History of the European Union.

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HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The process of European integration began shortly after the Second World War with two initial primary objectives:

  • The economic reconstruction of war ravaged Europe. 
  • The gradual creation of a unified region promoting peace, development and democracy. 

These objectives were set out to help prevent the rise of totalitarian regimes and the outbreak of armed conflict on the European continent.  Since then, the European Union has made great strides.  The continuously growing membership, the development of more and more common policies, the adoption of the single currency, but above all the firm will for further European unification serve to confirm the success of the initial venture.

On 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, inspired by the visionary ideas of Jean Monnet, proposed the creation of a supranational European institution to co-ordinate the French-German production of steel and coal.  This date is seen as the most important step in the process towards European unification.

Six countries – France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – responded to Schuman’s declaration and on April 18 1951 they signed the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).  For the first time one of the central areas of policy, which was until then a matter exclusively for the nation state, passed into the hands of a supranational organization?  This comprehensive economic integration of the coal and steel industries was intended to lead eventually to a political union.

In this initial stage, efforts towards integration had to be focused in the economic field.  On the 25 March 1957, the six ECSC members signed the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).  The EEC, ECSC and EURATOM were the three European Communities.  The main objective of the EEC was to create an economic community based on the free movement of goods, services and workers.  The Euratom Treaty was meant as a new impetus for European co-operation and was set up to promote nuclear energy.

Together with the Treaties of Rome, an Assembly of the European Community was set up, responsible for the ECSC, EEC and EURATOM.  The European Parliament, consisting of 142 members, was established in March 1958, with Schuman as it first chairman.  Although in the Treaty of Rome direct elections were already promised, it would take 20 years before those took place in June 1979.  Before that, the members of the European Parliament were chosen by the national parliaments.

 

 

The success of the EEC encouraged the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark to join in 1973.  It was during this period that new policies were implemented, while the presence of the European Communities on the international scene became gradually stronger.

Despite the various economic problems, more and more countries expressed their desire to join the European Communities.  Greece was the tenth country to accede.  Agreement between Greece and the EEC had been signed in 1961, but the country’s European course was interrupted by a seven-year dictatorship.  Following the restoration of democracy, Greece applied for full membership in 1975.  The full Accession Treaty was finally signed in Athens in May 1979 and Greece officially became an EEC member on 1 January 1981.

In 1986 the Community welcomed two new countries form southern Europe, Spain and Portugal.  The EEC now had twelve members.

The Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty), signed on 10 December 1991, was a milestone in the course of European integration.  The twelve Member States decided on an ambitious plan that would lead to monetary union and the establishment of a single currency.  At the same time, a foreign and security policy was developed in order to strengthen the influence of the European Union internationally.

In 1986 the Single European Act (SEA) was signed.  Its aim was the completion of the common market no later than December 31 1992.  This changed the legislative procedure and brought the system of political co-operation in the field of foreign policy.  Furthermore, the economic and financial co-operation was strengthened.  

The Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 complemented the Maastricht Treaty by revising and strengthening the Union’s policies and instruments in fields such as employment and foreign policy.  Following the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1995, the European Union now had fifteen Member States.

In 1999, Economic and Monetary Union became a reality with the participation of eleven Member States.  Greece became the twelfth participant one-year later.  On 1 January 2002, a further major step was taken when the twelve Member States withdrew their national currencies and adopted the new common European currency, the Euro.

The Treaty of Nice, signed on 26 February 2001, entered into force on 1 February 2003. The Treaty of Nice, the former Treaty of the EU and the Treaty of the EC have been merged into one consolidated version.



Further changes will probably be made to the Treaties as a result of the Convention on the Future of Europe and of the Treaty on the Accession of 10 new Member States, which was signed on 16 April 2003 to enter into force on 1 May 2004.

However, the Union was soon to face another important challenge.  The restoration of democracy in countries of Central and Eastern Europe resulted in new applications for European Union membership.  The Union quickly perceived the necessity and significance of this new challenge.  Enlargement would secure both the formal and substantial unification of the greater part of the European continent, eliminating once and for all any remnants of division and antagonism from the post-war period.  However, drastic reforms would be necessary before the new members could be accepted into the Union.  A Union initially created for only six members would not be capable of functioning properly when its membership had quadrupled.

In October 2002, the European Commission recommended the conclusion of accession negotiations with ten countries: the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.  The European Council of Copenhagen, in December 2002, decided that those countries would join the European Union as members on May 1 2004.

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INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Five institutions govern the European Union;

  • Commission 
  • Parliament 
  • Council of Ministers 
  • Court of Justice 
  • Court of Auditors 

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The European Commission is at the very core of the European Union.  It is a supranational institution, which is independent of the national governments.  It proposes policies and legislation, is responsible for administration, ensures that the provisions of the Treaties and the decisions of the institutions are properly implemented, and drafts proposals for the further development of common policy.  The Commissioners, ...

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