Advanced European Law – Week 1
Paul Craig, ‘Development of the EU’, in C. Barnard and S. Peers (eds), European Union Law (2017),
chapter 2.
2. Nationalism and the origins of the EU
There is little doubt that the more immediate push for some form of European integration can be dated to
nineteenth century nationalism, the external effects of which were significant in relation to the conflicts of the
twentieth century. Out of the horrors of these wars developed moves towards European cooperation.
3. From ECSC to EEC
3.1 European Coal and Steel Community
The UK was unwilling to participate in potentially far-reaching plans for European integration in 1948, and this
led to more modest, albeit important, proposals advanced by the French foreign minister that France and
Germany should administer their coal and steel resources pursuant to an international agreement in which
supervisory authority was given to a body termed the High Authority. The resulting European Coal and Steel
Community Treaty was signed in 1951 by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It
had a lifespan of 50 years and established a common market in coal and steel.
3.2 European Defence Community and European Political Community: EDC and EPC
In the 1950’s two ambitious plans for further integration failed: the 1952 European Defence Community, which
would create a European army; and the European Defence Community, which would “federalise” the existing
ECSC.
3.3 European Economic Community
The very demise of these ambitious projects led proponents of integration to focus more directly on the
economic side of integration with the creation of a common market. The resulting Treaty of Rome was signed
in 1957 and came into effect in 1958 with the same member states, parallel to which the Euratom Treaty came
into effect. In institutional terms the Treaty of Rome was a mixture of continuity with the past in terms of the
institutional ordering under the ECSC, combined with novel arrangements devised for the EEC. Legislative and
executive power was shared between the Commission and the Council.
4. From EEC to the Single European Act
4.1 Tensions within the Community
The almost 30 years between the EEC and the SEA revealed tensions between an intergovernmental view of
the Community and a more supranational perspective, which culminated in the 1965-66 “empty chair crisis” –
essentially a disagreement over voting methods in the Council – and the following “Luxembourg Compromise”.
Some developments in this period enhanced intergovernmentalism, such as the 1973 European Political Co-
operation (on foreign policy) and the 1974 regularising of European Council summits. Other developments,
however, enhanced supranationalism, such as the 1979 direct elections of the European Parliament and
developments relating to resources and the budget.
4.2 Single European Act
The 1986 SEA made a number of institutional changes, the most significant of which was the transformation in
the role of the European Parliament with the creation of the “cooperation procedure”. The impact of the
cooperation procedure was enhanced because of the creation of what is now Article 114 TFEU, which confers
power upon the EU to adopt legislation concerning the internal market.
5. From the SEA to the Nice Treaty
5.1 Maastricht Treaty: the Treaty on European Union
5.1.1 The three-pillar system
The TEU was significant in terms of the overall legal architecture, with the Communities as the first of the three
pillars, and the EEC Treaty renamed the European Community Treaty. The second pillar dealt with Common
Foreign and Security Policy and built on earlier mechanisms for European Political Co-operation. The third pillar
dealt with Justice and Home Affairs.
5.1.2 The Community Treaties
The Maastricht Treaty made a number of institutional changes to the Rome Treaty, the most significant being
Paul Craig, ‘Development of the EU’, in C. Barnard and S. Peers (eds), European Union Law (2017),
chapter 2.
2. Nationalism and the origins of the EU
There is little doubt that the more immediate push for some form of European integration can be dated to
nineteenth century nationalism, the external effects of which were significant in relation to the conflicts of the
twentieth century. Out of the horrors of these wars developed moves towards European cooperation.
3. From ECSC to EEC
3.1 European Coal and Steel Community
The UK was unwilling to participate in potentially far-reaching plans for European integration in 1948, and this
led to more modest, albeit important, proposals advanced by the French foreign minister that France and
Germany should administer their coal and steel resources pursuant to an international agreement in which
supervisory authority was given to a body termed the High Authority. The resulting European Coal and Steel
Community Treaty was signed in 1951 by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It
had a lifespan of 50 years and established a common market in coal and steel.
3.2 European Defence Community and European Political Community: EDC and EPC
In the 1950’s two ambitious plans for further integration failed: the 1952 European Defence Community, which
would create a European army; and the European Defence Community, which would “federalise” the existing
ECSC.
3.3 European Economic Community
The very demise of these ambitious projects led proponents of integration to focus more directly on the
economic side of integration with the creation of a common market. The resulting Treaty of Rome was signed
in 1957 and came into effect in 1958 with the same member states, parallel to which the Euratom Treaty came
into effect. In institutional terms the Treaty of Rome was a mixture of continuity with the past in terms of the
institutional ordering under the ECSC, combined with novel arrangements devised for the EEC. Legislative and
executive power was shared between the Commission and the Council.
4. From EEC to the Single European Act
4.1 Tensions within the Community
The almost 30 years between the EEC and the SEA revealed tensions between an intergovernmental view of
the Community and a more supranational perspective, which culminated in the 1965-66 “empty chair crisis” –
essentially a disagreement over voting methods in the Council – and the following “Luxembourg Compromise”.
Some developments in this period enhanced intergovernmentalism, such as the 1973 European Political Co-
operation (on foreign policy) and the 1974 regularising of European Council summits. Other developments,
however, enhanced supranationalism, such as the 1979 direct elections of the European Parliament and
developments relating to resources and the budget.
4.2 Single European Act
The 1986 SEA made a number of institutional changes, the most significant of which was the transformation in
the role of the European Parliament with the creation of the “cooperation procedure”. The impact of the
cooperation procedure was enhanced because of the creation of what is now Article 114 TFEU, which confers
power upon the EU to adopt legislation concerning the internal market.
5. From the SEA to the Nice Treaty
5.1 Maastricht Treaty: the Treaty on European Union
5.1.1 The three-pillar system
The TEU was significant in terms of the overall legal architecture, with the Communities as the first of the three
pillars, and the EEC Treaty renamed the European Community Treaty. The second pillar dealt with Common
Foreign and Security Policy and built on earlier mechanisms for European Political Co-operation. The third pillar
dealt with Justice and Home Affairs.
5.1.2 The Community Treaties
The Maastricht Treaty made a number of institutional changes to the Rome Treaty, the most significant being
