ABSTRACT
Introduction The European Union (EU) now comprises 28 Member States with a population of over 500 million people. As will be seen below, the original three Communities arose from the desire to put the raw materials of war beyond the control of the nation state once and for all and to unite previously warring nations within a community which would foster not only peace and security but also economic growth and raised standards of living for all its peoples. The European Union – of which the European Community was the largest and most developed part – is based on the rule of law, the protection of individual human rights and a common European Union citizenship. For over half a century, the European project has fostered political and economic integration, while retaining respect for the individuality and identity of its Member States. Economically nowadays the Union represents a major trading power – a position which could not be achieved by any of the Member States acting alone. A common currency – the euro – was introduced in 1999. The ambitions of the Union have extended far beyond the original objectives of a common market for goods and services and now include common foreign and security policy and extensive co-operation between the police and authorities of the Member States. Citizens of all Member States have EU citizenship. Freedom of movement and rights of establishment are a central feature of the European Union. The elimination of border controls between Member States further extends the freedom of movement for persons within the territorial boundaries of the European Union. 1 In addition to rights of residence, every citizen of the Union has the right to stand as a candidate and to vote in municipal elections in the Member State in which he or she resides, and to stand as a candidate and vote in elections for the European Parliament. Union citizens are entitled to protection from the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State. Citizens of the EU have the right to petition the European Parliament, and have the right also to apply to the European Union Ombudsman. 2
To understand the origins of the Union, it is necessary to look back to 1945 and a Europe that had been devastated by war: economically, politically and socially. In the desire to attain some form of harmony in order to guarantee peace and to rebuild Europe, the movement towards the integration of European countries was started. The movement took several forms. In 1948, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was established with fi nancial aid from the United States of America in order to restructure the European economies. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was formed as a military alliance between the United States, Canada and Europe. In 1950, under the leadership of the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, a plan was devised whereby the raw materials of war – coal and steel – would be placed under the control of a supra-national organisation and, thus, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was established under the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1951. The original Member States were Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Initiatives were being introduced to provide supra-national regulation of the non-military use of atomic energy. At the same time, the move towards greater economic co-operation and the creation of a European trading area was under way. The results of these developments took the form of the Treaties of Rome signed in 1957, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
