By this treaty, it was decided to complete the monetary union by , to start European citizenship as well as to cooperate on common foreign and security policy and on justice and home affairs. The Maastricht Treaty established a three-pillar European Union structure.
In , with the participation of Austria, Finland and Sweden, the number of members of the European Union increased to The Euro, the single currency of Europe, officially got into circulation on 1 January and began to be used in 12 countries.
In , with the participation of Bulgaria and Romania, the number of the member states increased to In , the number has reached to 28 with the participation of Croatia. The final important stage in the deepening process of the European Union was the Lisbon Treaty, which was signed in and entered into force in The main objectives of this treaty were to eliminate the bottlenecks in EU decision-making mechanisms as well as to make the Union meet a more democratic and effectively functioning structure.
The EU countries, which were significantly affected by the global crisis in , faced economic and financial problems such as rising public deficit, decreasing competitiveness, increasing unemployment and low economic growth. The negative effects of the crisis were also felt in the EU and the Eurozone economy shrank by 4. The global crisis has affected the financial structures of EU countries, resulting in a significant increase in public deficits and debt stocks, as well as in endangering of the sustainability of public finance in many member countries.
The debt crisis that broke out in Greece in affected other Eurozone countries in a short period and the global crisis turned into a debt crisis and economic crisis in the EU.
Stability programmes and bailout packages were implemented in the member countries. Established to assist European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the implementation of the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy, this Service is composed of officers from the relevant departments of the Council, the Secretary-General of the European Commission and staff assigned by the diplomatic units of the member states.
The Nobel Peace Prize was presented to the EU at a ceremony on 10 December for its contribution to the promotion of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. Although the Eurozone has entered an economic recovery phase after the crisis, the EU has faced many challenges such as irregular migration crisis, Brexit, rise of far right and populist movements.
The irregular migration crisis in led to the questioning of the functioning of the Schengen Area, and also revealed disagreements among member states. The EU reached an agreement with Turkey on 18 March to overcome the crisis of irregular migration. Thanks to one for one deal in the EU-Turkey Statement, immigration to the EU through the Aegean Sea has declined considerably and immigrants have been prevented from losing their lives.
Member states can introduce laws that transpose directives into national law. Directives normally have deadlines for countries to adopt them into national law. Decisions are only relevant to specified bodies. The decision has a direct effect on the country, company or organisation that the decision is issued against.
Recommendations and Opinions are not binding, and EU member states can follow the advice of these recommendations if they wish to or they can choose not to change anything. You can read more about EU laws.
EU citizens have certain rights, including: The right to move freely and to live within the EU. The right to equal treatment. The right to have their affairs handled fairly and impartially by EU institutions and bodies, and the right to refer maladministration to the European Ombudsman.
The right to access documents held on them by EU institutions. The right to diplomatic or consular assistance when traveling outside the EU in a country where their own country does not operate an embassy or consulate.
The presumption of innocence until found guilty by a court of law, the right not to be tried twice for the same offence, and the protection of other general principals of the rule of law.
Economic governance The EU, through the European Commission, tries to prevent economic shocks by monitoring the economies of member states. They are: The Annual Growth Survey Alert Mechanism Report EU member states must present their draft budgets each year to the Commission and member states can be asked to change their budgets if the Commission thought they were in breach of the Stability and Growth Pact.
The euro area Nineteen EU member states are part of the euro area, or Eurozone. Page edited: 7 April Find out more about Brexit. The civil, political, social and economic rights recognised by the European Union are listed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Freedom of movement is one of the basic aims of the European Union. Where does this right come from and can EU citizens travel freely and settle anywhere within the EU? Find out here. Negotiations with the United Kingdom, interrupted in December following the second French veto, resumed officially on 30 June in Luxembourg in the wake of the Hague Summit, which, in December , had associated the strengthening of the Community with its enlargement.
Nevertheless, the negotiations took place in conditions very different from those of and Since then, the Community had actually consolidated its position, common policies had proved their worth, and the establishment of the Common Market had entered its final phase. The entire body of Community legislation, which would have to be accepted by the applicant countries, was therefore much more extensive than it had been in Negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Labour politicians were equally concerned at the prospect of throwing away the achievements of the Commonwealth for a Europe that was, in their view, largely capitalist. There were also many who feared that they would see the price of Commonwealth imports soar because of the disappearance of the imperial preference system. Senior British politicians were also careful to reassure their partners in the Dominions, who were very worried that they would find themselves henceforth relegated to the second rank of British concerns.
But by the late s, links between the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth had been considerably weakened. During the same period, the European Community was tending more and more to replace the Commonwealth share of United Kingdom outward investment. In addition, political and strategic links between the UK and the countries of the former British Empire, despite a traditional sentimental attachment, continued to decline during the s.
Accordingly, British negotiators took a more flexible line and, this time, laid down fewer conditions to be met by their future European partners. The British were well aware that, having virtually abandoned the imperial dimension of their foreign policy, it could no longer stand isolated from the Community which was, in contrast, becoming more and more assertive on the international scene. At the same time, the constant economic growth of the Six made the EEC more attractive day by day.
For its part, France was now more favourable to British accession to the EEC since it was looking for some way of balancing German power in Europe by relying on British support. These problems, which were closely linked, were never properly clarified. As a result, the Thatcher Government would return to them in the late s. By contrast, a definitive solution was found for the other stumbling-blocks, namely West Indian sugar and New Zealand butter.
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