The Economic and Political Integration of the European Union - Coursework Example

The Economic and Political Integration of the European Union (EU) Essay Outline The political and economic integration of the European Union (EU) are closely related, and highly contested. The actual structure of the EU has developed as an interaction between opposing ideologies of integration. Above all, there has been a disagreement between federalists, who view the European Union as a genuine political federation, and intergovernmentalists, who view the European integration as a heightened collaboration and mutual aid between independent governments (Svendsen, 2003). Nevertheless, there is another divergent approach to European integration: “the dirigiste economic management style of France and the free market, laissez faire style of the United Kingdom” (Eger & Schafer, 2012, p. 1). These different theoretical approaches to the European integration make it difficult to analyse the extent of political and economic integration of the EU. But basically, economic integration usually fulfils political goals. Europe is a perfect example. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC) have been established for political purposes. The eastern expansion of the EU is the outcome of a political reversal of the states aspiring to become members of the EU. The collapse of the communist regime allowed, and pushed, the states involved to modify their economic and political structure completely (Cini, 2007). Integration into the European Union was appealing not merely due to market access, but also due to financial assistance and investments from the EU. More significantly, integration is associated with free enterprise, economic liberalisation, human rights, and democratic structures (Cini, 2007). The currently founded Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) represents the greatest development in the economic integration process in Europe. This is a landmark and will, simultaneously, be a channel for political integration. Europe as a model was consistently a political agenda motivated by political choices and objectives (Milward, 2005). Yet, after initial obstacles on the political sphere, the attention shifted to economic issues. In the end, economic integration has triumphed in strengthening the unity among European states and has therefore also realised its broader political objective. Given the above considerations, this essay tries to answer the question, to what extent is the European Union economically and politically integrated? An analysis of the historical development of the political and economic integration of the EU is undertaken in order to determine the growth, or, possibly decline, of the processes of the political and economic integration of the EU. The historical analysis starts from the end of the Second World War. By tracing the history of EU’s integration efforts, it would be possible to determine the extent of EU’s political and economic integration. The analysis takes into consideration the implication of the establishment of the different instruments of the EU, like the ECSC, EEC, and EMU, for the intensity of the political and economic integration of the EU. There is a need to determine the extent of the political and economic integration of the EU because the new challenge in the field demands the quality of descriptive perspectives about the nature and purposes of the process of integration which have become subject to numerous explanations. This necessitates methodical ways of studying evolving patterns of relations. This systematic approach to the analysis of the political and economic integration of the EU enables greater understanding of reality. It will also build the analytical structure from which a deeper knowledge of the evolutionary form of the process of integration may emerge. Lastly, it will enable greater understanding of the substantive transformation of the regional structure from a policy-based venture to a transnational community. The literature that is used for this essay ranges from books, journal articles, magazines, to newspaper articles. No primary references are used. Only recently published references, preferably from 2000-2012, are included. Some of the key references used in this essay are briefly reviewed here. Economic and Social Integration: The Challenge for EU Constitutional Law by Dagmar Schiek (2012) discusses historical and current perspective of the economic and political integration of the EU. She focuses primarily on the issues of fiscal union, social welfare, and social constitutionalism. She also provides a concise overview of the relationship between political and economic integration and how forcefully does the EU carry out both. This book is particularly relevant to this essay because it provides a comprehensive discussion of the economic and political potential of the EU. The author reveals how economic integration has complicated the realisation of social justice. Another book, European Union Politics by Michelle Cini (2007), discusses the history of the process of European integration, as well as the different theoretical approaches to European integration. Gert Svendsen’s (2003) The Political Economy of the European Union: Institutions, Policy and Economic Growth, employing an interdisciplinary model, explores how the present political and economic status of the EU will affect future performance and will unfavourably influence policymaking. The author examines whether the core policies of the EU are compatible with its economic progress or whether such policies will only result in economic downfall. This book is relevant to this essay because of its focus on EU’s institutional structure. Werner Bonefeld’s (2002) article European Integration: The Market, the Political and Class puts forward the argument that the drive to European integration is not reducible to a political or economic analysis. Rather, according to the author, the drive to European integration should be analysed in relation to ‘class’. He argues that the extent of the political and economic integration of the EU can more accurately be understood in terms of mass democratic aspiration and the market. This article presents a revolutionary way of looking at European political and economic integration. Another article, An Unwarranted Pessimism: Rethinking the European Integration Debate by Jean Asselborn (2006), provides a descriptive account of the benefits enjoyed by Europeans today because of the long historical development of the European Union. It includes a detailed discussion of the economic and political struggles that the EU experienced before becoming fully integrated. A 2011 newspaper article from Western Mail talks about a ‘federal European regime’ (Western Mail, 2011, p. 21) that promises to solve the current economic problem by bringing European countries together strongly politically and economically. This article provides a snapshot of the current extent of the political and economic integration of the EU. Likewise, Thomas Mirow’s (2009) article European Integration, R.I.P? Thoughts on the Aftermath of the Financial Crisis argues that the extent of EU’s political and economic integration can determine whether it can resolve current economic and political difficulties by providing unity and stability. The numerous different stages of the integration process of the EU and the consequent theoretical perspectives focused on their interpretation refer to the idea that the emergence of a European community, as separate from the formation of a new regional superstate—a ‘superordinate form of government beyond the nation-state’ (Chryssochoou et al., 2003, p. 7)—or from the formation of an entirely confederal system—a ‘loosely institutionalised society of sovereign states’ (Chryssochoou et al., 2003, p. 7)— seems an uneven and usually systematically contrasting mixture of academic fields. However, the reason for analysing the process of integration from the point of view of different, and usually opposing, theoretical approaches appears to be as important nowadays as it was during the decisive discussion between federalists and functionalists (Schiek, 2012). However, for the purposes of this essay, which is mainly focused on the political and economic integrative process, the functionalist perspective is used as the main theoretical perspective. Generally, functionalism clarifies the advantages of collective action over unilateral state structure. International disorder and nationalism are viewed as the roots of the disintegration of the global society into competing groups, preventing the formation of a functional peace mechanism. The functionalist solution to such issues is the formation of international community, focused on the fulfilment of fundamental welfare requirements which go beyond territorial issues (Chryssochoou et al., 2003). Functionalism views ‘union’ as an evolutionary step towards attaining functionally definite goals, and not as a predetermined state resulting, directly or essentially, in a state-like body or a federal state. Even though it would be inaccurate to presuppose that functionalism views federalism as an unrestrained standardising process weakening national identity, it claims that it benefits the process of integration to continue in a gradual, progressive manner (Eger & Schafer, 2012). Thus, in this essay, the extent of the political and economic integration of the EU is viewed within the functionalist perspective. The first section of the essay discusses the historical development of the European Union. This section particularly focuses on the historical process of the economic and political integration of the EU. The discussion focuses primarily on the impact of the political and economic changes in Eastern and Central Europe during the 1990s on European integration. The second section discusses the emergence of EU instruments, such as the EMU, and how they determine the extent of the political and economic integration of the EU. The third section focuses on the current status of EU’s political and economic integration. References Asselborn, J. (2006) ‘An Unwarranted Pessimism: Rethinking the European Integration Debate’, Harvard International Review 28(3), 20+ Bonefeld, W. (2002) ‘European Integration: The Market, the Political and Class’, Capital & Class 77, 117+ Chryssochoou, D. et al. (2003) Theory and Reform in the European Union. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. Cini, M. (2007) European Union Politics. New York: Oxford University Press. Eger, T. & Schafer, H. (2012) Research Handbook on the Economics of European Union Law. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Milward, A. (2005) Politics and Economics in the History of the European Union. London: Routledge. Mirow, T. (2009) ‘European Integration, R.I.P? Thoughts on the Aftermath of the Financial Crisis’, The International Economy 23(4), 42+ Schiek, D. (2012) Economic and Social Integration: The Challenge for EU Constitutional Law. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Svendsen, G. (2003) The Political Economy of the European Union: Institutions, Policy and Economic Growth. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Western Mail (2011) ‘Is History Repeating itself as EU Wrestles with Closer Integration? There will be no New European Union Treaty in the New Year Thanks to David Cameron’s Refusal to commit to a New Deal. However, as Thomas Pascoe Writes, the Progression towards Ever Closer Union has Seldom Relied on Treaties Alone’, Western Mail, 21. Read More