The European Union: An Overview
Page
PriDcipal
The US-EU
A Short
Enlargement
Appendix
EU
European Union: Economic and Monetary Union Membership
European Union Members and Aspirants (map)
Comparative Statistics for the EU and Candidate Countries
European
Tophings to Know About Ihe European Union
Tophings to Know About EU Trade
The European Union: An Overview
Principal Institutions
nation EUnique mix of statc-to-stale cooperation found in traditional international organizations and supranational authority, particularly in the economic and trade spheres.esult, the EU neither looks nor behavesationala source of frustration for foreign governments dealing with it.
US officials deal most often with EU CommissionTrade Commissioner Pascal lams' and External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten.
The European Com missionEU's executiveeaded byommissioners, appointed by tnememberimplements decisions taken by the European Council and the Council of the Europeanlso initiatesEU regulations binding on memberCouncil and Parliamentarytakes the lead on internal market and external trade issues as well as other supranationalontains the bulk of lhe EU civilepresented abroad by delegations that serve as quasi EU embassies.
The Commission reports to the "Council" of ministers. High RepresentativeForeign and Security Policy Javierrequent US interlocutorfor the . / ,
EU leaders areoard of directors.
The European Council: Composed of ihe heads of stale and government of theember stales and the European Commissiontypically meetsprovides overall policy guidance to themakes decisions on contentious issues involving questions of national sovereignty, such as the creationefense capability and an EU policeegotiates changes to the treaties that define EU institutions and decisionmaking.
The Rotating El) Presidency
Each member state takeslhe reigns for six months and its leader is known as 'h*edencurrently holds thepresidency and will be followed by Belgium inJuTy. Representatives of the presidency country chair meetings of member states at all levels. When traveling abroad, the EU President often is joined by the European Commission President and the High Representative for Common Foreign and Securitytheira formation knowntroika."
The European Parliamentecondary player in most decisionmaking but its authority and credibility are gradually increasing.
The European Parliament:eviews legislation and the budget with theoversees Commission tics, fianjprce-it toual headquarters in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, j
EU institutions and decisionmaking arc under near-continual reform in treaty revision sessions known as Inter-Govemmcntal Conferenceshe 1GC that concluded in0 in Nice, France, provided sufficient reform to allow for enlargement. Another IGC is scheduled
Council of Europe
The European Union and its councils should not be confused with the Council of Europe, which has the same flag hut isotally distinct organization. The Council'semberlmost all European countries, includinglo protect human rights, democracy, and ihe rule of law. The Council was founded9 and its headquarters is in Strasbourg, France.
p^ftfS has supported European integration since the end of World War II because iltrong Europe serves US national interests. Today, the US and EU the largest economic relationship in the world, withrillion in annual trade and investment.5 the US and EUNew Transatlantic Agenda" to guide relations in the post-Cold War world. The NTA provides for continuous consultationroad range of economic and foreign policy areas, including semiannual meetings between the US and EU Presidents.
The NTAeries of transatlantic dialogues to facilitate people-to-people-contacts. The Transatlantic Business Dialogue brings together businesses and governments to look beyond current trade disputes and encourage commercial growth. The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogueorum for consumer groups and government officials. Other dialogues address labor issues, information technology, and foreign aid.
The Transatlantic Economic Partnership, begunas worked for agreement on standards and regulatory barriers, moteehnology, and food safety.
A Short History
Themember European Union traces its rootshen France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands signed the Treaty of Rome that created the European Economic Community. The EEC eliminated barriers to trade in goods and services in the six-country region,ommon external tariff.
six couniries launched the EEC after first forming the European Coal and Steel Communityn part to link their economies closely together and make another war unthinkable. By the end of the Cold War, the EEC had grown toember countries.
2 the member states signed the Treaty of Maastricht and adopted the name "European Union" to reflect their desire to go wellommon market: Maastricht set goalsommon currency (the euro, which debuted as an interbank currency9 and will begin circulating nextommon foreign and security policy, and cooperation in law enforcement and immigration.
5 Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU. The EU subsequently started negotiations to take in the former Warsaw Pact countries in central and eastern Europe.
With British support, the EU8 began toefense capability autonomous of NATO that eventually will be available for peacemaking, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations.
European Integration Timeline
uropean Coal and Steel Community
reaty of Rome creates six-country European Economic Community
ustoms union and common external tariff completed
K, Ireland, Denmark join
: Greece, Portugal, Spain join after casting off authoritarian regimes
ingle European Act eliminates non-tariff trade barriers in the internal market
aastricht Treaty creates the European Union
ustria, Finland, Sweden join
: Former Warsaw Pact countries, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta apply for EU membership
he euro becomes common interbank currency forf theU members
reaty of Nice, providing institutional reforms necessary for enlargement.
uro bills and coins circulate inU countries.
nlargement to as many asountries, further institutional reform, development of an autonomous defense capability.
Enlargement Plans
8 Ihe EU opened accession negotiations with Poland, Czech Republic. Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, andear later Brussels agreed to talks with six additional candidate-countries: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Romania, and Slovakia. Tbe EU has offered Turkey "candidacyut will not begin formal accession negotiations until Ankara meets criteria on democracy and human rights.
Candidate countries must adoptpage body of EU law and regulation lo qualify for membership.
Brussels is supplying financial and technical assistance to help get accession countries up lo EU standards.
When allountries currently engaged in accession talks enter tbemost likely by the end of theEU will be world's largest economy and trading bloc.
The EU probably will admit some new membersut the timetable for admission keeps slipping and there is growing frustration among the candidate couniries. Some European leaders, such as European Commission President Prodi and UK Prime Minister Blair, have been pushingolitical" decision on accession timing to encourage candidates to stay the course.
is little public enthusiasm in the EU for enlargement because of the sleep costssubsidies alone would break the bank if extended in their current form to all the newfear of cheap labor from ihc cast.
Appendix
Tophings Io Know About the European Union
is ihc prime engine of European integration, promoting7 peacefuleconomic prosperity among its nowember countries.
lhe EU is responsible forommon iniemal market, negotiating foreign trade agreements, andommon currency. The EU promotes cooperation in judicial, police, and immigration affairs.
Although the EUegional organization, ii has global interestslobal reach. Trade and competition policy decisions, in particular, directly impact the US.
The KU has been culled an economic giantoliticalsituation it hopes to change with the developmentobust common foreign policymlrtary capability. Tbe EU wants ihc US and the rest of the work) lo regard it as fully equal to the US.
Member stales control EU policyody known as the European Council. Tbe European Commission, based in Brussels, is the executive agency of the EU and can initiate legislation. The European Parliament reviews legislation and oversees the budget.
The EU works primarily byime-consuming process, although more decisions are becoming subjectajority vote. There are long-standing divisions in the EU between small and large states, northern and southern states, and those favoring different degrees ofthat will be accentuated when the EU lakesozen new members in the coming decade.
Member slate leaders, foreign ministers, and even lower-level officials have much more frequent meetings and dialogue with each other than they do with the US.
The EUork in progress whose institutions and decisionmaking procedures are under regular revision, without agreement on the final shape.
Europeans and US officials often find the EU difficult to understand and work with because itnique international institution, combining characteristicsation-state with thoseupranational organization. Critics call it opaque, inefficient, and unaccountable.
Member states, represented by Javier Solana, drive foreign and security policy while External Relations Commissioner Patten implements policy,5 billion budget. The EU values cooperation, even with foes, over confrontation and sees patient diplomacy as more effective than coercion.
Tophings lo Know About EU Trade
The US and EU enjoy the largest economic relationship in the world
Bilateral trade disputes have proliferated in recent years. The US and EU setTransatlantic Economic Partnership" (TEP) to emphasize cooperation and manage disputes.
EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy is the key trade official for the EU, which negotiates as one on the world stage, but he must submit all proposals to the member slates, which retain ultimate control over the direction of trade policy.
The European Union accounts forercent of world exports andercent of world imports, including intra-EU trade, compared toercent of world exports andercent of world imports for the US.
EU trade policy supports the use of free trade and customs agreements to gain markets for European firms; around one-third of total world exports9 were covered by such EU accords compared toercent for US FTAa.
The EU stronglyomprehensive WTO round that would include investment, competition, environment and other topics.
Tbe EU supports hs politically-sensitive agriculture sector through subsidies and other means.
European food scares, nolably mad cow disease, have damaged public trust in government and science, pushed EU governments to ban products based on public concerns rather than scientific evidence, and prompted plansuropean Food Authority.
US and EU CEO's work together in the Transatlantic Business Dialogue to encourage transatlantic commercial growth.
EU applicant countries' potentially high agricultural subsidy claims will put pressure on the EU lo radically reform its Common Agricultural Policy, which takes up SO percent of the EU budget and is infamous for providing incentives to overproduce.
Original document.
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