European Union
Principal Objectives
• Establish European citizenship
• Ensure freedom, security & justice
• Promote economic and social progress
• Assert Europe’s role in the world
History of Unification
Early Attempts at Unity• Rome• Charlemagne• Holy Roman Empire• Bourbons• Habsburgs• Napoleon• Congress of Vienna/
Concert of Europe• Hitler
Post WWII - Developments• European Coal and Steel
Community – Treaty of Paris 1951 (W. Germany, France, Italy, Benelux)
• European Economic Community – Common Market (later EC) – Treaty of Rome 1957
• UK, Denmark & Ireland join 1973
• Fall of Berlin Wall - 11/9/89 – Former East Germany integrated into EC
Fall of Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989
Maastricht Treaty 1992 – European Union
3 Pillars of Maastricht Treaty
European Community
for Monetary
Issues
Common Foreign Security
Policy
Cooperation in Justice
and Home Affairs
Nations Added 1995
• Sweden• Finland• Austria
Convergence
Accession Criteria• Political
1. Stable transparent institution2. Democracy, human rights, rule of law, respect minority
rights3. Support 3 pillars
• Economic1. Functioning market economy/withstand market forces2. Low inflation3. Stable currency and part of European monetary system4. Debt less than 60% of GDP5. Deficit less than 3% of GDP (Greece??)
2004 Enlargement
• 13 states applied – 10 accepted
• Central and eastern European nations
• Czech Republic• Estonia• Hungary• Latvia• Lithuania • Poland• Slovakia• Slovenia• Malta• Cyprus
2007 Additions
• Bulgaria• Romania• Up to 27 members
EU Expansion 2013
Croatia joins EU as its 28th member in June 2013
Institutions
Executive – European Commission• President– Directs European
focus– 5-year terms– Member states
choose
• Commissioners– Engine of integration– Propose legislation
• EC Located in Brussels Belgium
Legislative – Council of the European Union – Upper House
• President– Rotates among
countries every 6 months
– Sets agenda– Should be even-
handed– Antonis Samaras,
Greece
• Council of Ministers– Ministers from
member states– Gets opinion from EP
before decisions– Votes are weighted
by populationLocated in Brussels, Belgium
Legislative – European Parliament – Lower House
– Members of European Parliament (MEP’s)• Directly elected reps (5 years)• Supervises the Commission• Seem to reflect national interests
– President• Chairs EP• Represents EP
- Located in Strasbourg, France
Judicial – European Court of Justice
• Ensures law observed in interpretation an application of treaties
• Judicial review• Located in Luxembourg
Currency
Single Currency
• Began as European Monetary Unit (EMU) as part of Maastricht Treaty
• Euro - € - exchange rate set 1/1/99• Euro adopted 1/1/2002• Britain – not so much• Eurozone – 18 member states that have
adopted the euro
I knew you would ask
You say you want a constitution?• Originally treaties formed EU
constitution• Constitutional treaty proposed 2004 –
rejected by Denmark and France in 2005
• Treaty of Lisbon: constitution-lite 2009• Constitutional treaty adoption – UK
referendum 2017?? – fears of federalism (United States of Europe?)
Quick Review• Name two predecessor
organizations of the EU.• What are the “3 pillars” of the EU?• What is the Eurozone?• What is the difference between the
European Commission and the European Council?
• What year did the Berlin Wall fall?• What is the Maastricht Treaty?• How many member states does the
EU have now?
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