1. The European Union

2. Facts Supranational organization = transcends national borders
27 members
Single currency = Euro

3. The European Union: 493 million people – 27 countries
Member states of the European Union
Candidate countries

4. 23 official languages

5. History 1952 The European Steel and Coal Community
1958 The treaties of Rome:
The European Economic Community
The European Atomic Energy Community
(EURATOM)
2007 Treaty of Lisbon (signed)
1987 The European Single Act: the Single Market
1993 Treaty of European Union – Maastricht
2003 Treaty of Nice
1999 Treaty of Amsterdam

6. Three pillars The European Union The Treaties
European Community common policies
Common foreign and security policy
Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters
The Treaties

7. The big enlargement: healing the division of Europe
41989
Fall of Berlin Wall – end of Communism
EU economic help begins: Phare programme
41992
Criteria set for a country to join the EU:
• democracy and rule of law
• functioning market economy
• ability to implement EU laws
41998
Formal negotiations on enlargement begin
42002
Copenhagen summit agrees enlargement
42004
10 new EU members: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
42007
Bulgaria and Romania join the EU
© Reuders
Candidates
Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey

8. Eight enlargements
1952
1973
1981
1986
1990
1995
2004
2007

9. The euro – a single currency for Europeans
Can be used everywhere in the euro area
4Coins: one side with national symbols, one side common
4Notes: no national side
EU countries using the euro EU countries not using the euro

10. European Economic and Monetary Union: stable prices
Beating inflation
European Economic and Monetary Union: stable prices
Average annual inflation in the 15 EU-countries that used the euro in 2008 

11. EU’s Democratic Deficit
Democratic deficit = lack of its accountability to the average citizen in member states
most decision making in EU is done by nonelected officials
EU challenges the sovereignty of member states because decisions are made by the EU instead of solely by national governments

12. Issues currently facing EU
Trade disputes with nonmember countries
Discrepancy in economic power between member states
Pressure form nonmember states to join EU
Challenges to EU’s authority by nationalist sentiment within member states
“Euroskeptics”

13. Arguments for EU Enlargement
Larger EU will have more weight in trade negotiations with rest of the world
Cheaper labor in new EU states will attract businesses from other countries
Promote political stability in new member states
Larger EU provides new and diverse markets for all EU members

14. EU population in the world
Population in millions, 2007
1322
497
301
128
142 EU
China
Japan
Russia
United States

15. EU China Japan Russia United States
Surface area, km²
16 889
9327
9159
4234
365 EU
China
Japan
Russia
United States

16. How rich is the EU compared to the rest of the world?
37 300
27 800
24 700
10 793
10 035
10 000
6 400
3676
1 326
468 EU
China
Japan
Russia
United States EU
China
Japan
Russia
United States
Size of economy: Gross Domestic Product in
billion of euros, 2006
Wealth per person: Gross Domestic Product
per person in Purchasing Power Standard, 2007

17. How many people live in the EU?
Population in millions, 2007
497 million
82.4
63.4
60.9
59.1
44.5
38.2
21.6
16.3
11.2
10.6
10.5
10.3
10.1
9.0
8.3
7.7
5.4
5.4
5.3
4.3
3.4
2.3
2.0
1.3
0.8
0.5
0.4
Italy
Spain
Germany
France
Poland
Sweden
Finland
Estonia
Netherlands
Greece
Belgium
Denmark
Latvia
Hungary
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Ireland
Luxemburg
Malta
Romania
Austria
Lithuania
Slovenia
Cyprus
United Kingdom
Portugal
Czech Republic

18. GDP per inhabitant: the spread of wealth
GDP per inhabitants in Purchasing Power Standards, 2007
Index where the average of the 27 EU-countries is 100
280
144
131
129
127
123
121
118
117
113
113
104
102
100 94 89 87 79 77 75 67 66 63 58 56 53 38 37
Ireland
Malta
Austria
Denmark
Belgium
Sweden
Finland
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
EU-27
Cyprus
Greece
Slovenia
Portugal
Estonia
Hungary
Slovakia
Poland
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Lithuania
Latvia
Romania
Bulgaria
United Kingdom
Czech Republic

19. How is the EU’s money spent?
Total EU budget 2008: billion euro = 1.03% of Gross National Income
Citizens, freedom,
security and justice 1%
The EU as a global player:
including development aid 6%
Other, administration 6%
Natural resources:
agriculture,
environment
43%
Sustainable growth:
new jobs, cohesion,
research
45%

20. The EU institutions European Parliament European Council (summit)
Council of Ministers
(Council of the EU)
European Commission
Court of Justice
Court of Auditors
Economic and Social Committee
Committee of the Regions
European Investment Bank
Agencies
European Central Bank

21. How EU laws are made
Citizens, interests groups, experts: discuss, consult
Commission: makes formal proposal
Parliament and Council of Ministers: decide jointly
National or local authorities: implement
Commission and Court of Justice: monitor implementation

22. The European Parliament – voice of the people
4 Decides EU laws and budget together with Council of Ministers 4 Democratic supervision of all the EU’s work
Number of members elected in each country
Austria 18
Finland 14
Latvia 9
Romania 35
Belgium 24
France 78
Lithuania 13
Slovakia 14
Bulgaria 18
Germany 99
Luxembourg 6
Slovenia 7
Cyprus 6
Greece 24
Malta 5
Spain 54
Czech Republic 24
Hungary 24
Netherlands 27
Sweden 19
Denmark 14
Ireland 13
Poland 54 78
United Kingdom
Estonia 6
Italy 78
Portugal 24
Total
785

23. The European political parties
Number of seats in the European Parliament per political group
Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe
101
Independence/
Democracy 24
European People’s Party
(Christian Democrats)
and European Democrats
288
Greens/European
Free Alliance 43
Socialist Group
215
Union for Europe
of the Nations 44
Total : 785
Non-attached members and
temporarily empty seats 29
European United
Left - Nordic Green Left 41