History of the European Communities (1973–1993) facts for kids
Between 1973 and 1993, the European Communities grew bigger, welcoming new countries. On 1 January 1973, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom were the first countries to join. This period also saw efforts to bring Europe closer together, leading to the creation of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Greece joined the EC on 1 January 1981. Then, Spain and Portugal joined on 1 January 1986. Turkey also started the process to join in 1987. After the Iron Curtain fell, which divided Europe, the Communities grew again when Germany reunited in 1990. Other former communist countries in Europe also wanted to join, which led to the creation of the Copenhagen criteria – rules for new members.
However, this time also saw the first country leave the Communities: Greenland in 1985. The process of uniting Europe continued under the leadership of the Delors Commission, leading to the creation of the European Union in 1993.
How Europe Was Governed
The European Commission's Leaders
The European Commission is like the executive branch of the EU, proposing laws and making sure they are followed.
Ortoli Commission (1973-1977)
The Ortoli Commission, led by François-Xavier Ortoli, started its work on 5 January 1973, right after the Communities had welcomed new members.
Jenkins Commission (1977-1981)
The first Commission leader from one of the new member states was Roy Jenkins from the UK. His team, the Jenkins Commission, was in charge from 1977 to 1981. After him came the Thorn Commission, which helped finish the customs union, making trade easier between member countries.
The Delors Years (1985-1994)
The Delors Commission, led by Jacques Delors from 1985 to 1994, is often seen as the most successful in the history of the European Communities.
During Delors' time, Spain and Portugal joined. The Berlin Wall fell, and Germany reunited in 1990. The European flag was adopted, and important agreements like the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty were made. This period also saw the start of the Euro currency plans and the signing of the Schengen Agreement on 19 June 1990, which allowed people to travel freely between some countries without border checks. The single market, where goods, services, money, and people could move freely, was also completed.
The European Parliament's Role
The original Treaties of Rome said that the European Parliament should be directly elected by citizens. However, this needed the Council (representing member governments) to agree on how to vote. For a long time, the Council delayed this, and Parliament members were appointed, not elected. French President Charles de Gaulle especially tried to stop the Parliament from gaining more power.
Parliament pushed hard for direct elections. On 20 September 1976, the Council finally agreed on some of the rules for elections. In June 1979, during the time of Roy Jenkins as Commission President, the first direct elections were held in all member countries. 410 MEPs were elected. At their first meeting, they chose Simone Veil, a French politician, as the new President of the European Parliament. She was the first woman to hold this important position.
The new Parliament, now directly elected and with more powers, became much more active. The elections also helped strengthen the different political groups (like political parties) within the Parliament. In later elections (in 1984 and 1989), more countries joined, and left-wing parties gained more votes. However, the number of people voting slowly dropped from 63% in 1979 to 58% in 1989.
Working Together Between Governments
The Single European Act was signed by foreign ministers in Luxembourg and The Hague in February 1986. This important document aimed to reform institutions, expand powers, improve foreign policy cooperation, and complete the single market. It officially started on 1 July 1987.
This act also helped prepare for the Maastricht Treaty, which would create the European Union. There had been earlier plans to make Europe more united. In 1984, the Parliament, feeling stronger after direct elections, proposed the Spinelli plan. This draft treaty aimed for a more federal structure, where the Parliament would have more say. However, it did not get enough support from the member countries.
Other proposals also faced challenges. A German-Italian idea led to the Solemn Declaration on European Union in 1983, which was a political step towards a Union but not a binding treaty. Finally, a treaty to establish the European Union was agreed upon on 10 December 1991 and signed on 7 February 1992. Denmark initially voted against it in a referendum but approved it in a second vote after getting some special exceptions. The Treaty officially came into force on 1 November 1993.
Growing and Shrinking of the European Communities
Greece had been connected to the Community since 1961. After its democracy was restored, Greece applied to join on 12 June 1975 and became a full member on 1 January 1981. In 1985, Greenland, which had gained more self-rule from Denmark, decided to leave the Community after a public vote. However, it remained an overseas territory linked to the EU.
Following Greece, Spain and Portugal also applied to join in 1977, after their own democracies were restored. They both joined on 1 January 1986. In 1987, Turkey formally applied to join the Community, starting what would become the longest application process for any country.
The End of the Iron Curtain
Efforts to reduce tensions between Eastern and Western Europe led to the creation of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in 1975. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the CSCE became the modern Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1990. At the same time, the European Communities expanded again due to the German reunification.
With the main barrier removed for countries in the former Eastern Bloc, many of them openly expressed their wish to join the Communities. In response, leaders met in Copenhagen on 22 June 1993 to set clear conditions for new countries wanting to join. These rules are known as the Copenhagen criteria and were later included in the Maastricht Treaty. Here's a part of what they said:
"To join, a country must have stable institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for minorities. It must also have a working market economy that can handle competition within the Union. Membership also means the country must be able to take on the responsibilities of being a member, including supporting the goals of political, economic, and monetary union."
See also
- Eurosclerosis
- Concorde
- Solidarity
- Berlin Wall
- Common European Home
- European Economic Community
