Why Did the Treaty of Maastricht Mark a Milestone in Creating a Political Union?
Why did the Treaty of Maastricht mark a milestone in creating a political union?
The Treaty of Maastricht, formerly known as the Treaty of the European Union came at a pivotal time in European history. Eastern Europe was a victim of the collapse of Communism, which had a strong impact on the European Commission (EC) as this meant new potential markets were open which they were keen to take over (Bache, 2001:124). However, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union meant that there was unsettlement in the east. During the same period of time there was possibility for reunification in Germany. This was looked upon with great caution because many feared that this could cause Germany Nationalism to ignite again. Due to these events it meant that integration in Europe became a strong focus because there was wider scope to enhance European power. These factors had a very strong impact upon the Maastricht Treaty and determined much of its future.
The Maastricht Treaty is well known for its controversial nature (Dinan, 1999:27). Unlike other treaties that had been seen before, Maastricht included two new areas – home affairs and a common foreign and security policy. (Bieler, 2009:Lecture 4) Moreover, Maastricht marked the movement for changes in economic and monetary union, most notably the introduction of a single currency within Europe. In addition to this, the treaty also included unification in employment and social issues, which contained issues such as health and safety regulations as well as wage rules for workers. However, Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minster of the UK at the time strongly disapproved thus the UK managed to negotiate an opt-out of the social chapter. This was done by the Social Protocol. The UK only signed the Maastricht Treaty under John Major’s government (Bache, 2001:125).
The Treaty enabled the 12 member states at the time to be given European citizenship. This meant that they could freely move across European borders,
The Treaty of Maastricht, formerly known as the Treaty of the European Union came at a pivotal time in European history. Eastern Europe was a victim of the collapse of Communism, which had a strong impact on the European Commission (EC) as this meant new potential markets were open which they were keen to take over (Bache, 2001:124). However, the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union meant that there was unsettlement in the east. During the same period of time there was possibility for reunification in Germany. This was looked upon with great caution because many feared that this could cause Germany Nationalism to ignite again. Due to these events it meant that integration in Europe became a strong focus because there was wider scope to enhance European power. These factors had a very strong impact upon the Maastricht Treaty and determined much of its future.
The Maastricht Treaty is well known for its controversial nature (Dinan, 1999:27). Unlike other treaties that had been seen before, Maastricht included two new areas – home affairs and a common foreign and security policy. (Bieler, 2009:Lecture 4) Moreover, Maastricht marked the movement for changes in economic and monetary union, most notably the introduction of a single currency within Europe. In addition to this, the treaty also included unification in employment and social issues, which contained issues such as health and safety regulations as well as wage rules for workers. However, Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minster of the UK at the time strongly disapproved thus the UK managed to negotiate an opt-out of the social chapter. This was done by the Social Protocol. The UK only signed the Maastricht Treaty under John Major’s government (Bache, 2001:125).
The Treaty enabled the 12 member states at the time to be given European citizenship. This meant that they could freely move across European borders,
Bibliography: Bache, I. George, S (2001). Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press. Bieler, A (2009). Lecture 4, University of Nottingham. Dinan, D (1999). Even closer Union – An Introduction to European Integration, Lynne Rienner. Unavailable (2001). [Website] Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/europe/euro-glossary. [Accessed: April 3 2009) Unavailable (2002). [Website] Available from www. uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia. [Accessed: April 5 2009]