. Named for their location on a map of western Europe, the Inner Six contrasted with the "Outer Seven", which pursued a free-trade system.