The European union explained 1. Why the European Union?

An ideal of peace “ Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity” Robert Schuman (1950) “The sovereign nations of the past can no longer solve the problems of the present: they cannot ensure their own progress or control their own future. And the Community itself is only a stage on the way to the organised world of tomorrow.” Jean Monnet (1976)

At the core of the European Union there are the 28 Member States and their more than 500 million citizens.

The founding countries (ECSC) Paris 18 april 1951/1952 Belgium The Federal Republic of Germany France Italy Luxembourg The Netherlands Common market in coal and steel among the six founding countries Secure peace between victorious and vanquished nations Bring them together as equals, cooperating within shared institutions

Expanding energy-economy Rome 25 march 1957 European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) European Economic Community (EEC) Wider common market covering a whole range of goods and services. Custom duties between the six countries were abolished on 1 July 1968. Common policies, notably on TRADE and AGRICULTURE were put in place during the 1960s

The first enlargement (1973) Denmark Ireland United Kingdom New social and environmental policies were introduced European Regional Development Fund (EDRF) was set up in 1975

The first elections in the EP (1979) All citizens of the EU were called to the elections by direct universal suffrage of their representative Members of the European Parliament for the first time in 1979. The elections are held every five years

Further enlargement Greece 1981 Spain and Portugal 1986 Need to implement regional aid programmes

The ‘jacques delore’white paper (EC president, 1985) A timetable for completing the European single market by 1 Jan 1993. Single European Act February 1986/1987

Historical turning points 1989 The fall of the Berlin wall 1990 Unification of Germany 1991 Fall of the U.S.S.R. The EEC were negotiation a new Treaty adopted by the EUROPEAN COUNCIL (the meeting of presidents and/or prime ministers) at MAASTRICHT in 1991. The MAASTRICHT TREATY CREATED THE EUROPEAN UNION (came into force 1 Nov. 1993)

1995: Further enlargement Austria Finland Sweden New challenges: globalisation, internet, social and cultural tensions On agenda: THE EURO , a single currency to make life easier for businesses, consumers and travellers in 12 EU countries which made up the EURO AREA

The biggest enlargement Six former Soviet bloc countries: Bulgaria, the Czech republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia Three Baltic states that had been part of the Soviet Union Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania One or the republics of former Yugoslavia Slovenia Two Mediterranean countries Cyprus and Malta Negotiations started in dec. 1997, ten countries joined in May 2004, Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 CROATIA JOINED IN 2013 BRINGING THE EU ‘S MEMBERSHIP TO 28

UNITED IN DIVERSITY The EU is a Union of European Independent Member States, which pooled SOME of their ‘sovereignity’ to gain STRENGHT and the benefits of SIZE in order to maintain peace and stability. Decisions on SPECIFIC MATTERS OF JOINT INTEREST can be made DEMOCRATICALLY at European level The EU thus sits between the fully FEDERAL SYSTEM found in the USA and the loose, INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION SYSTEM in the UN

The EU symbols 15 The motto: United in diversity The European anthem The European flag Europe Day, 9 May 15

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