The European Union Essay Research Paper The

The European Union Essay, Research Paper

The EU: A balance of sovereignty and centralization

The European Union faces a number of problems that are inherent in the forming of a union out of disparate member states. One such problem is the integration of the various states without causing a loss in the individual vigor of each member state that is involved. There is also the problem of creating an effective European government whilst avoiding over centralization and the progression to a Federation of European states. In a sense, the progression to a EUnited States of Europe. The notion of this sort of union is one that sits on the edge of any discussions of the European Union and its further integration. The temptation to move in this direction however needs to be rejected, for the creation of a New Europe in this image would be to destroy the unique contributions that each member state brings on its own. For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing primarily on the Draft treaty of the European Union which was adopted by the European parliament on the 14th of February 1984, and reflects the continuing preoccupation with the problem of a community that is too weak in relation to its member states; whereas once a union is established with competent abilities and powers and majority voting, the problem will then become a union the is too strong in relation to its states. This balancing act between creating a European Union that is effective, while at the same time respectful of its local governments and the integrity of its member states, will be discussed further in this paper.

Looking at the last three decades of European integration we can see a remarkable account of integration and an example of effective shared rule and participation. In the European Union this goal has gone from myth to reality. Historically, most federations or unions of member states have either dissolved or become full-fledged Federal states, with the central government being the dominant power over the affairs of the various member states. While the European Union is still young, it is a remarkable exercise in the making of a working federation. Thus far, the individual nation state has retained its strength, and actually been sustained by the wider structure of the EUnion. In the EUnion, sovereignty has become truly shared. Most commonly the typical expressions of sovereignty are the control of ones own currency, diplomacy, policing, and defense. Currently the member states of the European Union are in the process of subscribing to a common currency (the Euro-dollar), a European court that is to have jurisdiction over selected areas of law, and a common defense policy. An interesting point to the process of the union is however is that by the very preamble of the treaty it is never supposed to arrive at the logical end point of a centralized federation. It is determined to lay the foundation of an ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe. The implication in the phraseology is that the process of integration is to go on for ever, never actually arriving at the end point of a foundation of a union among the peoples of Europe. The idea of a European union is not to be a substitution, but a balance between the individual nation states and the supranational structure. This balance is a difficult one to establish and maintain. As was mentioned in the opening paragraph the European Union must avoid over centralization, whilst still being an effective supranational structure.

For a quarter of a century Europe operated under the policies and political capital that was invested in the Treaty of Rome. Many economic sectors were transformed by the common market that was established within that treaty. The European community has also done an exemplary job at resisting the market fragmentation that dogged the member countries in the thirties. This resistance of fragmentation has allowed the European bloc to move towards becoming a trading bloc that is on the level of the United States. A problem however was that the Institutions of the European Union were not effective to promote development. The right of veto, while a reassuring safeguard for countries to keep them from being pulled into agreements or institutional constructs that they were unhappy with, hampers the ability for the European Union to take effective actions. Rather than discussing issues and problems for extended periods of time and taking weak or late action, the Draft Treaty proposed that a system of majority be required to make, or enact economic changes.

The Draft treaty did not go so far as to remove the need for unanimity when it comes to amendments to the treaty itself and to the aspects of defense and foreign policy, but in the issues of economics, one of the primary aspects of the Draft Treaty was that it was no longer necessary for the Union to have one hundred percent support in order to enact changes. If the system of the Union is to be uniform, the law of the Union must take precedence over national law… this is not a question of political supremacy, but simply a condition of consistency.

In order to establish the essential elements of an economic union, the economic laws of the union must have supremacy over the laws of the individual member states. It is not possible to have a working union if all of the member states are not in accordance to the overlying economic policy. This requirem