CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TREATY - POLITICAL CHANGES
Article 8A clearly defines the objective of the Act, which is to progressively establish the internal market over a period expiring on 31 December 1992. The Single Market is defined as "an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty".
As regards monetary capacity, the Act does not permit the implementation of a new policy, but proceeds to insert provisions on monetary capacity. The convergence of economic and monetary policy already belongs in the framework of existing powers.
Social policy is already regulated by the EEC Treaty, but the act introduces two new articles in this area. Article 118A of the EEC Treaty authorises the Council acting by a qualified majority in the framework of the cooperation procedure to take the minimum requirements with a view to "encouraging improvements, especially in the working environment, as regards the health and safety of workers". Article 118B of the EEC Treaty entrusts the Commission with the task of developing dialogue between management and labour at European level.
The Act establishes a Community policy of economic and social cohesion to counterbalance the effects of the completion of the internal market on the less developed Member States and to reduce development discrepancies between the regions. The Community intervenes via the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
As regards research and technical development, Article 130F of the EEC Treaty establishes the objective "to strengthen the scientific and technological basis of European industry and to encourage it to become more competitive at international level". To this end the act provides for the implementation of framework multiannual programmes adopted unanimously by the Council.
Concern for environmental protection at Community level is already reflected in the Treaty of Rome. The act adds three new articles (Artices130R, 130S and 130T of the EEC Treaty) which permit the Community "to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment, to contribute towards protecting human health, and to ensure a prudent and rational utilization of natural resources". It specifies that the Community can only intervene in environmental matters when this action can be attained better at Community level than at the level of the individual Member States (subsidiarity).
Article 30 provides that Member States must endeavour jointly to formulate and implement a European foreign policy. To this end they undertake to consult one another on questions of foreign policy that might be relevant to the security of the Member States. The presidency of the Council is responsible for initiating action and coordinating and representing the positions of the Member States in relations with third countries in this area.
THE SEA: REVIEW AND PERSPECTIVE
The SEA provided for the transformation of the Common Market into a single market on 1 January 1993. By creating new Community competencies and reforming the institutions the SEA opened the way to political integration and economic and monetary union to be enshrined in the Treaty of Maastricht on the European Union.
AMENDMENTS TO THE TREATY
Treaty on European Union, known as the "Maastricht Treaty"(1992)
The Maastricht Treaty brought the three Communities (Euratom, ECSC, EEC) and institutionalised cooperation in the fields of foreign policy, defence, police and justice together under one umbrella, the European Union. The EEC was renamed, becoming the EC. Furthermore, this Treaty created economic and monetary union, put in place new Community policies (education, culture, cooperation and development) and increased the powers of the European Parliament (codecision procedure).
Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
The Treaty of Amsterdam increased the powers of the Union by creating a Community employment policy, transferring to the Communities some of the areas which were previously subject to intergovernmental cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, introducing measures aimed at bringing the Union closer to its citizens and enabling closer cooperation between certain Member States (enhanced cooperation). It also extended the codecision procedure and qualified majority voting and simplified and renumbered the articles of the Treaties.
Treaty of Nice (2001)
The Treaty of Nice was essentially devoted to the "leftovers" of Amsterdam, i.e. the institutional problems linked to enlargement which were not resolved in 1997. It dealt with the make-up of the Commission, the weighting of votes in the Council and the extension of the areas of qualified majority voting. It simplified the rules on use of the enhanced cooperation procedure and made the judicial system more effective.
Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
The Treaty of Lisbon makes sweeping reforms. It brings an end to the European Community, abolishes the former EU architecture and makes a new allocation of competencies between the EU and the Member States. The way in which the European institutions function and the decision-making process are also subject to modifications. The aim is to improve the way in which decisions are made in an enlarged Union of 27 Member States. The Treaty of Lisbon also reforms several of the EU’s internal and external policies. In particular, it enables the institutions to legislate and take measures in new policy areas.
This Treaty has also been amended by the following treaties of accession:
Treaty of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden (1994) which increased the number of Member States of the European Community to 15.
Treaty of Accession of Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia (2003)
This Treaty increased the number of Member States of the European Community from 15 to 25.
Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (2005). This Treaty increased the number of Member States of the European Community from 25 to 27.