00:00The Nobel Peace Prize 2012 was awarded to European Union for over six
00:23decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human
00:29rights in Europe.
00:31The European Union is set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between
00:36neighbours which culminated in the Second World War.
00:41As of 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community begins to unite European countries economically
00:48and politically in order to secure lasting peace.
00:53The six founding countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
01:01The 1950s are dominated by a Cold War between East and West.
01:06Protests in Hungary against the Communist regime are put down by Soviet tanks in 1956.
01:14In 1957, the Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community or Common Market.
01:23The 1960s is a good period for the economy, helped by the fact that EU countries stop charging
01:30custom duties when they trade with each other.
01:33They also agree joint control over food production so that everybody now has enough to eat.
01:40And soon there is even surplus agricultural produce.
01:43Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Union on January 1, 1973, raising
01:52the number of member states to nine.
01:55The short yet brutal Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 results in an energy crisis and economic problems
02:03in Europe.
02:06The last right-wing dictatorships in Europe come to an end with the overthrow of the Salazar
02:12regime in Portugal in 1974 and the death of General Franco of Spain in 1975.
02:21The EU regional policy starts to transfer huge sums of money to create jobs and infrastructure
02:28in poorer areas.
02:30The European Parliament increases its influence in EU affairs and in 1979 all citizens can,
02:38for the first time, elect their members directly.
02:41The fight against pollution intensifies in the 1970s.
02:47The EU adopts laws to protect the environment, introducing the notion of the polluter pays for the first time.
02:56The Polish trade union Solidarność and its leader Lech Walesa become household names across Europe
03:04and the world following the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980.
03:10In 1981 Greece becomes the tenth member of the EU and Spain and Portugal follow five years later.
03:19In 1995 the EU gains three more new members – Austria, Finland and Sweden.
03:26A small village in Luxembourg gives its name to the Schengen agreements that gradually allow
03:33people to travel without having their passports checked at the borders.
03:39The political divisions between East and West Europe are finally declared healed when no fewer
03:46than ten new countries joined the EU in 2004, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007.
03:55In 2012 the European Union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
04:01Croatia becomes the 28th member of the EU in 2013.
04:07Climate change is still high on the agenda and leaders agree to reduce harmful emissions.
04:14European elections are held in 2014 and more Eurosceptics are elected into the European Parliament.
04:21A new security policy is established in the wake of the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
04:27Religious extremism increases in the Middle East and various countries and regions around the world,
04:34leading to unrest and wars which result in many people fleeing their homes and seeking refuge in Europe.
04:42The EU is not only faced with the dilemma of how to take care of them, but also finds itself the target of several terrorist attacks.
Comments