Name:
RANA TAHIR NAWAZ
Course
:
MSC MASS COMMUNICATION
Subject:
NATIONAL ANDINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Assignment:
European Union
Date: November 22, 2010
REGARDS:
The
European Union
(
EU
) is an economic and political union of 27 member stateswhich are located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU wasestablished by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 upon the foundations of the EuropeanCommunities. With over 500 million citizens, the EU generated an estimated 28% share(US$ 16.5 trillion) of the nominal and about 21% (US$14.8 trillion) of the PPP grossworld product in 2009.The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws whichapply in all member states, and ensures the free movement of people, goods, services, andcapital, including the abolition of passport controls by the Schengen Agreement between22 EU states.It enacts legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Sixteen member stateshave adopted a common currency, the euro, constituting the eurozone.
History:
After World War II, moves towards European integration were seen by many as anescape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent. Onesuch attempt to unite Europeans was the European Coal and Steel Community which,while having the modest aim of centralised control of the previously national coal andsteel industries of its member states, was declared to be "a first step in the federation of Europe". The originators and supporters of the Community include Jean Monnet, RobertSchuman, Paul Henri Spaak, and Alcide de Gasperi. The founding members of theCommunity were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and WestGermany.
1958 – 1972
The two new communities were created separately from ECSC, although they shared thesame courts and the Common Assembly. The executives of the new communities werecalled Commissions, as opposed to the "High Authority". The EEC was headed byWalter Hallstein (Hallstein Commission) and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand(Armand Commission) and then Etienne Hirsch Euratom would integrate sectors innuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union between members.Throughout the 1960s tensions began to show with France seeking to limit supranational power. However, in 1965 an agreement was reached and hence in 1967 the Merger Treaty was signed in Brussels. It came into force on 1 July 1967 and created a single set
of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the
European Communities
(EC), although commonly just as the
European Community
.
[
JeanRey presided over the first merged Commission
1973 – 1993
In 1973, the Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland, and the UnitedKingdom Norway had negotiated to join at the same time but Norwegian voters rejectedmembership in a referendum and so Norway remained outside. In 1979, the first direct,democratic election to the European Parliament were held.Greece joined in 1981, and Spain and Portugal in 1986. In 1985, the SchengenAgreement led the way toward the creation of open borders without passport controls between most member states and some non-member states. In 1986, the European flag began to be used by the Community and the Single European Act was signed.
1993 – 2010
The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came intoforce on 1 November 1993, and in 1995 Austria, Sweden, and Finland joined the newlyestablished EU. In 2002, euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of themember states. Since then, the eurozone has increased to encompass sixteen countries. In2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia,Latvia Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, and Hungary joined theUnion.On 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria became the EU's newest members. In thesame year Slovenia adopted the euro, followed in 2008 by Cyprus and Malta, and bySlovakia in 2009. In June 2009, the 2009 Parliament elections were held leading to arenewal of Barroso's Commission Presidency, and in July 2009 Iceland formally appliedfor EU membership.On 1 December 2009, the Lisbon Treaty entered into force and reformed many aspects of the EU. In particular it changed the legal structure of the European Union, merging theEU three pillars system into a single legal entity provisioned with legal personality, and itcreated a permanent President of the European Council the first of which is Herman vanRompuy and a strengthened High Representative, Catherine Ashton
Treaties timeline:
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