The grouping of EU countries has expanded significantly over the past 30 years. It began in 1970 with 6 founding members and has grown to include 27 member states today. The EU expanded northward in 1973 to include the UK, Ireland, and Denmark. It later expanded southeastward with Greece joining in 1981 and then southward with Spain and Portugal joining in 1986. Further expansions in 1995, 2004, and 2007 saw many central, northern, and eastern European nations join. However, not all view the expanding grouping of nations positively, as evidenced by opposition political parties like UKIP and some negative votes in national referendums and media coverage on EU expansion.

1. The Grouping of EU countries...
Describe the growth of groups of nations in
the past 30 years, including the European
Union.
6 marks

2. The Exam board answer.....
• E.g. The Growth of the E.U.
• 1970 – consisted of Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands,
• Luxembourg and West Germany i.e. central Western
• Europe.
• 1973 – UK, Eire and Denmark join i.e. movement northwards
• incorporating one industrial and two agricultural nations.
• 1981 – Greece i.e. movement S.E. and involving a poorer
• agricultural country.
• 1986 – Spain and Portugal i.e. emphasising movement into
• southern European countries.
• 1995 – Austria (central Europe), Finland and Sweden (northern
• Europe) – more affluent economies.
• 2004/07 – Cyprus, Czech Rep., Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
• Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, plus Romania, Bulgaria
• (07).
• Other groups may

3. The growth of the EU
1970
Belgium
France
West Germany

4. Looks like …
The growth of the EU
1973 - DUKE
United Kingdom
Eire
Denmark
Movement membership to the north which is based on including an industrial
nation and two agricultural nations.

5. DOE is Greek
The growth of the EU
1981
Greece
Movement SE and involving a poorer agricultural country

6. The growth of the EU
1986
Spain
Portugal
Emphasising movement into Southern European countries

7. The growth of the EU
1995
Finland
Austria
More affluent countries

8. The growth of the EU 2004
Hungary 2004
Poland 2004
Czech Republic 2004
Slovak Republic 2004
Slovenia 2004
Estonia 2004
Latvia 2004
Lithuania 2004
Malta 2004
Cyprus 2004

9. Outline two pieces of evidence that
demonstrate attitudes against the
grouping of nations.
(5 marks)

10. Evidence pointing towards views against the grouping of nations
(NB
this is not the same as reasons for separatism):
• Political parties opposed to the grouping of nations – UKIP
• Negative votes in referendums on further developments/
constitutions within groupings
• Negative campaigning in national media e.g. views against the
expansion of the E.U.
Mark scheme
Level 1 simple statements of pieces of evidence, or of
attitudes
against the grouping of nations; or one well-developed
piece of evidence only.
(0-3 marks)
Level 2 two well-developed pieces of evidence. (4-5 marks)

16. Watch the following political Campaigns: .....
Look at their view point and comment on their view on Europe..................

17. Watch the following political Campaigns: .....
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/
Look at their view point and comment on their view on Europe..................

18. Referendum
A referendum (is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is
asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal.
This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a
constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official
or simply a specific government policy.

19. UK Referendums
Referendums are rare and the only
referendum proposal to be put to the
entire UK electorate was in 1975 on
continued membership of the European
Economic Community.
Referendums have been held in
individual parts of the United Kingdom
on issues relating to devolution in
Scotland and Wales, a regional
assembly for the North-East of England,
and two separate polls on the status of
Northern Ireland; but since 1973, when
the first one was held, only eight major
referendums have been conducted.

20. Evidence 2: European Elections

21. Every five years the UK picks members for the
European Parliament, which is one of the main
parts of the European Union, along with the
European Commission and the European
Council.
In 2009, the 72 UK MEPs who are elected will
join 664 other MEPs from across the European
Union (EU).
Together they form a 736-member parliament,
which aims to provide a voice for the people of
the EU.

22. European Elections
The voting system is
pretty complicated.
Instead of voting for
one candidate you
vote for a political
party.
The party then picks
your MEP from a list
it has drawn up.
The more votes
your party gets, the
more MEPs it can
pick from its list.

23. With reference to examples:
(i) identify reasons why separatist pressures
exist (6 marks)
(ii) discuss the consequences of separatist
pressures. (7 marks)

24. Causes of separatism. Feelings of alienation due to. For
example:
Historical allegiances, e.g. Quebec allegiances to France
Peripheral location, e.g. Scots and Welsh nationalists
Religious differences, e.g. the former Yugoslavia, Kurds in
Turkey and Iraq
Economic depression, e.g. Breton nationalism in France
Cultural differences, e.g. Chechens in Russia
Language differences, e.g. most of above (and Basques and
Catalans of Spain) – often
differences are manifested in terms
of language and religion.
Note: many of these examples are due to a multiplicity of
reasons.

25. The consequences of separatist pressure may be either
peaceful
or non-peaceful:
• The establishment/maintenance of own societies and
norms – separate cultural identities within a country
(e.g. The Bretons in France)
• The protection of a language through the media and
education (e.g. The Welsh, Catalan)
• The growth of separate political parties and devolved
power (e.g. The Scottish and Welsh Nationalists)
• Civil disobedience (e.g. The Friends of Owen Glendwr)
• Terrorist Violence (e.g. The Basques, Chechnya)
• Civil War (e.g. East Timor, Tamil Tigers).