Transcript The Founding of the European Union

The Founding of the
European Union
Historical overview of the European
integration project
Inter war years
Preservation of peace and security
 An overall political authority to
manage European conflicts
 Federalism: a liberal intellectual
current
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War years
Crisis of nation state system (balance
of power)
 Crisis of the state (invasion /
collaboration / ideological division)
 Anti-Nazi resistance: break with
nationalism
 Reconstruction of politics through a
European federal state
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Post-war
Practical co-ordination of
reconstruction
 Integration of defeated states
 Need security system for western
Europe
 New emphasis on economic
modernisation and living standards
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Solutions
French-German co-operation /
integration
 Contain Germany in an integrated
Europe
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Federalists: promote federal ideal, a
popular movement
The UK
Churchill had proposed Anglo-French
Union in 1940 ad suggested a United
States of Europe with common
institutions and military
 1946 in Zurich, Churchill: European
project should be based around
France and Germany, not Britain
 Britain was ‘with Europe but not of it’
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The Founding Fathers
Jean MONNET – French
businessman and Planning Minister
 Robert SCHUMANN – French Foreign
Minister
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Committed to federal vision, but also
practical politics and specific forms of
integration
European Coal and Steel
Community (ECSC)
1951 Treaty of Paris: unifies coal and
steel industries of France and
Germany. Economic integration for
the prevention of conflict.
 Joined by Italy and the Benelux
countries
 4 common institutions: High Authority;
Council of Ministers; Assembly; Court

Extension of integration:
1950s
1952 European Defence Community
proposed but rejected by UK and
France
 1954: Western European Union for
military cooperation
 1955: Spaak Report proposes a
Customs Union to further integration
 1957: Goal of Common Market
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Treaty of Rome (1957)
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The ‘six’ create the European
Economic Community (EEC) and the
European Atomic Energy Community
(Euratom) through signing the
Treaties of Rome. They came into
effect on 1 January 1958.
Key developments
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1965: French boycott establishes national
veto
1973: First enlargement – Denmark, Ireland
and the UK join
1979: European Parliament becomes
directly elected by universal suffrage
1981: Accession of Greece
1986: Accession of Spain and Portugal
Single European Act (1986)
Timetable and implementation
provisions for Single European Market
 EEC becomes EC
 Some additional powers for
Parliament
 Formalised Qualified Majority Voting
 Considered the ‘relaunch’ of Europe
after ‘Eurosclerosis’ of 1970s
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Treaty on European Union
(1992)
Maastricht Treaty, into effect 1 November
1993
 Created 3 pillar system:
Supranational Pillar I: EMU, the Treaties
Intergovernmental Pillar II: Common Foreign
and Security Policy (CFSP)
Intergovernmental Pillar III: Justice and Home
Affairs (JHA)
Established European citizenship
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From 6 to 27
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1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden accede
to EU (Norway no in referendum)
1997: Treaty of Amsterdam
2000: Treaty of Nice – institutional reform
for enlargement
2002: Launch of single currency
2004: Enlargement to the East
2005: Constitution for Europe
2007 Bulgaria and Romania join