first pillar of the european union ?

The first pillar of what is historically known as the "Three Pillars of the European Union" refers to the European Communities, which were the precursor entities that eventually evolved into the EU as we know it today. The three pillars structure was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, and they later merged into one legal entity with the Lisbon Treaty in 2009.

The first pillar, also called the "Community pillar," comprised the following institutions and areas of policy:
- European Community (EC) which included:
- European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
- European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC)
- European Economic Community (EEC), often referred to as the Common Market

This pillar dealt primarily with economic and monetary policies, the single market, customs union, agriculture, fisheries, and other policies where member states had transferred their sovereignty to the supranational level.

Today, these communities have largely been absorbed into the broader framework of the European Union, with their competencies falling under the jurisdiction of the EU's legislative, executive, and judicial bodies.