Tag Archives: European Union

Maastricht Treaty

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The Maastricht Treaty was ratified by 12 democratic countries part of the European Union in 1992.  The document clearly states from the start that this treaty is a cooperation between each country on the principles of economics and foreign policy.  This treaty did not try to change the internal politics of each nation, but rather respected the national identities of its member states.  The timing of the ratification of the document is interesting in that it is shortly after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.  Perhaps this document was an incentive for many former satellite states(including east Germany) to become democracies, as they could make a case to join the EU.  I find the word choice in this document to be surprising, especially in Article A, as it refers to the benefits for the ‘citizen’ of each country.  It gives the feeling that they are trying to build a community in an effort to bring prosperity, rather than another NATO which brings military implications.  Article F even states that the Union will respect human rights, adding to this idea of benefiting the people.

One of the most important themes is the economic implications put in place by this document.  In an attempt to create economic cohesion, the introduction of a single currency is put in place.  A single currency helps stimulate trade activities as well as the free movement of goods.  On the subject of foreign policy, Article B states the need for a common defense policy for each country to follow.  This policy is understandable as if a number of nations are under attack or in war, it would disrupt the overall economy of the union.  Lastly there is an emphasis on consistency throughout each member state as a whole.  Internal justice and home affairs will not vary dramatically, but as mentioned before there is a respect for each national identity.

Why do you think this treaty calls for consistency on justice and home affairs?  Why would countries want to join the European Union?

 

 

 

The Treaty of Maastricht – Unity for Europe?

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Signed in 1992, the Maastricht Treaty established a supranational body comprised of countries, which would be known as the European Union. The Treaty dictates that the Union will help keep peace in Europe and will help facilitate good economic relations amongst member nations. Moreover, it will assert itself as an important body of interdependence. Essentially, the Treaty was signed almost immediately (a year or so) after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Following this logic, it would be reasonable to assume that members would comprise of all regions of Europe. This is a false assumption to make; the Treaty signers were primarily from Western Europe.[1] Founder nations included the likes of Belgium, France, Italy, West Germany, Denmark, the U.K., Spain, and others. It left out much of Eastern Europe, who had just collapsed along with the Soviet Union. In fact, many of these nations would not join until 2004, when ten primarily Eastern European countries joined the European Union. It is questionable to consider why the Treaty was not extended into these nations immediately. Perhaps it had to do with the still lingering fear of communism or the thought that these nations would bring the Union down. Moreover, perhaps the Eastern European nations were still in fear of those leaders in Moscow.

What do you think? Why was Eastern Europe excluded initially from the Treaty of Maastricht and the European Union?

Also, here’s a map:

Map showing the member states of the European Union (clickable)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Member_States_of_the_European_Union_(polar_stereographic_projection)_EN.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EC-EU-enlargement_animation.gif

[1] “European Union.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 21, 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union#Member_states.

Treaty on European Union

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The Maastricht Treaty, also known as the Treaty on European Union, was signed on February 7, 1992. It became active on November 1, 1993, during the Delors Commission. It established the European Union and led to the creation of the Euro. It was amended by the treaties of Lisbon, Nice, and Amsterdam.

Upon creation, the European Union was comprised of three pillars: the European Communities, which dealt with economic, social, and environmental policies, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which handled foreign policy and military matters, and the Police and Judicial Co-Operation in Criminal Matters, which focussed on law enforcement and fighting crime. The three pillar structure was abandoned on December 1, 2009, when the Treaty of Lisbon became active.

European Common Market (1957)

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This reading focuses on negotiations related to a trade union between Belgium, Grance, the German Federal Republic, Italy, Lxembourg, and The Netherlands. However, the U.K. was also interested in joining the trade union. These countries would remove barriers of trade, and would not impose tariffs upon one another, although they would establish a tariff to all external countries. The United States supported this decision, as this union will help to further unite Western Europe, both politically and economically. In addition, this union is a move towards convertible currencies, and the United States hopes this move will expand trade among countries outside of the union.