Introduction to the European Union – History of European Integration (Week 2)

Context after World War II

• Post-WWII Western European nations focused on economic reconstruction and preventing conflict, driven by nationalism.

• Cold War threat emphasized security and reconciliation, particularly between France and Germany.

• This set the stage for deeper European integration.

Early backdrop and key actors

• Major early players: France (destabilized), Germany (destroyed, occupied), Italy (devastated), UK (shrinking global power), Benelux (vulnerable), Iberian states (authoritarian).

• This shaped motivations for economic pooling and political integration.

Schuman Declaration and the ECSC

• Schuman Declaration (1950): Proposed placing French and West German coal/steel production under a single authority.

• Signed: 1951 (Treaty of Paris); ECSC began: 1952.

• Six original members: France, West ext{ }Germany, the ext{ }Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy.

• First President of the High Authority: Jean ext{ }Monnet.

• Aim: Create a productive unit making war between France and Germany materially impossible.

The Schuman Declaration – text and significance

• Emphasized world peace through concrete efforts, building Europe via de facto solidarity.

• Franco-German coal/steel pooling would lay foundations for economic development and integration, making war unthinkable.

The role of Jean Monnet

• French civil servant and economist who favored planned, Europe-wide supranational institutions to drive growth and integration.

Significance of the ECSC institutions

• Formed an embryonic institutional framework for the EU.

• Key institutions: "High Authority" (executive), Common Assembly, Special Council of Ministers, Court of Justice.

• The High Authority/Commission became the motor of integration.

The 1957 Treaty framework: EEC and Euratom

• 1957: Creation of two new communities:

  • European Economic Community (EEC).

  • European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

• Institutional pathways: Separate Commissions; shared Parliamentary Assembly and European Court of Justice (ECJ).

• 12-year plan aimed at: Common market, customs union, eliminating trade barriers.

• France pushed for majority voting in the Council of Ministers.

• Treaties of Rome, 1957, formalized these arrangements.

Early years (1958–1963) and leadership

• EEC, under Commission President Walter ext{ }Hallstein, became dominant, achieving common market and agricultural policy objectives.

• Euratom lagged behind.

1961 UK application and the de Gaulle veto (1963)

• 1961: UK, under PM Harold ext{ }Macmillan, applied for EEC membership.

• Charles ext{ }de ext{ }Gaulle vetoed it in 1963 due to concerns about UK's potential alternative leadership and French dominance.

The 1965 empty chair crisis and the Luxembourg Compromise

• “Empty chair crisis” (1965): France withdrew from the Council of Ministers over Commission proposals for agricultural funding and Qualified Majority Voting (QMV).

• Luxembourg Compromise: Governments retained veto rights for vital national interests, temporarily abandoning QMV.

Lessons: History and context matter

• History and context are crucial for understanding integration and institutional design, particularly the balance of power and various policy roles.

The 1970s and 1980s: a new phase

• 1973: UK joins the European Community (EC).

• Leadership changes (Georges ext{ }Pompidou, Valéry ext{ }Giscard ext{ d'Estaing}, Helmut ext{ }Schmidt).

• Economic shocks (oil crisis, stagflation) led to reorientation towards integration as a stabilizing framework.

Key developments in the 1980s

• 1985: Schengen Agreement (removed border controls).

• 1985: Jacques ext{ }Delors becomes Commission President.

• 1986: Single European Act (SEA): Set objective of a single market by end of 1992; increased European Parliament power; extended QMV.

• 1989: Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers.

• Further enlargement: Greece (1981), Spain and Portugal (1986).

Maastricht and the birth of the European Union (1992)

• 1992: Maastricht Treaty signed, creating the European Union.

• Three signature projects: A single currency (Economic and Monetary Union), a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs.

• Introduced European citizenship.

The Maastricht framework: three pillars

• European Community (supranational): Economic, regulatory, social policies.

• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) (intergovernmental): Foreign policy and security coordination.

• Justice and Home Affairs (intergovernmental): Cooperation in crime, asylum, immigration.

• Expanded rights for EU citizens; set convergence criteria for monetary union.

• Parliament gained power, including veto over Commissioners.

Reflections on continuity and change

• Key questions: How has the EU changed/remained the same since 1957? What is its purpose? Does it meet objectives? What comes next?

Key dates and numbers (for quick reference)

• End of WWII: 1945

• Schuman declaration: 1950; Treaty of Paris: 1951; ECSC began: 1952

• Six original ECSC members: 6

• Treaties of Rome (EEC/Euratom): 1957

• UK application: 1961; De Gaulle veto: 1963

• Empty chair crisis: 1965

• UK joins EC: 1973

• Schengen Agreement: 1985

• Single European Act (SEA): 1986

• Maastricht Treaty (EU formation): 1992

• Enlargements: Greece (1981), Spain/Portugal (1986).

• Key shifts: From intergovernmental to supranational features; gradual deepening of integration.