![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Flag_of_Europe.svg/640px-Flag_of_Europe.svg.png&w=640&q=50)
Inner Six
Six founding member countries of the European Communities / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the grouping of European states. For the fictional character, see Number Six (Battlestar Galactica).
The Inner Six, also known as the Six, the Six founders, or the founding members of the European Union, refers to Belgium, France, West 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.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/EC06-1957-58_European_Community_map.svg/640px-EC06-1957-58_European_Community_map.svg.png)