A Historical-Institutionalist Analysis on the Founding Phase of the European Communities: Economic and Security Trade-offs
Author: Chih-ming Chung
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was first proposed by France at the beginning of the 1950s as a way to integrate the coal and steel industries of six countries in Western Europe. After the end of World War II, European integration hence had a good start. However, a few years later, it encountered severe setbacks in the planning of a European army and the political community. Learning from past experiences, political leaders of the six Member States made continual efforts, and the Treaties of Rome on which the European Economic Community (EEC) and Euratom were established, were signed accordingly. In this essay the author intends to provide an overview of this founding period in the history of the European Community. From the perspective of historical institutionalism, the essay tries to reinterpret this integration process. Initially, this article will elaborate the historical-institutionalist approach and its analytical dimensions. It then reviews the integration developments from the ECSC to the Common Market. Focusing inquiry on the linkages between co-operation and institutional structure, the author explores Member States’ ─ in particular France and Germany ─ expected benefits, domestic constraints, and approaches to institutional building.