FORMATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

BACKGROUND LEAD- IN TO ROLE OF STATE

ACCORDING TO SEN…

“the movement for European unification began as a crusade for political unity, rather than for financial unification and a common currency”

BUT WHAT ARE OTHER REASONS?

Security Threats Economic incentives Post-War vision

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE SCHUMAN PLAN? As the Schuman Plan says: “world peace can only be safeguarded if constructive efforts are made proportionate to the dangers which threaten it…Europe will not be made all at once, nor according to a single, general plan. It will be formed by taking measures which work primarily to bring about real solidarity. The gathering of the European nations requires the elimination of the age old opposition of France and Germany…by pooling basic production and by creating a new high authority whose decisions will be binding on France, Germany and the other countries that may subsequently join, these proposals will lay the first concrete foundation for a European Federation which is so indispensable to the preservation of peace” (Schuman Plan, 1950)

How realistic do these goals seem in retrospect?

FIRST STEPS:

European Coal and Steel Community

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placed Franco and German coal and steel production under a common “High Authority” in growing Europe’s economy.

SLOWLY MORE POLICY AREAS ADDED

Including health, safety and consumer standards.

But in order to combat economic stagnation, they added more states to expand the size of the community…6+3 in 1973+5 more successive enlargements… Now have 27 member states in the EU!

SEA: SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT

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1987: most important step to deepen the integration process, this act established the goal of completing a single market by end of 1992. Meant there was a complicated process of removing physical, fiscal, and technical barriers to trade harmonized national standards of health varying levels of taxation eliminate barriers of people

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

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EU

Even before this Single European Act goal was completed, the European Community became the EU when the Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992. This meant that members committed themselves not only as an economic union, but a political one as well, establishing common foreign and defense policies, a single currency, and a regional central bank.

PROBLEMS/OPPONEN TS TO EU?

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Fear of a diminution of national sovereignty

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Reluctant to surrender democratic rights

PRINCIPLE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EU In the EU's unique institutional set-up: the EU's broad priorities are set by the European Council, which brings together national and EU-level leaders directly elected MEPs represent European citizens in the European Parliament the interests of the EU as a whole are promoted by the European Commission, whose members are appointed by national governments governments defend their own countries' national interests in the Council of the European Union.

http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/index_en.htm

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

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Should member states continue to deepen the range of cooperation? Should members try to reduce the tensions that develop when members split over foreign policy?

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Where does this integration end? What is needed to form a more cohesive organization?

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In the end, is the presence and establishment of the EU more positive or negative for Europe as a whole?