The European Union

Nation

A group of people with a shared identity, common culture, shared language, religion, customs, ethnicity

1945

The end of the world wars - Europe was divided and in economic despair

Truman Doctrine

Western countries received 7.62 billion by the USA in order to cover their market deficit and to maintain free market and elections, restart to live after a war

Free movement of 4 things…

People, money, goods, serices

The European Steel and Coal Community 1952

• Was an international organization that united six European countries to manage and trade coal and steel together without imports

• France and Germany had factories and coal

• Italy was going to open frontiers

• Could not build and use weapons for war against one another

Federalism

United States - power is divided between a central national government and smaller local goverments

Functionalism

• The idea that something should be understood by what it does rather than what it is made of

• Starting an integration process step-by-step

NATO 1949

A political and military alliance of 32 countries from Europe and North America which protects by use of military

Article 5 of NATO

An attack against one member nation is considered an attack against all of them

Copenhagen Summit 2002

• Completed the formal entry negotiations for 10 new countries to join the EU

• Established a mass market

• The countries admitted had to prove that they met the “Copenhagen Criteria”

• Officially joined in 2004

The language question

The debates on whether the EU should adopt a lingua franca

The Lisbon Treaty 2007

• Amended the Masstricht and Rome treaties

• Created a president

• Gave a voice to foreign policy

• Gave power to parliament

• Article 50: gives any member country a legal way to leave the EU

Masstricht Treaty 1992

• officially created the European Union

• Introduced the euro

• Established EU citizenship - travel, work, vote

Treaty of Rome 1957

• Created the European Economic Community

• Built the foundation for the modern EU

• Goal: unite European countries and prevent future wars

The Council of Ministers

• one government minister for each member state

• negotiates and makes laws

• chaired by a rotating 6-month presidency held by each EU member state

• Mostly votes by majority or unanimity for sensitive areas

The European Council

• Head of state or governments plus the European Council and Commission presidents

• Sets the general political direction and priorities

• Led by a president for 2.5 years

• Unanimity

Vote of Confidence

a formal vote or an action that shows people still support a leader, a government, or a decision

European Commission

• Acts in the interest of the Union, not the state

• Implements the laws and policies

• The EU’s executive branch

• 27 Commissioners

• Handles trade agreements and international relations

Unlike the council of ministers, which makes its decision by unanimity in some policy areas, by a complicated “qualified majority rule” adopted in the early 2000s, in others, the European Council always votes….

by unanimity

The admission of the candidate member states from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin in the EU was regulated by

the Copenhagen criteria

Each of the European Commissioners is supposed to act

in the sole interest of the Union

The main function of the Commission is

to initiate and implement the policies and the laws of the Union

Since the establishment of European Communities in the late 1950s, the main function of the Council of Ministers has been

to make the laws necessary for the building and the maintenance of the Common Market