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The hidden origins of the European Union: How did it evolve from three major communities?
The formation of the European Union (EU) was one of the most important international cooperations in history. Its origins date back to the 1950s, when three international organizations—the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom), and the European Economic Community (EEC)—combined the economic strength of nations. These three communities are not only independent in law, but also interdependent in practice, forming the cornerstone of today's European Union.
The creation of these three communities marked a breakthrough in economic cooperation among European countries, aimed at promoting peace and prosperity.
The European Coal and Steel Community was established in 1951 with the Treaty of Paris, which aimed to reduce tensions between member states by jointly managing these key resources. As economic cooperation became more successful, the need to establish more cooperative organizations also increased. Although initial attempts to establish a European Defense Community and a European Political Community failed, this outcome allowed countries to return to economic issues.
The establishment of EAEC and EEC in 1957 further strengthened this cooperation framework. While the EAEC focused on cooperation in atomic energy, the EEC aimed to create a customs union and promote overall economic collaboration, which later evolved into today's European Single Market. The EEC was renamed the European Community through the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 and became the first pillar of the European Union.
It is worth noting that the structure of these communities has evolved several times over time. Under the 1967 Treaty of Merger, the administrative structures of the three communities were merged to form a common institutional system. This has resulted in the European Community institutions taking charge not only of their own affairs, but also of the affairs of Euratom and the ECSC. This change is crucial to the unification of Europe.
The signing of the Maastricht Treaty not only integrated the three major communities, but also created the European Union, a larger international exchange platform.
While Maastricht created the framework of the European Union, the European Community as a legal entity was not finally merged with the other pillars until the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. This makes the EU no longer just a concept, but an international organization with legal personality.
Nevertheless, the European Union is not completely unified; for example, Euratom shares some institutions with the EU but remains independent. This has also sparked an ongoing discussion about the future of European integration.
Since the end of World War II, European countries have gone through the signing of many treaties and adjustments of public policies in the process of cooperation. This history is not only the crystallization of geopolitics, but also a symbol of the efforts of European countries towards the goal of closer integration. However, should we consider more possible directions and challenges for the future of this cooperation?
