EU Flashcards
What is the ECSC?
Treaty of Paris (1951)
French mistrust in German strength
“schuman plan”
coal and steel cooperation under common high authority
France, Germany, Italy, Benelux countries
What is the EEC?
European Economic Community Treaty of Rome (1957) single market creation hope for economic -> political spillover similar structure to EU
3 goals of the EU when created
- peace project
- economic project
- imperial project (Eurafrica)
Eurafrica advantages for Europe
development of african continent
solve european overpopulation
secure african resources
Eurafrica origins
Schuman plan (ECSC) & treaty of rome (EEC) (eurafrica as precondition by france) Changing of rhetoric of colonialism
Implications of Eurafrica
although eurafrica idea died down 1960s:
- shaped post-colonial Africa and EU-African relations
- thwarted pan-African movement
The treaty of rome: year and 2 treaties that emerged
EEC (economic community) and European Atomic Energy Committee
1957
What is the Empty Chair Crisis (1965)
French interests and EEC potential changes clashed -> French representative thus not participating which meant no decision could be taken
EEC wanted to:
-expand commission influence
-majority voting in council
-EEC tax (funding) instead of national contributions
-> ended in Luxembourg compromise which meant veto can be used if national interests are at stake
What is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? (1968)
-core EEC battle between members
single agricultural market with guaranteed prices funded by EEC (incentivised to guarantee food for the populations after WW2 failure)
problems:
-large scale commercial farmers > small farmers
-pesticides environmental impact
-overproduction
Have been reform attempts but none yet succesfful
CAP still holds large EU budget
But future reforms possible
What did the Treaty of Maastricht (1992) do
EC -> EU
What is the Lisbon Treaty (2010)
current legal basis
What are the objectives of the Lisbon Treaty
- more effective EU (better on global level)
- more democratically legitimate (more attention to domestic decisions, European citizens initiative, more HR accountability, more power to EU parliament)
- EU membership in other IOs
- a treaty and no constitution
- establish int. legal personality
How many members in the EU?
28
What is the EU structure?
- European Commission
- European Parliament
- European Council
- Council of Ministers (Council of the EU)
- Court of Justice of the EU
What is the European Commission
- supranational organ
- 28 commissioners (1 per EU member) + 1 president (5 years)
- proposes legislation and supervises implementation
