Economic and political integration between the member states of the European Union means that these countries have to take joint decisions on many matters. So they have developed common policies in a very wide range of fields - from agriculture to culture

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EUROPE

Europe has always shown instability as countries have always fought and invented each other. Many European countries were convinced that the only way to secure peace between countries was to unite them economically and politically. On the 19th September 1946 Winston Churchill calls for Untied States of Europe. This was seen as response to what already America was doing. Four years later on the 9th May 1950 French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposes creation of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Countries like Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands ('the Six') sign Treaty establishing European Coal and Steel Community (Treaty of Paris) in 18th April 1951.  This cooperation was going extremely well and on the 1st of January 1958 in Italy, Rome the Treaty of Rome was formed, six countries signed the treaty setting up European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). Another treaty was signed by France and Federal Republic of Germany called the Treaty of Friendship (Elysee Treaty) in 22nd January 1963. The member states were very pleased on how things were running, further more they removed trade barriers between them and forming a "common market". In 1967 the institutions of the three European communities were merged. From this point on, there was a single Commission and a single Council of Ministers as well as the European Parliament.  Citizens of the member states voted for the candidate of their choice and this is done every five years. On 17 February 1986 nine Member States signed the Single European Act (SEA), followed later by Denmark (after a referendum voted in favour), Italy and Greece, on 28 February 1986. The Act was approved by Member States' parliaments during 1986 but cam into power on the 1 July 1987. To make things even clearer new forms of co-operation between the member state governments were introduced - for example on defence, and in the area of "justice and home affairs" and this was enabled on the Maastricht Treaty which signed on the 1st of February 1992 but didn’t come to force until the 1st of November 1993. Yet another treaty was held in Holland the Amsterdam Treaty on 1997 who elaborated further the rights and responsibilities of member states and of individual citizens. On the 9th of December 2000 the Treaty of Nice was formed and this another further step taken by the members discussing the previous treaty the progress and also reflecting on it and see ways of improving things even more. Also discussing the Euro which at this stage was very much spoken and on the 1st January 2002 Euro was introduced physically and 12 European members have joined it.

Europe Integration

Economic and political integration between the member states of the European Union means that these countries have to take joint decisions on many matters. So they have developed common policies in a very wide range of fields - from agriculture to culture, from consumer affairs to competition, from the environment and energy to transport and trade. In the early days the focus was on a common commercial policy for coal and steel and a common agricultural policy. Other policies were added as time went by, and as the need arose. Some key policy aims have changed in the light of changing circumstances. For example, the aim of the agricultural policy is no longer to produce as much food as cheaply as possible but to support farming methods that produce healthy, high-quality food and protect the environment. The need for environmental protection is now taken into account across the whole range of EU policies. The European Union's relations with the rest of the world have also become important. The EU negotiates major trade and aid agreements with other countries and is developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The Single Market and the Free Trade

It took some time for the Member States to remove all the barriers to trade between them and to turn their "common market" into a genuine single market in which goods, services, people and capital could move around freely. The Single Market was formally completed at the end of 1992, though there is still work to be done in some areas - for example, to create a genuinely single market in financial services. During the 1990s it became increasingly easy for people to move around in Europe, as passport and customs checks were abolished at most of the EU's internal borders.

Free trade means: No barriers (free trade movement), No Quota (No limits on the goods set), No Tariff (No taxes set for the goods), No Exchange Controls (Limiting the liability of the foreign currency). One consequence is greater mobility for EU citizens. Since 1987, for example, more than a million young Europeans have taken study courses abroad, with support from the EU.

Institutions

The Union is managed by these institutions: a democratically elected Parliament, a Council representing the Member States and composed of government ministers, a European Council of Heads of State or Government, a Commission which acts as guardian of the Treaties and has the power to initiate and implement legislation, a Court of justice which ensures that Community law is observed. In addition, there are a number of advisory bodies, which represent economic, social and regional interests. A European investment Bank was set up to facilitate the financing of projects, which contribute to the balanced development of the Union.

  • The European Commission
  • The European Parliament
  • The European Council and the Council of Ministers
  • The Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance
  • The European Investment Bank and the European Central Bank

The European Commission

The European Commission has a total of 20 members so far of the 15 EU members.

The Commission’s term of office is now five years, the same as the life of the European Parliament. Parliament is consulted before the Member States appoint the President of the Commission, and the full Commission has to be approved by Parliament before it too is formally appointed. In carrying out their duties, members of the Commission are obliged to be completely independent of their national governments and act only in the interests of the Union; only Parliament has the right to censure the Commission Each member of the Commission has special responsibility for one or more policy areas, but decisions are taken on the basis of collective responsibility.  (References: table was created by me using the information in this web site )

The Commission is an impartial body, that its programme is based on the Treaties. It can impose fines on individuals or companies, notably when they act in breach of the Union’s competition rules. The Commission is also the channel of the Union. In the area of intergovernmental cooperation, the Commission has the same rights as the individual Member States with regard to making proposals. The Commission has an administrative staff based mainly in Brussels and some in Luxembourg and its institutions accounts are around 5% of the total Union budget.

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Elected by direct universal suffrage since 1979, the European Parliament now comprises 626 members. (Reference

Parliament normally sits in Strasbourg, where, plenary meetings are held for one week each month. Some part-sessions and committee meetings are held in Brussels to facilitate contacts with the Commission and the Council. Its Secretariat is based in Luxembourg. The 1986 Single European Act increased Parliament’s powers with regard to legislation by introducing a cooperation procedure, which called for two readings of legislative proposals by Parliament and the Council with the active participation of the Commission. It introduced a new co-decision ...

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