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European Integration, 1945-2002

Young & Kent: International Relations since 1945. European Integration, 1945-2002. The European Experience. A divided continent: Languages and nationalities Great Power rivalries Economic competition Old ideal of unity: Christendom Common culture/historical experience Twentieth Century:

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European Integration, 1945-2002

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  1. Young & Kent: International Relations since 1945 European Integration, 1945-2002

  2. The European Experience • A divided continent: • Languages and nationalities • Great Power rivalries • Economic competition • Old ideal of unity: Christendom • Common culture/historical experience • Twentieth Century: • Loss of world position: end of Empire • Between superpowers in Cold War

  3. Proposals for Unity, 1929-45 • Inter-war schemes: • Franco-German steel cartel • Briand Plan, 1929: control rising German power in European context • Impact of World War II • Nazi ‘new order’ • Resistance movements: hopes of unity • Franco-British union proposal, 1940 • Failure of nation-state?

  4. Impact of the Cold War, 1945-49 • 1945-47: ‘Big Three’ co-operation • Benelux customs union 1946 • Churchill’s Zurich speech • 1947-9: US-Soviet division • Marshall Plan, 1947: US backs integration • Economics: Organisation of European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), 1948 • Military: Brussels Pact, North Atlantic Treaty • Political: Council of Europe, 1949 • Intergovernmental not supranational co-operation

  5. The Schuman Plan, May 1950 • Factors at work: idealism or national interest? • Control German power: Ruhr valley • Preserve French economic recovery • Yet offer West Germany equality • Role of Monnet, Schuman, Adenauer • US support, British doubts • European Coal-Steel Community 1952 • Supranational ‘High Authority’ under Jean Monnet • France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg (‘the Six’)

  6. The EDC, 1950-54 • The Pleven Plan, October 1950 • US pressure for German rearmament after Korean War starts • Based on Schuman Plan: control German power in supranational body • European Defence Community, 1952 • Does not offer Germany proper equality • French fear loss of national army • Collapses 1954 in French parliament

  7. The Treaties of Rome, March 1957 • Messina Conference June 1955 • Revive integration after EDC • ECSC ministers agree to study further economic integration • Spaak (Brussels) Committee • Two alternatives: ‘sectoral’ co-operation (like coal-steel); or full customs union • Two Treaties • European Economic Community (EEC) • European Atomic Energy Agency (Euratom)

  8. British Policy, 1945-61 • 1950-57: British absent from Schuman Plan and Treaties of Rome • Failure of vision? • Favour intergovernmental co-operation • Ambitions of great power/world role • Separate from continent/wartime experience • Or national interest? • Part in Marshall Plan and Brussels Pact • UK is global trading power • Lacks French obsession with German threat

  9. The EEC, 1957-84: signs of success • Internal free trade achieved by the Six • Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy • 1973 ‘Northern enlargement’ to Britain, Ireland and Denmark; Greece joins 1979 • 1979 direct elections to European Parliament • 1979 ‘Exchange Rate Mechanism’ (ERM) creates greater currency stability

  10. EEC, 1957-84: hopes unfulfilled • 1960s: the Gaullist challenge • De Gaulle opposes majority voting: empty chair crisis (1965-6) and Luxembourg compromise • Vetoes enlargement in 1963 and 1967 • 1970s: ‘stagflation’ • Monetary instability prevents Economic and Monetary Union (planned in 1970 Werner Report) • ‘Northern enlargement’ fails to bring full European Union (planned in 1972 Paris Summit) • 1979-84: Economic depression • British Budgetary Dispute

  11. The Mid-80s European Revival • Factors in favour of growth, 1985 • World emerging from depression • Monetary stability: strong Deutschmark • EEC expanding: Spain and Portugal 1986 • Mitterrand’s socialist policies seen to have failed in France by 1983 • Chancellor Kohl’s European commitment • British Budgetary Question resolved

  12. The European Advance, 1984-92 • 1985 Single European Act • Expanded Qualified Majority Voting • ‘Single market’ in 1992 • Jacques Delors, Commission President • Delors Plan on Monetary Union • Social Charter • 1991 Maastricht Treaty • Single currency by 1999 • ‘European Union’ created • Common Foreign and Security Policy ‘pillar’ • Justice and Home Affairs ‘pillar’

  13. Uncertain Decade 1992-2002 • Post-Maastricht problems • Initial defeat for Maastricht in Denmark • Virtual collapse of ERM, 1992-3 • UK/Denmark opt-out of monetary union • 1997 Amsterdam Treaty modest in aims • Continued advance • November 1993: ‘European Union’ • 1995 enlargement: Austria, Sweden, Finland • 1998 talks on ‘eastern enlargement’ • 1999/2002 single currency achieved

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