1. & the Euro – a historical overview
THE EUROPEAN UNION
& the Euro – a historical overview

2. Celebrating the European Union: A Half Century of Change and Progress
Since the creation of the EU half a century ago, Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history.
European political integration is unprecedented in history.
EU enlargement has helped overcome the division of Europe – contributing to peace, prosperity, and stability across the continent.
A single market and a common currency conditions for companies and consumers.
European Union
United in diversity

3. What is the European Union?
Shared values: liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
Largest economic body in the world.
A unique institution – Member States voluntarily cede national sovereignty in many areas to carry out common policies and governance.
Not a super-state to replace existing states, nor just an organization for international cooperation.
World’s largest & most open market for goods and commodities from developing countries. 27
Member States
Combined population of
EU Member States
490
million 7
Percent of world’s
population
Percent of
global GDP 30
Percent of combined
worldwide Official
Development Assistance 55

4. Regional Integration (Theory)
􀂄 From Free Trade Area: the elimination of tariffs
for goods and services within region
(NAFTA)
􀂄 via Customs Union: an FTA with a common
external tariff (EEC)
􀂄 to Single Market/Economic Union:
eliminating all tariff and non-tariff barriers
Freedom of goods, services, labor and capital
“Harmonization” of regulation
May also have common currency (euro)

5. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso
EU Institutions
European Commission
27 Commissioners, representing the European perspective, each responsible for a specific policy area.
EU’s executive branch proposes legislation, manages Union’s day-to-day business and budget, and enforces rules.
Negotiates trade agreements and manages Europe’s multilateral development cooperation.
Council of the European Union
EU’s main decision-making body, comprised of ministers of 27 Member States, representing Member State’s point of view.
Decides on foreign policy issues.
Council presidency rotates among Member States every six months (changes soon: EU President)
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso

6. European Parliament in session
EU Institutions
European Parliament
Voice of European citizens – members elected across EU for 5-year terms.
With the Council, passes EU laws and adopts EU budgets (‘co-decision’ rights)
Approves/Supervises EU Commissioners.
European Court of Justice
Highest EU judicial authority
Ensures all EU laws are interpreted and applied correctly and uniformly.
Can act as an independent policy maker/over-rules national law, only in (econ, agricultural) matters covered by the Treaties.
European Parliament in session

7. European Coal and Steel Community
1951:
European Coal and Steel Community
In the aftermath of World War II, the aim was to secure peace among Europe’s victorious and vanquished nations and bring them together as equals, cooperating within shared institutions.
Based on a plan by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.
Six founding countries – Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – signed a treaty to run heavy industries (coal and steel) under common management.
Jean Monnet and other leaders with
the first “European” ingot of steel

8. 1957:
Treaty of Rome
The six founding countries expanded cooperation to other economic sectors, creating the European Economic Community (EEC) – or “common market.”
As a result, people, goods, services, and capital today move freely across the Union.
Britain left out, formed EFTA instead
1960s: Common Agricultural Policy
Signing of the Treaty of Rome

9. 1951
Founding Members
Belgium
France
Germany
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands

10. 1973
Denmark
Ireland
United Kingdom
Economic stagnation
&
‘Eurosclerosis’

11. 1981
Greece
1986
Portugal
Spain

12. Single European Act & Maastricht Treaty
Jacques Delors and the SEA (1986)
Single Market by 1992
Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)
End of Cold War ( ) and Maastricht Treaty (1991/3)
Single currency in 3 steps by 1999:
CFSP (Common Foreign & Security Policy)
Three pillar structure: Eur econ. Policies, CFSP and Justice & Home Affairs

13. 1995
Austria
Finland
Sweden

14. 2004
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia

15. 2007
Bulgaria
Romania

16. Candidate Countries Potential
Croatia
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Turkey
Potential
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Montenegro
Serbia including Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244

17. The €uro
With German reunification, EMU presents opportunity to tie a unified Germany to the EU by creating common ‘bandwidth’ of currency fluctuations & deciding which countries can take part (by 1998) (Stage 1)
Jan 1, 1999 =launch of currency at $ and ECB creation (Stage 2)
Final money intro/circulation on Jan 1, 2002 (Stage 3)
Reduces cost of business/transaction costs, reduces exchange rate risks, but also reduces national monetary flexibility
The euro is as stable as the best-performing currencies previously used in the euro area countries (currently: too high, making EU products expensive as compared to US) €

18. United in Diversity - The €uro

19. The euro was introduced in 1999
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro.
The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area.
The euro area comprises currently the 16 EU countries that have introduced the euro since 1999.
The ECB operates independently from Member State governments (supervised by ECB board members from nat. central banks)
The euro was introduced in 1999

20. Addressing Global Challenges
Trade
European Commission represents all 27 EU Member States before the World Trade Organization.
Supports free trade and open markets, within the rules-based structure of the WTO, to promote growth and jobs in both industrialized and developing countries.
The world's most open market for products and commodities from developing countries – 40% of all EU imports are from developing countries.

21. A Dynamic Transatlantic Economy
EU and U.S. together account for 40% of total global trade (more than $1.5 billion in transatlantic trade every day).
The $3 trillion EU-U.S. transatlantic economy employs 14 million workers on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 2005, Europe accounted for roughly two-thirds of total global investment flows into the U.S. – by far the most significant source of foreign investment in the U.S. economy.