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European Union An emerging political system? 2007-01-01, EU enlargement • Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU • Now the EU includes 27 countries Comparison: EU vs. US • Land area – European Union is less than half the size of the United States • Population – European Union has 516 million residents • GDP (purchasing power parity) – US$13 trillion • EU exports more but imports less than US European Union • A family of democratic European countries • not a State intended to replace existing state • more than any other international organization • Member states – set up common institutions – delegate some of their sovereignty European Union • More than an economic organization or trading bloc • Three pillars (or spheres) of activities – trade and economic matters – justice and home affairs – foreign and security policy • most controversial aspect of EU today Outline • How and why did the EU emerge? • What are its main decision-making bodies? • Progress of European integration – bursts of growth – broadening (add new members) – deepening (add new powers) – stagnation, doubts, and criticisms “Europe Day” (1950) • Destruction of World War II • 1950-05-09 “Europe Day” • Schuman (Fr.) proposed an organized Europe to maintain peace ECSC (1951) • European Coal and Steel Community – 6 members: Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, and the Netherlands European Economic Community • Same 6 countries as in ECSC • Treaties of Rome (1957) – European Atomic Energy Community – European Economic Community – remove trade barriers – form common market Merge of 3 communities (1967) • 1967, executives of ECSC, EURATOM, and EEC were merged • one single Commission • one single Council of Ministers • European Parliament – members chosen by national parliaments – directly elected every 5 years since 1979 Enlargement (1973 - 1995) • 1973 – Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom • 1981 – Greece • 1986 – Spain and Portugal • 1995 – Austria, Finland, and Sweden Creation of European Union • Treaty on European Union was signed in Maastricht in 1992 • add to the existing “Community” system • inter-government cooperation between member states – justice and home affairs – foreign and security policy Single Market • free movement of – goods – services – people – and capital • formally completed by January 1, 1993 • passport and customs checks were abolished at most of the internal borders Single Currency • Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) – exchange rate stability – interest rates, the budget deficit, the inflation rate, and the debt-to-GDP ratio • When the euro was launched in 1999, the European Central Bank (ECB) took over full responsibility for monetary policy throughout the euro area Monetary Union: Stage III • European Central Bank be set up • exchange rates between participating currencies be fixed once and for all • single currency be introduced for the administrations and the banks • coins and notes of the single currency be in circulation on January 1, 2002 at the latest Introduction of the Euro • 2002-01-01 EU enlargement • Three main criteria that countries have to meet before being eligible to begin negotiations to join the EU (1997) – establishment of a functioning and stable democratic regime – market-oriented capitalist economy – acceptance of the 80,000 pages of laws and regulations already on the EU’s books EU enlargement • Ten countries joined the EU in 2004 • former communist countries – Poland, Hungry, Czech, Slovakia, & Slovenia • former Soviet republics – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania • Mediterranean islands – Cyprus and Malta • Two countries joined the EU in 2007 EU applicant countries • Two candidate countries – Turkey and Croatia – Entry negotiations formally began in 2005 • An application for membership submitted by Macedonia was formally accepted by EU leaders in 2005 • The EU is now looking at further enlargements in the Western Balkans Other problems • Few people identify themselves first as European. • Key EU organizations are still superficial • Democratic deficit • Lack of common language