The Treaties

1951: The Treaty of Paris

- Originally named The Treaty Establishing the ESCS - Signed on 18th of April 1951, it came into force on 23rd of July 1952 - The founding members were: France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium - It expired on 23rd of July 2002 - The ESCS Treaty created 5 institutions: The High authority the executive The Consultative Committee attached to the High Authority The Council of Ministers The Assembly The Court of Justice - The treaty gave the ESCS legal personality, but also the right to regulate policy relating the coal and steel industries in the member states. - Competition was to be stimulated by rules on price transparency or anti-trust laws on US lines. - These decisions could be enforced against the member states in the new Court of Justice.

1957: The Treaties of Rome

- After the success of the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) of creating a common market with little restrictions on the movement of goods, labour and capital, the ECSC members planned to apply this principle in the whole community and create the conditions of a single market over several states.

- In 1957, in Rome, there were two new treaties signed that had as a result the foundation of two new institutions: the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). ECSC, EEC and EURATOM were referred at as The European Communities. - The Treaties came into force on 1st of January 1958 after being ratified by the member states. - Article 3 of the EEC Treaty vested the community with the power of pursue the following activities: Eliminating customs duties and quantitative restrictions on the import and export of goods Establishing a common custom tariff and a common commercial policy towards third countries The abolition of obstacles to the free movement of persons, services and capital between the member states. The adoption of a common agricultural policy The adoption of a common transport policy The creation of a community competition policy The approximation of the laws of the member states to the extent required to the proper functioning of the common market The association of overseas countries and territories in order to increase trade and promote economic development - The four most important features of the common market were the free movement of goods, labour, business and capital. - The main institutions of the EEC established by the Treaty were: The Commission The Council of Ministers The Assembly The Court of Justice - The above mentioned institutions were modelled on those of ECSC and the new community had a similar legal structure.

- The object of EURATOM was to develop nuclear energy, distribute it within the member states and sell the surplus to the outside world. For political reasons associated with Frances nuclear weapons production and the widespread doubts of the safety and reliability of nuclear power, EURATOM never developed as originally envisioned. It has remained, though, an important research centre and a promoter of nuclear safety.

1965: The Merger Treaty

- Signed on 8th of April 1965, it came into force on 1st of July 1967 - It merged the institutions of the European Communities under a single institutional structure. - Immediately following the Treaties of Rome, agreement was reached that there would be only one Court of Justice and one European Parliament (the Assembly renamed itself in 1962) for the three communities. - However, there were separate Council of Ministers and separate executive bodies a High Authority for the ECSC and a Commission for EEC and EURATOM.

1. Court of Justice 2. The European Parliament

Before 1967

ECSC
3. Council of Ministers 4. High Authority 5. Consultative Committee

EURATOM EEC
3. Commission 4. Council of Ministers 3. Commission 4. Council of Ministers

A single institutional structure After 1967

Court of Justice European Parliament Council of Ministers European Commission

1986: The Single European Act

- It was the first amendment to the founding treaties and it came as a response to both the development and the lack of it in the three communities. - It was signed in February 1986 and came into force on 1st of July 1987 - Its main results were: Extending EEC powers to help complete the internal market Increasing the legislative powers of the Parliament Completing the internal market - In 1985 the Commission published the White Paper on the Internal Market which identified the 179 legislative measures needed to complete the internal market. The SEA set the objective of adopting these measures until 31st of December 1992. - The SEA came and extended the competence of the EEC in order to help this measures being implemented. The EEC was enabled to legislate on: Environmental matters Economic and social cohesion Health and safety Consumer protection Academic, professional and vocational qualifications Public procurement VAT Excise duties and frontier control Research and technological development Increasing the legislative powers of the Parliament - In 1979 took place the first direct elections that decided the members of the EP; until then they were nominated by their national parliaments. However, the European Parliament,

that was the only institution of the communities whose members were elected directly by the citizens of the member states, had only a consultative status in the legislative process. In order to solve this issue, the SEA added more legislative power to the Parliament through the cooperation procedure, making its role more important in four areas: Prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of nationality The achievement of the free movement of workers Promotion of the right of establishment Measures of implementation of the internal market The new procedure required the Council of Ministers to cooperate with the Parliament. The Parliament would, for the first time, be able to make amendments to proposed laws. In order to make the process of adopting a law easier, the SEA enabled the Council to adopt legislative measures in these four areas with a qualified majority, rather than unanimity as it was before.

1992: The Maastricht Treaty (The Treaty on European Union)

- Signed on 7th February 1992, came into force on 1st of November 1993 - The Treaty establishes a new institutional structure of the community called The European Union, based on three pillars: The European Communities ECSC, EURATOM and EC (the new name of EEC) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) - The two new pillars (CFSP and JHA) had only and intergovernmental role, they helped creating a framework for cooperation rather than making binding rules. - Through TEU, the name of the EEC was changed into European Community (EC), recognising the fact that the former economic community has expanded beyond its original economic goals. - The Parliaments Powers were extended by the conciliation procedure, which gave it, for the first time, the right to veto legislation in certain circumstances.

- The TEU provided that the European Union would respect fundamental human rights settled as general principles of Community law. The two intergovernmental pillars (CFSP, JHA) - They remained outside of the European Communities as separate institutions. - The Court of Justice was excluded from exercising its power in matters dealt with under these two pillars (except for very limited exceptions). - The second pillar (CFSP) provided joint foreign and security action by the member states, while the third pillar provided for cooperation in policy areas such as immigration, international crime, asylum etc. - Action in both CFSP and JHA was taken by unanimous decision of the Council of Ministers, although certain decisions could have taken by qualified majority. The other institutions had a minimal involvement. Amendments to the EEC Treaty - The amendments made to the EEC Treaty were: Creation of a citizenship of the European Union Common economic and monetary policy, with a timetable of implementation of a common currency Adoption of the principle of subsidiarity Amendment to the decision making process
The Council of Ministers can adopt acts through qualified majority in new policy areas. Further power was given to the Parliament, extending its involvement in new areas. The creation of the codecision procedure which allows the EP to adopt acts in conjunction with the Council of Ministers. The Articles 2 and 3 of the EEC Treaty were amended, extending the tasks of the European Community beyond economic goals, incorporating political and social ones.

- The amendment to Article 2 of the EEC Treaty provided that the task of the European Community was to promote:
A harmonious and balanced development of economic activities Sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment A high degree of convergence of economic performance A high level of employment and social protection The raising of the standard of living and quality of life Economic, social cohesion and solidarity among member states

- The amendment to Article 3 of the EEC Treaty provided that the activities of the European Community shall include:
The elimination of custom duties and quantitative restrictions on the import and export of goods A common commercial policy An internal market with free movement of goods, persons, services and capital Measures concerning the entry and movement of persons in the internal market A common policy in the sphere of agriculture and fisheries A common policy in the sphere of transport A system ensuring the competition in the internal market is not distorted The approximation of the laws of the member states to the extent required by the proper functioning of the common market A policy in the social sphere comprising an European Social Fund The strengthening of economic and social cohesion A policy in the sphere of the environment The strengthening of the competitiveness of EC industry The promotion of research and technological development Encouragement for the establishment and development of trans-European networks Contribution to the attainment of a high level of health protection Contribution to education and training of quality and to the flowering of the cultures of the member states A policy in the sphere of development cooperation

 The association of the overseas countries in order to increase trade and promote jointly economic and social development Strengthening the consumer protection Measures in the spheres of energy, civil protection and tourism.

1997: The Treaty of Amsterdam

- It was signed in 2001, came into force in 2003 - It was structured on three parts: Part one: Amendments to TEU and EC Part two: Provisions to simplify TEU and Community Treaties Part three: General and final provisions - Amendments to the TEU A large part of the third pillar (JHA) was incorporated in the EC, what remained of it was renamed Police Cooperation in Criminal Matters. The Council of Ministers can now suspend member states rights with unanimity if they committed serious and persistent breach of its obligations. The Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers acts as High Representative for the CFSP. The national identities of member states must be respected The articles are renumbered - Amendments to the EC Treaty New tasks are added to the EC: Promotion of equality between men and women High level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment Promotion of high degree of competitiveness The decision making process has been amended and the European Parliament is given a greater role in more policy areas.

 The enhanced cooperation is introduced allowing a minimum of 9 member states to establish integration and cooperation within EU structures without the other members being involved. The EC has now legislative power to combat discrimination based on sex, religion, ethnicity, disability, age or sexual orientation.

2001: The Treaty of Nice

- Signed on 26th of February 2001, came into force on 1st of February 2003 - The reason the Treaty was needed was to reform the institutions to fit the enlargement of the Communities - The suspension of a member states rights can now be imposed by the Council of Ministers with a four-fifths majority, rather than unanimity as it was the case before. - In application of the third pillar (PJCC) there shall be now cooperation with the European Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust). - The mechanism of enhanced cooperation is simplified. - Secondary Community instruments are now adopted by qualified majority and not by unanimity as before. - The European Parliament enlarges, having 732 members now - The Treaty provided for the creation of subsidiary courts of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance

2007: The Treaty of Lisbon

- Signed on 13th of December 2007, entered into force on 1st of December 2009 - The EEC Treaty is renamed The Treaty on Functioning of the European Union - The European Union has now legal personality, replacing and merging the three pillars of the Maastricht Treaty. - Reforms or the Lisbon Treaty A more powerful role of the EP in the legislative process A greater involvement of the national parliaments in the work of EU

The Treaty recognizes 7 institutions of the EU: European Parliament, European Council, the Council of Europe, European Commission, European Court of Justice, European Central Bank and the Court of Auditors. It give the members the possibility of voluntarily withdrawal Provides the function of the High Representative and the President of the European Council The impact of the Lisbon Treaty over the European Parliament: Brings over 40 new fields within the co-decision procedure, making the European Parliament more powerful in the adoption of new laws A bigger role in setting budgets the EP gets equal power to the Council to decide over the entire EU budget Gives the European Parliament the right to propose treaty changes