European Union

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European Union
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History
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Winston Churchill, September 19, 1946
In a speech he gave at Zurich University,
Churchill calls for a "kind of United States of
Europe"
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The Schuman Declaration, May 9, 1950

• Robert Schuman presented his proposal on the
  creation of an organized Europe, indispensable to
  the maintenance of peaceful relations.
• Considered to be the declaration of the creation
  of the European Union

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ESCS April, 1951

• Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg,
  Netherlands sign the Treaty of Paris establishing
  the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
• This developed into what is now the European Union

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The founding treaties Treaty of Paris,
establishing the European Coal and Steel
Community (ECSC) (23 July 1952) Treaty of Rome,
establishing the European Community and the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) (1
January 1958)
the Treaty of Rome
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Other important Treaties the Single European Act
(SEA) (1 July 1987) the Treaty on European Union
(1 November 1993) the Treaty of Amsterdam (1 May
1999)
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Accessions
4 waves of accessions

• 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the
  United Kingdom
• 1981 Greece
• 1986 Spain and Portugal
• 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden

Today, the European Union is preparing for a
fifth accession towards the east and the south
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The Member States
15 Member States

• Austria
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom.

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Objectives
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1. To promote economic and social progress

• 1993 -- the single market was established
• 1999 -- the single currency was launched

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2. To assert the identity of the European
Union on the international scene

• humanitarian aid to non-EU countries
• common foreign and security policy among the EU
• action in international crises
• common positions within international
  organizations

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3. To introduce European citizenship

• does not replace national citizenship
• complements national citizenship
• confers a number of civil and politic rights on
  European citizens

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4. To develop an area of freedom, security
and justice

• operation of the international market
• freedom of the movement of persons

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5. To maintain and build on established EU law

• all of the legislation adopted by the European
  institutions, together with the founding treaties

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Institutions

• European Parliament elected by peoples of the
  member states
• Council represents the governments of the
  member states
• Commission the executive and legislative body
• Court of Justice ensures compliance with the
  law
• Court of Auditors responsible for auditing the
  accounts

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Accomplishments
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Euro The Currency

• Euro became the official currency of 12 member
  states from January 1999
• Will not appear in the form of cash until January
  2002

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The Single Market

• established in 1993
• an internal market without internal frontiers in
  which the free movement of goods, persons,
  services and capital is ensured

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Symbols
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The Flag
DESCRIPTION Against the background of blue sky,
twelve golden stars form a circle, representing
the union of the peoples of Europe. The number of
stars is fixed, twelve being the symbol of
perfection and unity.
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The European Anthem Ode to Joy

• Ode to Joy
• adapted from the final movement of Beethovens
  9th Symphony
• Used by the EU since 1986 as the European Anthem

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Europe Day (May 9th)

• May 9th -- the day of the Schuman Declaration
• Europe Day is the occasion for activities and
  festivities that bring Europe closer to its
  citizens and peoples of the Union closer to one
  another.

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Sources
The ABC of the European Union lthttp//europa.eu.
int/abc-en.htmgt Europa -- the European Union
Online lthttp//europa.eu.int/index_en.htmgt Euro
pean Multimedia lthttp//www.indiana.edu/unionet/
eumedia.htmgt