Foreign Policy Flashcards
When was the Euro introduced? Who was reluctant to join?
1999 - Blair wanted to join but Brown didn’t want to
Treaty of Amsterdam
1997 - consolidated what was said in the Maastricht Treaty and Treaty of Rome
When was there a prolonged NATO bombing in Serbia?
1999
Twin Towers - what happened as a result?
11th September 2001 - USA invaded Afghanistan
Treaty of Nice 2001
Reformed the institutional structure of the European Union to with stand the challenges of the new enlargement
What happened in 2002 with regards to Iraq?
UN resolution forced Hussain to allow weapons inspectors into Iraq
When did the Euro become the common currency for member states? Who were the exceptions?
2002 save for the UK, Denmark and Sweden
What did Blair push for in 2002?
CAP reform
When and on what grounds was the invasion of Iraq?
2003 - Bush convinced Blair that Hussain was harbouring weapons of WMD
Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe? Why did it fail to be ratified?
2004 in Rome - brought together the existing EU treaties into one constitution. Referendums in France and Denmark rejected the treaty and as a result it was never ratified.
Why did the Treaty of Rome cause uproar in Britain?
They had been promised a referendum however one was never held - arguably because Blair knew the constitution would not be accepted by the British public
Who were Blair’s 3 foreign secretaries?
Robin Cook (1997-2001)
Jack Straw (2001-2006)
Margaret Beckett (2006-2007)
When were referendums held in France and Denmark?
2005
Treaty of Lisbon - why was no referendum required?
June 2007 - practically a reiteration of the Treaty of Rome. No referendum was required as it was not officially a treaty establishing a constitution and a referendum was promised for treaties concerning the creation of a constitution.
‘Stop the War’ rally
February 2003 through London
Who took his own life after the invasion of Iraq?
David Kelly after no WMDs were found in Iraq
Rebate Issue
Blair said he was willing to pay his ‘fair share of the costs of enlargement’ but he was not willing to give up his rebate.
How much CAP did Britain receive in 2004?
9% - much less than other countries like France who received 22%
How many directives did the EU impose over in 2006?
over 3000, few of these discussed in Parliament - Britain was one of the most compliant member states
When did Blair negotiate away Britain’s rebate and what was the consequence?
2006 - Britain’s annual contribution rose to £7bn
Why did Blair want to join the Euro? Why did Brown not want to? What did he do?
Blair believed joining the eurozone would help place Britain at the heart of the EU but Brown was more concerned about the long term impact. As a result, he lay down 5 tests which the euro would have to pass, including judgements about its impact on jobs and inflation.
When did the EU expand? Name a state that joined.
Expanded from 15 to 25 states in 2004 - new members included Malta, Poland and Cyprus.
2005 bombings
3 coordinated bomb explosions in London killed 56. Some saw this as a direct result of the invasion of Iraq.
