European Union

The European Union has gone through many incarnations since its origins fifty-seven years ago.

Reichstag, 1945 Frankfurter Allee, 1945 A Climate for Radical Change:

A Climate for Radical Change: Rotterdam, 1940

A Climate for Radical Change: London 1940

The European Union is based on the rule of law and democracy. It is neither a new State replacing existing ones nor is it comparable to other international organizations. Its Member States delegate sovereignty to common institutions representing the interests of the Union as a whole on questions of joint interest. All decisions and procedures are derived from the basic treaties ratified by the Member States.

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states , located primarily in Europe . It was established in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht , adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community . With almost 500million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product ( US$ 16.6 trillion) in 2007.

The Single Market

Based on Four Freedoms:

Free movement of goods;

Free movement of capital;

Free movement of persons;

Free movement of services.

GDP boosted by nearly 900 billion over 10 year period 1992-2002 (over $1 trillion) and 2.5 million jobs created from the single market alone.

France

West Germany

Italy

Belgium

Netherlands

Luxembourg

To continue to improve Europes economy by

regulating trade and commerce.

To form a single market for Europe's

economic resources.

As these goals were accomplished, other

goals were developed:

Environmental movements

Regulatory acts

Human rights concerns.

Establish European Citizenship

Ensure freedom, security, and justice

Promote economic and social progress

Assert Europes role in the world

Neighborhood Policy: invites our neighbors to the East and to the South to share in the peace, stability and prosperity

Development:

Donating to more than 160 countries

Leading donor for emergency & humanitarian aid

Goals: poverty reduction, long-term development, institution building

Strong supporter of effective

multilateralism: active role in WTO, UN, G8

Trade: the European Union's 25 members represent just 7% of the world's population, but they account for more than a fifth of global imports and exports.

1950 2008 April 1951 European Coal and Steel Community French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman and French Businessman Jean Monnet I. A Brief History of the European Union

March 1957 Rome Treaties European Economic Community (EEC) European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1973 United Kingdom, Ireland and Demark I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1981 Greece I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1986 Spain and Portugal I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008 Same year: the Single European Act was signed, revising the Treaty of Rome and re-launching European integration

1992 Deadline for completing the single market (Dec. 31, 1992) I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1992

The Maastricht Treaty was ratified, which rechartered the EC as the European Union .

1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1993 Maastricht Treaty 1 2 3 TREATIES I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008 Treaty of European Union Established 3 pillars of Cooperation : Economic, Political, Judicial

1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

1999 EURO launched I. A Brief History of the European Union 1950 2008

European Court of Justice 25 judges European Parliament 732 members European Commission 25 Commissioners European Council 15 Heads of State or government and the President of the Commission Council of the EU 15 ministers European Court of Justice 15 ministers European Parliament 626 members European Commission 20 Commissioners European Investment Bank European Central Bank Court of Auditors 25 members Committee of The Regions 317 members Econ. & Social Committee 317 members European Council 25 Heads of State or government and the President of the Commission Council of the EU 25 ministers

European Commission Council of the EU European Parliament

Legislative Powers (with Parliament)

Co-ordinate economic policies

External agreements

Approves EU budget (with Parliament)

Common Foreign and

Security Policy (CFSP)

Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)

Council of the EU session

Members elected every 5 years

625 members as of July 2003

Three essential functions:

Legislate laws along w/ Council

Budget authority along w/ Council

Supervision of Commission

Composed of the head of each member country (Prime Minster/President, etc) & the President of the EU Commission

1 Minister acts as President, rotating twice yearly

2 meetings a year, in Presidents country

Main decision making body of the EU

Responsibilities

Legislation & budgetary policies along w/ Parliament

Economic policies

International agreements

Embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union.

20 members: 1 President, 2 vice-Presidents & 17 Commissioners

Elected every 5 years by the Member States after they have been approved by the European Parliament.

As the EUs executive body, it:

Drafts legislation for Parliament & Council; Implements legislation

Guardian of treaties, along with Court of Justice

Represents EU internationally

Manages the 15 EU agencies

Proposes legislation to Parliament and the Council.

Manages and implements EU policies and the budget.

Enforces European law (with the Court of Justice).

Represents the EU in external relations

European Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso

President is appointed

(not elected) by the

EU Council for a 5-year

term and confirmed

by Parliament.

15 judges and 8 advocate generals appointed

by member states for 6 year terms.

The Court of Justice ensures that Community

law is uniformly interpreted and effectively applied.

It has jurisdiction in disputes involving Member States, EU institutions, businesses and individuals

Brussels, Belgium

Selected as the headquarters of the European Union because of its centralized location in Europe.

1. Enlargement:

* Ten countries joined the EU in 2004, making 27 countries total.

2. The Euro:

*The Common Currency for the EU Countries.

3. Multilingualism:

*20 official languages (as of 2004) for 27 countries.

4. Openness, Access and Transparency:

* How to get the documents to the people?

5. Safety & security of Europe:

*Against terrorism.

country - date of EU application

Cyprus - 3 July 1990

Malta - 16 July 1990

Hungary - 31 March 1994

Poland - 5 April 1994

Slovakia - 27 June 1995

Latvia - 13 October 1995

Estonia - 24 November 1995

Lithuania - 8 December 1995

Czech Republic - 17 January 1996

Slovenia - 10 June 1996

country - date of EU application

Turkey - 14 April 1987

Croatia - 2003

27 CURRENT EU COUNTRIES

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Cyprus

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

The Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

Norway has never been a member of the EU, but is partners with EU for certain economic reasons.

Their economy has historically been very good and they had no desire to merge with lesser economies.

As of 2002, the Norwegian economy began to decline. There is a now a developing majority of Norwegian that want Norway to join the EU.

Switzerland has

never been a

member of the EU,

but is partners

with EU for certain

economic reasons.

Switzerland

Just joined

UN in 2002.

Swiss Government want Switzerland to join for

economic reasons but the Swiss people continue to

vote against joining the EU.

The euro Europe's new single currency - represents the consolidation and culmination of European economic integration.

Its introduction on January 1, 1999, marked the final phase of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), a three-stage process that was launched in 1990 as EU member states prepared for the 1992 single market.

1990: Aimed at boosting cross-border business activity, the first stage of EMU lifted restrictions on movements of capital across internal EU borders.

1994: The European Monetary Institute was established in Frankfurt to pave the way for the European Central Bank.

1999: the Euro was introduced as the single currency for eleven EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

1999-2002: The Euro and the previous national currencies were concurrently used in participating states.

2002: The participating countries had their previous national currencies withdrawn permanently as legal tender.

EU member states not yet using the Euro as currency: Denmark, Greece, Sweden, United Kingdom

European Union

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