The European Union ( Eu ) - 1393 Words

Introduction The European Union (EU) is not a typical international organization. With a mixture of supranational and intergovernmental institutions, its unique structure has become a distinctive political system with some resembles a federation. With no path to trace, the EU must determine which direction it should follow suit. However, these difficult discussions foster constant dispute over how much further integration of member states should proceed. Support for the EU moving towards a federation faces opposition by euro-sceptics who believe further integration should be taken with caution. After the initial project of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was launched by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman. Six European†¦show more content†¦Background Driven by the desire to prevent another World War, many of the founding fathers of the European union envisioned a federalist Europe. Monnet was adamant on the idea that the center of the community should exist a supranational body. Originally established after World War Two, what is now the European Union was formally the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC was established on the basis that trade and pooling of both commodities would prevent rearmament and another war. Established on the 18th April 1951, by the Treaty of Paris, the founding six member states ( France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) have expanded until it tripling in size. Today, after rapid phases and slower periods of integration, the EU is composed of 28 member-states after. Over 60 years of enlargement, the European union has yet to has still not reached its territorial limits, with numerous application still being processed. Undefined frontiers exist in the Balkans and Turkey, as well as in eastern Europeans regions. With economic interdependence, European countries have united economically and politically with the goal of maintaining peace. The question yet to be answered is, how far and deep should political integration go? Federalism Defined The functions of the European Union are often compared