EUROPEAN UNION

Basic info:

• The European Union is a political-economic union of 28 member states.

• Motto: “United in diversity”

• European flag: 12 stars symbolize unity, solidarity and harmony(designed by Arsène Heitz and Paul M. G. Lévy in 1955 for the CoE)

• European anthem: Ode to Joy (based on the Beethoven's 9th Symphony composed in 1823)

• European day: 9th May (9.5.1950- Schuman’s Proposals)

• Common currency: EURO

• Capital: Brussels

History:• 1951- France, West Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries signed the Treaty of

Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

• 1957- The foreign ministers of the ECSC nations agreed to examine the possibilities for further economic solidarity and signed the Treaty of Rome → establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)

• EEC- customs union= elimination of trade barriers, development of a common tariff for imports from the rest of the world, creation of a common policy for managing and supporting agriculture

• Euratom- co-operation in developing nuclear energy

• 1967- ECSC, EEC and Euratom merged together to become the European Community (EC)

• 1991- 12 countries signed the Treaty of Maastricht and the European Union (EU) was created. The Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993.

• 2007- Lisbon Treaty- Treaty of Lisbon amends the Treaty of European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community. Came into force on 1 December 2009.

• 2012- EU awarded by Nobel Peace Prize.

Members:• 1957- Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the

Netherlands

• First enlargement- 1972/73 - the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark

• Mediterranean enlargements:- 1981- Greece - 1986- Spain, Portugal

• 1995- Austria, Sweden, Finland

• Eastern enlargements:- 2004- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus- 2007- Bulgaria, Romania

• 2003- Croatia

Institutions: • The European Council: Sets the EU's overall political direction

– but has no powers to pass laws. Led by its President (currently Donald Tusk) and comprising national heads of state or government and the President of the Commission, it meets for a few days at a time at least twice every 6 months.

• The European Parliament: Represents the EU’s citizens and is directly elected by them.

• The Council of the European Union: Represents the governments of the individual member countries. The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis.

• The European Commission: Represents the interests of the Union as a whole. 28 commissioners- one from each country.

• The Central Bank: responsible for European monetary policy. Headquarters- Frankfurt, Germany.

• The Court of Justice: Consists of 3 courts: the Court of Justice, the General Court, and the European Union Civil Service Tribunal. Together they interpret and apply the treaties and the law of the EU.

The European Parliament:

The Court of Justice:

• President of the European Commission- José Manuel Barroso (22 November 2004 – 31 October 2014)

- Jean-Claude Juncker (1 November 2014- present)

• the European Union's Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality- Věra Jourová

• The European Ombudsman

EURO:• The euro is the official currency

of the eurozone, which consists of 19 of the 28 member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

• 1999- Euro accepted (only in non-physical form- traveller's cheques, electronic transfers, banking, etc.)

• 2002- notes, coins• Current exchange rate: 1€

=27,57 kč

Schengen Area:• The main purpose and mission

of the Schengen cooperation is free movement of persons without checks at the common borders.

• 1985- Schengen Agreement between Germany, France and the Benelux countries

• The Czech Republic joined the Schengen area in 2007.

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!