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Ajouter un commentaireThe conditions that led to the forming of the European Union, as we know it today, are extensive and complex. Nevertheless, three main reasons can be identified as to what led the founding fathers (and mothers) of the EU to tread this path. These are peace and security, creation and increase of prosperity, as well as the operation of a common policy.
A Project of Peace
The impetus for the groundbreaking for the EU was the horrible experience of the two World Wars, substantially determined by centuries-long hostility between France and Germany. With the ensuing economic merger a sign was affixed : the consolidation of the coal and steel industries laid an important foundation that none of the participating countries, without the knowledge and agreement of the others, could arm themselves anew. 
After all, coal and steel are main ingredients for the armaments’ sector. Through collaboration and mutual control, another war between France and Germany should be “not only unthinkable, but also materially impossible”, according to Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister at the time. The merger was made contractual through the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was founded in 1951 and, as it had a fifty-year fixed-term, expired in 2001. The ECSC’s relative, crucial goals were nevertheless reached by this point in time. Founding members of the ECSC were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. From 1990 on, the European process of unity contributed significantly to overcoming the splitting of Europe as a result of the Cold War. Consequently, ten central and eastern European nations were introduced to the EU and eventually joined in 2004 and 2007. In the future, the process of European unity could also lead to the peace and stabilization of the western Balkans. Great challenges exist, such as the secession of Kosovo from Serbia as well as the EU-membership of Croatia planned for 2011.
The Economy as an Engine for Integration
The Treaties of Rome, signed in 1957, founded the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community still in place today. A European common market with the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital was the aspiration. 
Through this interlocking of the European economies, should – and shall – the standard of living in all of Europe be increased and the stability of the region be reconstructed. In this context, the introduction of the Euro as the common currency and the opening of the borders within the EU, as arranged through the two Schengen Agreements, which enabled trouble-free travel between many EU countries, were major milestones later on. The European single market was completed by the time of the Maastricht Treaty (1993), which aimed at a more political union with the founding of the European Union. It paved the way for a common foreign and domestic policy. So far, the economy was often a fore-runner for unity in the EU. Economic interests are the reason that cross-border collaboration and harmonization often automatically followed. They pulled political developments and a legal framework for economic activities with them. Political cooperation is, however, often difficult to enforce and national interests often played an important role in the integration process.
Global Politics with a Different Approach
Europe also wants to be an antithesis to other world powers, not least in order to secure the balance of the global-political distribution of power and to show, with Europe’s own policies, how to avoid global conflicts in different ways. Europe represents the values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the respect of human rights. That EU nations do not yet speak with one voice in foreign policy – the most recent example being the recognition of Kosovo – may be regarded as both a deficiency and a challenge. A few steps in that direction have been undertaken, as, for example, the rules for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in the EU Treaty of 1993. But reaching the wished-for goal of realising a common European foreign policy is still a distant prospect, which will require a lot of work and also concessions by the member states.
Conclusion
The laying of the foundation for the modern EU during the 1950’s resulted in the securing of peace, the preservation and advancement of prosperity after the war, as well as the creation of a common political system. These reasons are certainly even today understandable and the goals desirable. Thus, the project EU deserves continual support, even if a few political challenges endure.
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Europa erklärt (1/7) : Warum und wozu überhaupt Europa ?
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