What Is the European Community (EC)?
Key takeaways
– The European Community (EC) was an economic and political grouping of European countries created to deepen economic integration and reduce the risk of war after World War II.
– It grew out of three treaty-based organizations: the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Economic Community (EEC), and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
– The EC’s institutions, policies and legal framework were subsumed into the European Union (EU) under the Maastricht Treaty in 1993.
– The EC’s legacy is visible today in the EU’s single market, common agricultural policy and many supranational institutions.
Overview and origins
The European Community emerged from post‑World War II efforts to bind European economies together so that political tensions and the likelihood of armed conflict would be reduced. Starting with a small group of Western European states, leaders pursued systematic cooperation in key industries and a common market for goods, services and people.
The founding members were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The EC formed by layering three treaty organizations (see below) that progressively increased economic integration and created shared institutions to manage policies across those states. (Investopedia; European Union historical summaries.)
The three founding communities
1) European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
– Origin: Treaty of Paris (1951).
– Purpose: Pool coal and steel production and regulation to remove trade barriers and prevent unilateral militarization of these strategic industries.
– Scope & tools: Coordinated production, pricing and quotas; imposed sanctions for rule violations; encouraged cross‑border trade in coal, steel, coke and related products.
– Impact: Increased intra‑European trade in those commodities; helped establish supranational governance precedents later used by other communities. (European Union “Founding Agreements” summary and Investopedia.)
2) European Economic Community (EEC, or “Common Market”)
– Origin: Treaty of Rome (1957).
– Purpose: Create a common market—customs union, free movement of goods, services, capital and people—and harmonize economic policies to promote growth and reconciliation (notably between France and Germany).
– Major policy: Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced in the 1960s to stabilize farmers’ incomes and manage agricultural markets within the community.
– Impact: Removal of many internal tariff and non‑tariff barriers; foundations for the single market that evolved into today’s EU single market. (Treaty of Rome; European Commission summary of CAP.)
3) European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
– Origin: Treaty establishing Euratom (1957).
– Purpose: Create a common market for nuclear materials and equipment, coordinate research and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and set health and safety standards.
– Exclusion: It did not cover military uses of nuclear energy. (EUR-Lex treaty text; Investopedia.)
Institutions and governance
The EC model introduced supranational institutions to legislate, implement and adjudicate community rules. Key bodies that evolved into modern EU institutions included:
– The Commission (executive proposing and enforcing community law),
– The Council (member‑state governments coordinating policy),
– The European Parliament (initially an assembly with gradually increasing legislative powers), and
– The European Court of Justice (interpreting community law).
These structures allowed laws and policies made at the community level to have direct effect across member states.
Achievements and challenges
Achievements
– Large expansion of intra‑European trade and economic integration.
– Establishment of the customs union and foundations of the single market.
– Common policies like the CAP and coordinated industrial/regulatory frameworks.
– A strong institutional precedent for pooling sovereignty for shared economic and political benefits.
Challenges
– Policy disputes among members (e.g., distributional effects of CAP).
– Industry adjustments and structural change (for example, steel sector restructuring in the 1970s as global competition rose).
– Political debates about the right balance between national sovereignty and supranational authority.
From the European Community to the European Union
The Maastricht Treaty (Treaty on European Union), which entered into force in 1993, reorganized the European Communities into the broader European Union. The EC’s economic community pillar was folded into the EU framework, creating a single polity combining economic, foreign policy and justice/cooperation elements. Over subsequent decades the EU enlarged to include more member states and added deeper integration (monetary union, Schengen, single market). As of 2024 there are 27 EU member states. (European Union—Maastricht Treaty summary; EU list of countries.)
Practical steps — how to learn more or act on EC/EU legacy
For students, researchers and educators
1. Read primary treaties: Treaty of Paris (ECSC), Treaty of Rome (EEC & Euratom) and the Maastricht Treaty (Treaty on European Union). These are available on EUR-Lex (eur-lex.europa.eu).
2. Use official EU resources: European Union and European Commission historical pages and the European Parliament site provide accessible timelines, institutional histories and original documents.
3. Consult academic overviews and databases: university libraries and databases (JSTOR, Google Scholar) for analyses of integration theory and policy outcomes.
4. Explore archives and museums: European integration archives and museums in Brussels and Luxembourg hold original documents and interpretive exhibits.
For businesses and investors
1. Identify relevant EU frameworks: determine which EU-level rules affect you (customs union, single market rules, product standards, CAP for agriculture, Euratom regulations for nuclear-related businesses). Use the European Commission’s sector pages.
2. Check compliance and market access: for cross‑border trade, verify tariff status, product conformity assessment, labeling and customs procedures (EU TARIC and national customs websites).
3. Monitor legislative proposals: follow Commission communications, Council agendas and European Parliament dossiers to anticipate regulatory change. EU law information is on EUR-Lex and the Commission’s “Have Your Say” consultations.
4. For UK‑EU matters post‑Brexit: follow UK government guidance and the EU’s trade/withdrawal documents for specific cross‑border rules. (Gov.UK & Council of the European Union summaries of Brexit.)
For citizens, travelers and migrants
1. Understand rights: once a member, EU citizenship confers rights like freedom of movement and consular protection; check official EU and national government portals for current rules, visa requirements and residency procedures.
2. If affected by Brexit or future changes: follow official guidance from national governments and the EU on residency, healthcare entitlements, pensions and travel. (Gov.UK; Council of the EU Brexit summaries.)
For policymakers and advocates
1. Participate in consultations: the European Commission routinely opens public consultations on legislative proposals—watch the “Have Your Say” portal.
2. Contact elected representatives: MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) represent citizens at EU level—identify and contact them on issues of concern.
3. Build coalitions: policy change at EU level often requires alliances across member states and interest groups; engage national ministries, industry associations and NGOs.
Further reading and sources
– Investopedia: “European Community (EC)” (source summary provided).
– European Union – The History of the European Union 1945–59 (EU official history pages).
– European Parliament – Treaty of Rome (EEC).
– European Commission – The Common Agricultural Policy at a Glance.
– European Union – Founding Agreements (contains Treaty establishing the ECSC and Treaty on European Union/Maastricht).
– EUR-Lex – Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
– European Union – EU Countries (current member list).
– Gov.UK – EU Referendum (Brexit background).
– Council of the European Union – “Brexit: UK Leaves EU After 47 Years.”
If you’d like, I can:
– Provide direct links to the primary treaty texts and the EUR-Lex pages.
– Create a timeline graphic of key dates (ECSC 1951, Treaties of Rome/Euratom 1957, Maastricht 1993, Brexit 2020).
– Summarize how a specific sector (e.g., agriculture, steel, nuclear) was affected by EC policies and how that legacy shapes current EU rules.