DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Origins and Development of European Integration

Origins and Development of European Integration

Introduction

European integration is the concept of the many countries of Europe working together more closely with the intention of creating common guidelines to trade, business and other matters. European integration if successful has many potential benefits and should conceivably strengthen alliances, build on the economy, and allow Europe to compete more equally with Asia and America. European integration is an continuing process with many countries still joining the EU.

Discussion

European Integration had played a central role in reinforcing the national foundations of postwar European politics helped launch a revolution in the historical study of the European Community. But he very much feared that his work and that of other historians would have a corrosive effect on theory that is, on the project of developing a coherent account of the origins, development, and staying power of integration as a guiding principle of European political life. “History has conquered theory, but it has done so in an entirely negative way,” he warned, and risked leaving an intellectual vacuum in its wake. The idea of this is that Europe is ruled by one god and is more superior to other continents indicating that belong to a European club for example the EU can be considered insular and even racist. The idea of common similarities strengthens European integration rather than rescue the European Nation state. Erasmus once wrote that Europa Christina is a sort of Christian republic and is ruled through law, civility and rightness.

Milward (2004) has argued that changing the political structures in Europe has been designed as to try and speed up European integration rather than strengthen the European nation state. “… real changes in political structures, whose proclaimed purpose has been to bring unity nearer”. (millward, 2004, pg1). Since the setting up of the European steel and coal organisation under the Treaty of Rome 1951, the idea behind it was to try gain some sort of political unity in Europe with the idea of weakening the European nation state namely Germany, because they posed such a threat to European security. Although in the early stages of the coal and steel pact Geo-politics was on the rise along with the Iron curtain.

During the 1950's and 1960's the European integration process further undermined the strength of the nation state. “The 1950s & 1960s turned out to be decades of growth… it was easier for nations to think in terms of European community and to push for integration process forward instead of concentrating on national matters only” (Schmidt, 2005, pg 3). An example of an increasing integration process is the setting up of the European Economic Community (EEC). The idea of this was to set a common agricultural policy (CAP), to establish a customs union and the abolition of trade tariffs and to enlarge the EEC into the rest of Europe. This step was a significant step in further undermining the Nation state as what were nationally held powers ...