Timelines

The aim of the then EC members (European Community) was to reform the internal structures in such a way that the Community could guarantee its ability to act with regard to its future enlargement and function as the center of the European unification process. The Maastricht decisions are characterized by a three-pillar structure that defines the European Union's scope of action: Pillar I: Community policy (European Commission, European Parliament, etc.); Pillar II: Common foreign and security policy; Pillar III: Cooperation in the fields of education and justice. Joint cooperation on asylum and migration policy was also on the agenda of the Maastricht Treaty and was negotiated within the framework of home affairs and justice policy. In addition to immigration issues, the EU also deals with issues relating to border security, combating drug trafficking and crime, cooperation in criminal and civil matters, customs, and police matters. As in the Schengen Agreement, asylum and immigration policy was negotiated on a par with crime prevention and police cooperation.