欧盟英文版历史

一．历史 1945-1959 A peaceful Europe – the beginnings of cooperation The European Union is set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbours, which culminated in the Second World War. As of 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community begins to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace. The six founders are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The 1950s are dominated by a cold war between east and west. Protests in Hungary against the Communist regime are put down by Soviet tanks in 1956; while the following year, 1957, the Soviet Union takes the lead in the space race, when it launches the first man-made space satellite, Sputnik 1. Also in 1957, the Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community (EEC), or ‘Common Market’. 1960-1969The ‘Swinging Sixties’ – a period of economic growth The 1960s sees the emergence of 'youth culture’, with groups such as The Beatles attracting huge crowds of teenage fans wherever they appear, helping to stimulate a cultural revolution and widening the generation gap. It is a good period for the economy, helped by the fact that EU countries stop charging custom duties when they trade with each other. They also agree joint control over food production, so that everybody now has enough to eat - and soon there is even surplus agricultural produce. May 1968 becomes famous for student riots in Paris, and many changes in society and behaviour become associated with the so-called ‘68 generation’. 1970-1979A growing Community – the first Enlargement Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Union on 1 January 1973, raising the number of member states to nine. The short, yet brutal, Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 result in an energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. The last right-wing dictatorships in Europe come to an end with the overthrow of the Salazar regime in Portugal in 1974 and the death of General Franco of Spain in 1975. The EU regional policy starts to transfer huge sums to create jobs and infrastructure in poorer areas. The European Parliament increases its influence in EU affairs and in 1979 all citizens can, for the first time, elect their members directly 1980-1989The changing face of Europe - the fall of the Berlin Wall The Polish trade union, Solidarność, and its leader Lech Walesa, become household names across Europe and the world following the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980. In 1981, Greece becomes the 10th member of the EU and Spain and Portugal follow five years later. In 1987 the Single European Act is signed. This is a treaty which provides the basis for a vast six-year programme aimed at sorting out the problems with the free-flow of trade across EU borders and thus creates the ‘Single Market’. There is major political upheaval when, on 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall is pulled down and the border between East and West Germany is opened for the first time in 28 years, this leads to the reunification of Germany when both East and West Germany are united in October 1990. 1990-1999A Europe without frontiers With the collapse of communism across central and eastern Europe, Europeans become closer neighbours. In 1993 the Single Market is completed with the the 'four freedoms' of: movement of goods, services, people and money. The 1990s is also the decade of two treaties, the ‘Maastricht’ Treaty on European Union in 1993 and the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. People are concerned about how to protect the environment and also how Europeans can act together when it comes to security and defence matters. In 1995 the EU gains three more new members, Austria, Finland and Sweden. A small village in Luxembourg gives its name to the ‘Schengen’ agreements that gradually allow people to travel without having their passports checked at the borders. Millions of young people study in other countries with EU support. Communication is made easier as more and more people start using mobile phones and the internet. 2000-today A decade of further expansion The euro is the new currency for many Europeans. 11 September 2001 becomes synonymous with the 'War on Terror' after hijacked airliners are flown into buildings in New York and Washington. EU countries begin to work much more closely together to fight crime. The political divisions between east and west Europe are finally declared healed when no fewer than 10 new countries join the EU in 2004. Many people think that it is time for Europe to have a constitution but what sort of constitution is by no means easy to agree, so the debate on the future of Europe rages on. 二． why the european union Europe’s mission in the 21st century is to: · provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples; · overcome the divisions on the continent; · ensure that its people can live in safety; · promote balanced economic and social development; · meet the challenges of globalisation and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; · uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy. I. Peace and stability Before becoming a real political objective, the idea of uniting Europe was just a dream in the minds of philosophers and visionaries. Victor Hugo, for example, imagined a peaceful ‘United States of Europe’ inspired by humanistic ideals. The dream was shattered by the terrible wars that ravaged the continent during the first half of the 20th century. However, a new kind of hope emerged from the rubble of World War Two. People who had resisted totalitarianism during the war were determined to put an end to international hatred and rivalry in Europe and create the conditions for lasting peace. Between 1945 and 1950, a handful of courageous statesmen including Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi and Winston Churchill set about persuading their peoples to enter a new era. New structures would be created in western Europe, based on shared interests and founded upon treaties guaranteeing the rule of law and equality between all countries. Robert Schuman (French foreign minister) took up an idea originally conceived by Jean Monnet and, on 9 May 1950, proposed establishing a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). In countries which had once fought each other, the production of coal and steel would be pooled under a common High Authority. In a practical but also richly symbolic way, the raw materials of war were being turned into instruments of reconciliation and peace. II. Bringing Europe together again The European Union encouraged German unification after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. When the Soviet empire crumbled in 1991, the former communist countries of central and eastern Europe, after decades under the authoritarian yoke of the Warsaw Pact, decided that their future lay within the family of democratic European nations. The enlargement process continues to this day. Entry negotiations began with Turkey and Croatia in October 2005, while several countries in the Balkans have set out along the road that could one day lead to EU membership. III. Safety and security Europe in the 21st century still faces safety and security issues. The EU has to take effective action to ensure the safety and security of its members. It has to work constructively with the regions just beyond its borders: the Balkans, North Africa, the Caucasus and the Middle East. It must also protect its military and strategic interests by working with its allies, especially within NATO, and by developing a genuine common European security and defence policy. Internal security and external security are two sides of the same coin. The fight against terrorism and organised crime requires the police forces of all EU countries to work together closely. Making the EU an ‘area of freedom, security and justice’ where everyone has equal access to justice and is equally protected by the law is a new challenge that requires close cooperation between governments. Bodies like Europol, the European Police Office, and Eurojust, which promotes cooperation between prosecutors, judges and police officers in different EU countries, also have a more active and effective role to play. IV. Economic and social solidarity The European Union was created to achieve the political goal of peace, but its dynamism and success spring from its involvement in economics. EU countries account for an ever smaller percentage of the world’s population. They must therefore continue pulling together if they are to ensure economic growth and be able to compete on the world stage with other major economies. No individual EU country is strong enough to go it alone in world trade. The European single market provides companies with a vital platform for competing effectively on world markets. But Europe-wide free competition must be counterbalanced by Europe-wide solidarity. This has clear tangible benefits for European citizens: when they fall victim to floods and other natural disasters, they receive assistance from the EU budget. The Structural Funds, managed by the European Commission, encourage and supplement the efforts of the EU’s national and regional authorities to reduce inequalities between different parts of Europe. Money from the EU budget and loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) are used to improve Europe’s transport infrastructure (for example, to extend the network of motorways and high-speed railways), thus providing better access to outlying regions and boosting trans-European trade. The EU’s economic success will be measured in part by the ability of its single market of half a billion consumers to benefit as many people and businesses as possible. V. Identity and diversity in a globalised world Europe’s post-industrial societies are becoming increasingly complex. Standards of living have risen steadily, but there are still significant gaps between rich and poor. Enlargement has widened the gap since countries have joined with living standards below the EU average. It is important for EU countries to work together to narrow the gap. But these efforts have not been made at the expense of compromising the separate cultural or linguistic characteristics of EU countries. On the contrary — many EU activities help to create new economic growth based on regional specialities and the rich diversity of traditions and cultures. Half a century of European integration has shown that the EU as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts: it has much more economic, social, technological, commercial and political clout than if its member states had to act individually. There is added value in acting together and speaking with a single voice as the European Union. Why? · Because the EU is the world’s leading trading power and therefore plays a decisive role in international negotiations, such as those at the 149-country World Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as in the implementation of the Kyoto protocol on air pollution and climate change; · Because it takes a clear position on sensitive issues affecting ordinary people, such as environmental protection, renewable energy resources, the ‘precautionary principle’ in food safety, the ethical aspects of biotechnology and the need to protect endangered species; · Because it launched important initiatives for sustainable development on the whole planet, in connection with the ‘Earth Summit’ in 2002 in Johannesburg. The old saying ‘unity is strength’ is as relevant as ever to today’s Europeans. But the process of European integration has not smothered the different ways of life, traditions and cultures of its peoples. Indeed, the EU makes its diversityone of its key values. VI. Values The EU wishes to promote humanitarian and progressive values, and ensure that mankind is the beneficiary, rather than the victim, of the great global changes that are taking place. People’s needs cannot be met simply by market forces or imposed by unilateral action. So the EU stands for a view of humanity and a model of society that the great majority of its citizens support. Europeans cherish their rich heritage of values, which includes a belief in human rights, social solidarity, free enterprise, a fair distribution of the fruits of economic growth, the right to a protected environment, respect for cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and a harmonious blend of tradition and progress. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which was proclaimed in Nice in December 2000, sets out all the rights recognised today by the EU’s member states and their citizens. These values can create a feeling of kinship between Europeans. To take just one example, all EU countries have abolished the death penalty. 三． Ten historic steps 1951: The European Coal and Steel Community is established by the six founding members 1957: The Treaty of Rome establishes a common market 1973: The Community expands to nine member statesand develops its common policies 1979: The first direct elections to the European Parliament 1981: The first Mediterranean enlargement 1993: Completion of the single market 1993: The Treaty of Maastricht establishes the European Union 1995: The EU expands to 15 members 2002: Euro notes and coins are introduced 2004: Ten more countries join the Union 四．Enlargement、 · The European Union is open to any European country that fulfils the democratic, political and economic criteria for membership. · Following several enlargements, the EU has increased from six to 27 members. Several other countries are candidates to join. · Each treaty admitting a new member requires the unanimous approval of all member states. In addition, in advance of each new enlargement, the EU will assess its capacity to absorb the new member(s) and the ability of its institutions to continue to function properly. · The successive enlargements have strengthened democracy, made Europe more secure and increased its potential for trade and economic growth · The single market is one of the European Union’s greatest achievements. Restrictions between member countries on trade and free competition have gradually been eliminated, with the result that standards of living have increased. · The single market has not yet become a single economic area. Some sectors of the economy (public services) are still subject to national laws. · The individual EU countries still largely have the responsibility for taxation and social welfare. · The single market is supported by a number of related policies put in place by the EU over the years. They help ensure that market liberalisation benefits as many businesses and consumers as possible 五．The single market I. Achieving the 1993 objective (a) The limits of the common market The 1957 Treaty establishing the European Economic Community made it possible to abolish customs barriers within the Community and establish a common customs tariff to be applied to goods from non-EEC countries. This objective was achieved on 1 July 1968. However, customs duties are only one aspect of protectionist barriers to cross-border trade. In the 1970s, other trade barriers hampered the complete achievement of the common market. Technical norms, health and safety standards, national regulations on the right to practise certain professions and exchange controls all restricted the free movement of people, goods and capital. (b) The 1993 objective In June 1985, the Commission, under its then President, Jacques Delors, published a White Paper seeking to abolish, within seven years, all physical, technical and tax-related barriers to free movement within the Community. The aim was to stimulate industrial and commercial expansion within a large, unified economic area on a scale with the American market. The enabling instrument for the single market was the Single European Act, which came into force in July 1987. Its provisions included: · extending the powers of the Community in some policy areas (social policy, research, environment); · gradually establishing the single market over a period up to the end of 1992, by means of a vast legislative programme involving the adoption of hundreds of directives and regulations; · making more frequent use of majority voting in the Council of Ministers. II. How the single market looks today (a) Physical barriers All border controls within the EU on goods have been abolished, together with customs controls on people. Random spot checks by police (part of the fight against crime and drugs) still take place when necessary. The Schengen Agreement, which was signed by a first group of EU countries in 1985 and later extended to others (although Ireland, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania do not participate), governs police cooperation and a common asylum and immigration policy, so as to make it possible to completely abolish checks on persons at the EU’s internal borders (see Chapter 10: ‘Freedom, security and justice’). (b) Technical barriers For the majority of products, EU countries have adopted the principle of mutual recognition of national rules. Any product legally manufactured and sold in one member state must be allowed to be placed on the market in all others. It has been possible to liberalise the services sector thanks to mutual recognition or coordination of national rules concerning access to or practice of certain professions (law, medicine, tourism, banking, insurance, etc.). Nevertheless, freedom of movement for persons is far from complete. Obstacles still hinder people from moving to another EU country or doing certain types of work there. Action has been taken to improve worker mobility, and particularly to ensure that educational diplomas and job qualifications (for plumbers, carpenters, etc.) obtained in one EU country are recognised in all the others. The opening of national services markets has brought down the price of national telephone calls to a fraction of what they were 10 years ago. Helped by new technology, the Internet is being increasingly used for telephone calls. Competitive pressure has led to significant falls in the price of budget airfares in Europe. (c) Tax barriers Tax barriers have been reduced through the partial alignment of national VAT rates. Taxation of investment income was the subject of an agreement between the member states and some other countries (including Switzerland) which came into force in July 2005. (d) Public contracts Regardless of whether they are awarded by national, regional or local authorities, public contracts are now open to bidders from anywhere in the EU as a result of directives covering services, supplies and works in many sectors, including water, energy and telecommunications. III. Work in progress (a) Financial services The EU’s action plan to create an integrated market for financial services by 2005 has been completed. This cuts the cost of borrowing for businesses and consumers, and will offer savers a wider range of investment products — savings plans and pension schemes — which they will be able to obtain from the European provider of their choice. Bank charges for cross-border payments have been reduced. (b) Administrative and technical barriers to free movement EU countries are often still reluctant to accept each other’s standards and norms or, on occasion, to recognise the equivalence of professional qualifications. The fragmented nature of national tax systems also hinders market integration and efficiency. (c) Piracy and counterfeiting Protection is required to prevent piracy and counterfeiting of EU products. The European Commission estimates that these crimes cost the EU thousands of jobs each year. This is why the Commission and national governments are working on exte