The European Union

development and role

what did the European Union start out as (and when)?

the European Coal and Steel Community was established in 1952

this was a supranational organisation (had decision-making authority independent of its member states)

what did the ECSC become in 1958?

it became the EEC (European Economic Community) under the Treaty of Rome in 1957

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) began in 1962 and a customs union followed in 1968 when internal tariff barriers were removed and a common external tariff was created

what is enlargement (in this context)?

the expansion of the EU to include new member states

which countries joined the EEC after 1973?

UK, Ireland and Denmark in 1973

enlargement continued when Greece (1981) , Spain and Portugal (both 1986) also joined

what Act was agreed in 1985?

The Single Europeans Act came into force in 1987

what did the Single Europeans Act 1985 do?

created the single European Market and prompted a greater community role in social and regional policy

Unanimity was replaced by qualified majority voting on single market legislation

what is unanimity?

a voting arrangement in which all states must be in agreement for a proposal to be passed

what is qualified majority voting?

a voting arrangement in which proposals must wn a set number of votes (over 50%) to be approved

when was the Maastricht Treaty ?

agreed in 1991 but enforced in 1993

what did the Maastricht Treaty do?

it created the EU and set a timetable for economic and monetary union

(economic and monetary union-the creation of a single currency, central bank and common monetary policy)

also increased intergovernmental cooperation in foreign and security policy and in justice and home affairs

when was the Amsterdam Treaty?

agreed in 1997 but enforced in 1999

what did the Amsterdam Treaty do?

established an ‘area of freedom,security and justice’

when was an EMU established?

1999- 11 states abolished their national currencies and adopted the Euro

Eurozone had expanded to 19 states by 2016 (20 as of now)

when was the Nice treaty?

agreed in 2001 and enforced in 2003

what did the Nice treaty do?

created a European security and defence policy and introduced instituional reforms

which ten states (mainly Eastern European) joined in 2004?

Cyprus,Czech Republic,Estonia,Hungary,Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,Poland,Slovakia and Slovenia

Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 and Croatia in 2013

when was the Lisbon Treaty?

agreed in 2007 and enforced in 2009

what did the Lisbon Treaty do?

further reformed the EU institutions

where are the aims of the EU set out?

in article 3 of the EU Treaty

what are the EU’s six main aims?

• promoting peace and the EU values

• establishing a single EU market

• promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion

• establishing an economic and monetary Union

• establishing an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers

• combating discrimination and promoting equality

what are the EU values?

EU is founded on values of ‘human dignity, freedom, democracy, e quality, the rule of law and respect for human rights’

EU membership has helped embed liberal democracy in states that have recently been under authoritarian or communist rule

Eurosceptics claim that the EU has ignored popular concerns about integration- they believe that democracy is rooted in the nation state

what are Eurosceptics?

Someone who is critical of the extension of supranational authority in the EU and hostile to further integration

what is the single European market?

‘an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital is ensured’

what is the free movement of goods?

member states cannot impost duties or taxes on goods from another EU state, or directly discriminate against them

under ‘mutual recognition’: goods that meet minimum standards in one EU state can be freely traded in others.

physical barriers (e,g, border checks) removed

what is the free movement of services?

professionals, businesses and self-employed people can establish or offer their services across the EU

qualifications are recognised across all EU states

what is the free movement of people?

any national of an EU member state has the right to seek employment in another EU state without discrimination

what is the free movement of capital?

many restrictions on capital movements (e.g. buying on currency and foreign investment) between EU member states have been removed

what is the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion?

to reduce disparities between/within member states

Eu promotes employment, social protection and workers’ rights

poorer regions receive money from the EU structural funds

what is differentiated integration?

where states move at different speeds or towards different objectives

which countries opted out of the EMU?

UK and Denmark

by 2016, 19 of EU’s 28 states in the Eurozone

benefits of EMU

end to exchange rate uncertainty

eliminiation of transaction costs on cross-border trade.

disadvantages of EMU

also involves a loss of sovereignty as national governments give up control over their currency

ECB (European Central Bank) one size fits all policy on interest rates might not suit all states

how is the EU an area of freedom security and justice

in the border -free single market, EU citizens enjoy freedom of movement

requires measures on issues such as external border controls , asylum and immigration, criminal justice , policing and judicial cooperation

how has the EU worked to combat discrimination and promote equality?

the EU has created new rights for citizens.

EU citizenship applies to citizens of member states

discrimination against EU citizens on the grounds of their nationality is prohibited

EU charter of fundamental rights was proclaimed in 2000-became legally binding in the Lisbon Treaty