Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

My presentation:

1. From the end of the 2nd World War to the European Union

2. The European Institutions3. The Euro and the Stability Pact4. The enlargement process5. The next enlargement: the Western Balkan c

ountries6. The EU Neighbourhood and external policie

s7. The EU Constitution

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

Main steps towards the European Integration

From the European Communities to the European Union:

The current state of integration is the result of a gradual Community-building process that began in

the 1950s by initiative of six countries

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

1951• Belgium

• Germany

• France

• Italy

• The Netherlands

• Luxembourg

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

1973

+ Denmark + Ireland + Great Britain

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

1981

+ Greece

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

1986

+ Spain + Portugal

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

November 9, 1989:fall of the Berlin wall

Europe overthrows ideological barriers

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

1995

+ Austria + Finland + Sweden

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

These are the EURO banknotes in use as from the 1st of January 2002

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

The current status of the enlargement of the EU

• On the 16 April 2003, ten out of 12 countries which completed accession negotiations with the EU signed the accession treaty and on the 1st of May 2004, after the referendums, they became full EU members. They are:

– Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia

• The EU is presently made of 25 countries and has a total population of 450 million citizens

• Bulgaria and Romania are continuing their negotiations and are expected to join the EU in 2007.

• For the time being, no date has been set forward for the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey. A decision by the Council of the EU is expected by the end of 2004.

• On 21 February 2003 Croatia presented an application to open accession negotiations with the EU.

• On June 18, 2004, the European Council awarded Croatia the status of candidate country and the screening process is expected to begin soon.

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

The European Action Plan for further enlargement

• The EU Action Plan proposes a series of measures which should help prepare for enlargement of the Union.

• In particular, it should encourage regions on opposite sides of the border to grow closer together as part of the accession process.

• The range of measures proposed by the Commission fall into three main categories: – Measures aimed at providing specific additional funding to assist the

transport infrastructure and to promote small and medium-sized firms and youth exchanges (YOUTH Programme)

– Measures aimed at allowing resources available under existing INTERREG III for structural assistance.

– Measures aimed at coordinating different European policies more efficiently in order to take account of the particular needs of border regions.

• In addition, the European Investment Bank will provide extra lending facilities aimed at promoting environment and transport investments in border regions in the applicant countries.

Prof. Giuseppe Burgio, EuroSapienza, Rome

The EU Constitution

• After one year of preparation, a draft Constitution was presented and an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to prepare the Constitutional Treaty was opened.

• On the 18 of June 2004, in Brussels, the Heads of State or Government gave their agreement to the texts set out in a document which is to become, after the ratification, the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.