European Union Background Guide

Download the Background Guide HERE or in the Document Download Page

In order to provide delegates with the best possible experience and be able to have larger committees we have made the decision to cancel this committee.

Esteemed Delegates,
            Hello, my name is Nicholas Stefanski, and I am the European Union Committee Chair.  I’m a senior History and International Studies double major, with a concentration on European history and the 20th century.  If you have any questions you can contact me at nstefanski@bradley.edu.
            Though not an actual member of the United Nations, the European Union holds an important position in the organization.  EU Member States are among the largest contributors of monetary aid to the UN for peacekeeping and other programs.  Furthermore, when coordinating their actions, the 27 Members of the EU form a considerable voting bloc in the general assembly, and currently hold five of the fifteen seats in the Security Council, two of which are permanent.
            The European Union’s presence in the United Nations serves two main purposes; first, to formulate a joint European policy on issues relating to the UN in general.  Second, the EU Committee is to form resolutions on regional matters that relate almost solely to the EU and its candidates.  With these directives in mind, European nations should strive to live up to their international responsibilities as some of the most prosperous and powerful nations in the world.

            The three topics that will be presented in this background guide are:

Helpful links:
http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

Sincerely,
Nick Stefanski
BUMUN Staff 2007-2008
European Union Committee Chair

1.  Constitution of the European Union

            Following a series of fairly successful treaties to further integrate its member states, many within the EU felt that the next logical step was to create a constitution for the European Union that would replace all the earlier treaties with one concrete document.  A draft constitution was drawn up in 2003, and despite the problems it faced; EU officials signed it in October of 2004, waiting final ratification by all member countries.  The Constitution was passed in eighteen states, generally through parliamentary means, but in 2005, citizens in both France and the Netherlands voted down the treaty in popular referendums, after which the remaining countries withheld their referendums indefinitely.  Since then, there has been a debate over whether or not it would be worthwhile to revisit the constitution and try to change it so that it could pass in all the member states.
            As of 2007, work has begun on a Reform Treaty, which will largely take the place of the Constitution.  Like the Constitution Treaty, this one will contain a Charter of Fundamental Rights (though this charter will not be enshrined in law, as in the Constitution) and other reforms such as voting procedure.  One of the biggest changes is the removal of many trappings of statehood, which the Constitution contained, for instance renaming EU regulations as “laws.”  Most governments support this treaty, but there is still some question whether it goes too far, or even far enough.
            The committee should consider whether revising the constitution or abandoning it in favor of a new revision treaty would be more beneficial for the future of the European Union.  Implications of both should be considered, and upon reaching decision the committee should establish a basic agenda for how to proceed.

Committee Directives

2.  Development of the Security Sector

            Since the very beginnings of European integration, there has been a desire for Europe to act as a collective whole on matters of defense and security.  A pan-European defense force in the form of the European Defense Community was planned in 1954, but inevitably failed to be implemented.  Since the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989, regional conflicts in Eastern Europe and growing threats of international terrorism have served as an impetus for a joint security policy once again, culminating in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) laid out in the 1992 Maastricht treaty.  Unfortunately, the CFSP proved ineffective in its first test, the crisis in Bosnia & Herzegovina.  A series of revisions followed, including a new office in the form of the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, and in 2003 a new European Security Strategy with priorities on terrorism, the Middle East, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.  Also, the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) was created under the umbrella of the CFSP to back the EU’s international policy with a credible joint military force outside the auspices of NATO.  Though the EU’s foreign policy branch has grown, its power remains limited; the European Commission and Parliament play a role, but authority ultimately remains with individual member states, and major policy decisions require a unanimous vote.
            The EU has had a fruitful relationship with the UN in the area of security forces.  Security Council Resolution 1575 (2004) enacted the transfer of command for troops in Bosnia & Herzegovina from NATO to the European Union Force (EUFOR).  Following the success of this mission, Resolution 1671 (2006) authorized another EUFOR to assist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during elections.  The Council of the European Union has reported to the UN as of January 2007 that it can deploy two full battle group size operations almost simultaneously around the globe.
            Given these successes, the committee should discuss whether to increase the powers of the CFSP and further measures such as the creation of a dedicated Minister of Foreign Affairs.  Countries should discuss how much independent action the CFSP may take without direct approval of the member states, as well as whether to limit the EU’s intervention to those areas closest and most critical to the EU, such as the Balkans.

Committee Directives

3.  Eastern European Admissions

            The European Union has had a complex history of expansions of its membership ever since it first formed in 1951.   The original members were France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.  In 1973, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined them, followed by Greece in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986.  The next expansion occurred with the admission of Austria, Finland, and Sweden in 1995.  In 2004 the EU admitted a very large number of states, most of which were former members of the Soviet bloc: the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.  The most recent expansion took place in 2007 with Bulgaria and Romania, bringing the total number to 27.  Although the EU was a bit overwhelmed by the expansion of so many new member states, more states are still asking to join.  The EU opened entry negotiations with Turkey and Croatia in 2005, and the latter of which may be ready to enter within the next few years.  The case of Turkey is particularly controversial as it technically is not part of the European continent, and it has a large population of Muslims.  The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has submitted its application, and other potential candidates for EU admission include Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania.  In order to join the EU all of these states must meet a very specific list of economic and social requirements, and so it will take some time before they are ready to begin the entry process.
            The UN and the EU have cooperated on a number of issues, and they both share the same goal of maintaining peace and stability in the international system.  Related to the topic of EU expansion, both organizations have been cooperating regarding the problem of Kosovo, a province of Serbia, that would like its independence but Serbia refuses to allow it to separate from the state.  The UN has been in control of Kosovo since 1999 when it stepped in to stop conflicts between the ethnic groups living there.  Recently the US and EU have been working on a draft UN proposal to encourage talks between Serbia and Kosovo.
            The committee should consider whether further expansion of Europe would be preferable, and consider consequences of the admission of problematic states.  If it is deemed expansion should continue, then the committee should come up with a schedule for the admission of applicant states at a manageable rate.

Committee Directives

• How does your country feel about continued expansion of the European Union?
• Does your country support the admission of controversial states such as Turkey?  Why or why not?
• If your country is one of the states that would like to enter the EU, what is your state’s argument for why it should be admitted?
• If your state is already a member of the EU, which, if any, of the candidate states would your state view as being problematic or not worthy of admission and why?
• Should tensions over admission of a controversial state into the EU begin to threaten security in the Western Balkans or Eastern Europe, should the UN take any actions or should it allow the EU handle it?