1. EUROPEAN COMMUNITY LAW

2. Member States (and their seats in the European Parliament) Germany 99
United Kingdom 78
France
Italy
Spain
Poland
Romania 35
Netherlands
Greece
Czech Republic
Belgium
Hungary
Portugal
Sweden
Austria
Bulgaria 18
Slovakia
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovenia
Estonia
Cyprus
Luxembourg
Malta

4. THE COMMUNITIES ENLARGING
1973: UK, Denmark and Ireland
1982: Greece
1986: Spain and Portugal
1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden
2004: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Malta, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia and Czech Republic
2007: Bulgaria and Romania

5. THE SYMBOLS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
UNITED IN DIVERSITY
THE FLAG
THE CURRENCY
ODE TO JOY
9 MAY : EUROPE DAY
European Commission

6. What are the goals of the European Union?

7. EC – EU?

8. HISTORY OF THE UNION

9. FOUNDING TREATIES 1951 Treaty of Paris
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
The ECSC Treaty expired on July 23, 2002
1957 Treaty of Rome
The Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
The Treaty Establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)
Signatory states: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Italy

10. =>
European
Communities
(EC)
EEC
Euratom
ECSC

11. AMENDMENTS TO THE TREATIES
1965: Merger Treaty
The institutions of the ECSC, the EURATOM and the EEC were merged
1986: Single European Act (SEA)
Preparations for the internal market to be complete by the year 1993

12. 1992 Maastricht Treaty The Treaty on European Union (TEU)
Came into force in November 1993
=>
1. Amendments to the EEC Treaty
1) Name: EEC became EC ‘The European Community’
2) Plans and schedule for the European Monetary Union (EMU)
The UK and Denmark opted out
3) Union citizenship
4) Co-decision procedure

13. 1992 Maastricht Treaty (cont.)
2. The European Union was established
Three pillars:
1) The European Communities (EC):
EC (EEC), ECSC and EURATOM
2) Common foreign and security policy
Internal affairs

14. EUROPEAN UNION EU 1. Pillar European Communities (EC) 2. Pillar COMMON
Euratom
ECSC
2. Pillar
COMMON
FOREIGN AND
SECURITY
POLICY
3. Pillar
INTERNAL
AFFAIRS
COMMUNITY PILLAR
CO-OPERATION PILLARS

15. SOURCES OF THE EC LAW THE 1ST PILLAR:
PRIMARY LAW
Treaty Establishing the European Community
Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community
Treaty Establishing the European Union
The supplementing or amending treaties
Access treaties of the Member States
SECONDARY LAW
Regulations
Directives
Decisions
Recommendations, opinions
RULINGS OF THE ECJ
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

16. 1999 The Treaty of Amsterdam (TA)
Powers of the European Parliament were increased
Closer cooperation possible for Member States, “multi-speed Europe”
Some of the issues of the third pillar were incorporated into the EC Treaty
the Schengen Agreement became part of the EC Law => the Schengen Acquis
The UK and Ireland and partly Denmark opted out
The numbering of the Treaty Articles was changed
Principle of openness to the EC Treaty
The Council of Ministers was granted more power to foster fundamental human rights of the citizens
Administrative changes to prepare the Community for enlargement

17. EUROPEAN UNION The European Communities COMMON FOREIGN19
EUROPEAN UNION
The European
Communities EC
Customs union and
single market
Agricultural policy
Structural policy
Trade policy
New or amended
provisions on:
EU citizenship
Education and
culture
Trans-European
networks
Consumer protection
Health
Research and
environment
Social policy
Asylum policy
External borders
Immigration policy
Euratom
ECSC
POLICE AND JUDICIAL
COOPERATION IN
CRIMINAL MATTERS
Cooperation between
judicial authorities in
civil and criminal law
Police cooperation
Combating racism and
xenophobia
Fighting drugs and the
arms trade
Fighting organised
crime
Fighting terrorism
Criminal acts against
children, trafficking in
human beings
COMMON FOREIGN
AND SECURITY POLICY
Foreign policy
Cooperation,
common positions
and measures
Peacekeeping
Human rights
Democracy
Aid to non-member
countries
Security policy
Drawing on the
WEU: questions
concerning the
security of the EU
Disarmament
Financial aspects of
defence
Long-term:
Europe’s security
framework
Modified from: Borchardt, Klaus-Dieter: The ABC of Community law

18. Challenges of the EU?

19. INSTITUTIONAL REFORM OF THE EU
2000 Treaty of Nice
Getting ready for the enlargement => amendments to the EC Treaty
Distribution of votes in the Council of Ministers
Members of the Parliament
Members of the Commission
2001 Laeken Summit
Issued a Declaration on the Future of the EU:
Increase in democracy, transparency and efficiency
The way a Constitution for the Citizens of Europe was to be prepared
Set up a committee, the European Convention which began working on the Draft European Constitution in 2002
2003 Rome Summit
Failed to agree on the draft
The work was carried on by an Intergovernmental Conference

20. INSTITUTIONAL REFORM OF THE EU (cont.)
2004 Brussels Summit
Political agreement on the text of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (the Constitutional Treaty)
To enter into force and to replace the existing treaties the Constitutional Treaty should also have been ratified by all of the Member States
During the ratification procedure in several states failed
Brussels Summit on 23 June 2007
The EU leaders agreed on a mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference which completed a new Treaty on Institutional Reform, the Reform Treaty.
Lisbon Summit on 13 Dec 2007
The Reform Treaty was signed => also known as the Treaty of Lisbon.
If ratified by each Member State, the treaty could enter into force in June 2009

21. INSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS
DECEMBER DECEMBER
ROME
SUMMIT
CONVENTION
DECLARATION OF
NICE
DECLARATION OF
LAEKEN
Draft Constitution
WORKING BASE
FOR THE IGC
IGC
FORUM
National debates
Modified source: European Commission

22. INSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS (cont.)
Elections PE
BY NATIONAL
PARLIAMENT
BRUSSELS
SUMMIT
IGC
Ratifications by
Member States
FAILED
Draft Treaty
establishing
a Constitution
for Europe
Signature by Head
of States or
governments
Rome, Oct 29, 2004
BY REFERENDUM
1 MAY
EUR 25
New Commission
1/11/04
Modified source: European Commission

23. MAIN CHANGES BROUGHT BY THE TREATY OF LISBON
One unified treaty replaces the existing ones
The EU becomes legal subject
Fundamental rights included as part of the treaty
Foreign Affairs Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Decrease in the veto rights

24. MAIN CHANGES… (cont.) Harmonious and explicit institutional system
Each Member State has its own commissaire until 2014, after that 14 places in the Commission rotating on an equal basis
Co-decision becomes the main decision-making process, it increases the power of the Parliament
Qualified majority voting increased as the Council voting practice
55% of the votes of the Member States and
65% of the population of the EU
4 states are needeed to block a decision
The requirement of transparency must be met in the legislative Council deliberations

25. Has the European Union succeeded in pursuing its goals so far?
Future of the EU - opportunities and threats?