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A. You are going to read a text about the European Union. Read the text and answer the following questions.1) When was the EU formed? Speak upon its creation. 2) What was the status of the European countries before World War II? 3) What was Europe‘s position after six years of warfare? 4) Was the Marshall Plan of historic significance and why? 5) Can you give any example of the advantages of the Single European Act passed in 1985? 6) What agreement went far beyond the Single European Act? THE EUROPEAN UNION Fifteen of the states of Western Europe are today united in a large international governmental organization known as the European Union (EU). Formed in 1993 under the Maastricht Treaty, the EU seeks to have its member states: − join together in a political and economic union; − adopt a single common currency; − share the same set of policies on social and domestic issues; − have a common foreign and defence policy. In short, the EU seeks to become a true United Nations of Europe. The EU did not just come into existence. Nearly a half century of preparation preceded its creation. The EU began in the 1950s and 1960s as the European Community (EC), a group of Western European States that was primarily an economic unity. Its major parts were the European Economic Community (EEC); the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC); and the European Atomic Energy Commission (EURATOM). Western European unity has come a long way. Before World War II, European states viewed each other for power, prestige and wealth. Much of the world was centered on European affairs, with European states ruling vast colonial empires and European states dominating international trade and politics. Following World War II, Europe‘s position deteriorated drastically. Six years of warfare had devastated the once powerful European economies. Despite its deteriorated condition, Western Europe remained a prize of tremendous value. An industrial and technical infrastructure still existed, and the peoples of Europe, highly educated and ambitious, could be expected to rebuild their war-shattered countries. Unfortunately, the entire continental economy continued to languish. In June 1947, an event of equally historic significance occurred. While delivering an address at Harvard, US Secretary of State George Marshall offered American economic aid to Europe for a collective European Recovery Plan. This offer, known as the Marshall Plan, 62 pumped over $15 billion of American capital into European revitalization. The Marshall Plan was in essence the first step toward European integration. More impressive steps on the path toward Western European unity were still to come. Fearing that the EC was lagging behind the United States and Japan economically, European leaders in 1985 passed the Single European Act. The implementation of the Single European Act made Western Europe the single largest market in the world. The advantages that the Act offered Europe are illustrated by a single example. In 1988, the truck drivers in Western Europe needed as many as 27 separate documents to go from one country to another; in 1993 – at least in theory – all they needed was their driver‘s license. Outside Europe, some countries expressed concern about the impact that European economic integration might have on them. Despite these fears and concerns about the future of European integration, European leaders met in Maastricht, Belgium in December 1991 and forged an agreement that went far beyond the Single European Act. The agreement called the Maastricht Treaty envisioned all the EC members moving beyond integration and on to political and economic union. The European Union: A History and Overview A.The European Union (EU) is a unification of 27 member states united to create a political and economic community throughout Europe. Though the idea of the EU might sound simple at the outset, the European Union has a rich history and a unique organization, both of which aid in its current success and its ability to fulfil its mission for the 21st Century. B History The precursor to the European Union was established after World War II in the late 1940s in an effort to unite the countries of Europe and end the period of wars between neighbouring countries. These nations began to officially unite in 1949 with the Council of Europe. In 1950 the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community expanded the cooperation. The six nations involved in this initial treaty were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Today these countries are referred to as the "founding members." During the 1950s, the Cold War, protests, and divisions between Eastern and Western Europe showed the need for further European unification. In order to do this, the Treaty of Rome was signed on March 25, 1957, thus creating the European Economic Community and allowing people and products to move throughout Europe. Throughout the decades additional countries joined the community. In order to further unify Europe, the Single European Act was signed in 1987 with the aim of eventually creating a "single market" for trade. Europe was further unified in 1989 with the elimination of the boundary between Eastern and Western Europe – the Berlin Wall. C The Modern-Day EU Throughout the 1990s, the "single market" idea allowed easier trade, more citizen interaction on issues such as the environment and security, and easier travel through the different countries. Even though the countries of Europe had various treaties in place prior to the early 1990s, this time is generally recognized as the period when the modern day European Union arose due to the Treaty of Maastricht on European Union which was signed on February 7, 1992 and put into action on November 1, 1993. The Treaty of Maastricht identified five goals designed to unify Europe in more ways than just economically. The goals are: 1) To strengthen the democratic governing of participating nations. 2) To improve the efficiency of the nations. 3) To establish an economic and financial unification. 4) To develop the "Community social dimension." 5) To establish a security policy for involved nations. In order to reach these goals, the Treaty of Maastricht has various policies dealing with issues such as industry, education, and youth. In addition, the Treaty put a single European currency, the euro, in the works to establish fiscal unification in 1999. In 2004 and 2007, the EU expanded, bringing the total number of member states as of 2008 to 27. In December 2007, all of the member nations signed the Treaty of Lisbon in hopes of making the EU more democratic and efficient to deal with climate change, national security, and sustainable development. D How a Country Joins the EU For countries interested in joining the EU, there are several requirements that they must meet in order to proceed to accession and become a member state. The first requirement has to do with the political aspect. All countries in the EU are required to have a government that guarantees democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as well as protects the rights of minorities. In addition to these political areas, each country must have a market economy that is strong enough to stand on its own within the competitive EU marketplace. Finally, the candidate country must be willing to follow the objectives of the EU that deal politics, the economy, and monetary issues. This also requires that they be prepared to be a part of the administrative and judicial structures of the EU. After it is believed that the candidate nation has met each of these requirements, the country is screened, and if approved the Council of the European Union and the country draft a Treaty of Accession which then goes to the European Commission and European Parliament ratification and approval. If successful after this process, the nation is able to become a member state. E How the EU Works With so many different nations participating, the governance of the EU is challenging, however, it is a structure that continually changes to become the most effective for the conditions of the time. Today, treaties and laws are created by the "institutional triangle" that is composed of the Council representing national governments, the European Parliament representing the people, and the European Commission that is responsible for holding up Europe's main interests. The Council is formally called the Council of the European Union and is the main decision making body present. There is also a Council President here and each member state takes a six month turn in the position. In addition, the Council has the legislative power and decisions are made with a majority vote, a qualified majority, or a unanimous vote from member state representatives. The European Parliament is an elected body representing the citizens of the EU and participates in the legislative process as well. These representative members are directly elected every five years. Finally, the European Commission manages the EU with members that are appointed by the Council for five year terms- usually one Commissioner from each member state. Its main job is to uphold the common interest of the EU. In addition to these three main divisions, the EU also has courts, committees, and banks which participate on certain issues and aid in successful management. F The EU Mission As in 1949 when it was founded with the creation of the Council of Europe, the European Union's mission for today is to continue prosperity, freedom, communication and ease of travel and commerce for its citizens. The EU is able to maintain this mission through the various treaties making it function, cooperation from member states, and its unique governmental structure. Date: 2016-01-14; view: 1409
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