The European Union

1. The European Union (Don’t write) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, and Poland Using your brain and with one partner try to locate every country on the blank European map.

3. Map 30–1 THE GROWTH OF THE EUROPEAN UNION This map traces the growth of membership in the European Union from its founding in 1957 through the introduction of its newest members in 2004. Note that Turkey though having applied for membership has not yet been admitted.

4. Mystery Q: Unification • What reasons would European nations after World War II look to create a common community? Think politically, economically, and socially • French wanted to keep an eye on Germany • Economic cooperation was needed to ease tensions amongst nations and to allow Europe to compete with the U.S. and Asian markets • Concern over the SU

5. Assignment: Path to Cooperation • Use the notebook to review the path of political and economic cooperation of Europe. • Be prepared to state ONE way cooperation began after WWII. • What were the major steps in the emergence of the European Union?

6. Stages of Unification • 1st stage(1948)Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC)task of handling Marshall Plan money • Worked to lower tariffs and eliminate trade barriers amongst states receiving assistance • U.S. insisted the money be used cooperatively amongst nations

7. European Unification • European Economic Community (1957)– members known as the Common Market, first came together out of the European Coal and Steel Community • seek the elimination of tariffs, a free flow of capital and labor, and similar wages and benefits for workers of all countries • original six members – (France, West Germany, Italy Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg • 1973 – Great Britain (despite protest from France), Ireland and Denmark become members • 1982 – Spain, Portugal and Greece apply to join

8. European Union • European Union – 1993 – Treaty of Maastricht turns the EEC into the European Union with a common currency for twelve of the member nations – the Euro. • membership in union rises to twenty-five countries in 2004 • many former Soviet bloc countries need economic aid from the Union

9. Discord in the Union • proposed European Constitution of 2004 involved a bill of rights and complex economic and political agreements between nations transferring considerable power from individual nations to a central power • France and the Netherlands defeat the treaty, while Britain postpones voting on it

10. Why it was defeated Britain and France clash over admittance of Turkey Some members have stagnant economies which other members don’t want to be held responsible for helping Reluctance to give up national sovereignty to a bureaucracy

11. The Euro

12. The Euro The most important accomplishment of the European Community was the launching on January 1, 1999, of the Euro, a single monetary unit that replaced the national currencies of most of its member nations.

13. Provided economic stability and a boost to lagging economic conditions Unique national euro coins provided by the EU All transactions within the EU zone converted to Euros Only 18 of 28 EU nations use euro as of 2013 Nations after 1993 pledged to adopt the euro Britain, Denmark, and Sweden still oppose

14. Summary: European Union • Why is the Union now facing a crisis?