Advocate of European integration

No other country in Europe has as many neighbours as Germany. Germany shares borders with nine countries, eight of which are members of the EU. For Germany, European integration European integration European integration is one of the central concerns of German foreign policy. Germany’s participation in a united Europe is also enshrined in the Basic Law. The European Union currently has 27 member states; on 31 January 2020, the UK became the first country to leave the EU. Several countries wish… Read more › forms the basis for peace, security and prosperity. Despite the UK’s exit from the EU at the end of January 2020, it remains a key task for German foreign policy to further develop and strengthen the Union, even under complex and often highly fraught conditions.

The EU is a historic project that began in the early 1950s and now encompasses around 450 million citi­zens across 27 member states. Germany’s European policy has established itself as a driving force at every stage of European unification, playing an active role in shaping European integration. The foundation of Germany’s European policy is its awareness of the historical significance of the European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › as a peace project. The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

Along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Germany was one of the six founder members of the EU which concluded the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957. The signing of this treaty is regarded as the moment the European Union was born. Officially, at that point the Treaty established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

European integration European integration European integration is one of the central concerns of German foreign policy. Germany’s participation in a united Europe is also enshrined in the Basic Law. The European Union currently has 27 member states; on 31 January 2020, the UK became the first country to leave the EU. Several countries wish… Read more › has created the world’s largest common market. It is unique thanks to the four fundamental freedoms stated in the Treaties of Rome: the free movement of goods within EU member states, the free movement of persons, the freedom to provide services within the EU and the free flow of capital. The scale and economic output of the European common market make the EU a key player in the global economy. The European internal market is of vital importance to Germany’s economy, as European countries are some of Germany’s most important trading partners.

As the EU’s strongest economy, Germany bears a particular responsibility, particularly during periods of economic and social transition. This was evident during the Global Financial Crisis. Euro Euro The euro is the currency of the European Monetary Union and after the US dollar the second most important member of the international currency system. Together with the nation­al central banks, the European Central Bank (ECB), head­quartered in Frankfurt/Main, is responsible for monetary policy… Read more › member states set up the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) as an emergency fund. EU states also showed solidarity during the Covid-19 pandemic, agreeing on a reconstruction package worth billions of euros. The “NextGenerationEU” plan was based on a Franco-German initiative.

Germany is supporting the integration of more members into the EU. The Union has been expanded many times in recent decades. The eastern enlargement of the EU in 2004 was especially important to Germany, as it marked the end of European division. At that time, ten Eastern and Central European countries joined - the biggest expansion in the history of the EU. When the UK left at the end of January 2020, this was the first time a member state had exited the EU. Despite this, Germany is prioritising close relations with the UK and sees itself as bearing a particular responsibility for shaping the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

The Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › is committed to further states joining the EU. For example, Germany is supporting the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans. In June 2024, EU accession negotiations commenced with Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and its neighbour Moldova. Germany is one of the leading advocates of the two countries joining the EU.

Germany works closely with its European partners across all policy areas. One of the EU’s core tasks is to find shared responses to the climate crises. In late 2019, the European Commission European Commission The European Commission is head­quartered in Brussels and is a politically independent supra-national body that represents and safeguards the interests of the entire EU. The EU Commission has the right to table proposals (right of initiative) for all common legal acts; as “guardian of the treaties”… Read more › presented its “European Green Deal”. The aim is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Germany is committed to actively promoting efforts to achieve this goal and become climate neutral itself as early as 2045.

The Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › is also promoting the development of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The Policy encompasses roles ranging from crisis prevention to conflict management and post-conflict stabilisation. During its tenure of the EU Council presidency, Germany initiated what is known as the “Strategic Compass” in 2020. It is aimed at setting a clear course for common policies. The European Peace Facility was set up in 2020 during Germany’s Council presidency, aimed among other things at covering the shared costs of CSDP operations. Since February 2022 this has played an important role in supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s illegal war of aggression.