1. A Teacher’s Hands-on Guide to the European Union
Gali Beeri
International Education Program Coordinator
UNC-Chapel Hill Center for European Studies

2. Teaching Contemporary Europe and the European Union
Activity
Introduction to the EU
Teaching Resources
Prize: Map of Europe

3. Activity

4. The European Union 27 countries 500 million people
7% of world’s population
30% of global GDP
Candidate countries: Iceland, FYROM, Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey
Potential candidates: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo (under UN Security Council Res 1244), Albania
Member states of the EU
Candidate countries
© European Union,

5. What is the European Union?
A unique international organization
Founded after the end of World War II to boost inter-state cooperation in Europe
ECSC: European Coal & Steel Community
-unique: 1st time that countries voluntarily agreed to set up common insts to which they delegate some of their sovereignty
Why? So decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made a higher level
-lasting peace: expansion to promote further peace & stability. We forget this point b/c of the recent emphasis on econ, bureaucracy
: handful of statesmen discussed ideas for uniting Europe
---create structures in W Europe, based on shared interest, founded upon treaties guaranteeing rule of law & equality btw countries
-ECSC (European Coal & Steel Community): proposed in 1950, in countries which had once fought e/o, production of coal & steel would be pooled under common High Authority. ---Germ had steel, Benelux coal.
---in practical but richly symbolic way, raw materials of war => instruments of reconciliation & peace. (also tools for rebuilding)

6. US Role in the EU’s Early Years
Post-war period
Create lasting peace
Context: Communism, beginning of Cold War
Marshall Plan
: US contributed over $13 billion (2011: ~$115 billion)
US backing, pushing for united Europe
-communism, beginning of Cold War – WHY they were pushing for strong Europe (strategic move)
-In the early post-war years, the Marshall Plan aid provided to European nations by the US was crucial in encouraging cooperation between the former enemies. (US saw isolation X work, so pushed for unified Europe)
-Between 1948 and 1951, the United States contributed more than $13 billion (equivalent to ~$115 billion in 2011 when adjusted for inflation) of economic and technical assistance toward the recovery of 16 Western European countries.
-Initially, Marshall Plan aid $$ was offered to Eastern European countries (i.e. Yugoslavia) as well, but pressure from Soviets to not take $ was great)
-The plan was implemented by the states of Western Europe acting in concert.
-This cooperation gave important impetus to the formation of the European Economic Community and today's European Union.

7. The Marshall Plan and the EU
Surprising effects
1948 – 1952: fastest period of growth in European history
The effects of the Marshall Plan were surprising to even its most optimistic supporters. The years 1948 to 1952 saw the fastest period of growth in European history.
From this early period of econ growth, EU has undergone other types of growth as well: Enlargement.

8. “The Six”: “Big 3 & Small 3”
Eight Enlargements
“The Six”: “Big 3 & Small 3”
“Northern 3”
“Southern 3”
1952
1973
1981
1986
1990
1995
2004
2007
Started w/6 countries: ECSC 1951 (enters into force 1952). Treaty of Rome 1957 (EEC and EURATOM).
Now 27 member states
1st 6 (big 3 & small 3): France, Germany, Italy, Benelux Northern 3: Ireland, Denmark, UK
Southern 3 (81 & 86): Greece (81), Spain & Portugal (86) Easy 3 (1995): Austria, Finland, Sweden
Big Bang (10 in 2004): Latvia, Lithuania,Estonia, Poland,Hungary, CzechRepublic, Malta,Cyprus, Slovakia,Slovenia
2007: Romania & Bulgaria
“Easy 3”
“Big Bang”: 10
EU27
© European Union,

9. Expansion: The EU’s Most Successful Foreign Policy
Ten new member states joined the EU in May 2004, and two more - in January 2007, making it a club of 27.
Enlargement as democratizing force
© European Union,

10. The Big Enlargement: Healing the Division of Europe
41989
Fall of Berlin Wall – end of Communism
EU economic help begins: Phare programme
41992
Criteria set for a country to join the EU:
• democracy and rule of law
• functioning market economy
• ability to implement EU laws
41998
Formal negotiations on enlargement begin
42002
Copenhagen summit agrees enlargement
42004
10 new EU members: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
Link back to origin of EU… stabilize region, promotion of peace
-EU encouraged German unification after fall of wall.
-EU welcomed newly independent countries in Central & Eastern Europe to join
(15 years after fall, 10 new countries joined EU)
42007
Bulgaria and Romania join the EU
© Reuders
Candidates
Croatia, Iceland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey
© European Union,

11. Economics -Euro not without tension… (ID)
-EU originally created to achieve political goal of peace; but much of its success & dynamism springs from involvement in economics
-1993 single market: free movement of goods, capital, services, & people w/in Europe

12. The Euro 2002: 12 EU countries in the euro zone
Increased trade and investment
2011: 17 countries
As of January 1, 2002, the euro is the official legal tender of 12 of the EU countries. It consolidates and extends Europe's single market.
By removing transaction costs and completely eliminating currency transactions in the euro-zone, trade and investment have been greatly facilitated.
Now 17 countries use the euro.

13. The Euro – a Single Currency for Europeans
Can be used everywhere in the euro area
4Coins: one side with national symbols, one side common
4Notes: no national side
17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia , Spain, and Estonia.
Notes: have no national side. Instead, have fictional bridges (as the member states could not agree on which real bridges to use on the notes)
EU countries using the euro EU countries not using the euro
© European Union,

14. EU-US Economic Partnership
Population in millions, 2009
The EU and the US economies account for 57% of the world GDP.
Jointly, the EU and the US are responsible for about 40% of world trade.
The EU and the US are each other’s main trading partners.
1339
500
(EU & US together: 800 mil ppl)
TIES TO NC
-2007: European investment in NC supported ~97,800 jobs (EU27 + Norway, Switzerland) ---of those, 40% in manufacturing
-2007: EU = #1 foreign investor in NC: $14 billion, 47% of total FDI
-2009: NC exports to EU = $5.3 billion, = 24% of total exports
-NC’s top 5 exports to EU27 in 2008: chemical manufactures, transportation equipment, machinery manufactures, computers & electronic production, paper products
Major traded products between EU and US are machinery, automobiles, chemical products, manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco.
307
128
142 EU
China
Japan
Russia
United States
© European Union,

15. The EU – a Major Trading Power
Share of world trade in goods (2007)
Share of world trade in services (2007) EU
17% EU
28.5%
Others
53.2%
United States
14.5%
Others
40.6%
In both cases, share of EU = greater than that of US.
United States
18.2%
Japan
5.8%
China
9.5%
China
5.9%
Japan
6.8%
© European Union,

16. EU-US Partnership: Common Goals and Shared Values
Democratic society
Individual liberty and human rights
The rule of law
Economic freedom
Energy security
Environmental protection
Beyond the economic ties between EU & US, EU also shares many goals & values w/US.
EU wishes to promote humanitarian progressive values.

17. The EU is the biggest provider of development aid in the world
The EU provides 60% of all development aid
93€
53€
44€
More than half the money spent to help poor countries comes from the EU and its member states, making it the world's biggest aid donor.
Most of the EU’s aid is in the form of non-repayable grants
In addition to monetary aid, EU also uses trade to drive development by opening its markets to exports from poor countries and by encouraging them to trade more with each other. EU
Japan
United States
Official development assistance per citizen, 2007
© European Union,

18. Teaching Resources

19. EU Web Resources
Center for European Studies/EU Center of Excellence Resources
K-12 lesson plans:
Teaching resources:
Primer on the EU for teachers, multimedia websites, briefings
Global Music Show:

20. Resource: Euro Economics
Digital “textbook”

21. Euro Challenge http://www.euro-challenge.org/
Competition for 9-10 graders

22. EU Web Resources
Lesson Plans from the Delegation of the European Union

23. Educational Quizzes & Games
Europago:
Maps
Currency
Music
Flags
European Geography:
Image: © European Union,

24. EU Web Resources Free Publications The EU at a Glance
booklets, maps, posters
The EU at a Glance
Print directly from the Easy Reading Corner
Teacher’s Corner
Print and purchase
Free classroom sets
Teacher’s Corner & glance as great starting places.
Image: © European Union,

25. EU Web Resources Audiovisual Materials: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices
Video
Audio
Photos
Slides:

26. Prize Raffle! Map of Europe
Random number generator:

27. Web Resources Handout