PAST EFFORTS AT JOINDER

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

During 1967, The European Coal and steel Community, the European Economic Community, and Euratom merged to form a single organization, to be known as the "European Community" (or "E.C.").  Their assemblies, or guiding bodies, were likewise merged to form the European Parliament; and each entity's Commission was consolidated into a single high Commission called the "European Commission."  Both bodies would henceforth meet in Strasbourg.

1972 saw three new members, namely Britain, Denmark, and Ireland, join the European Community, raising its number to nine.  And in 1975, a resolution was enacted enabling physicians from any of the nine member nations to practice within any of these countries.

By 1979, the European Parliament and European Commission, both of which having been appointive bodies until then, began to be elected by the populace of the member nations.  Additionally, 1979 also witnessed the commencement of a single membership-wide monetary system (the "European Monetary System," or "E.M.S."), which was regulated via a process of loosely fixed rates entitled the "Exchange Rate Mechanism" (or "E.R.M."). 

In 1981, Greece joined the Union, raising its membership to ten.

A "White Paper," published by the European Commission in 1985, proposed a complete union of all ten members into a single commercial market.  Its contents were subsequently adopted; and in December of that year, the Single European Act transformed the united European market into a reality.  Pursuant to this Act's provisions, common standards for production of goods were established, the flow of goods and capital among members was further simplified, and tax rates were unified.  In addition, professional and commercial licensing would now be recognized throughout the Community.  The Act also committed the membership to undertaking further efforts toward the implementation of a unified currency, central banking system, and common charter of rights for the body's entire labor force.  1992 was set as the target year for these goals to reach fulfillment.  The hoped-for result was termed a "Europe without borders." 

Another feature of the Single European Act was a liberalization of requirements for enactment of regulations governing the market sphere of the Community, from unanimous agreement to a majority vote.  This enabled guiding mechanisms to be more easily enacted; although the national "opting out" choice, referred to in a prior posting, remained in place.

In 1986, Prtugal and Spain joined the Community, raising membership to twelve.  During the 1980s, membership in the European Community created vastly improved economic conditions instates whose economies were less satisfactory prior to joining to joining.  One significan example was Italy (one of the founding members). 

In April, 1989, a plan was proposed by Jacques Delors, France's Finance Minister, for further unification of the continent.  It entailed the creation of Europe's single currency (the Euro), and a European Central Bank, under the auspices of an organization to be known as the "European Economic and Mo netary Union."  The plan was to be effectuated in three stages.  Per an agreement reached in Madrid in June of 1989, the first stage was scheduled to commence on July 1, 1990.  Pursuant to a subsequent accord known as the Maastricht Treaty, executed in December, 1991, it was agreed that the second stage would go into effect in January, 1994; and the third stage in January, 1999.  The Maastricht Treaty, together with a second accord executed on the same day, comprised an additional commitment on the part of European Community members to move toward still closer cooperation, common citizenship, as well as more unified economic and defense policies.

These agreements and activities seemed to engender an ever greater readiness among national governments to relinquish greater and greater degrees of sovereignty.  Closer cooperartion and negotiated settlement of differences became the norm of relations among members.  Moreover, the removal of trade barriers as of January 1, 1993 is said to have rendered significant economic benefit upon the millions of people who constitute the European Union's population. 

During that same year (1993), Belgium, France, and Germany inaugurated a military body known as the "Eurocorps."  It was hoped that this would be the nucleus of a future European army. 

Three new members joined the Union in 1995: Austria, Finland, and Sweden.  Thus, the ranks of this union of nations were raised to fifteen.  It constituted what some have called a "mega-Europe," now containing a population of 450 million persons, whose combined economy reached upward of nine trillion dollars. 

By 2003, ten additional Central European, Baltic, and Mediterranean states (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) were invited to loin the current fifteen members.  Moreover, since then, Bulgaria and Romania have also gained admission; while Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey await approval of their applications for entry.  Additional conceivable members have been said to include Russia and Israel.