THE FOUNDING OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, 1957 Term paper

The European Economic Community (EEC), the largest free trade zone in the world, traces its beginnings to the late 1940s. In 1947 Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Léon Blum (France), Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium), and Alcide de Gasperi (Italy) met and proposed both a European economic union and the formation of a European parliament. That same year, the American-funded Marshall Plan (European Recovery Act) insisted that an Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) be established to oversee the rebuilding of Europe. Quickly regional European free trade zones were established. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg formed the Benelux Economic Union (1948). This was followed by the Franco-Italian Customs Union (1950) and the Scandinavian Customs Union (1950).

In 1950 Robert Schuman, the French foreign minister, announced plans for a coal and steel community which would include France, West Germany, the Benelux countries, and eventually Italy. In 1951 the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) came into being, and Jean Monnet, a French economic planner, was named its president. Under Monnet’s leadership the ECSC promoted a climate of economic integration by coordinating agricultural policies, regulating investments, and sponsoring greater economic cooperation throughout Europe. On 25 March 1957, the six members of the ECSC signed the Treaty of Rome, which committed all members to create a common trade zone, the European Economic Community (EEC), better known as the Common Market, which would be free of all tariffs within twelve years. In 1967 the EEC became known as the European Community (EC) when previously separate agencies joined the EEC. In 1973 Great Britain, Ireland, and Denmark joined the European Economic Community. Greece joined in 1981, Portugal and Spain became members in 1986, and the former East Germany was included in 1990 (by virtue of unification with West Germany). Since 1993 the EC has been known as the European Union (EU). Austria, Finland, and Sweden became members in 1995. The EU, a free trade zone inhabited by more than 300 million people, has overcome many obstacles in harmonizing tariffs, transportation, travel, and immigration policies among its member nations. It has also worked toward greater European political cooperation, particularly through the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, and fiscal cooperation with the launching in 1999 of the European single currency, the euro.
Suggestions for Term Papers
1. Investigate the ideas of Jean Monnet and write a paper analyzing his influence in the shaping of the European Economic Community.
2. As a group research project, have each student pick a member country of the European Union and present a report on that country’s involvement with the EU during the period of its membership.
3. Organize a debate on the following topic: Does the success of the EU mean the end of the individual sovereign state in Europe?
4. The EU has pledged to underwrite the rebuilding of the former Yugoslavia. Evaluate its success to date in fulfilling this pledge.
5. Although western European countries constitute the majority of the EU, there is interest in having eastern European countries join as well. What would be the impact if Russia joined?
6. Despite the fact that 300 million Europeans live and trade in the EU, Europeans are reluctant to assume full responsibility for defense, and expect the United States to shoulder most of that burden. Draft a policy statement recommending the U.S. position on this matter in the future.

Research Suggestions

In addition to the boldfaced items, look under the entries for “The Japanese Economic Miracle in the 1950s” (#47), “Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Suez Crisis, 1956” (#52), and “The Hungarian Revolution, 1956” (#53). Search under free trade, GATT, and NAFTA.

SUGGESTED SOURCES

Primary Sources

Bliss, Howard, comp. The Political Development of the European Community: A Documentary Collection. Waltham, Mass.: Blaisdell, 1969. The best collection of English language documents available for the important first decade.

Monnet, Jean. Memoirs. Translated by Richard Mayne. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1978. The memoirs underscore Monnet’s singular importance in launching the Common Market.

Schuman, Robert. French Policy Towards Germany Since the War. Translated by Kathleen Parnell. London: Oxford University Press, 1954. A good insight into why France and Germany worked so well in the EEC.

Secondary Sources

Brinkley, Douglas, and Clifford P. Hackett. Jean Monnet: The Path to European Unity. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991. A clear exposition of Monnet’s role in nurturing the dream of European unity.

Cameron, Rondo. A Concise Economic History of the World: From Paleolithic Times to the Present. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Places the EU in a global context.

Duchêne, François. Jean Monnet: The First Statesman of Interdependence. New York: W. W. Norton, 1994. A good biographical introduction to Monnet.

Duina, Francesco G. Harmonizing Europe: Nation States Within The Common Market. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1999. A crisp introduction to law, ecology, and labor in the EU.

Harrison, D. M. The Organization of Europe: Developing a Continental Market Order. New York: Routledge, 1995. A clear explanation of the EU’s organization.

Landes, David S. The Unbound Prometheus: Technological Change and Industrial Development in Western Europe from 1750 to the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1969. Chapter 7 gives a good summary of the founding of the EEC.

Urwin, Derek W. The Community of Europe: A History of European Integration since 1945. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 1995. An excellent introduction.

Vaubel, Roland. The Centralisation of Western Europe: The Common Market, Political Integration, and Democracy. London: Institute of Economic Affairs, 1995. A good overview of how the EU works.

Wells, Sherrill B. Jean Monnet: Visionary and Architect of European Union: A Brief Biography and Documents. Boston: Bedford Books, forthcoming. The most up-to-date treatment; also contains key documents on the EEC.