EEC (European Economic Community)

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Posted by Matt on Mar-22-2004 04:20:

EEC (European Economic Community)

I've done some searching, but I still find myself quite confused.

Is this THE European Union, a part of it, or a completely different entity?

Any help is appreciated. Doing a paper for political science... and I normally don't ask for homework help on TA.

Posted by mps242 on Mar-22-2004 05:00:

Re: EEC (European Economic Community)

quote:
Originally posted by Mosaic
I've done some searching, but I still find myself quite confused.

Is this THE European Union, a part of it, or a completely different entity?

Ummm all of the above, sort of.

The EEC was formed back in the late 1950s by the Treaty of Rome. Basically it's purpose was to set up a free-trade zone (a customs union) between the signatories to the treaty.

10 years later (this puts us in 1967-68), the EEC merged with the European Atomic Community and the European Steel and Coal Community (that's not the correct name, you'd need to look them up on the EU's website) and collectively they became know as the European Community. When they merged their focus was still mainly on trade issues although I believe the European parliament was created.

Then in 1992 the member states of the EC got together and signed the Maastricht Treaty that created the EU. The EC essentially got folded into the EU. So it's kind of the economic side of the EU, but it's no longer identifiable as a a stand alone entity.

My memory is a bit rusty on this stuff. You can find more at europa.eu.int

Posted by imokruok on Mar-22-2004 05:02:

Depending on how specific your paper is, you might get away with calling the EEC the modern-day EU. But even though it's the bulk of the modern-day EU, that's incorrect.

Technically, the EEC became the EC after the TEU (Maastricht), which was joined with CFSP and JHA (the "three pillars") under the treaty of Maastricht to form the EU.

(Edit to clarify: EEC became the EC, and then was folded into the EU as a part of it. Both actions happened under the TEU.)

Posted by mps242 on Mar-22-2004 05:24:

clarification:

And I believe the agencies that were combined to form the EC were EURATOM, and ECSC (euro. steel and coal).

the TEU = the Treaty of the EUropean Union = Treaty of Maastricht.

CFSP = Common Foreign and Security Policy
and
JHA: is Home Affairs and Justice

So:

EEC + ECSC + Euratom = EC (1967)

EC + CFSP + JHA = EU (1992)