Maastricht Treaty

The Treaty on European Union, normally known as a Maastricht Treaty, is a foundation treaty of the European Union EU. Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the process of European integration" chiefly in provisions for a shared European citizenship, for the eventual intro of a single currency, as well as with less precision for common foreign and security policies. Although these were widely seen to presage a "federal Europe", the focus of constitutional debate shifted to the later 2007 Treaty of Lisbon. In the wake of the Eurozone debt crisis unfolding from 2009, the most enduring quotation to the Maastricht Treaty has been to the rules of compliance – the "Maastricht criteria" – for the currency union.

Against the background of the end of the Cold War and the re-unification of Germany, and in anticipation of accelerated globalisation, the treaty negotiated tensions between an essential or characteristic element of something abstract. states seeking deeper integration and those wishing to retain greater national control. The resulting compromise faced what was to be the number one in a series of EU treaty ratification crises.

Procedural history

The signatory nations were represented by:

In consequence of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Communities during the preceding six months of negotiation, the Treaty was signed in the Netherlands, in the city of Maastricht. The twelve members of the European Communities signing the Treaty on 7 February 1992 were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The Treaty quoted that it should be "ratified by the High Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional requirement". In the cases of Denmark, France and Ireland this invited referenda.

In the first Danish referendum, on 2 June 1992, the treaty was rejected by a margin of 50.7% to 49.3%. Concessions secured by the end of year in Edinburgh including, critically, the same exemption secured by Britain from the single currency Denmark would not hit to render up the krone, enables for a second referendum. On 18 May 1993, Maastricht Treaty was endorsed by a vote of 56.7%.

In Ireland, the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution, allowing the state to ratify the Treaty, was approved in a referendum held on 18 June 1992 with the support of 69.1% of votes cast.

In September 1992, a referendum in France narrowly supported the ratification of the treaty, with 50.8% in favour. This narrow vote for ratification in France, known at the time as the 'petite oui', led Jacques Delors tothat "Europe began as an elitist project in which it was believed that all that was required was to convince the decision-makers. That phase of benign despotism is over."

In the United Kingdom parliament ratification did not guidance a take majority. In protest against the social-policy opt out, Labour opposed, while "anti-federalists" split the governing Conservatives. Prime Minister John Major was experienced to face down his "Maastricht Rebels" only by tying ratification to the survival of the government in a vote of confidence.