From the proposal between France and West Germany on the production of coal and steel, Europe grew into the present 27-state Union in less than 70 years. The idea of enlargement to “all countries willing to take part” was already enshrined in the Schuman Declaration, but took a deeper meaning as new Member States joined from the South, the North and most recently from the East. Members can also decide to leave the Union, as Brexit has demonstrated.
Treaty on European Union
The amended versions of the Treaty of Rome (now TFEU) and of the Treaty of Maastricht (TEU) lay the constitutional basis of the European Union. Their consolidated texts are regularly published by the European Commission.
Article 49 of the consolidated version of the TEU regulates the procedures for a State to become a member of the Union. Any State wishing to apply has to respect the fundamental values of the EU, proclaimed in Article 2.
On 1 May 2004, ten new members were welcomed into the European Union. The ceremony took place in Dublin
HAEU, RP 495 – Photo: Unknown
Letter of the President of the European Council Bertie Ahern to the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi. 11 May 2004
HAEU, RP 495
Poster produced by the European Commission, 2001
HAEU, NDG 130
Note by Graham Avery, Chief Adviser for strategic questions at the Directorate-General for Enlargement of the European Commission, on accession negotiations, 22 May 2002
HAEU, GJLA 220
Crossing Borders
The enlargement of the European space also meant that more people were free to move across the continent. Notions like borders, freedom of movement, mobility were redefined by the European project, but they are still hot topics at the center of public debate.
The BABE Project collection
The BABE Project collection offers a multiplicity of visual memories of movement across Europe. The material collected is the result of the fieldwork carried out in European countries including the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, France and Spain.
Hamed (Marocco)
“I drew a suitcase people use them when they need to travel”. Turin, December 2013. HAEU, BABE Archival collection
Katia Muñoz (artist from Peru)
“Map of my own trajectory of migration. I’m a migratory bird. I’m not from here or there”, collage, Barcelona, October 2013. HAEU, BABE Archival collection
Elena (Romania)
“It was the Black forest in Germany”. Visual representation of passing borders in the EU. Turin, Decembre 2013. HAEU, BABE Archival collection
Solidarity
“[Europe] will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity”
Citizenship
“This proposal will lead to the realization of the first concrete foundation of a European federation”
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