Defining the European Union: Key Treaties and Legal Foundations

Key Milestones in European Integration

Failure to follow the law can impose economic sanctions.

The European Council: Role and Function

The European Council comprises the heads of government or heads of state of each member country. It has no physical headquarters but typically meets two or three times a year.

Its primary function is to discuss and agree upon the main guidelines and strategic lines of the Union. Decisions made here influence subsequent steps in cooperation and policy implementation.

Foundational Treaties and Communities (1951–1957)

• 1951: The Treaty of Paris was signed, institutionalizing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
• 1957: Three communities were established:
  • The European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market.
  • EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community).

The Court of Justice and Legal Principles (1960s)

Within the three powers given to the European Community, the final authority belongs to the Court of Justice of the European Community (CJEC), now known as the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

Landmark Judgments of the 1960s:

Two crucial judgments established fundamental principles of EU law:

1. Principle of Direct Effect: When a rule established by the Commission is not introduced into the national legislation of a member country, it may still be applied directly by national courts.
2. Principle of Supremacy: If there is a conflict between a national rule of a State and a European standard concerning a European matter, the European standard prevails.

Deepening the Market and Union (1986–1992)

1986: The Single European Act (SEA)

Signed upon the entry of Spain and Portugal, the SEA was a highly technical agreement. It included concrete steps necessary to achieve the common market (a market established in 1957 but not yet perfected).

The SEA aimed to ensure the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people across the large European market. It was implemented a year later in 1987.

1992: The Maastricht Treaty (Treaty on European Union)

Signed on February 7, this treaty transformed the European Community (EEC) into the European Union (EU), while maintaining the common market structure.

Key provisions included:

• Establishing European Citizenship, allowing citizens to move and reside freely within the Community, and granting the right to vote and be elected in European and municipal elections in their home state.
• Creating a single European currency, the Euro, which entered circulation in 2002 under the control of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Subsequent Treaties and Expansion (1999–2004)

Four subsequent treaties further refined the structure and scope of the EU:

• The Treaty of Amsterdam (Entered into force in 1999): Focused on social policy, reinforcing powers that had been pending since the Maastricht Treaty.
• Treaty of Nice (2001): Agreed upon the necessary institutional reforms for the EU to handle future enlargements (at the time, the EU had 15 member states and continued to accept new countries).
• Treaty on the European Constitution (2004): This treaty coincided with a major enlargement, uniting Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, and the Czech Republic.