The European Union

The formation of the European Union is an attempt to unify Europe in order to rebuild the European economy and prevent new conflict

Steps Toward Unity 1951

1951 France and West Germany signed a treaty that gave control of their coal and steel resources to a multinational group, the European Coal and Steel Community, the ECSC.

Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands also joined the ECSC.

Goals of the ECSC

The leaders of the six ECSC nations believed that this alliance would bring stability into the region.

Each nation would depend on each other for industrial resources.Their economies would equally suffer if another war was fought.The believed that no country could secretly prepare for war without the other nation knowing about it.

Cooperation Among Members

1957- Formation of the European Economic Community EEC, also called the Common Market.

This alliance removed trader barriers, set common economic goals, and allowed people to live and work in any member country.

Growth of the EEC

By 1967, the membership in the EEC had quadrupled.

1967- the EEC merged with the ECSC forming a new European economic alliance called the European Community, or EC.

New Members Sought

1973- The European Community, EC began to admit other European nations.

1993, as a result of a trade treaty, the European Union was formed to replace the EC.

Today there are 27 member nations

Progression of European Union

Purpose of the EU

One goal is to create a trade block that will strengthen the economy of all member nations.

To ease travel, work and trade between member nations.

To create a sense of European citizenship without reducing the sense of one’s own nationality.

Economics and Politics

Membership in the EU has its share of challenges.

The member nations must be willing to give up some of their sovereignty and national identities to the union.Some nations fear that membership will result in a loss of control of their own economies.

The Euro

One of the major goals of the EU is to create a common currency, the Euro, that every member nation will adopt as their form of money.

Many countries are not ready to give up their own currency for fear of losing their national identity.

The Single Currency

1 Euro = $1.29 as of 12-10-12

Political Challenges

The EU members have voiced their support or lack of support for candidates in many political election held within member states, thus influencing the outcome of elections.

Some believe that this kind of interference in the political arena will eventually tear the European Union apart and cause tension among members.

Expanding the EU

In time the European Union may have 28 member nations (500 million people). Administering this large of an alliance may prove to be very difficult.

Many of the nations waiting for membership were a part of the former Soviet Union.

Diversity Within the Union

Growth of the European Union may make day-to-day operations difficult and the great diversity may pose problems.

Prerequisites For Membership

Must be a European nationMust be democraticMust have a clean record on human rights issuesMust have free market economiesMust not be involved in any current conflicts within or outside of its borders

Member Nations

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom

Member Candidates

There are five official candidate countries, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, and Turkey.

The western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia are potential candidates.