lecture 2 - a history of EU integration Flashcards
why should we even study history?
- provide context
- to propose useful/realistic solutions (many problems are historically rooted + don’t want to repeat same mistakes)
- some theories explicitly refer to history (e.g. historical institutionalism, path dependency)
what is the EU?
different views:
- IO = little autonomy, most decisions through bargaining
- regional integration association = similar to e.g. ASEAN and African Union
- political system in own right = state like or superstate
- unique / sui generis
- hybrid: mix of all of the above
Early ideas about European integration
(Richard con Coudenhove-Kalergi + Aristide Briand + Churchill)
(ideas EU may have origins in the antiques, but immediate early ideas during/pre ww)
Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi (Austrian diplomat)
!no big effects then, but inspired ater politicians (Briand, Adenauer, Churchill e.g.)
- 1923: idea of PanEuropa = 5 global powerfields: PanEuropa (incl. colonies) + British Empire + Americas + Soviet Union + Eastern Asia
- proposed a 4-stage proces for achievement EU:
1. conference for representatives from 26 Eur states
2. agreement of treaties for settlement of Eur disputes
3. development customs union
4. drafting federal European institution
Aristide Briand: called for European federation, creation EU and common market
(1920s)
Churchill
(in powerpoint Edouard Herriot 1924 is mentioned next to Churchill)
- 1946: United States of Europe
- focus on France and Germany, wanted to keep UK out (maintain sovereignty)
challenges of postwar Europe
3
-
rebuild destroyed economies
- Marshall plan + Organisation For European Economic Cooperation (as if 1960: OECD) -
ensure security
- foundation NATO 1949 + bring Germany in Western community, allow rearmament under supranational supervision (Schuman plan) -
limit danger of nationalism that caused the wars in Europe
- European movement that champions European federation 1948
- Council of Europe 1949 (somewhat limited powers, but strong with judging legality)
- European Convention of Human Rights
the Schuman Plan
Europe day: 9 May 1950
Schuman: Europe will not be made at once, it is built, first with a de facto solidarity
- origin: French mistrust of German strength + US pressure to fix relationship
- objectives: social, political and economical (not just political or economic)
- Schuman (+ Monnet) laid foundation federation essential for preservation of peace
- participants/members: Italy, Germany, Benelux, France
product: ECSC (Treaty of Paris 1951) = cooperation coal and steel -> control production of weapons + break- German industry
interdependence -> impossibility laws
Treaty of Paris
1951
creation ECSC
- Italy
- Germany
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- France
- Luxembourg
Schumanplan
The European Coal and Steel Community
Treaty of Paris 1951
didn’t manage to create single market, but showed that econ. integration in this way was feasible
High Authority (predecessor European Commission)
- 9 members (6y terms, 2 per big states, smaller states got 1)
- to remove barriers free movement coal/steel + represent interest ECSC
Special Council of Ministers (predecessor European Council)
- gov. ministers, presidency rotated every 3 months
- to make decisions on High Authority proposals
Common Assembly (predecessor EP)
- 78 members chosen by national legisl., divided on basis of population
- advisory
Court of Justice (predecessor European Court of Justice)
- 7 members: 6 judges + 1 trade union representative
- settle conflicts + ruled on legality High Authority decisions
The Road to Paris (timeline)
- 1946 Zurich speech = United States of Europe (Churchill) + Council of Europe
- 1947 creation of UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)
- 1948 The Hague Congress = Churchill European Unity, Council of Europe, College of Europe
- 1948 Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) - Marshall plan
- 1949 Council of Europe = human rights
- 1952 ECSC = pooling heavy industries, community of fact, making war impossible
1950s integration optimism
success ECSC
Move to rethink Franco-German conflict (German rearmament) pushed by the US
- US wanted: German rearment to have NATO contribution
-
France wanted: Pleven Plan = common defense, European Army, European minister of defense (German rearmament directly integrated into supranational army)
*Jean Monnet helped come up with this plan
Adenauer proposed European Defence Community in 1949 (before Pleven plan)
- UK refused to participate: was to supranational
- France refused to participate: no (large) German army
*idea of a European Political Community died with the idea of the EDC
1954 West European Union: intergov. military cooperation (UK initiative) = diff from EDC as it is not supranational + France accepted (bc UK joined)
(ended in 2011 in the shadow of NATO)
Treaties of Rome
1957
Euratom + EEC
context: failed political and military integration + Jean Monnet appointed president of the ECSC Authority
Euratom = European Atomic Energy Community
European Economic Community =
- single market within 12 years (free movement of people + capital + services)
- common external tariffs + no customs
- common policies agriculture, trade transport and competition
- European Social Fund + ECB
EEC
= skeleton/foundation EU today
Commission (would become the (supranational) European Commission))
- 9 members, 6 year terms
- initiating policy + overseeing implementation
Council of Ministers (intergovernmental)
- gov. ministers sharing 17 votes
- decision making: unanimity or simple majority or QMV or 12 votes from 4 states
- making decisions on Commission proposals
Parliamentary Assembly (EP from 1962)
- 142 appointed members (from 1962 elections)
- question/censure Commission, had little legislative authority
Court of Justice
- 7 judges, renewable 6 year terms
- interpreting treaties + ensuring fulfilling treaty obligations
Early days of the EEC
uncertainty and crisis 1958-1972
context: security threats SU + Cuban Missile Crisis + escalation cold war in Vietnam
EEC ->
- increase intra-EEC trade, but only limited removal barriers movement of workers
- increased cooperation on international trade negotiations (from late 60s, e.g. Venice declaration)
need to expand membership for single market to flourish
- 1961 UK applied for membership, but De Gaulle double-veto 1963 and 1967 (suspicious of US atomic power influence on UK + diff visions for Europe (independent of US))
crises:
CAP 1968: Common Agricultural Policy = single market + assured prices for farmers
- important for security: prevent shortages
- unintended consequence: butter mountains (overproduction)
The Empty Chair Crisis 1965 = France’s absence from Council of Ministers negotiations CAP (France was concerned with decision-making procedures (CAP would be supranational), did not want to lose veto)
- Luxembourg compromise: no self-financing CAP + no budgetary control of the EP + member states keep informal veto right (when national interest is affected)
changing community 1973-1984
1973 = new MS: Denmark, Ireland, UK (De Gaulle was gone -> no resistance)
1978 = European Monetary system
1979 = frist direct elections EP
1981 = Greece joins EC (was not eco. ready, but politically would be good for democratization to join)
1986 = Spain and Portugal joined
Single European Act
SEA 1986
(act as powerful as a treaty)
initiated by Jacques Delors, deepened integration
- eco focus: reduce trade barriers + complete internal market by dec 1992
- introduced QMV on some issues in the Council (supranational move)
- legalised European Council (heads of gov.) + formalized European Political Cooperation (was at first informal and implicit)
- EEC -> EC
- new agenda: social cohesion (social charter 1983) + environment + research
Maastricht Treaty on the EU
1992 (Treaty on European Union)
created the EU + 3 pillars + EMU (Economic and Monetary Union)
3 pillars (to preserve the different decision-making modes in various policy fields)
- ‘community’ pillar = what the MS were ready to completely integrate
- CFSP = common foreign and security policy
- justice and home affairs
changes:
- extended QMV provisions in the Council (-> more supranational)
- new EP powers: co-decisions procedure (bigger role in policy making)
treaty dates
