History of the European Communities (1973-1993)
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| European Union | |
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| Pre-1945 | |
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1973–1993
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| See also | |
| History of Europe Enlargement - Treaties Timeline - Presidency |
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On 1 January 1973, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom became the first countries to join the Communities. The newly enlarged Ortoli Commission takes office under François-Xavier Ortoli on 5 January. The first Commission to be led by a member from the new states was the Jenkins Commission, of the UK's Roy Jenkins who held office between 1977 and 1981. Following on was the Thorn Commission, which oversaw the completion of the customs union and then 1981 saw in the first Delors Commission.
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[edit] First elections
- Further information: Elections in the European Union and European Parliament election, 1979
During Jenkins' tenure, the European Parliament held its first direct election by universal suffrage, previously the Parliament had been appointed by national parliaments. 410 members were elected who appointed as their President a French liberal called Simone Veil, also the first female President.
This had been called for since its creation, but had been blocked by then-French President Charles de Gaulle. With his resignation and the first powers being granted to the body (e.g. the Budgetary Treaties), on the 20 September 1976 the necessary instruments for election were agreed and signed by leaders.[1]
| European Parliament election, 1979 - Final results at 17 July 1979 | ||||||
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| Group | Description | Chaired by | MEPs | |||
| SOC | Social Democrats | Ernest Glinne | 113 |  |
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| EPP | Christian Democrats | Egon Klepsch | 107 | |||
| ED | Conservatives | James Scott-Hopkins | 64 | |||
| COM | Communists and the Far Left | Giorgio Amendola | 44 | |||
| LD | Liberals and Liberal Democrats | Martin Bangemann | 40 | |||
| EPD | National Conservatives | Christian de La Malène | 22 | |||
| CDI | Heterogeneous | Marco Pannella Neil Blaney Jens-Peter Bonde |
11 | |||
| NI | Independents | none | 9 | Total: 410 | Sources: [1] [2][3][4] | |
| European Parliament election, 1984 - Final results at 23-26 July 1984 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Description | Chaired by | MEPs | |||
| SOC | Social Democrats | Rudi Arndt | 130 |  |
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| EPP | Christian Democrats | Egon Klepsch | 110 | |||
| ED | Conservatives | Henry Plumb | 50 | |||
| COM | Communists and the Far Left | Gianni Cervetti | 41 | |||
| LD | Liberals and Liberal Democrats | Simone Veil | 31 | |||
| EDA | National Conservatives | Christian de La Malène | 29 | |||
| RBW | Greens and Regionalists | Else Hammerich Jaak Vandemeulebroucke Bram van der Lek Paul Staes |
20 | |||
| ER | Far Right Nationalists | Jean-Marie Le Pen | 16 | |||
| NI | Independents | none | 7 | Total: 434 | Sources: [5][6] | |
| European Parliament election, 1989 - Final results at 25 July 1989 | ||||||
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| Group | Description | Chaired by | MEPs | |||
| SOC | Social Democrats | Jean-Pierre Cot | 180 |  |
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| EPP | Christian Democrats | Egon Klepsch | 121 | |||
| LDR | Liberals and Liberal Democrats | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | 49 | |||
| EUL | Communists and the Far Left | Luigi Alberto Colajanni | 42 | |||
| LU | René-Emile Piquet | |||||
| ED | Conservatives | Christopher Prout | 34 | |||
| G | Greens | Maria Amélia Santos | 30 | |||
| EDA | National Conservatives | Christian de La Malène | 20 | |||
| DR | Far-Right Nationalists | Jean-Marie Le Pen | 17 | |||
| RBW | Regionalists | Jaak Vandemeulebroucke | 13 | |||
| NI | Independents | none | 27 | Total: 518 | Sources: [7][8] | |
[edit] Further enlargement
Greece, already an associate member (the first) since 1961, applied to join the community on 12 June 1975 following the restoration of democracy. It joined on 1 January 1981.[2] In 1985, after gaining home rule from Denmark, Greenland left the community following a referendum but remained an overseas territory.
Following on from Greece, and after their own democratic restoration, Spain and Portugal applied to the communities in 1977. They joined together on 1 January 1986.[3] In 1987 Turkey formally applies to join the Community and begins the longest application process for any country.
[edit] Copenhagen criteria
Following the fall of the iron curtain the door to enlargement to the former eastern bloc was opened. In response leaders gathered in Copenhagen on 22 June 1993 to define entry condition for candidate states. This criteria was later included in the Maastricht Treaty. The following is an except from the criteria;[4]
| “ | "Membership requires that the candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and, protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union." | ” |
[edit] Treaties
The Single European Act was signed by the foreign ministers on the 17 and 28 February 1986 in Luxembourg and the Hague respectively. In a single document it dealt with reform of institutions, extension of powers, foreign policy cooperation and the single market. It came into force on 1 July 1987.[5]
The act was influence by work on what would be the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty establishing the European Union. There had previously been plans to create a more integrated body and, spurred on by enlargement, various groups put forward plans. Building on the legitimacy of its elections, in 1984 the Parliament produced the Spinelli plan. The draft treaty establishing a European Union, which was inspired by the failed European Political Community, was adopted by the Parliament 237 votes to 31 (43 abstentions). It would have given a more federal structure using the community method and codecision with the parliament, however it failed to win the support of the member states. (See also: Crocodile Club)[6]
Similar proposals from the Commission collapsed due to arguments over the UK rebate (secured by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984)[7] and a German-Italian proposal resulted in the Solemn Declaration on European Union of 19 June 1983 as a political impetus towards a Union but not itself a binding treaty. A treaty establishing the European Union was eventually agreed on the 10 December 1991 and signed on the 7 February of the following year. Denmark lost a referendum on ratification but succeeded in as second attempt after securing four opt-outs. The Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993.
[edit] Delors era
Jacques Delors' Commission, serving from 1985 to 1994, is regarded as the most successful in history, becoming a frequent source of comparison to his successors.[8]
Delors presided over accession of Spain and Portugal, the fall of Communism with the reunification of Germany in 1990, the adoption of the European flag, the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the beginnings of EMU, the signing of the Schengen Agreement (19 June 1990) and the completion of the single market.[9][10]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Source of majority of the dates: A growing community – more countries join and the changing face of Europe – the fall of the Berlin Wall
- ^ The new European Parliament ena.lu
- ^ The accession treaty with Greece ena.lu
- ^ The Accession Treaties with Spain and Portugal ena.li
- ^ Conclusions from the Copenhagen European Council ena.lu
- ^ Single European Act ena.lu
- ^ The European Parliament's proposals ena.lu
- ^ The European Commission's proposals ena.lu
- ^ THE NEW COMMISSION - SOME INITIAL THOUGHTS bmbrussels.be
- ^ Single European Act ena.lu
- ^ The fall of the Berlin Wall ena.lu
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