Trace the process of Integration of Western Europe. Discuss the formation and evolution of the European Economic Community (EEC).

The Integration of Western Europe after 1945 was a revolutionary attempt to end centuries of conflict, particularly between France and Germany. Driven by the need for economic recovery and the desire to create a third bloc in the Cold War, European leaders moved from national competition to supranational cooperation. This process culminated in the formation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the direct predecessor to the modern European Union.

1. Early Steps: From Coal to Common Market

The integration process began with specific industrial sectors rather than broad political unions:

  • The Schuman Declaration (1950): French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed placing French and German coal and steel production under a single authority.
  • ECSC (1951): The European Coal and Steel Community was formed by the "Six" (France, West Germany, Italy, and the Benelux nations). It aimed to make war "materially impossible" by controlling the resources needed for weapons.

2. Formation of the EEC (1957)

Following the success of the ECSC, the Treaties of Rome were signed in 1957, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC):

  • The Common Market: The primary goal was to create a customs union. It aimed for the "four freedoms": the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor.
  • Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): This was established to ensure food security and support the farming community, which was a vital political base in France.
  • Institutional Structure: The EEC created a Commission, a Council of Ministers, and a European Parliament, laying the groundwork for shared governance.

3. Evolution and Expansion

The EEC evolved through various stages of deepening and widening:

  • Economic Boom: During the 1960s, member states experienced rapid growth as internal tariffs were eliminated, making the EEC a global economic powerhouse.
  • Enlargement: Despite early resistance from France's Charles de Gaulle, the EEC expanded in 1973 to include Britain, Ireland, and Denmark.
  • Political Deepening: The 1986 Single European Act moved the community closer to a truly unified market by removing non-tariff barriers, leading eventually to the Maastricht Treaty (1992) which created the EU.

4. Factors Driving Integration

  • Security: The Cold War necessitated a strong, united Western Europe against the Soviet threat.
  • Marshall Plan: US aid was conditional on European cooperation, forcing nations to work together.
  • Economic Scale: Individual European nations were too small to compete with the USA and USSR; a unified market offered economies of scale.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the European Economic Community (EEC) was a masterpiece of functionalism—the idea that economic integration would eventually lead to political peace. By tying the economic fates of former enemies together, Western Europe achieved an unprecedented era of stability and prosperity. The evolution of the EEC proved that supranationalism could successfully replace aggressive nationalism as the guiding principle of European politics.