The Treaty Of Maastricht ( 1992 )

Not only was a decision made to create the EMU but the governments of the member states also signed on creating a political union for “an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”. The discussion within the negotiations on the Maastricht Treaty focused on themes like the role of the European Parliament, establishing a European citizenship, the development of new common policies such as culture and interior affairs and the creation of a common foreign

By the signing of the Treaty on European Union (TEU, formal for Maastricht Treaty) in 1992 and its entering into force in November 1993, the European Union was

The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 different countries. It consists of about half a billion citizens, and its combined economy represents about 20 percent of the world’s total economy (Briney, 2015). Today The European Union works as a single market, with free movement of people, goods and services from one country to another. There is a standard system of laws to be followed, and since 1999 many countries share a single currency called the Euro (Europa.eu, 2015). This essay will explore the background history of the European Union and the benefits and drawbacks of the European Union.

The European Union was initially set up as a means to terminate the conflict that occurred within Europe throughout the 20th century, culminating with the end of The Second World War (WWII) and The Cold War that followed. The EU ultimately aimed to bring the member countries together in order to form an ‘ever closer union’ between the countries of Europe, thus preventing a future battle. The Union started as the European Economic Community (EEC), which was established in 1957, and over the years endured numerous adjustments to form the politico-economic union that we know of today.

The Treaty on European Union also known as the Maastricht Treaty was signed in Maastricht 7th of February 1992 and the Treaty on the functioning of the

Firstly, it is going to look at how post-war integration started through the prevention of war and to create peace throughout the European States. Secondly this essay will discuss the economic changes and influence it had on creating a political union. Then it will discuss how this created political unity along with how it affected integration and finally created the European Union. While lastly coming to a final conclusion as to what motivated integration after the war.

Indeed, the ideological foundations that gave birth to the EU were based on ensuring development and maintaining international stability, i.e., the containment of communist expansion in post World War II Europe (Hunt 1989). The Maastricht Treaty which gave birth to the EU in 1992 included considerations for joint policies in regard to military defense and citizenship.

The Treaty of Maastricht, formerly known as the Treaty of the European Union came at a pivotal time in European history.  Eastern Europe was a victim of the collapse of Communism, which had a strong impact on the European Commission (EC) as this meant new potential markets were open which they were keen to take over (Bache, 2001:124).  However, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union meant that there was unsettlement in the east. During the same period of time there was possibility for reunification in Germany.  This was looked upon with great caution because many feared that this could cause Germany Nationalism to ignite again.  Due to these events

After the Second World War, Europe felt exhausted from war, destruction, and starvation and also felt that war can be prevented through negotiations. They believed that trading could help European to prevent war conflict by joining or cooperate with each other through trade so that all countries would gain benefits from trade whether more or less. It also believed that by setting up the community it could prevent threats from communism. In 1952, the European Coal and Steel Community was established which supported by the Inner Six countries in Europe that are Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, West Germany, which is later on developed to European Union that signed in the treaty of Lisbon and came to force in 2009, which includes

Even though this movement was so ahead of it’s time, it created the vision of a united Europe and set the foundation for other EU developments toward European integration. The EMS was not as ambitious or as idealistic as the previous warren plan was, but rather it was more of a realistic set plan that laid out how to go about the long road toward integration. The EU moved closer and closer throughout the 1980’s and the 1990’s as many more agreements and treaties were introduced and signed.

Before the 1950s, Europe was a continent entrenched in war and revolts. From the 1800s to the 1950s there were over ninety conflicts and uprising, culminating with arguably the most devastating: World War II. The Second World War hit Europe with an enormous cost in terms human and economic capital, it had left previously rich and prosperous nations in ruin. It not only exposed the horrors of modern-warfare but also the terrors of extreme nationalism, these two revelations lead to the unanimous notion that such tragedy could never be allowed to occur in Europe again, or the rest of the world for that matter. Monnet and Schuman, two French statesman regards as the architects of the European Union, concluded the most effective way of promoting peace and stability throughout Europe was via economic integration. (Wyplosz, 2012) The first step in this new direction was the European Coal and Steal Community [ECSC], it was the first integrated body of its kind. It proposed that for all nations who signed [Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands], their

People have created unions many times but not all of them were successful, specifically when we consider alliances among number of countries with different economics, political systems and culture. For instance, last century brought both the biggest collapse and the most promising union in the modern history. Although U.S.S.R has disappeared from geographical maps, some of its members joined another alliance. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership that united 28 countries on the European part of Eurasia and represents a unique form of cooperation among members today.

The creation of European Union was one of the 20th centuries greatest accomplishments. So great that it won the noble peace prize in 2012 for “over six decades [having] contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.” What was once a continent torn apart by war, is now a model for peace for the world. Over a 70 year period, Germany and France in particular had fought three wars. However, today war between those countries, or any in the European Economic Area, is close to unthinkable.

The European Union (EU) was established in order to prevent the horrors of modern warfare, experienced by most of Europe during the World Wars of the 20th century, from ever ensuing again, by aiming to create an environment of trust with the countries of Europe cooperating in areas such as commerce, research and trade (Adams, 2001). The EU has evolved into an economic, trade, political and monetary alliance between twenty-eight European Member States. While not all Member States are in monetary union (i.e. share the currency of the euro), those that are form the ‘Euro-zone’ (Dinan, 2006). The EU can pass a number of types of legislation, with a regulation, act, or law, being the most powerful. Its ‘tricameral’ (European Union, 2007)

One of the most remarkable successes of the European Union is ensuring peace and stability is maintained in Europe and other parts of the world. Prior to the formation of the union, European nations experience disharmony related to both World War I and II. The first step towards peace building was the formation of European Coal and Steel Community. Since then, the union has formulated several peace policies with the aim of ensuring peace thrive amongst members and their associates.