4.3.2 What are the other aims of the EU?

Question 1

Why is the ‘monetary union’ important to the EU?

Answer 1

• the Maastricht Treaty (1993) laid the groundwork for a European monetary union
• in 1999, the euro was introduced as a trading currency, & by 2002, founding members of the eurozone replaced their national currencies with the euro; the treaty also established the European Central Bank to manage a common interest rate for eurozone members; by 2022, the eurozone comprised 19 EU member states

Question 2

Why is ‘social unity’ important to the EU?

Answer 2

• during the 1980s, the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, highlighted that European integration should also promote workers’ rights.
• this led to the inclusion of the Social Chapter in the Maastricht Treaty
• the Social Chapter established specific rights for all workers within the EU in areas such as health & safety, freedom from discrimination, equal treatment, paid holidays, working hours & conditions, & parental leave following the birth of a child.

Question 3

Why is the ‘protection of human rights’ important to the EU?

Answer 3

• the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, proclaimed in 2000 & legally binding since the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, guarantees human rights that largely overlap with the European Convention on Human Rights
• however, the Charter specifically applies to areas connected with EU law & is enforced through the European Court of Justice

Question 4

Why is a ‘political union’ important to the EU?

Answer 4

since the Single European Act of 1986, EU treaties have increasingly limited the ability of member states to use their veto power in the Council of Ministers/European Council, which has furthered political integration; the Maastricht Treaty of 1993 was also significant as it established a common EU citizenship and changed the name of the European Economic Community to the European Union.

Question 5

Why is common foreign & defence policy important to the EU?

Answer 5

• the Maastricht Treaty (1993) established the EU’s commitment to a common foreign and defence policy
• this was further developed by the Lisbon Treaty (2009), which granted the EU legal identity, enabling it to negotiate with nations on equal footing
• the Lisbon Treaty also created the full-time President of the European Council & the High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, both of whom represent the EU in its interactions with other world leaders