Editing European Economic Community (section)

==History==
{{Further|History of the European Union}}

===Background===
In April 1951, the [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]] was signed, creating the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC). This was an international community based on [[Supranational union|supranationalism]] and international law, designed to help the [[Economy of the European Union|economy of Europe]] and prevent future war by [[European integration|integrating]] its [[Member state of the European Union|members]].

With the aim of creating a [[European Federation|federal Europe]] two further communities were proposed: a [[Treaty establishing the European Defence Community|European Defence Community]] and a [[European Political Community (1952)|European Political Community]]. While the treaty for the latter was being drawn up by the [[European Parliament|Common Assembly]], the ECSC parliamentary chamber, the proposed defence community was rejected by the [[French Parliament]]. ECSC President [[Jean Monnet]], a leading figure behind the communities, resigned from the High Authority in protest and began work on alternative communities, based on economic integration rather than political integration.<ref>Raymond F. Mikesell, ''The Lessons of Benelux and the European Coal and Steel Community for the European Economic Community'', The American Economic Review, Vol. 48, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Seventieth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association (May 1958), pp. 428–441</ref> Following the [[Messina Conference]] in 1955, [[Paul-Henri Spaak]] was given the task to prepare a report on the idea of a [[customs union]]. The so-called [[Spaak Report]] of the [[Spaak Committee]] formed the cornerstone of the intergovernmental negotiations at Val Duchesse conference centre in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aei.pitt.edu/995/|title=Spaak report|year=1956}}</ref> Together with the [[Ohlin Report]] the Spaak Report would provide the basis for the [[Treaty of Rome]].

In 1956, [[Paul-Henri Spaak]] led the [[Intergovernmental Conference on the Common Market and Euratom]] at the [[Château of Val-Duchesse|Val Duchesse]] conference centre, which prepared for the [[Treaty of Rome]] in 1957. The conference led to the signature, on 25 March 1957, of the [[Treaty of Rome]] establishing a European Economic Community.

===Creation and early years===
The resulting communities were the European Economic Community (EEC) and the [[Euratom|European Atomic Energy Community]] (EURATOM or sometimes EAEC). These were markedly less supranational than the previous communities,{{citation needed|date=December 2012}} due to protests from some countries that their [[sovereignty]] was being infringed (however there would still be concerns with the behaviour of the [[Hallstein Commission]]). Germany became a founding member of the EEC, and Konrad Adenauer was made leader in a very short time. The first formal meeting of the [[Hallstein Commission]] was held on 16 January 1958 at the [[Château of Val-Duchesse|Château de Val-Duchesse]]. The EEC (direct ancestor of the modern Community) was to create a [[customs union]] while Euratom would promote co-operation in the [[nuclear power]] sphere. The EEC rapidly became the most important of these and expanded its activities. The first move towards political developments came at the end of 1959 when the foreign ministers of the six members announced that would be meeting quarterly to discuss political issues and international problems.<ref>European Parliament Political Committee 'Towards Political Union', General Directorate Parliamentary Documentation and Information, January 1964, p. 5.</ref> One of the first important accomplishments of the EEC was the establishment (1962) of common price levels for agricultural products. In 1968, internal tariffs (tariffs on trade between member nations) were removed on certain products.

[[File:De Gaulle-OWI.jpg|thumb|[[French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]] vetoed British membership, held back the development of Parliament's powers and was at the centre of the 'empty chair crisis' of 1965.]]
Another crisis was triggered in regard to proposals for the financing of the [[Common Agricultural Policy]], which came into force in 1962. The transitional period whereby decisions were made by unanimity had come to an end, and majority-voting in the council had taken effect. Then-[[President of France|French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]]'s opposition to supranationalism and fear of the other members challenging the CAP led to an "empty chair policy" whereby French representatives were withdrawn from the European institutions until the French veto was reinstated. Eventually, a compromise was reached with the [[Luxembourg compromise]] on 29 January 1966 whereby a [[gentlemen's agreement]] permitted members to use a veto on areas of national interest.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Horsley|first=William|date=19 March 2007|title=Fifty years of fraternal rivalry|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6453889.stm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820132441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6453889.stm|archive-date=20 August 2023|website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_empty_chair_policy-en-f6d19361-9a7a-4e39-ae93-0f898e652d85.html|title=The 'empty chair' policy|date=7 August 2016|website=CVCE Website|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101015242/https://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_empty_chair_policy-en-f6d19361-9a7a-4e39-ae93-0f898e652d85.html|archive-date=1 November 2022}}</ref>

On 1 July 1967, when the [[Merger Treaty]] came into operation, combining the institutions of the ECSC and Euratom into that of the EEC, they already shared a [[European Parliament|Parliamentary Assembly]] and [[European Court of Justice|Courts]]. Collectively they were known as the ''[[European Communities]]''. The Communities still had independent personalities although were increasingly integrated. Future treaties granted the community new powers beyond simple economic matters which had achieved a high level of integration. As it got closer to the goal of political integration and a peaceful and united Europe, what [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] described as a ''[[Common European Home]]''.

===Enlargement and elections===
The 1960s saw the first attempts at [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]]. In 1961, [[Denmark]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Norway]] (in 1962), applied to join the three Communities. However, President Charles de Gaulle saw British membership as a [[Trojan Horse]] for U.S. influence and vetoed membership,<ref>{{cite web|title=General de Gaulle's first veto|url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/02bb76df-d066-4c08-a58a-d4686a3e68ff/e491121c-8e37-473f-afe6-ff52e349c1aa|website=CVCE|publisher=University of Luxemburg|access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> and the applications of all four countries were suspended.<ref>{{cite web|title=General de Gaulle's first veto|url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/02bb76df-d066-4c08-a58a-d4686a3e68ff/e491121c-8e37-473f-afe6-ff52e349c1aa/Resources|website=CVCE|publisher=University of Luxemburg|access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref>  [[Greece]] became the first country to join the EC in 1961 as an associate member, however its membership was suspended in 1967 after a coup d'état established a military dictatorship called the [[Greek junta|Regime of the Colonels]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Deschamps|first1=Etienne|last2=Lekl|first2=Christian|title=The accession of Greece|url=https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/1999/1/1/61a2a7a5-39a9-4b06-91f8-69ae77b41515/publishable_en.pdf|website=CVCE|publisher=University of Luxemburg|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

A year later, in February 1962, [[Spain]] attempted to join the European Community. However, because [[Francoist Spain]] was not a democracy, all members rejected the request in 1964.

The four countries resubmitted their applications on 11 May 1967 and with [[Georges Pompidou]] succeeding Charles de Gaulle as French president in 1969, the veto was lifted. Negotiations began in 1970 under the pro-European UK government of [[Edward Heath]], who had to deal with disagreements relating to the [[Common Agricultural Policy]] and the UK's relationship with the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. Nevertheless, two years later the accession treaties were signed so that Denmark, Ireland and the UK [[Enlargement of the European Union#First enlargement|joined the Community]] effective 1 January 1973. The Norwegian people had [[Norway–European Union relations|rejected membership]] in a [[1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum|referendum on 25 September 1972]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/28/newsid_4208000/4208314.stm|title=1994: Norway votes 'no' to Europe|date=28 November 1994|work=BBC News}}</ref>

The [[Treaty of Rome|Treaties of Rome]] had stated that the [[European Parliament]] must be directly elected, however this required the [[Council of the European Union|Council]] to agree on a common voting system first. The Council procrastinated on the issue and the Parliament remained appointed,<ref name="Hoskyns">{{Cite book|last=Hoskyns|first=Catherine|author2=Michael Newman|title=Democratizing the European Union: Issues for the twenty-first Century (Perspectives on Democratization)|publisher=[[Manchester University Press]]|year=2000|isbn=978-0-7190-5666-6}}</ref> French President Charles de Gaulle was particularly active in blocking the development of the Parliament, with it only being granted [[Budgetary treaties of the European Communities|Budgetary powers]] following his resignation.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Murphy|first1=Craig N.|title=The Oxford Companion to Comparative Politics|date=2013|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-973859-5|page=372|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-dMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA372|language=en|quote=De Gaulle's resignation in 1969 brought new energy. The European Parliament gained budgetary powers ...}}</ref>

Parliament pressured for agreement and on 20 September 1976 the Council agreed part of the necessary instruments for election, deferring details on electoral systems which remain varied to this day.<ref name="Hoskyns"/> During the tenure of [[Roy Jenkins|President Jenkins]], in June 1979, the elections were held in all the then-members (see [[1979 European Parliament election]]).<ref name="Veil election">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/background_page/008-1806-015-01-03-901-20070109BKG01804-15-01-2007-2007-false/default_p001c006_en.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219023023/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/background_page/008-1806-015-01-03-901-20070109BKG01804-15-01-2007-2007-false/default_p001c006_en.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 February 2014|title=Press releases|website=European Parliament}}</ref> The new Parliament, galvanised by direct election and new powers, started working full-time and became more active than the previous assemblies.<ref name="Hoskyns"/>

Shortly after its election, the Parliament proposed that the Community adopt the [[flag of Europe]] design used by the [[Council of Europe]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=European Flag|url=https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/symbols/european-flag_en|website=European Union|access-date=17 June 2022|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A6-2008-0347&language=EN&mode=XML|title=Report on the Insertion of a new Rule 202a on the use by Parliament of the symbols of the Union (2007/2240(REG))- Explanatory Statement|website=European Parliament}}</ref> The European Council in 1984 appointed an ''ad hoc'' committee for this purpose.<ref>[https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/resources/historicaldocument.faces/en/4659/html.bookmark Regarding The "Adonnino Report" - Report to the European Council by the ad hoc committee "On a People's Europe", A 10.04 COM 85, SN/2536/3/85]. 
Under the header of "strengthening of the Community's image and identity", the Committee
suggested the introduction of "a flag and an emblem", recommending a design based on the Council of Europe flag, but with the addition of "a gold letter E" in the center of the circle of stars:
"bearing in mind the independence and the different nature of the two organizations, the Committee proposes to the European Council that the European Community emblem and flag should be a blue rectangle with, in the center, a circle of twelve five-pointed gold stars which do not touch, surrounding a gold letter E, of the design already used by the Commission." Adonnino Report, p. 31.</ref> The European Council in 1985 largely followed the committee's recommendations, but as the adoption of a flag was strongly reminiscent of a [[national flag]] representing [[State (polity)|statehood]], was controversial, the "flag of Europe" design was adopted only with the status of a "logo" or "emblem".<ref name="emblem">{{cite book|last1=Theiler|first1=Tobias|title=Political Symbolism and European Integration|date=2005|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=9780719069949|pages=61–65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMiqfaCXr50C&pg=PA61|language=en|quote=The compromise was widely disregarded from the beginning, and the "European logo" in spite of the explicit avoidance of giving it the status of a "flag" was referred to as "Community flag" or even "European flag" from the outset.}}</ref>

The European Council, or European summit, had developed since the 1960s as an informal meeting of the Council at the level of heads of state. It had originated from then-[[President of France|French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]]'s resentment at the domination of supranational institutions (e.g. the commission) over the integration process. It was mentioned in the treaties for the first time in the [[Single European Act]] (see below).<ref name="Dragoman">{{Cite web|last=Stark|first=Christine|title=Evolution of the European Council: The implications of a permanent seat|publisher=Dragoman.org|url=http://www.dragoman.org/ec/belfast-2002.pdf|access-date=12 July 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709220601/http://www.dragoman.org/ec/belfast-2002.pdf|archive-date=9 July 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Enlargement of the European Union 77.gif|thumb|Enlargement, 1957 to 2013<br />{{legend|#003399|Community enlargement}}{{legend|#225522|Since 1995}}]]

===Toward Maastricht===
[[Greece]] re-applied to join the community on 12 June 1975, following the restoration of democracy, and joined on 1 January 1981.<ref name="accgr">{{cite web|first1=Etienne|last1=Deschamps|first2=Christian|last2=Lekl|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_accession_of_greece-en-61a2a7a5-39a9-4b06-91f8-69ae77b41515.html|title=The accession of Greece|publisher=Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe, Universite de Luxembourg|date=2016}}</ref> Following on from Greece, and after their own democratic restoration, [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]] applied to the communities in 1977 and joined on 1 January 1986.<ref>[http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_accession_of_spain_and_portugal-en-b1dd040b-7463-4e67-88f2-4890f5b8fac6.html The Accession Treaties with Spain and Portugal] on CVCE website</ref> In 1987, [[Turkey]] formally applied to join the Community and began the longest application process for any country.

With the prospect of further enlargement, and a desire to increase areas of co-operation, the [[Single European Act]] was signed by the foreign ministers on 17 and 28 February 1986 in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]] and [[The Hague]] respectively. In a single document it dealt with reform of institutions, extension of powers, foreign policy cooperation and the single market. It came into force on 1 July 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_provisions_of_the_single_european_act-en-243555aa-d219-4525-9978-34325bb5e17a.html|title=The provisions of the Single European Act|date=7 August 2016}}</ref> The act was followed by work on what would be the [[Maastricht Treaty]], which was agreed on 10 December 1991, signed the following year and coming into force on 1 November 1993 establishing the European Union, and paving the way for the [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|European Monetary Union]].

===European Community===

The EU absorbed the European Communities as one of its [[three pillars of the European Union|three pillars]]. The EEC's areas of activities were enlarged and were renamed the ''European Community'', continuing to follow the [[Supranational union|supranational]] structure of the EEC. The EEC institutions became those of the EU, however the Court, Parliament and Commission had only limited input in the new pillars, as they worked on a more [[International organization|intergovernmental]] system than the European Communities. This was reflected in the names of the institutions, the council was formally the "Council of the ''European Union''" while the commission was formally the "Commission of the ''European Communities''".

There are more competencies listed in Article 3 of the European Communities pillar than there are in Article 3 of the Treaty of Rome. This is due to the fact that some competencies were already inherent in the Treaty of Tome, some were referred to in the Treaty of Rome, and some were extended under Article 235 of the Treaty of Rome. Competencies were added to cover trans-European networks, and the work of the Culture Committee and Education Committee that were previously sharing existing competencies. The only entry in Article 3 that represented something new is the competence covering the entry and movement of persons in the internal market.

However, after the Treaty of Maastricht, Parliament gained a more formal role. Maastricht brought in the [[codecision procedure]], which gave it equal legislative power with the Council on Community matters. This replaced the informal parliamentary blocking powers established by the 1979 Isoglucose decision.<ref>Case 138/79</ref>

It also abolished any existing [[State (polity)|state]] like [[Simple Majority]] voting in the EEC, replacing it with [[Voting in the Council of the European Union|Qualified Majority Voting]], a procedure more commonly used in international organisations.

The [[Treaty of Amsterdam]] transferred responsibility for free movement of persons (e.g., [[Travel visa|visas]], [[illegal immigration]], [[Right of asylum|asylum]]) from the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) pillar to the European Community (JHA was renamed [[Area of freedom, security and justice|Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters]] (PJCC) as a result).<ref name="Folk">[http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/euo_en/spsv/all/12/ What are the three pillars of the EU?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523080044/http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/euo_en/spsv/all/12/ |date=23 May 2010 }}, Folketingets EU-Oplysning</ref> Both Amsterdam and the [[Treaty of Nice]] also extended [[codecision procedure]] to nearly all policy areas, giving Parliament equal power to the Council in the Community.

In 2002, the [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]] which established the ECSC expired, having reached its 50-year limit (as the first treaty, it was the only one with a limit). No attempt was made to renew its mandate; instead, the [[Treaty of Nice]] transferred certain of its elements to the [[Treaty of Rome]] and hence its work continued as part of the EC area of the European Community's remit.

After the entry into force of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] in 2009 the pillar structure ceased to exist. The European Community, together with its [[legal person]]ality, was absorbed into the newly consolidated European Union which merged in the other two pillars (however Euratom remained distinct). This was originally proposed under the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe|European Constitution]] but that treaty failed ratification in 2005.