Transcript The History of European Integration. European Community

The History of European Integration.
European Community From 1945 to 1985
Europe after the War
Great economic and social dislocation
World War II
force of nationalism in Europe
moves towards a consensual approach to European unity.
• The ideology of a European federation – EUF(1946)
May, 1948 the Hague Congress - The Council of Europe
(1949)
• Cold War - crucial fact
Marshal Plan ( aid should be developed among European
states jointly not separately) – Economic integration.
The first post-war
governments, although interested in
European cooperation and integration, were more
concerned with economic issues than with European
integration.
The Schuman Plan for Coal and Steel Community
• May 1950 - French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman:
"Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole be placed
under a common High Authority, within the framework of an
organization open to the participation of the other countries of
Europe."
• Six founding countries – Belgium, the Federal Republic of
Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands –
signed a treaty to run heavy industries (coal and steel) under
common management “to make war not only unthinkable but
materially impossible”
• It was devised by Jean Monnet “…to complete integration of the
West European economy, eliminate the possibility of another war
and ensure continued access for the French steel industry.
The treaty of Paris, which established ECSC, was signed on
18th April 1951.
The Road to the Rome Treaties
October 24th, 1950 - EDC (European Defense Community) “Pleven Plan” were
proposed by the French PM Rene Pleven; devised by Jean Monnet.
The treaty was signed 27 may 1952 – creation of European army
• Draft plan for EPC (European Political Community) – 1953
The EPC collapsed with the failure of the French National Assembly to ratify the
EDC in August 1954.
•
Despite this the integration was re-launched in 1955.
Messina negotiations
Monnet proposed extending the ECSC model to other forms of energy,
especially atomic energy, and transport.
Common market proposal
The Treaties of Rome (1957)
• Involved compromises between Germany and France
• The six founding countries expanded cooperation to other economic sectors,
creating the European Economic Community (EEC) – or “common market.”
• As a result, people, goods, services, and capital today move freely across the
Union.
• Britain left out, formed EFTA instead
• EURATOM: shared nuclear energy research
• 1960s: Common Agricultural Policy
The EEC 1958-1967
• 1958-1963 the EEC Commission under the presidency of Walter
Hallstein was very proactive in promoting integration.
• Agreement to accelerate the timetable for creating a customs
union between member-states.
• Crisis in 1963 (President de Gaulle rejected the British application
for membership) and 1965 (De Gaulle rejected to increase the
budgetary powers of the EPA, which was linked from proposal to
give EEC its own financial resources)
• The crisis precipitated a crisis of confidence in the Commission.
• It was resolved by Luxemburg Compromise, which concluded
the “empty chair” crisis of 1965.
• The agreement stated that in cases of the vital national interest
of one of the member states, the Council would aim to find a
consensus solution, thus creating a de facto veto right.
The Emergence of Summits
The Hague Summit (1969)
• declared the objectives of completion, deepening and
widening;
• opened the way for the admission of new members to the
EC;
• agreed to seek new initiatives in policy cooperation (EPC),
especially economic and monetary union (EMU)
The practice of summitry was institutionalized by the
establishment of the European Council in 1974, and would
be held three times each year.
The creation of the European Council symbolized a
profoundly intergovernmental period in the history of
European integration.
1960-1973 Two non-overlapping circles
IS
EFTA-7
NL
B
F
D
L
N
I
GR
DK
UK
EEC-6
IRL
E
FIN
S
A
P
CH
•EEC-6 was a custom union
•EFTA-7 was a free trade area
The European Community into the 1980s
• Roy Jenkins, a prominent British Politician, became
president of Commission and strengthen it.
• 1978 - launching of the European Monetary System (EMS).
• The Mediterranean enlargements (after difficult period of
negotiations, the accession of Greece in 1979, Portugal
and Spain in 1985)
Serious problem – British budget rebate
Moves to revive:
• Commission plans for freeing the internal market began to
win over national governments.
• The resolution of the British budgetary question at
Fontainebleau allowed on both the internal market and
institutional reforms.
The Single European Act
1985 Commission under the presidency of Jacques
Delors - “dynamic leadership”
February 1986 – Single European Act (SEA) – the key
moment in the history of integration.
 Completion of the internal market;
 The idea to create "an area without internal frontiers
in which the free movement of goods, persons,
services and capital is ensured“;
 Important institutional changes, especially move to
majority voting on Single Market issues.
Q&A
• What do you was the role of the revival between
Germany and France in integration development?
• Why was the Britain not initially involved in the
ECSC?
Thank you!