European Union—EU www.eu-kommission.de, a regionally political & economic organization, enjoys the highest-level integration presently in the world, with its headquarter lying in Brussels, capital city of Belgium. EU consisted of 15 members previously involving France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, and Sweden. Since May 1st 2004, another 10 members have attained their respective positions in EU, among them are Poland, Hungary, Czech, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus. From then on, the territorial distance has accumulated up to 400 million square kilometers, with a population of 450 million. In addition, the GDP is close to exceeding 10 trillion USD.

The evolution of history

The European integration took off after the Second World War. As early as May 9th 1950, Robert Schuman www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/SchumanRobert/， late foreign minister of France, recommended to Konrad-Adenauer www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/AdenauerKonrad/, late chancellor of western Germany, that the manufacturing of coal & steel be placed under hyper-national management of senior organization, and open it up to other nations. The recommendation was soon acclaimed by Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The six countries gathered together in Paris signing the European Coal and Steel Community treaty. There emerged the European Coal and Steel Community. Nearly six years later-March 25th 1957, these nations jointly signed the EEC Treaty & Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community in Rome, Italy, generally designated as the Treaty of Rome which came into effect on Jan 1st 1958, aiming to establish the European Economic Community & European Atomic Energy Community. At the beginning of July 1967, they incorporated such major organizations as councils and commissions of European Economic Community, European Atomic Energy Community, and European Coal and Steel Community into European Communities-EC.

On Dec 9th 1991, EC convened a special summit meeting in Maastricht, The Netherlands, with the signing of the Treaty of the European Economic and Monetary Union & European political union treaty, generally called the Treaty of Maastricht. Two years later, on Nov 1st 1993, EC evolved into European Union officially after the approval and implementation of the Treaty of Maastricht by all the members.

By now, EU has experienced five times of expansion. On the first day of 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, nine more nations were absorbed in EU one after another—UK, Denmark, Ireland in 1973; Greece in 1981; Spain, Portugal in 1986; Austria, Finland, and Sweden in 1995. On Dec 2002, the accession negotiations between EU and Poland, Hungary, Czech, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus drew a conclusion, seeing that these 10 nations wouldn’t be official member countries until May 1st 2004. Furthermore, these ten candidates signed the accession treaty in Greek, Greece, confirming that the ten would be admitted to EU according to the schedule.

Offices of organization

EU constitutes five major organizations-- Council of Europe, the EU Council, EU Commission, European Parliament, and European Court, coupled with EU audit center, the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank, Economic and Social Commission, the District Commission, the European Police Agency and the European armaments etc.

The European Council conference, or EU summit meeting, is the highest-ranking decision-making organization in EU, which is made up of heads of government and state principals from each EU member country. The chairman of EU Commission is, as a matter of fact, a member of Council of Europe. Council of Europe convenes at least four conventions on an annual basis. Simultaneously, the formal summit talks occur at the end of June and Dec, with the special summit talks taking place on March and Oct. If needed, extra summit meeting could be held at other time.

The EU Council is the major decision-making organization in EU, composed of governmental ministers from each EU member nation. Every member takes turns assuming the post of chairman every six months. The Ministerial Council is not only accountable for the postulation of EU laws; regulations and vital policy relevant to the development of EU & organizational reform, but also responsible for the inter-governmental cooperation and coordination in common diplomacy & security policy, justice, internal affairs. Likewise, the Ministerial Council undertakes to designate the leading cadres of major organizations in EU and even supervise them. The secretary general of the EU Council is concurrently the senior representative of EU common diplomacy & security policy. The current and the post-term chairman, together with the senior representative incorporate into the Tree Carriage.

EU Commission is the only authorized organization to draft decrees, the major responsibility of which is to implement EU-related pacts, regulations and decisions made by the EU Council; to put forward policy-enforcing report and legislative motion for the EU Council & European Parliament; to tackle daily affairs of EU; to perform negotiations in foreign communication & trade etc on behalf of EU. The EU Commission is elected for a term of five years, with its headquarter located in Brussels, Belgium. The EU Commission takes office in six months shortly after each European Parliament election, which is politically responsible for the Parliament. Similarly, the parliament enjoys the authority to dismiss the EU Commission by virtue of the motion of Impeachment Committee.

European Parliament is both the only multi-national parliament elected in a direct manner worldwide and the exclusive organization in EU. In addition to mutually sharing the legislative power with the EU Council, European Parliament boasts democratic supervision right & EU budget-deciding right.

The EU Council and the Ministerial Council are inter-governmental organizations in EU. Moreover, Ministerial Council is the major legislative body in EU, particularly representing the interest of EU members. In the entire interest of EU, Commission and European Parliament are also hyper-national organizations in EU. Commission is the administrative implementation organization in EU, similar to the government of a sovereign state. European parliament enjoys partial legislative power, budget power and authority on enquiry & supervision. The supreme court of EU, European court spares no pains to ensure the effective enforcement of EU laws from the judicial angle.

Internal Construction

The progress of EU economic integration emerged with the alliance of tariff, ultimately stepping towards comprehensive economic & monetary union through the implementation of common market and the unification of big markets

When dated back to July 1st 1968, the alliance of tariff was realized in the EU. On June 1984, a white book was devised in the EU Commission concerning the accomplishment of internal unified market in a formal way, ensuing the proposal that fully realize the free circulation of talents, commodities, capital, services on the basis of establishing a unified non-border market in European Communities. Six months later, the EU Council approved the white book. On Jan 1st 1993, the proposal put forward 8 years ago was carried out formally, which opened up a new vista for the history of EU.

In order to consolidate the alliance of tariff on industrial products & the policy of joint agriculture and to ward off the excessive fluctuation of interest rate, European Communities set up the European Monetary System on March 13th 1979, which laid a solid foundation on the possibility of the single currency. When traced back to June 1989, the report on the realization of the European Economic and Monetary Union explicitly indicated that the economic & monetary alliance would be accomplished within three different phases starting from July 1st 1990. When it comes to the ultimate goal of the economic & monetary alliance, ways of enforcement and the deadline, they were detailed in the Treaty of Maastricht. More than four years ago-Jan 1st 2002, Euro notes and coins were born. Two months later, Euro-zone countries began to stop the flow of the original currency; the euro became the only legal currency in the euro-zone countries consisting of twelve countries.

Political Field

Although the European integration was conducted in economic field after the Second World War, from the very beginning demonstrated an obvious political goal. Considering the difficulty in the sovereign transfer in these domains, due to the sensitiveness to the high political field, the political alliance was rendered a verbal objective throughout the ages.

In 1970s, the European political integration had made some achievements, while developing a set of mechanism of European political cooperation. Though separated from European Communities common organizations and possessing conspicuous inter-governmental characteristics, the mechanism initiated the European political cooperation. Additionally, it was on June 1979 that the first direct election was launched by European parliament.

Until the mid-1980s, with the re-start of the European integration, the goal of political alliance unfolded again. On Feb 1986, each member of European Communities had the signing of the Single European Act, which set the stage for the foundation of EU on a legal basis. To make matters better, the following Treaty of Maastricht & The Treaty of Amsterdam brought about new dynamism for promoting the European political alliance. It appeared in the Treaty of Maastricht for the first time that establishing common diplomacy and security policy in EU. From then on, the EU Council has taken common standpoint in diplomatic policy for seventy times, coupled with joint action for fifty times including the landmine-eradicating action occurring in Africa & other regions and dispatching EU special envoys to the crisis-ridden Balkans and middle-east.

At the summit convening this June, EU constitution is very likely to be approved. Though not an authentic constitution of a sovereign state, its sweeping reform on the EU interior practice exerts a substantial impact on ensuring the effective operation of the east-oriented EU expansion, improving the democratic deficit in EU, strengthening the consciousness of Europe among Europeans. What’s more, the constitution is bound to be the only way towards European States.

Expansion has been always the vital dimension of the EU political integration. The 5th east-oriented expansion that will conclude on May 1st will surely be the one on the largest scale up to now, which marks the ebb of split caused by cold war. To our delight, EU has reached a brand-new developing stage, and will be exerting a far-reaching influence on European pattern & European integration.

External relations

EU has established diplomatic relationship with most countries in the world, and concluded various kinds of economic & trade cooperation agreement. Until now, around 160 nations have dispatched their diplomatic missions to EU. On the contrary, over-120 countries and places where international organizations situated have greeted the delegations sent by the EU Council, whose aim is to develop the bi-lateral relationship between these different nations, publicize EU values, strengthen the image of EU among countries, and at any time convey to the headquarter in Brussels the latest information of the stationed countries.