ABSTRACT

The development of the EC was a response to the upheaval caused by World War II (1939-45) and sought to bring countries together for peace and security in Europe. Six European nations came together – Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany and Italy – to establish this new collaborative framework. The aims of the nations at this stage were to identify common industrial interests and maintain controls over the production of resources that could be put to military use. The first steps of this process were

demonstrated in the formation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the creation of Euratom to develop a Europe-wide policy for nuclear energy, and the origins of a European Economic Community (EEC), as created by the Treaty of Rome 1957 (the EC Treaty).