EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT

European Government



European Government

European Union and History

The European Parliament is "the peoples of the States in the European Unit" as expressed in the Treaty of Rome of 1957. Currently 380 million Europeans in 15 countries participate, through their 626 MEPs, the construction of Europe.

In June 1979 the European Parliament is elected by direct universal suffrage. For the first time in history, and only 34 years after the Second World War, the peoples of former European nations torn by war, go to the polls to elect a single meeting. This is the most striking symbol of reconciliation that Europeans could provide.

Legitimized by direct universal suffrage, the European Parliament which is elected every 5 years, obtained through a series of treaties influence and powers constantly increased. The succeeding treaties, including treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam from 1992 to 1997 have transformed the European Parliament of a purely consultative assembly into a legislature, exercising powers similar to those of national parliaments.

For 60 years, Europe is built gradually and dynamically. The signature of each Community Treaty marks a new milestone in the history of the European Union and gradually defines its legal framework and divides responsibilities between it and the states.

Robert Schumann: the idea of ??solidarity States

In the aftermath of the Second World War, European cooperation is established in the continuity of military alliances sealed during the war. Europe as we know, that is to say supranational solidarity between states, is a design made ??by Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet in the declaration of May 9, 1950 . This initiative comes on the first hard core "Europe of six". She quickly gives rise to three European Communities, with the signing of successive treaties (1951), EEC (1957) and (latter two were signed in Rome).

Thus in 1957, three distinct communities coexist and have common institutions, while others are even duplicated. It is with the Brussels Treaty in 1965 that the executives of three communities merged into a single "European Commission". A single Council is established. Until then, the European Parliamentary Assembly has had a mainly advisory role. Decisions are taken by a High Authority and the Council of Ministers.

The "European Communities"

After a period when European undergoes many hazards, "European Communities" know their first round of enlargement to new Member States: Britain, Denmark, Ireland, in 1973, Greece in 1980 Spain and Portugal in 1986. 

They are also accompanied by practical developments such as the assertion of the role of the European Council (1974), establishing the European Monetary System (EMS) and the ECU in order to solve the problem of monetary instability (1978) and the European Parliament elections by direct universal suffrage (1979).

A European market through the Single Act

It appears that it is increasingly difficult to advance the single market on the basis of existing treaties, since decisions are taken by unanimity in the Council. Signed in 1986, the Single European Act (SEA) enters into force on July 1987 and established the European Economic Community (EEC). It opens the way for harmonization of the laws necessary to complete the internal market.

On the other hand, it allows increasing the role of the ...