TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. The short history of European union 2
2. EU – Lithuania relationship 3
3. The advantages of EU 4
4. The disadvantages of EU 5
5. Literature 7
6. Vocabulary 8
THE SHORT HISTORY OF EUROPEAN UNION
European integration has delivered half a century of stability,
peace and economic prosperity. It has helped to raise standards of living,
built and internal market, launched the euro and strengthened the Union’s
voice in the world.
The European Union (EU) was set up after the 2nd World War. The
process of European integration was launched on 9 May 1950 when France
officially proposed to create “the first concrete foundation of a European
federation “. Six countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxemburg and
Netherlands) joined from the very beginning. T
Today, after four waves of accessions (1973: Denmark, Ireland and the
United Kingdom; 1981: Greece; 1986:Spain and Portugal; 1995: Austria,
Finland and Sweden) the EU has 15 Member States and is preparing for the
accession of 13 eastern and southern European countries. In the nearest
future we hope Lithuania will join this union, too.
The EU is based on the rule of law and democracy. It is neither a
new State replacing existing ones nor it is comparable to other
international organizations. Its Member States delegate sovereignty to
common institutions representing the interests of the Union as a whole on
questions of joint interest. All decisions and procedures are derived from
the basic treaties ratified by the Member States.
Principle objectives of the Union are:
• Establish European citizenship (Fundamental rights; Freedom of
movement; Civil and political rights);
• Ensure freedom, security and justice (Cooperation in the field
of Justice and Home Affairs);
• Promote economic and social progress (Single market; Euro, the
common currency; Job creation; Regional development;
Environmental protection);
• Assert Europe’s role in the world (Common foreign and security;
The EU in the world).
The EU is run by five institutions, each playing a specific role:
• European Parliament (elected by the peoples of the Member
States);
• Council of the Union (composed of the governments of the Member
States);
• European Commission (driving force and executive body)
• Court of Justice (compliance with the law);
• Court of Auditors (sound and lawful management of EU budget).
EU – LITHUANIA RELATIONSHIP
Official relationship and cooperation between Lithuania and European
Community started on 27 August 1991 when the European Community decided to
recognize the independence of Lithuania.
On 11 May 1992, Lithuania and the European Community signed the
Agreement on Trade and Commercial and Economic Cooperation, which came into
force on 1 February 1993, and adopted the Declaration on a Political
Dialogue between EC and the Republic of Lithuania.
On 21 – 22 June 1993, the European Summit Meeting was held in
Copenhagen where the EC for the first time clearly formulated its position
on the membership of the Central and East European countries in the EU.
However, this term was applied to the countries, which had signed Europe
Agreements. The Baltic States were mentioned in a separate paragraph. There
the European Commission was obligated to present proposals on the
development of trade agreements with the Baltic States that were in effect
at that time into Free Trade Agreements.
On 18 July 1994, a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Lithuania
was signed. At the end of the same year, i.e. on 16 December 1994,
negotiations on the Europe Agreement started. The said negotiations came to
an end in April. The Europe Agreement was signed on 12 June 1995.
On 8 December 1995, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
submitted an official membership application. In the Opinion of the
Commission announced in July 1995 a conclusion was drawn that the current
level of readiness for the EU membership allowed to maintain that in five
years only the following five associate Central and East European countries
would be ready for the EU membership: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
Poland and Slovenia.
Lithuania was invited to start negotiations in 1999 together with
other countries belonging to the so–called Group Two of the Candidate
Countries. Such a decision was recommended by the European Commission in