EUROPEAN UNION

In only half a century of its existence, the European Union has achieved significant things. It enabled
peace among its members and prosperity for its citizens. It created a single European currency and a
single market without borders in which goods, people, services and capital move freely. The European
Union expanded from six to twenty-eight countries. It has become a key trading power and a world
leader in the field of environmental protection and development aid.

The EU owes its success to its unique nature and the way it functions. The European Union is not a
federation like the USA. It is not an organization for cooperation between governments, like the UN. The
countries that make up the EU ("member states") remain independent sovereign nations, but they pool
their sovereignty to be stronger and have an influence in the world that they could not have on their
own. Pooling sovereignty means in practice that member states transfer part of their decision-making
powers to European institutions, so that it is possible to make decisions on concrete matters of common
interest in a democratic manner at the European level.

The European Union was created on an institutional system unlike any other in the world. Member
states have independence for certain issues in independent institutions that represent the interests of
the Union as a whole, the member states themselves and their citizens. The Commission traditionally
represents the interests of the Union as a whole, while each national government is represented in the
Council of the EU, and the European Parliament is directly elected by citizens. Democracy and the rule of
law are therefore the foundation of that structure.

HISTORY OF THE EU

Within the framework of numerous efforts for the creation of a united Europe, the speech of British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill held in Zurich in September 1946, in which he calls on the countries of
continental Europe to create the United European States, is significant. In Churchill's opinion, the basic
prerequisite for a united Europe was Franco-German cooperation.

The creation and gradual development of the EU will be presented by highlighting the most important
dates:

 April 18, 1951

Six European countries - West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - sign
the Paris Agreement, which established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Namely, the
French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Schuman, and the famous French economist Jean Monet,
introduced the so-called Schuman's plan on establishing the ECSC, i.e. placing the entire French and
German coal and steel production under joint management, with the organization being open to other
European countries as well. Schuman's plan was codified in Paris and entered into force on August 10,
1952.
  March 25, 1957

In Rome, six countries sign the so-called Treaties of Rome establishing the European Economic
Community (EEC). At the same time, the treaty on the establishment of the European Atomic Energy
Community was concluded. The Treaties of Rome provided for the abolition of customs and other
barriers and the creation of a common market, the free movement of people, goods and services, the
creation of a single market and joining colonies and dependencies administered by member states to
the Union.

 July 30, 1961

Implementation of common Agricultural Policy.

 1967

The EEC, ECSC and EURATOM are integrated. An organizational and administrative entity was created,
which enabled the establishment of joint institutions.

 July 1, 1968

Six member states mutually abolish trade barriers and adopt a common system of customs for goods
arriving from outside the EU.

 January 1, 1973

The Six becomes the Nine. Namely, Britain, Denmark and Ireland become full members of the EU.
Norway remains outside the Union, because in the referendum 53.5% of voters voted against.

 March 13, 1979

The European Monetary System (EMS) enters into force, within the framework of which mutual
transactions are to be made in a common unit of account called the ECU.

 January 1, 1981

Greece becomes the tenth member.

 January 1, 1986

Spain and Portugal become members of the EC.

 January 1987

The Single European Act promoting the Europe 92 project comes into force. The SEA represents a
significant addition to the founding acts of the EU in the form of amendments, and the main goal, the
creation of the European Union, is highlighted in the very preamble of the document.

 February 7, 1992
At the Maastricht Summit, the Treaty on European Union is signed with the task of facilitating the
development of the economic, monetary and political union.

 January 1993

The Maastricht Treaty enters into force.

 January 1994

The European Monetary Institute (EMI) is founded as the predecessor of the European Central Bank, but
with far less authority/jurisdiction than the Central Bank would have.

 January 1, 1995

Fourth enlargement of the EU, when three more countries access: Austria, Sweden and Finland. In
Norway, the majority at the referendum again voted against joining the EU.

 March 25, 1995

The Schengen Agreement on Open Borders enters into force, abolishing border controls between
signatory countries and increasing cooperation between the police and courts.

 December 13, 1997

The EU begins the process of membership expansion, which should include 10 Eastern European
countries and Cyprus.

 March 25, 1998

The European Commission formally recommends 11 countries to enter the EMU and participate in the
creation of the Euro. These are: Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

 January 1, 1999

The Central monetary authority is taken over by the European Central Bank (ECB), headquartered in
Frankfurt.

 January 4, 1999

The Euro takes effect as the unit of account of 11 EMU member countries. The ECU is no longer in use.

 January 2, 2001

Greece becomes the twelfth member of the Eurozone.

 January 1, 2002
The Euro becomes legal tender.

 February 28, 2002

The Euro becomes the official currency in the twelve member states of the Eurozone.

 February 1, 2003

The Treaty of Nice enters into force.

 May 1, 2004

The largest expansion in the history of the European Union - 10 new countries enter the European
Union: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia.

 October 24, 2004

The European Constitution is adopted in Rome and had to be ratified by the member states.

 May 29, 2005

Voters in France rejected the Constitution in a referendum.

 June 1, 2005

Voters in Ireland did not vote for the Constitution either.

 January 1, 2007

Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union.

 December 13, 2007

27 European Union states sign the Lisbon Treaty, which supplements the previous treaties (from Rome
and Maastricht).

 July 1, 2013

The last expansion of the EU, Croatia joins the EU.

 January 31, 2020

The United Kingdom leaves the EU.

The Lisbon Treaty is supposed to make the European Union more democratic, efficient and transparent.
In this way, it will be possible to face global challenges such as climate change, security and sustainable
development. The treaty, among other things, redistributes the way of voting differently, whereby the
right of veto by the states is abolished for certain areas. The powers of the Commission are expanded
and the participation of the Parliament in the legislative process is strengthened. The Charter of Human
Rights becomes legally binding.

The current situation is seen as a historical opportunity that arose after epochal changes in the years
after 1989. On the other hand, the goal is to create a European Europe, that is, a Europe that will
preserve and further develop its European identity. This identity is visible in the cultural diversity, but
also in the European culture in which democracy and human rights are inextricably linked as key
European values.

OBJECTIVES OF THE EU

The Treaty on European Union from 1992 and the Treaty on the European Community from 1957 reflect
the original motives for starting the process of European integration. One of the original goals was to
prevent wars between European countries once and for all. This remained the guiding principle that
extends through the Founding Treaties, which established the European Communities: the Treaty on the
European Coal and Steel Community (1951), the Treaty on the European Economic Community, as well
as the Treaty on the European Atomic Energy Community - EURATOM.

The main goals stated in the Founding Agreements are:

 to preserve and establish peace;

 to create an economic union through the European internal market that will benefit all citizens
living in the EU;
 to create political unity and strengthen and promote social equality within the Union.

The Treaty on European Union is an international treaty that, like other international treaties, contains a
preamble that states both the historical and political meaning, as well as the goals and motives for
concluding the treaty.

The preamble of the Treaty on European Union contains the following objectives:

 bridge the division of the European continent and strengthen democracy,

 respect human rights and the rule of law,
 protect basic social rights,
 strengthen solidarity among peoples,
 encourage democracy and efficiency of European institutions and bodies,
 encourage harmonization of economic opportunities in member states and establish a single
and stable currency,
 form a single market,
 promote cohesion and environmental protection,
 introduce common citizenship for all citizens of member states,
 implement a common foreign and security policy,
 encourage the free movement of people, while protecting their security by creating an area of
freedom, security and justice and continue the process of creating an increasingly solid Union
among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are made as close as possible to the citizens, in
accordance with the principles of subsidiarity.