European Integration
1 Theories of European Integration
1943 David Mitrany – ‘A Working Peace System’
1941 Ventotene Manifesto: call for a European Federation
1948 European Congress (The Hague 1948) failed to establish the expected federation
1964/1968 Intergovernmentalism (Stanley Hoffmann)
1958 Neo-functionalism (Ernst Haas)
1963/1968 Neo-functionalism (Leon Lindberg)
1993 Liberal Intergovernmentalism (Andrew Moravcsik)
2015 New Intergovernmentalism (Bickerton, Hodson, Puetter)
2009 Post-functionalism (Hooghe and Marks)
2 History of European Integration
1945 – 1957 first steps towards integration
1923 Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi: ‘Pan Europea’
1929 Aristide Briand: League of Nations speech
1944 Altiero Spinelli: ‘Draft Declaration of the European Resistance’
1946 Winston Churchill: ‘Zurich speech’
1948 The European Congress in The Hague
1949 Council of Europe (limited output, except in the field of Human Rights (European Declaration
HR, European Court of HR)
9 May 1950 Schuman-Declaration
Apr 1951 Signing of the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
Aug 1952 foundation of the ECSC
1950 Pleven-plan (a European Defence Community (EDC) aiming to remilitarise West-Germany
under control of other West European states
1951-1952 Negotiations between the 6 member states of the ECSC
May 1952 Signing of the EDC Treaty
1954 Failed ratification of the EDC Treaty in the French Assemblée, under pressure of Charles De
Gaulle
1955 West-Germany (BRD) becomes NATO-member
1955 Messina: ECSC Foreign Affairs Ministers commission a report of Paul Henri Spaak
1956 Venice: ‘Report Spaak’ proposes to establish two new organisations: (one for atomic energy
and one for a common market): start of an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC)
1957 The Treaties of Rome
• the EURATOM-Treaty
• the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)
1957 Ratification of both treaties
1958 New institutions effective
1958 – 1969 De Gaulle dominates European politics
1958 start of France’s ‘Fifth Republic’, Charles De Gaulle becomes president of France
1960 UK’s reaction to the establishment of EURATOM and EEC: the foundation of the European Free
Trade Association (EFTA)
• Members: UK, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Finland
, 1963 Elysée-Treaty (French-German friendship treaty): Strengthening of the German – French Axis,
based upon the excellent personal relationship between Konrad Adenauer and Charles De
Gaulle
1960 - 1962 Fouchet-plan: proposal to establish intergovernmental cooperation in the field of foreign and
defence policies.
o German support: German – French axis, opportunity for rehabilitation
o Rejected by the other EEC member states: too intergovernmental
1965 ‘Empty Chair’ crisis
1966 France eventually shows up again and accepts a compromise:
• interim financing of the CAP
• postponement of the ‘own resources’ issue
• the ‘Luxembourg Compromise’ (‘agreement to disagree’)
1961 The UK applies a first time for EEC membership
1963 De Gaulle vetoes British membership
1967 The UK applies a second time for EC membership
1969 May ’68 revolt forces De Gaulle to resign
1965 Fusion Treaty: EEC plus ECSC = European Community (EC)
1969 – 1979 from Euro-optimism to Euro-pessimism
1969 The Summit of The Hague
1970 British accession negotiations
1970 Report Davignon: European Political Cooperation (EPC), outside the existing EC institutional
structure
1970 Report Werner: ambitious plan to establish an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) within
10 years
1970 UK: Heath applies for EC membership
1970-1971 UK: Negotiations – mainly discuss agricultural and financial issues
1972 French referendum accepts UK accession
1972 UK ratification of the accession treaty
1973 UK, Ireland and Denmark become EC member states
1971 End of the Bretton Woods agreements brings Europe in a recession and increases the
necessity for European monetary coordination
1972 creation of the currency ‘snake’ and a call for an EMU
1973 Oil crisis worsens the economic crisis, making forecasts to establish a common monetary and
energy policy very gloomy
1974 Paris Summit
• Agreement with respect to the EFRD
• European Commission is asked to investigate a UK correction mechanism
1975 Dublin Summit: agreement with respect to the mechanism
1975 European Council meetings don’t succeed in revitalising the EC
→ EMU-plans frozen
1976 rejection of the Tindemans-report and the ‘Three Wise Men’ report
1979 – 1984 Slow ‘relance’
Jan 1, 1981 Greece becomes EC member
Jun, 1979 First direct elections for the European Parliament
1978 Germany and France together launch the EMS proposal
Mar, 1979 EMS starts
1979 Thatcher becomes Prime Minister: she is a supporter of economic integration (the single
market), but also a fierce opponent of political integration, opposed to give up British
sovereignty
1980 – 1983 Many years of discussion result in a strong position of Thatcher within the European Council
1984 Fontainebleau Summit and start of the Dooge committee: study of the possible creation of a
single market and the accompanying institutional reforms
1 Theories of European Integration
1943 David Mitrany – ‘A Working Peace System’
1941 Ventotene Manifesto: call for a European Federation
1948 European Congress (The Hague 1948) failed to establish the expected federation
1964/1968 Intergovernmentalism (Stanley Hoffmann)
1958 Neo-functionalism (Ernst Haas)
1963/1968 Neo-functionalism (Leon Lindberg)
1993 Liberal Intergovernmentalism (Andrew Moravcsik)
2015 New Intergovernmentalism (Bickerton, Hodson, Puetter)
2009 Post-functionalism (Hooghe and Marks)
2 History of European Integration
1945 – 1957 first steps towards integration
1923 Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi: ‘Pan Europea’
1929 Aristide Briand: League of Nations speech
1944 Altiero Spinelli: ‘Draft Declaration of the European Resistance’
1946 Winston Churchill: ‘Zurich speech’
1948 The European Congress in The Hague
1949 Council of Europe (limited output, except in the field of Human Rights (European Declaration
HR, European Court of HR)
9 May 1950 Schuman-Declaration
Apr 1951 Signing of the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
Aug 1952 foundation of the ECSC
1950 Pleven-plan (a European Defence Community (EDC) aiming to remilitarise West-Germany
under control of other West European states
1951-1952 Negotiations between the 6 member states of the ECSC
May 1952 Signing of the EDC Treaty
1954 Failed ratification of the EDC Treaty in the French Assemblée, under pressure of Charles De
Gaulle
1955 West-Germany (BRD) becomes NATO-member
1955 Messina: ECSC Foreign Affairs Ministers commission a report of Paul Henri Spaak
1956 Venice: ‘Report Spaak’ proposes to establish two new organisations: (one for atomic energy
and one for a common market): start of an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC)
1957 The Treaties of Rome
• the EURATOM-Treaty
• the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC)
1957 Ratification of both treaties
1958 New institutions effective
1958 – 1969 De Gaulle dominates European politics
1958 start of France’s ‘Fifth Republic’, Charles De Gaulle becomes president of France
1960 UK’s reaction to the establishment of EURATOM and EEC: the foundation of the European Free
Trade Association (EFTA)
• Members: UK, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Finland
, 1963 Elysée-Treaty (French-German friendship treaty): Strengthening of the German – French Axis,
based upon the excellent personal relationship between Konrad Adenauer and Charles De
Gaulle
1960 - 1962 Fouchet-plan: proposal to establish intergovernmental cooperation in the field of foreign and
defence policies.
o German support: German – French axis, opportunity for rehabilitation
o Rejected by the other EEC member states: too intergovernmental
1965 ‘Empty Chair’ crisis
1966 France eventually shows up again and accepts a compromise:
• interim financing of the CAP
• postponement of the ‘own resources’ issue
• the ‘Luxembourg Compromise’ (‘agreement to disagree’)
1961 The UK applies a first time for EEC membership
1963 De Gaulle vetoes British membership
1967 The UK applies a second time for EC membership
1969 May ’68 revolt forces De Gaulle to resign
1965 Fusion Treaty: EEC plus ECSC = European Community (EC)
1969 – 1979 from Euro-optimism to Euro-pessimism
1969 The Summit of The Hague
1970 British accession negotiations
1970 Report Davignon: European Political Cooperation (EPC), outside the existing EC institutional
structure
1970 Report Werner: ambitious plan to establish an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) within
10 years
1970 UK: Heath applies for EC membership
1970-1971 UK: Negotiations – mainly discuss agricultural and financial issues
1972 French referendum accepts UK accession
1972 UK ratification of the accession treaty
1973 UK, Ireland and Denmark become EC member states
1971 End of the Bretton Woods agreements brings Europe in a recession and increases the
necessity for European monetary coordination
1972 creation of the currency ‘snake’ and a call for an EMU
1973 Oil crisis worsens the economic crisis, making forecasts to establish a common monetary and
energy policy very gloomy
1974 Paris Summit
• Agreement with respect to the EFRD
• European Commission is asked to investigate a UK correction mechanism
1975 Dublin Summit: agreement with respect to the mechanism
1975 European Council meetings don’t succeed in revitalising the EC
→ EMU-plans frozen
1976 rejection of the Tindemans-report and the ‘Three Wise Men’ report
1979 – 1984 Slow ‘relance’
Jan 1, 1981 Greece becomes EC member
Jun, 1979 First direct elections for the European Parliament
1978 Germany and France together launch the EMS proposal
Mar, 1979 EMS starts
1979 Thatcher becomes Prime Minister: she is a supporter of economic integration (the single
market), but also a fierce opponent of political integration, opposed to give up British
sovereignty
1980 – 1983 Many years of discussion result in a strong position of Thatcher within the European Council
1984 Fontainebleau Summit and start of the Dooge committee: study of the possible creation of a
single market and the accompanying institutional reforms
