Maastricht Treaty Konikova Elizaveta FM 2 -6

Maastricht Treaty Konikova Elizaveta FM 2 -6

Contents Introduction Birth Objectives European Union Policies Economic and monetary union Social protocol Citizenship Post-Maastricht

Introduction The Treaty on European Union represents a new stage in European integration since it opens the way to political integration. It creates a European Union consisting of three pillars: the European Communities, Common Foreign and Security Policy and police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

Birth The Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht on 7 February 1992, entered into force on 1 November 1993. The Treaty brought the European Union into being and, despite other smaller attempts such as European Political Cooperation it was the first major step beyond the economics of the EEC and into the political realm.

Objectives Strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the institutions Improve the effectiveness of the institutions Develop the Community social dimension Establish economic and monetary union Establish a common foreign and security policy

European Union The Maastricht Treaty creates the European Union, which consists of three pillars: the European Communities, common foreign and security policy and police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The first pillar consists of the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)and Euratom and concerns the domains in which the Member States share their sovereignty via the Community institutions. The second pillar establishes common foreign and security policy (CFSP). The third pillar concerns cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs (JHA).

Policies • Trans-European networks • Industrial policy • Consumer protection • Education and vocational training • Youth • Culture

Economic and monetary union The Treaty provides for the establishment of a single currency in three successive stages: The first stage, which liberalises the movement of capital, began on 1 January 1990; The second stage began on 1 January 1994 and provides for convergence of the Member States' economic policies; The third stage began on 1 January 1999 with the creation of a single currency and the establishment of a Central European Bank (CEB).

Social Protocol Promotion of employment Improvement of living and working conditions Adequate social protection Social dialogue The development of human resources to ensure a high and sustainable level of employment The integration of persons excluded from the labour market

Citizenship New rights for Europeans the right to circulate and reside freely in the Community; the right to vote and to stand as a candidate for European and municipal elections in the State in which he or she resides; the right to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of a Member State other than the citizen's Member State of origin on the territory of a third country in which the state of origin is not represented; the right to petition the European Parliament and to submit a complaint to the Ombudsman.

Post-Maastricht The Maastricht Treaty represents a key stage in European construction. By establishing the European Union, by creating an economic and monetary union and by extending European integration to new areas, the Community has acquired a political dimension.

Sources http: //europa. eu/legislation_summaries/institutional_affairs/tre aties/treaties_maastricht_en. htm http: //hum. port. ac. uk/europeanstudieshub/learning/understandi ngtheeu/module-5 -history-of-the-european-union/maastricht/ http: //global-security-news. com/2012/02/21/maastricht-treatyanniversary-demise-of-greece-anti-german-feeling-crisissolution/

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