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Evolution of the European Union

Motives behind European Integration
1. Reaction to world wars
2. Security against the rising soviet threat
  1. The Cold War was a clear and real catalyst for Western European Integration
3. Political willingness
  1. The need to replace economic competition with political and economic cooperation and development amongst nations
4. Economic Development
  1. Marshall Plan funded the establishment of the Organization of European Economic Cooperation. Later the Organization for economic Cooperation and Development was also designed to finance post-war reconstruction of Europe
Founding of European Communities
1. Treaties of Rome 1957
  1. The 3 original Communities
    1. European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
    2. European Economic Community (EEC) Treaty
      1. European Economic Community
    3. European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) Treaty
      1. EURATOM
    4. The TEU Treaty brought the 3 original communities under one pillar and brought the term European Union
  2. Was later renamed as the European Community (EC) Treaty by the Treaty of European Union (TEU) a.k.a Maastricht Treaty
2. Schumann Plan 1950
  1. Proposal to link the French and German Coal & Steel Industries and put under control of a supranational body
    1. Was accepted by Germany along with the Benelux Nations, France and Italy
      1. The Benelux Nations; Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg
      2. Went on to sign the ECSC Treaty in Paris 1951, was entered in to force in January 1st 1952
        Mix of both intergovernmental and supranational integration. Supranational body, the High Authority (late renamed European commission by the 1956 Merger Treaty) and the Council of Ministers from member states constituted the intergovernmental body
        ECSC Treaty expired in 2002 and its enduring tasks and commitments are assumed in the EC Treaty
3. Failed Proposal; Pleven Plan 1952 for a European Defence Community (EDC) and a European Political Community (EPC) proposal in 1953
Objectives and the Nature of the Communities
1. Ultimate Federal Goal?
2. Creation of common market
  1. Abolishing Obstacles to the freedom of movement of all factors of production
  2. Abolition of customs duties between member states and the application of a common customs tariff to imports from third countries
3. Common Policies in the spheres of agriculture and transport, and a system ensuring that competition in the common market is not disturbed by the activities of cartels and market monopolists
Development following original treaties
1. Original founding member states remained together from 1952 to 1973
  1. 1973 - first expansion; Denmark, Ireland and UK
    1. 1981 and 1986 - Greece, Portugal and Spain
      1. 1990 - East Germany was assimilated
        1995 - Austria, Finland and Sweden
        2004 - Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia
      2. Greenland withdrew in 1982, it joined the EC as part of the Danish Realm
2. Copenhagen Summit June 1993, set out requirements for new members
  1. Stable Government
  2. Institutions guaranteeing: Democracy, Rule of Law, Human Rights and Protection of minorities
  3. Functioning Market economy
  4. Acceptance of "acquis communautaire" in its entireity
3. Single European Act (SEA) 1986, effective 1987
4. European Economic Area (EEA) 1991

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Evolution of the European Union

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	Created by tmk almost 11 years ago