the treaties of the european union - chronological

7/27/2019 The Treaties of the European Union - Chronological

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1951: The Treaty of Paris

Originally named The Treaty Establishing the ESCS

Signed on 18th

of April 1951, it came into force on 23rd

of July 1952

The founding members were: France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembou

and Belgium

It expired on 23rd

of July 2002The ESCS Treaty created 5 institutions:

The High authority the executive The Consultative Committee attached to the High Authority The Council of Ministers The Assembly The Court of Justice

The treaty gave the ESCS legal personality, but also the right to regulate policy relating thcoal and steel industries in the member states.

Competition was to be stimulated by rules on price transparency or anti-trust laws on US

lines.

These decisions could be enforced against the member states in the new Court of Justice

1957: The Treaties of RomeAfter the success of the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) o

creating a common market with little restrictions on the movement of goods, labour and

capital, the ECSC members planned to apply this principle in the whole community and

create the conditions of a single market over several states.

The Treaties


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In 1957, in Rome, there were two new treaties signed that had as a result the foundation

two new institutions: the European Economic Community (EEC) and theEuropean Atom

Energy Community (EURATOM). ECSC, EEC and EURATOM were referred at as The

European Communities.

The Treaties came into force on 1st

of January 1958 after being ratified by the member

states.

Article 3 of the EEC Treaty vested the community with the power of pursue the following

activities:

Eliminating customs duties and quantitative restrictions on the import and export ogoods

Establishing a common custom tariff and a common commercial policy towards thicountries

The abolition of obstacles to the free movement of persons, services and capitalbetween the member states.

The adoption of a common agricultural policy The adoption of a common transport policy The creation of a community competition policy The approximation of the laws of the member states to the extent required to the

proper functioning of the common market

The association of overseas countries and territories in order to increase trade andpromote economic development

The four most important features of the common market were the free movement of

goods, labour, business and capital.

The main institutions of the EEC established by the Treaty were:

The Commission The Council of Ministers The Assembly The Court of Justice

The above mentioned institutions were modelled on those of ECSC and the new

community had a similar legal structure.


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The object of EURATOM was to develop nuclear energy, distribute it within the member

states and sell the surplus to the outside world. For political reasons associated with

Frances nuclear weapons production and the widespread doubts of the safety and

reliability ofnuclear power, EURATOM never developed as originally envisioned. It has

remained, though, an important research centre and a promoter of nuclear safety.

1965: The Merger Treaty

Signed on 8th

of April 1965, it came into force on 1st

of July 1967

It merged the institutions of the European Communities under a single institutional

structure.

Immediately following the Treaties of Rome, agreement was reached that there would b

only one Court of Justice and one European Parliament (the Assembly renamed itself in

1962)for the three communities.

However, there were separate Council of Ministers and separate executive bodies a H

Authority for the ECSC and a Commission for EEC and EURATOM.

ECSC

3. Council of Ministers

4. High Authority

5. Consultative

Committee

EEC

3. Commission

4. Council of

Ministers

EURATOM

3. Commission

4. Council of

Ministers

1. Court of Justice

2. The European Parliament

A single institutional structure

- Court of Justice

- European Parliament

- Council of Ministers

- European Commission

Before 1967

After 1967


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1986: The Single European Act

It was the first amendment to the founding treaties and it came as a response to both th

development and the lack of it in the three communities.

It was signed in February 1986 and came into force on 1st

of July 1987

Its main results were:

Extending EEC powers to help complete the internal market Increasing the legislative powers of the Parliament

Completing the internal market

In 1985 the Commission published the White Paper on the Internal Market which identif

the 179 legislative measures needed to complete the internal market. The SEA set the

objective of adopting these measures until 31st

of December 1992.

The SEA came and extended the competence of the EEC in order to help this measures

being implemented. The EEC was enabled to legislate on:

Environmental matters Economic and social cohesion Health and safety Consumer protection Academic, professional and vocational qualifications Public procurement VAT Excise duties and frontier control Research and technological development

ncreasing the legislative powers of the Parliament

In 1979 took place the first direct elections that decided the members of the EP; until the

they were nominated by their national parliaments. However, the European Parliament,


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that was the only institution of the communities whose members were elected directly b

the citizens of the member states, had only a consultative status in the legislative proces

In order to solve this issue, the SEA added more legislative power to the Parliament

through the cooperation procedure, making its role more important in four areas:

Prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of nationality The achievement of the free movement of workers Promotion of the right of establishment Measures of implementation of the internal market

The new procedure required the Council of Ministers to cooperate with the Parliament.

The Parliament would, for the first time, be able to make amendments to proposed laws

In order to make the process of adopting a law easier, the SEA enabled the Council to

adopt legislative measures in these four areas with a qualified majority, rather than

unanimity as it was before.

1992: The Maastricht Treaty (The Treaty on European Union)

Signed on 7th

February 1992, came into force on 1st

of November 1993

The Treaty establishes a new institutional structure of the community called The Europea

Union, based on three pillars:

The European Communities ECSC, EURATOM and EC (the new name of EEC) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)

The two new pillars (CFSP and JHA) had only and intergovernmental role, they helped

creating a framework for cooperation rather than making binding rules.

Through TEU, the name of the EEC was changed into European Community (EC),

recognising the fact that the former economic community has expanded beyond its origi

economic goals.

The Parliaments Powers were extended by the conciliation procedure, which gave it, fo

the first time, the right to veto legislation in certain circumstances.


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The TEU provided that the European Union would respect fundamental human rights

settled as general principles of Community law.

The two intergovernmental pillars (CFSP, JHA)

They remained outside of the European Communities as separate institutions.

The Court of Justice was excluded from exercising its power in matters dealt with under

these two pillars (except for very limited exceptions).

The second pillar (CFSP) provided joint foreign and security action by the member states

while the third pillar provided for cooperation in policy areas such as immigration,

international crime, asylum etc.

Action in both CFSP and JHA was taken by unanimous decision of the Council of Minister

although certain decisions could have taken by qualified majority. The other institutions

had a minimal involvement.

Amendments to the EEC Treaty

The amendments made to the EEC Treaty were:

Creation of a citizenship of the European Union Common economic and monetary policy, with a timetable of implementation of a

common currency

Adoption of the principle of subsidiarity Amendment to the decision making process

The Council of Ministers can adopt acts through qualified majority in new policy

areas.

Further power was given to the Parliament, extending its involvement in new area

The creation of the codecision procedure which allows the EP to adopt acts in

conjunction with the Council of Ministers.

The Articles 2 and 3 of the EEC Treaty were amended, extending the tasks of the

European Community beyond economic goals, incorporating political and social

ones.


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The amendment to Article 2 of the EEC Treaty provided that the task of the European

Community was to promote:

A harmonious and balanced development of economic activities Sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment A high degree of convergence of economic performance A high level of employment and social protection The raising of the standard of living and quality of life Economic, social cohesion and solidarity among member states

The amendment to Article 3 of the EEC Treaty provided that the activities of the Europea

Community shall include:

The elimination of custom duties and quantitative restrictions on the import and export ogoods

A common commercial policy An internal market with free movement of goods, persons, services and capital Measures concerning the entry and movement of persons in the internal market A common policy in the sphere of agriculture and fisheries A common policy in the sphere of transport A system ensuring the competition in the internal market is not distorted The approximation of the laws of the member states to the extent required by the prope

functioning of the common market

A policy in the social sphere comprising an European Social Fund The strengthening of economic and social cohesion A policy in the sphere of the environment The strengthening of the competitiveness of EC industry The promotion of research and technological development Encouragement for the establishment and development of trans-European networks Contribution to the attainment of a high level of health protection Contribution to education and training of quality and to the flowering of the cultures of t

member states

A policy in the sphere of development cooperation


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The association of the overseas countries in order to increase trade and promote jointlyeconomic and social development

Strengthening the consumer protection Measures in the spheres of energy, civil protection and tourism.

1997:The Treaty of Amsterdam

It was signed in 2001, came into force in 2003

It was structured on three parts:

Part one: Amendments to TEU and EC Part two: Provisions to simplify TEU and Community Treaties Part three: General and final provisions

Amendments to the TEU

A large part of the third pillar (JHA) was incorporated in the EC, what remained of iwas renamed Police Cooperation in Criminal Matters.

The Council of Ministers can now suspend member states rights with unanimity ifthey committed serious and persistent breach of its obligations.

The Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers acts as High Representative for tCFSP.

The national identities of member states must be respected The articles are renumbered

Amendments to the EC Treaty

New tasks are added to the EC:Promotion of equality between men and women

High level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment

Promotion of high degree of competitiveness

The decision making process has been amended and the European Parliament isgiven a greater role in more policy areas.


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The enhanced cooperation is introduced allowing a minimum of 9 member states establish integration and cooperation within EU structures without the other

members being involved.

The EC has now legislative power to combat discrimination based on sex, religion,ethnicity, disability, age or sexual orientation.

2001:The Treaty of Nice

Signed on 26th

of February 2001, came into force on 1st

of February 2003

The reason the Treaty was needed was to reform the institutions to fit the enlargement o

the Communities

The suspension of a member states rights can now be imposed by the Council of Ministe

with a four-fifths majority, rather than unanimity as it was the case before.

In application of the third pillar (PJCC) there shall be now cooperation with the European

Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust).

The mechanism ofenhanced cooperation is simplified.

Secondary Community instruments are now adopted by qualified majority and not by

unanimity as before.

The European Parliament enlarges, having 732 members now

The Treaty provided for the creation of subsidiary courts of the European Court of Justice

and the Court of First Instance

2007:The Treaty of Lisbon

Signed on 13th

of December 2007, entered into force on 1st

of December 2009

The EEC Treaty is renamed The Treaty on Functioning of the European Union

The European Union has now legal personality, replacing and merging the three pillars of

the Maastricht Treaty.

Reforms or the Lisbon Treaty

A more powerful role of the EP in the legislative process

A greater involvement of the national parliaments in the work of EU


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The Treaty recognizes 7 institutions of the EU: European Parliament, EuropeanCouncil, the Council of Europe, European Commission, European Court of Justi

European Central Bank and the Court of Auditors.

It give the members the possibility of voluntarily withdrawal

Provides the function of the High Representative and the President of the

European Council

The impact of the Lisbon Treaty over the European Parliament:

Brings over 40 new fields within the co-decision procedure, making the Europea

Parliament more powerful in the adoption of new laws

A bigger role in setting budgets the EP gets equal power to the Council to deci

over the entire EU budget

Gives the European Parliament the right to propose treaty changes

the treaties of the european union - chronological

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