Mar 29, 2015
EU-15: The
existing Member States…
…and 13 Candidate countries
Map: European Commission
• 1958 - Customs Union Common Market
• 1992 - Single Market• 1993 - European Union• 1999 - Eurozone• 20?? – Political union?
What is the EU?
• Economic aims prevail in founding treaties
• Majority of Community legislation and Commission powers initially in economic areas
• Major projects are often of an economic nature: Common Market, Euro, etc
• ECSC economic in nature, but politically motivated• Treaty of Rome calls for “an ever closer Union” between the peoples of Europe: politically motivated• Maastricht Treaty added dimension of Political Union• EU constitution debate• Economic integration as a means to an end, not an end in itself
Economic or Political?
Political integration as a spill-over from economic integration Primary aim of European integration: safeguard peace and prosperity in Europe
• Framework for cooperation• Rules - decided by States• EU on the world stage
• Foreign and Defence policy
• Common policies• Community legislation • Single Market and EMU• Regional and structural funding • EC – EU
What does the EU do?
374.2
301
268
126.2
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
EU-15 Eurozone USA Japan
Population(million inhabitants)
323620
937260
37780
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
900000
1000000
EU-15 USA Japan
Surface areain 1000 ha
Share of world GDP (in %)
20
218
23
49
Rest of the WorldEU-15
Eurozone
JapanUSA
GDP per capita(at market prices PPS)
21200
24770
2287421131
EU-15
Eurozone
Japan
USA
19.118.2
16.3
23.1
9.8
6.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
EU-15 USA Japan
ExportsImports
Share of world trade in %
3120
1560
1040
520
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Mill
ion
€
EU total Phare ISPA SAPARD
Financial assistance for Central and Eastern Europe
(Pre-accession assistance)*
* EC programmes excluding bilateral aid
• Common Policies (e.g. agricultural, social, commercial, environmental, competition, development, etc.)
• Monetary Union• Citizenship of the Union
• All areas of foreign policy• European Security and Defence Policy
• Asylum and Immigration• External border control• Judicial cooperation• Police cooperation and Europol
European Community
Common Foreign and
Security Policy
Justice and Home Affairs
European Union
• End of World War II– Marshall aid for Europe linked to the condition of international
cooperation in Europe
• 1950: Schuman Plan– France and Germany pool their coal and steel resources under a
single supranational framework: European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
• New markets for German heavy industry • More coal and steel supply for France• Joint control of war-relevant branches industry increased transparency
and reduced mutual fear
– Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg joined, too– “High Authority” of the ECSC predecessor of today’s
Commission
• 1952-54: European Defence Community fails to materialise, but economic cooperation succeeds
History of European Integration
• 1958: The Founding Treaties– Success of ECSC prompts members to extend cooperation to all areas of the
economy– Treaty establishing the European Economic Community
• Creation of a customs union and, subsequently, a single market by 1970– Euratom: Cooperation in matters of nuclear energy– ECSC Treaty continuedCreation of the European Economic Community (EEC)
• 1968: Werner plan suggests monetary union by 1980• 1969: The Hague summit
• Council confirms extraordinary success in setting up common market, further integration decided
• 1973: First enlargement: the UK, Ireland and Denmark join the EEC
• 1973/4: Economic crisis, EEC development in stagnation, plans for monetary union abandonned
History of European Integration
• 1974: European Council begins to meet informally, European Political Cooperation launched to coordinate foreign policies (outside the Treaty Framework)
• 1979: European Monetary System and Exchange Rate Mechanism set up• 1979: First direct election of the European Parliament• 1981: Second enlargement: Greece joins EEC• 1981-85: Revival of European integration dynamics: Genscher-Colombo
plan, Solemn declaration on European Unity, Spinelli draft Treaty on European Union
• 1984: Fontainebleau Council resolves British budget crisis: “I want my money back” (Margaret Thatcher)
• 1985: Commission White Paper on “Completing the Single Market” suggests some 300 measures to be implemented by 1992
• 1985: Schengen agreement (abolishing border controls within EEC) • 1985: Delors Commission takes office• 1986: Third enlargement: Spain and Portugal join the EEC
History of European Integration
• 1986: First Treaty revision: the Single European Act– Creation of the European Community by merging the three separate
Communities– Formal recognition of European Council as EC institution– First mention of foreign policy competence for EC– More powers for the European Parliament
• 1989: European Council lays basis for monetary union• 1989-91: Iron curtain opened, revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe
and German re-unification change political and security situation in Europe almost overnight,
• 1990-91: EC opts for “widening before deepening”: Two Intergovernmental Conferences prepare moves towards monetary and political union and conclude by signing the Maastricht Treaty
• 1991: First “Europe Agreements” signed with Central and Eastern European Countries, all of which applied for EU membership between 1990 and 1996
• 1992: Single Market virtually completed
History of European Integration
• 1993: Maastricht Treaty enters into force – European Union – Monetary Union– Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)– Cooperation in Home and Justice Affairs– European Parliament gains co-decision and blocking powers
• 1994: European Monetary Institute begins operating • 1995: Fourth enlargement: Sweden, Finland and Austria join the EU• 1995: New Commission under Jacques Santer• 1995: Schengen agreement enters into force between 7 countries• 1997: Amsterdam Treaty signed
– Institutional reform largely postponed– Amendment and extension of procedures for CFSP– New IGC before wide enlargement
• 1998: Accession negotiations opened with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia
• 1998: European Central Bank operational, participants of EMU identified
History of European Integration
• 1999: Final stage of monetary union: Euro introduced and exchange rates fixed between 11 participating countries.
• 1999: Santer Commission resigns over maladministration scandals• 1999: Berlin European Council agrees financing arrangements for 2000 – 2006
(Agenda 2000), allowing for the possibility of eastern enlargement. Romano Prodi invited to head new Commission
• 1999: Helsinki Council decides to open accession negotiations with remaining candidate countries
• 2000: Lisbon European Council sets aim of becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world
• 2000: Nice Treaty– Institutional arrangements for an enlarged EU– Important issues left unresolved and to be dealt with during the “post-Nice process”
• 2001: Greece becomes 12th country to participate in EMU• 2001: Ireland rejects ratification of Nice Treaty• 2001: EU decides to strengthen justice and police cooperation after 11 September• 2001: Laeken European Council adopts Declaration on the future of Europe and
convenes a Convention on the Future of Europe• 2002: Monetary Union completed: Euro coins and notes introduced
History of European Integration