European Union - 50 years ago

The start of Integration

The day we celebrated last month is the day fifty years ago 'the Six', the countries mentioned above, signed the 'Treaty establishing the European Economic Community' in Rome. It is not, however, the first move the countries made to integration. It had everything to do with World War II and they outcome would probably have been different if the post war world had not been dominated by two opposing blocks, the United States and the Soviet Union


By CELINE TE BRAAKE
from Groningen, the NETHERLANDS


His majesty the king of the Belgians, the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, the president of the French Republic, the president of the Italian Republic, her royal highness the grand duchess of Luxembourg, her majesty the queen of the Netherlands. This mouthful is the body that represented the six nations that lay the ground for the European Union as we know it today. On March 25th this Union had its fiftieth birthday. It is a good time to look back on how it was established.

The day we celebrated last month is the day fifty years ago 'the Six', the countries mentioned above, signed the 'Treaty establishing the European Economic Community' in Rome. It is not, however, the first move the countries made to integration. It had everything to do with World War II and they outcome would probably have been different if the post war world had not been dominated by two opposing blocks, the United States and the Soviet Union.

At first the recovery of Europe after the war seemed quite promising, until 1947. The worst harvest in decades threatened to undo the progress. With considerable American help Western Europe started its first economical cooperation in the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC). This organization was brought to life to coordinate the European Recovery Program, or the Marshall Plan.

We all know that this plan was an American initiative to get Europe back on its track. Of course the Americans also had their own agenda; it all was meant to prevent Western Europe to fall into the claws of communism. As the Americans were getting their troops out of Europe, the Soviet Union tried to consolidate its influence the Soviet satellite states, and the Americans even feared an expansion. Economic aid was supposed to prevent this from happening. Initially the help was also offered to the Eastern European states and even to the Soviet Union, but to no surprise this help was rejected as 'American imperialism'.

For the parties who did participate, it worked. The US had to deal with more competition on the world market, but had also created a new market for their export products, thus expanding their incomes. The benefit for the Europeans is clear: the financial help gave the economy a boost. The infrastructure was improved and internal tariffs were reduced.

The Marshal Plan involved most Western European countries. They saw themselves stuck between the two superpowers in a less then admirable position. Most countries opposed the communistic system as enforced in the Soviet Union, but did not want to be America's puppets on strings. Individually most countries could not really do anything against this position. The sense arose that a more united Europe could provide more security. This common purpose brought delegates from 16 countries together in The Hague in 1948, at the Congress of Europe.

From this Congress the Council of Europe was set up, officially signed in London 1949. Ten countries agreed to increase the cooperation in areas like economic, social and cultural matters. Defense was left out. For European federalists, supporters of more European integration, this move was not far enough. The Council's powers were limited, because some countries, most of all Great Britain, refused to give up sovereignty to a supranational authority. The Council of Europe grew over the years, but never had an important role in European politics.

Other countries wished to increase cooperation. Three small countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, created a free trade zone, the Benelux. In France Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman felt Germany should be able to create a new economical base, just as the countries invaded in the war. To prevent the Germans would suffer like after World War I, but also to protect the rest of Europe from any possible German aggression, the development of Germany should happen under the control of a supranational power. This organization would see to it that Germany would only produce constructive goods, which means no weapons.

Other partners were found in the countries of the Benelux, all three highly dependent on imports and all three invaded by Germany before. They had ears for the French-German plan, and Italy wanted to join as well. The first move the six made was the foundation of the European Coal and Steal Community. Coal and steal were the motors of the economy in those times, and therefore a good place to start. The goal was to create a single market for coal and steal. This goal was not achieved, but it did have great influence.

The ECSC was allowed to reduce tariffs and lift subsidies, creating a more open market. It was most of all a huge psychological step. Not ever before had a European country let go of some of its sovereign powers. Therefore one could argue that this was the actual start of the European integration.

However, a few years after the foundation of the ECSC, the European Economical Community (EEC) was established by the same six countries. This was a more general form of integration, not just focused on coal and steal. Its goal was to achieve economical and political integration. They strived for the abolishment of internal tariffs and a common external one, tuning their economical and political policies and free traffic of capital and labor.

Over the years more and more other countries joined the EEC. It eventually became just the European Community (EC). The functions of the EC will be transferred to the EU, as for now, the EC is only part of the EU, together with Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community, the organization stimulating peaceful use of nuclear energy). Basically it means that the EC is the predecessor of the EU, with all its 27 member states and more waiting at the door.

Whether we pinpoint the actual 'birth' of the European Union in 1957, 1952, or a completely different time, what matters is that now the road is cleared for a constitution and a broader support for the Union is created.