The European Union

Key Dates April 1948 Brussels Pact creates NATO May 1950 – Schuman & Monnet propose French & German place coal & steel under common authority April 1951 – Treaty of Paris adds to “Inner Six” to form ECSC, very complex treaties (130 articles) May 1952 – EDC treaty signed, France takes the lead (Plevin Plan) August 1952 – High Authority (9 mbr board) meets for the 1st time (Monnet in charge)

Key Motivations Functionalist Theory Pastoralize Germany – Morgenthau Plan, rejected by Truman at Potsdam Integrate Germany Create an independent Germany, Adenaur Deter the USSR Functionalist Theory

The European Union Key Dates: (cont) May 1954 - French proposal for EPC of Inner Six August 1954 – French National Assembly defeats EDC pact October 1954 – FRG enters NATO June 1955 – Messina conf of foreign ministers proposes further economic integration of Europe March 1957 – 2 treaties in Rome create EEC and EURATOM beside ECSC 1963 – Degaulle vetoes British admission

The European Union Key Dates: (cont) 1965 – Merger Treaty (Single commission) 1966 - Luxembourg Compromise 1968 – The Six members create industrial customs union removing most internal tariffs and a common external tariff (2 years ahead of schedule) 1968 – Common Agricultural Policy established, six years in negotiation 1979 – Direct elections for European Parliament

The European Union Enlargement 1957: The Inner Six: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg 1973: UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway rejects membership 1981: Greece 1984: Spain, Portugal 1995: Austria, Finland, Sweden 2004-2013: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania & Croatia Negotiations with: Albania, Iceland, Serbia, Turkey & Macedonia

Economic Integration 1969 – Hague summit agreement on EMU (“Snake in the tunnel”) 1977 – EMS replaces EMU 1979 – Cassis decision 1985 – Cockfield White Paper 1987 – Single European Act: to complete a single market by Dec 1992 1992 – Maastricht Treaty establishes European Union (EU)

EU Institutions The Commission The Council of Ministers The European Council The European Parliament The European Court of Justice

EU Institutions The European Commission Supranational executive body with exclusive power to initiate legislation & administer the budget 27 member board (formerly two members from the five largest states) Serve 5-year renewable terms approved by the Parliament Supervise the 20k “Eurocrats”

EU Institutions The Council of Ministers/European Council 27 heads of government or their pertinent ministers who set EU policy Nominates Commission president Meets 4 times per year Presidency rotates every 6 months Uses qualified majority voting, some issues still have to be unanimous

EU Institutions The European Parliament Directly elected by the European voters to meet in Strasbourg 785 MEPs elected for 5-year terms in rough proportion to country population Approves budget and has “co-decision” on legislation Can dissolve entire Commission

EU Institutions The European Court of Justice European Investment Bank Supreme court for EU matters (not criminal justice) One judge per country Vote by simple majority European Investment Bank World’s largest multilateral borrower

Current EU Problems BREXIT Democratic Deficit The Danish alternative The failure of the Constitution The CAP Foreign and Security Policy Further enlargement (Turkey?)

Current EU Problems BREXIT Issues Hard Brexit Soft Brexit Referendum Irish Border