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The construction of a new , United Europe
After European confrontations in two world wars . and with the Usa´s status as a superpower growing , some European governments realised that Europe needed to move towards cooperation between individual states. -
The first steps towards European cooperation
A conference in The Hague (1948) proposed the creation of the Council Of Europe, originally composed of ten countries :Belgium,France,Luxembourg,the Netherlands , UK,Ireland,Italy,Denmark,Norway and Sweden.The aim was to cooperate in social progress and Human rights and fundamental freedoms (1953) -
The Treaty of Rome and the creation of EEC
In 1957, the six member countries of the ECSC signed Treaty of Rome establishing the EEC and Euratom.
The Treaty established common institutions to administer three areas of economic policy: transport , agriculture and foreign trade.
In 1960 thwere was a progress in the implementationof a CAP.
These policies were based on a transfer of powers from member states of the EEC and a community budget supplied by memmber states.
The succes of the EEC led to a number of countries requesting to join. -
The Construction of the European Union.
In the early 1990s , following the breakup of the east-west blocs and the emergence of an increasingly globalised economy, the countries of western Europe agreed to move towards greater unity for the European Economic Community. -
The Maastricht Treaty
Also known on European Union (TEU) (1992) is the is the cornerstone of the European integration process and represents the first sign of political unity. It also created European citizenship , which allowed people to freely move and reside within EU countries , and established peoples right to vote and stand for election.
In entered into force in Novemmber 1993. -
THE EUROPEAN UNION´S POLICIES
The EU aims to ensure that the territory is socially,economically and politically intergrated.
Attempts to form a European constitution were rejected by citizens in most eastern European countries.
The main contributors to the EU are the richer states (Germany , the Netherlands,etc.), the largest recipients are those that began with a lower level of economic development.
The largest part of the budget goes to making the EU´s economy more competitive and developing cohesion policies. -
EU institutions
Since its founding , the EEC (later known as the EU) has created institutions and legislation.Member countries have delegated part of their sovereignty of these supranational institutions.
The European Parliament is the institution that guarantees public participation in the EU.Its members are elected every five years in Stasbourg (France) and Brussels (Belgium). -
Europe of 28
The European unions fourth enlargement came to affect on 1 January 1995 with the entry of Austria , Finland and Sweden.
Ten new states acceded on 1 May 2004:
Slovakia , Slovenia,Estonia,Hungary,Latvia,Lithuania,Malta,Poland,Czech Republic and Cyprus.They were joined by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 and by Croatia in 2013.
The EU has become a strong organisation with 28 member states , all with very different social,economic,historical and political realities.
