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?