ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the history of the European Community (EC) from a political and institutional perspective. The objective is not simply to describe the main events and institutions in the development of the EC but to locate them within the context of a continuous struggle over competing concepts of "European unity." The European Commission is the supranational element of the Community. Its membership consists of civil servants headed by a College of Commissioners, appointed by the national governments for a four year period. The Council of Ministers is the intergovernmental element of the Community. It does not have a permanent membership but consists of the ministers from the different member-states for the specific policy area under consideration. The executive — the European Commission — is not accountable to the legislature, but consists of members appointed by, and accountable to, the national governments.
