SUBJECT:
European Union
QUESTION: How did the EU or European Union come to
be?
ANSWER:
How the EU was built
The Nice summit is expected to be a pivotal meeting in the
history of the EU, setting the future course and character
of the European community and prepare it for expansion. BBC
News Online looks back at some of the key moments in the
history of the union.
1946
Winston Churchill calls for a "kind of United States of
Europe" in a speech given at the Zurich University.
The European Federalists Union is established in Paris.
1948
The International Co-ordination of Movements for the
Unification of Europe Committee meets in the Hague. It is
chaired by Winston Churchill and attended by 800 delegates.
The meeting recommends the creation of a European
Deliberative Assembly and a European Special Council, in
charge of preparing political and economic integration of
European countries. It also proposes the adoption of a Human
Rights Charter and a Court of Justice.
1951
A meeting to consider the creation of a European Community
of Defence is held in Paris. Belgium, France, Italy,
Luxembourg and Germany attend the meeting alongside six
observer countries - the United States, Canada, Denmark, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
1955
The Council of Europe adopts as it emblem the blue flag with
12 golden stars on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union [flag
is on the right]
1957
The treaties establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)
and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
are signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands in Rome - from then on referred to as the
"Treaty of Rome".
The treaty became the foundation stone of the modern-day
European Community.
1962
The Council of Europe adopts the first directive. It
establishes the EEC global foodstuff regulation by defining
which colourants can be added to food.
1963
French President General Charles de Gaulle doubts the
political will of the United Kingdom to join the community -
giving rise to his famous "non" to British membership of the
EEC.
1966
The EEC enters the third and last phase of the transition to
the Common Market. This included the replacement of the
unanimity vote by the majority system for most of the
decisions of the Council of Europe.
1967
The United Kingdom re-applies to join the Community,
followed by Ireland, and Denmark. General de Gaulle is still
reluctant to accept British accession.
1970
Member states approve the Davignon Report on political
co-operation. The objective is to get Europe to speak with a
single voice on all major international problems.
1972
Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom sign the treaties
of accession to the European Communities.
1975
At a meeting of the European Council in Rome, ministers
decide to establish a European Parliament elected by
universal suffrage.
1986
The Single European Act, modifying the Treaty of Rome and
extending majority voting, is signed.
1988
The community ratifies the Vienna Convention for the
protection of the environment.
1991
The venue of the Nice summit
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is
inaugurated in London.
A European Council Summit is held in Maastricht. It reaches
an agreement on the draft treaty on the European monetary
union. Then British PM John Major negotiates a British
opt-out.
"Europe Agreements" signed with Poland, Hungary and
Czechoslovakia.
1993
Date of foundation of EU with its original 15 members: 1st
November 1993
1995
New members since 1st January 1995: Austria, Finland, Sweden
1997
The European Council meets in Amsterdam and reaches a
consensus on a draft treaty for a new phase of economic and
monetary union and adopts a resolution on growth and
employment.
1999
The single currency, the euro, was launched on 1 January.
Eleven member states adopted the new currency but three
countries - Denmark, Sweden, and the UK - decided to defer a
decision. The new currency has not been a resounding success
- in its first year its value fell by about 30% in relation
to other leading currencies.
The union was thrown into turmoil. After a scathing report
suggesting corruption and mismanagement in the European
Commission, all 20 commissioners were forced to step down.
2004
New members as of 1 May 2004 :
Poland, Hungary, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav republic of
Slovenia, the former Soviet republics of Lithuania, Latvia
and Estonia, and the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and
Malta.
See “United States of Europe” at the EA site:
http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/useurope.shtml |