Evolution of the EU: Deepening and Widening Concepts
Explore the evolution of the European Union through deepening and widening processes, including significant treaty amendments like the Merger Treaty, the Luxembourg Accords, and the Single European Act. Understand the development and changes in EU competences and institutions over the years.
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EU-LAW Week 3 THE EVOLUT ON OF THE EU
mportant Concepts Deepening: developing and strengthening the EU s competences and policies as well as the institutional structure (throught new treaties) Widening: ncreasing the EU s membership through the process of enlargement i.e. Accepting the entry of new member states
1. DEVELOPMENT (DEEPENNG) A M: Change in the powers and competencies of the European ntegration from merely aimimg to establish a common market to a European Union to establish an economic and political union amongst its member states Through Treaty amendments: 1965: Merger Treaty 1966: The Luxembourg Accords 1986: Single European Act 1992: Maastricht Treaty 1997: Treaty of Amsterdam 2000: Treaty of Nice 2009: Treaty of Lisbon 2011: Fiscal Compact Treaty
A. The Merger Treaty Signed in Brussels on 8 april 1965 Came into force on 1 July 1967 First amendement to the Treaties of Paris & Rome A M: To merge the most important institutions of all three communities by creating one single The Council The Commission (former High Authority) (other 2 institutions COURT and PARL AMENT already served all 3)
B. The Luxebourg Accords 1965: France refused to attend Council meetngs Disagreement over the use of majority voting when taking decisions 1966: agreement on unanimous voting where very important matters were at stake No legal status! BUT in reality right of veto in some matters
C.The Single European Act (1) Signed in Luxembourg in February 1986 Came into force in July 1987 The first major revision of the Treaty of Rome A M: to complete the single market by 31 December 1992 Creating an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured with more effective institutions and decision-making procedures ntroducing the cooperation procedure : enhancing the role of the European Parliament in the legislative process
C.The Single European Act (2) The European Parliament was also given the right of veto over the accession of new Member States, and Over the conclusion of agreements with associate states through the assent procedure Giving a legal basis to European Political Cooperaiton : better cooperation and coordination of the member states on the foreign policy and security area Establishing a Court of First nstance: to share the workload of the European Court of Justice The European Council : the formalised version of the Meetings of the Heads of State and Government
C.The Single European Act (3) ncluding the Comitology Procedure : procedure under which the Council delegates powers to the Commission on certain conditions ntroducing the qualified majority voting by the Council in to a range of areas which had provided for unanimity nternal market, common customs tariff, right of establishment, services, capital and payments, transport, approximation of laws Adding some areas to the Community Competencies Cooperation in economic and monetary union, social policy, economic and social cohesion, research and technological development and environmental policy
D. The Maastricht Treaty (1) Signed in Maastricht in February 1991 Came into force on 1 November 1993 Also called The Treaty on European Union A M: Establishing the European Union under the three pillar structure First pillar: the Communities pillar (economic integration) supranational Second pillar: Common Foreign and Security pillar intergovernmental Third pillar: Justice and Home Affairs ntergovernmental
D. The Maastricht Treaty (3) Changing the name of the EEC to EC removing the economic So also changing the name of the EEC Treaty to EC Treaty ncreasing the legislative power of the EP through the co- decision procedure by allowing it to block legislation Giving the right to the EP to request the Commission to initiate legislation and giving the power to block the appointment of the Commission Accepting the European Court of Auditors as one of the institutions under article 7 (just like the Council, Commission, Parliament, Court of Justice
D. The Maastricht Treaty (4) Providing a time table for the European Monetary Union was provided + establishing the European Central Bank and a system of European Central Banks + introducing the foundations for the single currency (EURO) Establishing the European Ombudsman Establishing teh Committee of the Regions Providing the principle of subsidiarity (article 5) Establishing a concept of European Citizenship (artt. 17-21): every person holding the nationality of a member state is a citizen of the Union
D. The Maastricht Treaty (5) ncreasing the number of areas that are subject to Qualified Majority Voting F.e. Education, transport, consumer affairs, development aid,
E. The Treaty of Amsterdam (1) Signed in 1997 Came into force on 1 May 1999 A M: prepare the Union for the coming enlargement, however proved to be unsuccesful Consolidation rather than extension of Community mprove processes ncrease effectiveness Make the EU more comprehensible Renumbering the articles of the Treaties Amending and extending the co-decision procedure
E. The Treaty of Amsterdam (2) ncorporation of a large part of the third pillar into the first pillar and renamed the third pillar police and juudicial cooperation in criminal matters Changing article 6: to declare that the union was founded on respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law Respect for this principles = a condition of application for membership of the Union ncluding a new non-discrimination provision (possibility to create secondary legislation to combat discrimination based on gender, ) States were encouoraged to work together to combat unemployement New Art. 7: providing that if the Council finds a serious breach of these principles (art 6) : it may suspend some of the State s rights under that Treaty ncluding a separate title on closer cooperation
F. The Treaty of Nice Signed inn 2001 Cam einto force 2003 A M: Prepare the Union for the coming enlargement ( disappointing) mportant institutional changes Weighing of votes in the Council Distribution of seats in the parliament Composition of the Commssion Enhancing the role of the EP by extending the number of areas subject to co-decision procedure ncreasing the powers of the Court of Firt nstance + establishing judicial panels
2. ENLARGEMENT (WDENNG) (1) 1973 1st enlargement UK reland Denmark 1981 2nd enlargement (a) Greece 1986 2nd enlargement (b) Spain Portugal 1995 3rd enlargement Austria Sweden Finland
2. ENLARGEMENT (2) 2004 4th enlargement (a) Czech Republic Hungary Poland Slovakia Slovenia Estonia Latvia Lithuania Cyprus Malta 2007 4th enlargement (b) Romania Bulgaria
2. ENLARGEMENT (3) 2013 5th enlargement Croatia Candidate countries: These countries are in the process of 'transposing' (or integrating) EU legislation into national law Albania Montenegro Serbia The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Turkey Potential Candidate countries:Potential candidate countries do not yet fulfil the requirements for EU membership Bosnia-Herzegovina Kosovo
