Link to the lesson

The term “integration” is derived from the Latin word “integrare”, which means “to mergeto mergeto merge”. Integration can take place between people, social groups, national minorities or states. After the second world war a number of organizations that integrate states in political, military and economic terms were created in Europe. The Western European states were first and foremostfirst and foremostfirst and foremost integrated within the European communities and – together with the United States and Canada – within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The European communities played the most important role in the process of economic integration of the Western European states.

Founding fathers

It is difficult to imagine the creation of European communities without the involvementinvolvementinvolvement of people who, with determination and perseveranceperseveranceperseverance, sought to build integration structures. People who contributed to the construction of a peaceful, united Europe after the second world war, are referred toto be referred toreferred to as the founding fathers of a united Europe. These were, among others:

• Robert Schuman, French Minister of Foreign Affairs,

• Jean Monnet, French politician and economist,

• Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,

• Alcide De Gasperi, Prime Minister and MInister of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

European communities

The communities established in the 1950s – ECSC, EEC and Euratom – were the first ever international organizations of a supranational nature. The supranationality manifestedto manifestmanifested itself above all in the possibility of creating legislation directly applicabledirectly applicabledirectly applicable in the member states.

Initially, the communities had six members. The economic benefits in the countries participating in the integration process have made other states interested in membership.

Currently, the European Union brings together 28 countries, and more states declare their willingness to join this organization. The official candidates for membership are Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, Serbia and Turkey.

From European Communities to the European Union

The successful process of economic integration within the communities has led to attemptsattemptattempts to deepen political integration. As a result, on February 7, 1992, the Treaty on European Union was signed, called the Maastricht Treaty (from the name of the city in the Netherlands, where it was signed), which came into forceto come into forcecame into force on November 1, 1993.

The European Union was created on the basis of the Maastricht Treaty. It is worth noting that the European Union did not replace existing communities: ECSC, EEC, Euratom. It served as a way to deepen the integration process by including new issues, such as common foreign and security policy and judicial and police cooperation. The Treaty of Maastricht also changed the name of the European Economic Community to the European Community.

The Treaty of Maastricht established European citizenship, which complementsto complementcomplements national citizenship. Every citizen of a member state is also a citizen of the European Union.

The rules of functioning of the European Union

The member states of the European Union signed the Treaty of Lisbon on December 13, 2007, which came into force on December 1, 2009. On this basis, the competence of the European Community was taken over by the European Union, which became a single international organization and received legal personalitylegal personalitylegal personality.

The principle of subsidiarity

This principle means that the EU is only entitled toto be entitled toentitled to take action if the objectives cannot be achieved by the member states alone (central or local authorities). The European Union should not seek to replace member states, but complement their efforts to solve problems effectively. All measures and actions taken by the Union and the member states should be as close to the citizen as possible.

The principle of solidarity

This principle means that the member states of the European Union act jointlyjointlyjointly to implementto implementimplement the tasks enshrinedenshrinedenshrined in the treaties. It results in the obligation for member states to take measures to implement the EU law. States should refrainto refrainrefrain from actions that would hinderto hinderhinder or jeopardizeto jeopardizejeopardize the Union's objectives. They should respect the interests of other member states.

The process of building European communities began in the 1950s. Over the next decades, not only the integration structures, but also the membership composition were changing. As a consequence, the European Union was created, which is not a state but has introduced its citizenship. There is no other international organization with such a wide legislative competence.

Keywords

Schuman Declaration, integration, founding fathers, European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Economic Community (EEC), customs union, common market, common policies, European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), supranationality, subsidiarity, solidarity, enlargement, deepening of the integration, the Treaty of Paris/Rome, the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty), European citizenship

Glossary