FRANCE & EUROPETh. Saint Paul, 2007

European integrationprofound influence on the French economy. businesses to become more competitive: new

challenges, opportunities offered by such a huge market.

In 1993 the principle of free movement of people, goods, services and capital

=the Single Market economic area 376 million consumers to French companies,

benefiting all sectors of the national economy.

27 countries, 2007

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria ,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark ,Estonia Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,Latvia, Lithuania Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands ,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

Croatia

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Turkey (issue??)

Norway and Switzerland are NOT in the EU, why?

Key dates of the European Union1951: the European Coal and Steel Community

(ECSC). The Six: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Paris

1957: the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

1962:The first community policy comes into force: the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

1968:Customs Union is set up between the Six.1973: Europe of the Nine: Denmark, the United

Kingdom and Ireland join the EEC.

1979: EMS aiming to stabilize the exchange rates between European currencies.

First election of members to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

1981: Europe of the Ten: Greece enters the EEC.

1986: Europe of the Twelve: Spain and Portugal join in their turn.

The Single European Act =single internal market by 1993 =free movement of people, capital, goods and services

1992: The Maastricht Treaty marks the beginning of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and extends the powers of the European Parliament.

1995: Europe of the Fifteen: with the entry of Austria, Finland and Sweden, -Norway having rejected membership by referendum

1997:Signature of the Treaty of Amsterdam.

1998: Opening of negotiations with a view to the enlargement of the European Union.

1999: Start of the transition to the single currency (the euro) in eleven European countries.

2002: Euro in 13 countries (all save Sweden, UK and Denmark) and phasing out of the Local currencies in the EURO zone.

2004: Enlargement: +10 countries (Republic Tcheckia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Lituania, Lettonia, Slovaquia, Cyprus et Malta)

2007: +2 Romania & Hungary.

Europe's Policy 1997Amsterdam Treaty, social policy/

immigration policy and employment.EURO ZONE:Euros and cents since

1 January 2002European Central Bank16: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland,

France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Sweden, has a de facto opt out

Montenegro and microstates—Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican

16

EU LAWS: characteristicsCollective initiatives in areas:People Goods The environment =laws imposed on governments down to the

local level = common actions and projects in line with the laws.(e.g. protection of people (education –degrees, anti- human trafficking laws,….clean air, clean water acts etc.).

France in European UnionAgriculture and CAP : Common Agricultural Policy:

FRANCE is: Biggest producer of sugar-beet in the

EU(European Union) second biggest worldwide

the world's second biggest wine producerEU's second biggest and world's fifth

biggest milk producer Biggest producer of cereals in the EU and

fifth biggest worldwide. European Union green laws: Greener

agriculture/ movement for Organic Farming

Primary sector:

Grants/subsidies:The European Agricultural Guidance

and Guarantee Fund,responsible for managing the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy)

aid into rural development, modernisation of farms and land improvements.

support to agriculture in mountain regions and other disadvantaged areas.

Anti-globalization? Or Alternative globalization?

In French: mondialisation (globalization)

Alter-mondialisation (translated as anti-globalization)

Secondary sector: industry. free movement of goods and capital has

given French companies a significant boost and has resulted in:

higher investment rates, a high level of financial concentration

increase in the number of subsidiaries of French companies established abroad.

Increase in number of subsidiaries of foreign companies in France.

European legislation on pollution (norms ISO 14000) is strict.

The tertiary sector,benefited from Europeanisation. Services: Grants/aid for transport

networks, co-funding major civil engineering projects.

Judicial and technical harmonisation, free competition helped modernizing public transport systems.

Growth of tourism in France, where four fifths of visitors are Europeans.

Revitalising of banking sector

European laws : labelling

Valorizing waste (recyclingincentives for municipalities and businesses)

Recycling laws

Services: new energies,new jobs

Recycling tax

Eco –Tax(e.g. electrical appliances are recycled, eco-tax incl. in cost)

EU ( & all its countries) signed the KYOTO Protocol to curb global warming

EUROPE websites European Institutions/Policies   http://europa.eu/index_en.htm