"50 years Treaties of Rome - the future of the European integration"

50 years ago, on 25 March 1957 Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg signed the Treaties of Rome, herewith establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC), thus laying the foundation of the present European Union (EU). The Hanns Seidel Foundation took chance of the commemorable date and organized a seminar on the topic “50 years Treaties of Rome – the future of the European integration“.

Prof. Dr. Roland Sturm, department of Political Sciences of the Friedrich-Alexander University Nürnberg, lectured on the development of the EEC into the EU. The obvious success of the EEC resulted in the enlargement of the community in 1973, 1981, 1986 and 1995. In 1979, the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage in a free and secret ballot were held.

In 1986, the Single European Act (SEA) relating to the reform and expansion of the EEC was signed which marked an essential stage in the completion of the single market. Objective was the enforcement of market forces while balancing economic and social needs. In 1993, the Treaty of Maastricht and the single internal market came into effect. In 2002, twelve EU member states, that met the criteria for admission and were willing to use the single currency, introduced EURO notes and coin, replacing national currencies. The single currency had already been used in commercial and banking transactions since 1999.

In the course of the politcal transition in 1989/90, East European countries as potential accession states came into view. In the Treaty of Nice (2000) regulations for the enlargement of the EU were provided which proved difficult to implement. Through the accession of 10 new member states from South, Middle and East Europe the EU enlargement entered a new stage. In 2007, two further East European countries became full members of the EU but the EU-East-enlargement process is not yet completed. Currently the EU is comprised of 27 member states.

The success of the EU in general may not disguise its current crisis. The vote against the constitution for Europe in France and the Netherlands is just one signal, according to Prof. Sturm. The current institutional framework does not fit the needs of 27 member states. According to the current voting mechanism one member state can block the others. Structural problems hamper the decision making processes, thus paralyzing political action and leading to stagnancy. Even worse, national particular interests still dominate political decision making instead of thinking and acting “European”.

The EU's got legitimacy problems. There's low identification among common people with the EU. The majority does not recognize that the percentage of EU legislation adopted by its members is 70%. The public perception of the EU among many people is dominated by the image of a huge bureaucratic colossus incapable of effective decisions.

The discussion focussed on various topics. The absence of war was highlighted as result of European policies. Against the backdrop of the political situation in the first half of the 20th century this is indeed a remarkable success. Further questions raised in the discussion focussed on future prospects of the EU development including the enlargement issue and future policies.

Prof. Sturm prognosticated the continuation of the Eastern enlargement of the EU provided that the accession states meet the required criteria. The disputed Turkey case is likewise concerned here. The EU enlargement is cost-intensive because the economies of the majority of new member and accession states face structural deficits. Consequently financial issues and debates on budget distribution in the course of the EU enlargement are a common phenomenon. Problem is, according to the political scientist, that the EU intervenes coercively in market processes.

The Federal Republic of Germany can initiate certain processes but is not able to play the role of an EU-locomotive that pulls the train. In former times Germany and France could drive certain developments but the situation is different now. The number of players has increased, thus alliance-based action seems more promising in order to achieve results.

Until 2008, the EU member states are obliged to set up an institutional framework that allows members to act and decide efficiently. One question that has to be tackled is the nexus between integration and enlargement. The advantages of a common European policy are obvious to the majority of the members but many are not yet willing to make sacrifices regarding national souveranity.

The systematically presented information in this seminar provided a comprehensive overview on the development of the EU and a platform for exchange of views in German language.