REPORT OF GE COURSE

SUBMITTED BY: Pushpank Pandey

PROGRAMME: B.A.LL.B – Semester 7, Div. B
URN: 2019-B-14041999

SUBMITTED TO: Prof. Ramratan Dhumal

UNDERSTANDING EUROPE: WHY IT MATTERS AND

WHAT IT CAN OFFER YOU

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In order to manage their political and economic union, the European Union (EU), an
organisation of European nations, was established in 1993. The Maastricht Treaty established
it, and the European Community (EC), from which the EU sprang, ratified it. The prosperous
EC had made its members more receptive to closer integration and offered a framework for
member nations to act jointly in security and foreign policy and to cooperate in aspects of law
enforcement and justice. The EU established the euro, which took the place of 12 of the 15
EU members' national currencies in 2002, in order to achieve its main objective of
establishing a shared monetary system.

What are the Objectives of the EU?

Offering freedom, security, and justice without internal borders, sustainable development
based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive market
economy with full employment and social progress, and environmental protection,
combating social exclusion and discrimination, advancing science and technology, and
enhancing economic, social, and territorial cohesion and solidity are just a few of the goals
that the EU aims to achieve.

What led to the Formation of the EU?

Following the Second World War, excessive nationalism on the continent was thought to
be curable by integrating Europe.
Winston Churchill went further and pushed for the creation of a United States of Europe in
1946 at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
In accordance with the Treaty of Paris (1951), the European Coal and Steel Community
(ECSC) was established in 1952 by the so-called Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy,
Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) in order to cede some of their sovereignty by
integrating their coal and steel production into a single market.
The Paris Treaty also led to the establishment of the European Court of Justice, which was
formerly known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities.
By developing nuclear energy, distributing it to its member states, and selling the excess
to non-member states, the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) was
originally intended to create a specialised market for nuclear power in Europe.
It has the same constituents as the European Union and is run by the European
Commission (EC) and Council, which is subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court
of Justice.
As a result of the Rome Treaty, the European Economic Community (EEC) was established
(1957). The Community's original goal was to create economic cooperation among its
founding members, including a common market and customs union (Six).
It was abolished by the Lisbon Treaty of 2007, and its operations were merged into the EU.
Merger Treaty (1965, Brussels), which established the European Communities by deciding
to combine the three communities (ECSC, EAEC, and EEC) under a single set of
institutions (ECs).

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The Commission and Council of the EEC were to take over the responsibilities of its
counterparts (ECSC, EAEC) in other organisations.
The ECs initially expanded in 1973 when Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom became
members. Greece joined in 1981, Portugal and Spain following in 1986.
The Schengen Agreement (1985) made it possible for most member states to have open
borders without passport checks. It went into effect in 1995.
The European Community passed the Single European Act in 1986, which set a timeline for
the economic integration of its member nations, the creation of a single European currency,
and the adoption of unified foreign and domestic policy.
The European Community's members signed the Maastricht Treaty-1992, also known as the
Treaty on European Union, on February 7, 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, to advance
The 19 EU member states that use the euro have formed a monetary union since 1999,
which went into effect in full in 2002. Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain are those countries.
The Treaty of Paris (1951) expired in 2002, and the European Community took over the
ECSC's operations in full (EEC).
The European Community (now solely consisting of EEC, EAEC, as ECSC already
disbanded in 2002) was ceased, and its operations were absorbed into the EU, according to
the Treaty of Lisbon of 2007.
EAEC is only remaining community organization legally distinct from the European
Union
Since the collapse of the world financial markets in 2008, the EU and the European Central
Bank (ECB) have struggled with high sovereign debt and collapsed growth in Portugal,
Ireland, Greece, and Spain. In 2009, the international community provided financial
bailouts to Greece and Ireland along with austerity measures. Portugal and a second Greek
bailout came next in 2011.
The issue was not solved despite numerous rounds of interest rate reductions and economic
stimulation.
More and more, northern nations like Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands
resent the financial influx from the south.
For "contributing to the progress of peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights
in Europe," the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.
Brexit: In 2016, a referendum (called Brexit) was held by U.K. government, and the nation
voted to leave the EU. Now the process is under UK Parliament for formal withdrawal from
EU.

What is EU’s Governance Structure?

European Council: It is a group that establishes the general political priorities and
direction of the European Union.

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It is made up of the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, as
well as the heads of state or government of the EU member states.
Also present at its meetings is the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy.
The European Council was first convened informally in 1975; it was formally established as
an entity in 2009 with the entrance into effect of the Treaty of Lisbon. Its summit
conclusions are unanimously accepted.

European Parliament: It is the only parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU)
that is directly elected by EU citizens aged 18 years or older. Together with the Council of
the European Union (also known as the 'Council'), it exercises the legislative function of the
EU.

Council of the European Union: It is part of the essentially bicameral EU legislature (the
other legislative body being the European Parliament) and represents the executive
governments (Minister) of the EU's member states.

European Commission (EC): It is an executive body of the European Union, responsible

for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing
the day-to-day business of the EU.

European Court of Auditors (ECA): It investigates the proper management of finances

within both the EU entities and EU funding provided to its member states.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU): It interprets EU law to make sure it
is applied in the same way in all EU countries, and settles legal disputes between national
governments and EU institutions.

The European Central Bank (ECB): It is the central bank for the euro and administers
monetary policy within the Euro zone, which comprises 19 member states of the European
Union.

What are the Functions of EU?

The EU's laws and regulations are intended to forge a cohesive economic unit among its
member states, allowing goods to move freely across borders without being subject to
tariffs, with the convenience of using a single currency, and by establishing a single, larger
labour pool, which leads to more effective labour use and distribution.
Financial resources are pooled so that member countries can be "bailed out" or given loans
for investments.
For member nations, the Union's demands in areas like human rights and the environment
have political ramifications. As a condition of providing aid, a union may demand a high
political price from its members, such as drastic budget cuts.

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This is truly a tremendous experiment in collaboration among states who want to be
economically united while ceding as little political and national control as possible.
One of the basic tenets of the EU was free commerce between its members. The single
market makes this possible. The EU is dedicated to opening up commerce outside its
borders.
The biggest trading bloc in the world is the European Union. It is the largest producer of
manufactured products and services in the world and the largest source of imports for
more than a hundred nations.
Humanitarian relief: The EU assists more than 120 million people annually and is
dedicated to assisting victims of natural and man-made disasters around the world.

Conclusion
The history of the EU can be traced back to attempts to unite a Europe that had become
divided due to overzealous nationalism over a long period of time that also saw two world
wars. It has been crucial in boosting economic circumstances and elevating living standards
for those in the group's weaker members.

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