Supra-nationalism & the European Union

yellow = important stuff

European Union (EU)

  • 1950 - Robert Schumann proposed European countries share resources to build peaceful cooperative relationships

  • 1951 - European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was created (6 countries), then created the European Council

    • head of states discuss issues/possible policies, trade blocs

  • 1952 - European Parliament (legislative), European Commission (executive)

  • 1957 - European Economic Community (EEC)

European Commission

  • 27 commissioners, known as the college, propose legislation

    • eg. commissioner for anti-muslim and anti-semetic hate

    • appointed every 5 years (by council)

    • 56 department agencies, range of focus areas

EU Parliament

  • Directly elected by voters in all member states

  • Together with council, Parliament is responsible for adopting EU legislation, act ac equal legislators

  • MEP’s (Members of European Parliament) oversee the work for the EU institutions

EU Council

  • EU’s overall political direction and priorities

  • Heads of state or gov’t of the 27 EU members states, plus presidents of the European Council and the European Commission meet at least 4 times a year

  • “EU Summits” - European Building

Customs Union

  • Where all obstacles of free movement of goods and services are removed, and a common external tariff is agreed to

EU is Very Unique (she’s different like that)

  • EU successfully pressured Serbia to hand over Ratko Mladic, leader in the Srebrenica Genocide against Bosnian Muslims

  • Treaties took it from a bloc trade, to a customs union, to the first org. in the world with a common currency (Euro), free movement of people (common market), common governance, and supranational citizenship

    • Euro-Citizenship = supranational citizenship

    • Common Market - union or partners with free movement of goods, services, labour and capital

      • EU citizens can move freely, live, work, and have access to all social services in any EU member country

  • Schengen Agreement - opened borders in the EU creating a common market

  • EU provides humanitarian aid

    • 2021 - 1.4 billion Euros (2,069,480,000 CAD) for foreign aid

Changes to Europe

  • Supranationalism in Western Europe (EU)

    • Thinking collectively

  • Due to ethnic nationalism in Eastern Europe (fractionalization and secession with the collapse of the USSR) many of those who seceded joined the EU

  • Brexit in 2021

    • Britain left EU due to ethnic nationalism and desire for full sovereignty over issues impacting them