Keenan and Riches’BUSINESS LAW

Chapter 2Law making

On accession, a new member state would be entitled
to appoint its own Commissioner for one term.
In April 2003, 10 new member states signed the
Treaty of Accession in Athens. Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia joined the EC on 1 May

2004. Bulgaria and Romania joined the Community in
      January 2007. Croatia and Turkey are in negotiations to
      join the Community and in 2005 the former Yugoslav
      Republic of Macedonia was granted candidate status for
      membership. A summary of the key dates in the enlarge-
      ment of the EC is set out in Fig 2.3.

European Community or European
Union?

It has become fashionable since the ratification of the
TEU to refer to the European Union. Technically, the
European Union consists of the European Community
(the new formal title of what used to be known as the
European Economic Community), the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic
Energy Community (EURATOM), and the new areas

of inter-governmental co-operation on foreign and

security policy (CFSP), justice and home affairs. The

European Community (EC) has not been replaced by

the European Union. The EC, along with ECSC and

EURATOM, is one ‘pillar’ of the European Union. The

other two ‘pillars’ are CFSP, and justice and home

affairs. Action in respect of these two pillars must be

taken on the basis of inter-governmental co-operation:

Community law does not apply and the European Court

of Justice has no jurisdiction in these areas (although the

Treaty of Amsterdam extends the powers of the Court of

Justice in relation to action by the Union on asylum and

immigration and co-operation on police and judicial

matters). However, it should be noted that the Council

(see below) now calls itself the Council of the European

Union – even when it is enacting EC legislation.

Community institutions

The aims and objectives of the EC are put into effect by

four main institutions: the Council of the European

Union, the Commission, the European Parliament and

the European Court of Justice.

27

Year Member states joining the Community Number of

member states

1951 Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands

form the European Coal and Steel Community 6

1957 Six founding members set up European Atomic Energy Authority and

European Community law

1973 UK, Ireland and Denmark join the Community 9

1981 Greece accedes to EC membership 10

1986 Spain and Portugal join the EC 12

1990 German Democratic Republic (East Germany) becomes a member on

reunification of Germany 12

1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EC 15

2004 Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,

Slovenia and Slovakia accede to membership 25

2007 Bulgaria and Romania join the EC 27

Figure 2.3Enlargement of the European Union