EU-IntroAUBGCTanasoiu

A LOOK AT THE UNION

1. Main Treaties and Provisions

May 1950 – Schuman Declaration
  • vision of a united Europe that would have Franco-German reconciliation at heart
1951 – Treaty of Paris: European Coal and Steel Community

Significance:

creation of a free trade area + the foundations of a common market in basic materials of industrialized economies

Failure of Political Integration in the 50s

  • The 1952 draft EDC Treaty never ratified
  • May 1955 WEU
1957 – Treaty of Rome
Euratom and the European Economic Community

philosophy: free market, liberal, non-interventionist capitalism

Art 2: “The Community … task … establishing a common market … progressively approximating the economic policies of MS …”

  • quantitative restrictions
  • erection of a Common External Tariff (CET)
  • customs union
  • serve as basis for a Common Commercial Policy
  • prohibition of practices which might lead to distortion or prevention of competition between ms
  • measures to promote not just free movements of goods BUT persons, services, capital
  • creation of a free trade area by removing all tariffs and developing common agricultural and transport policies
  • creating a European Social Fund & European Investment Bank

1965:

a. The Merger Treaty
b. the Luxembourg Compromise

1973: first enlargement

Late 70s – early 80s: Eurosclerosis

Economic

  • monetary crisis
  • oil crisis – unable to agree how to respond to the impending oil shortage

Political

  • strain relations with the US
  • Franco/German rift: Ostpolitik
  • German/British rift:1973 – ERDF
  • British Budgetary Question

“second” enlargement

1987 Single European Act

Context:

  • mid 80s - pick of Thatcher liberal policy
  • 1985: new president of the Commission
  • SEA - creating a single market - 4 FREEDOMS:

free movement of goods

free movement of services

free movement of capital

free movement of persons

  • institutional provisions = QMV, co-operation procedure

1992 Treaty of Maastricht = Treaty of the European Union

Context:

  • the Franco-German trade off
  • the “F” word
  • “an ever closer Union”

Provisions

  • three pillars structure (EEC, CFSP, JHA)
  • monetary union
  • institutional provisions: co-decision

Signs of Euroscepticism – the ratification crisis

1997 - Treaty of Amsterdam

Context - enlargements

Provisions:

  • increased use of QMV
  • rules allowing flexible integration

-first pillar: triggered by QMV

-CFSP – “constructive abstention”

-JHA: opt-out

  • CFSP:

-Council Secretary General – high representative

-QMV on implementing measures

  • JHA:

-complete freedom of movement (\UK, Ireland)

-unanimity: immigration, visas, asylum

2000 - Treaty of Nice

  • Eastern enlargement
  • institutional reform

2. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

WORKING DYNAMICS

European Commission = proposes

European Parliament = consults

Council of Ministers = decides

European Commission =the guardian of the treaties

ECJ = “ensures that the law is observed”

European Council

membership: head of states and government

also president of the Commission + one other member of the Commission + foreign ministers of member states

the Presidency (rotates every six months) DRIVES a European Council

Functions

general political guidance and impetus = the main agenda setter

visibility in external affairs = EU voice

ratification of significant documents

negotiation of treaty changes

Council of Ministers

  • symbol of the continuing power of ms within EU
  • intergovernmental body
  • legally= 1 Council; practically = 16 Councils
  • membership – ministers in ms governments = as representatives of respective government, authorized to commit them.

Functions:

  • the decision-maker
  • main legislative institution

Voting Procedure

a. unanimity

b. majority voting

b1. Simple Majority

b2. Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

The European Commission

supranational body

Institutional organisation

College of Commissioners: President + 20 commissioners

Directorates-General (DGs)

Functions

  • Commission = power to initiate
  • Commission = EU’s executive body
  • budgetary responsibilities
  • external relations responsibilities
  • policing community law - the “Guardian” of the treaties

European Parliament

supranational institution

directly elected body

shared-legislative body

-consultation

-co-operation

-co-decision

-assent

investing the Commission

power to take down the Commission

budgetary powers

European Court of Justice

supranational body

function: “TO ENSURE THAT THE LAW IS OBSERVED”

European Central Bank

  • central site of monetary governance
  • most politically independent central bank in the world
  • ECB cannot seek or take instructions from any EU, national entity or any other body

Functions

  • managing the euro
  • responsible for formulating & executing monetary policy – providing a stable economic environment across EU
  • directing & coordinating the national central banks
  • prohibited for investing & lending money

Other institutions:

European Court of Auditors

Court of First Instance

Economic and Social Committee

Committee of the Regions

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