Introduction
The European Union is a unique political arrangement that is difficult to define or categorize.
There is a vigorous debate among scholars and political leaders about how to understand and
classify the EU, with no single, widely accepted theoretical framework. Initially, the EU was
approached as an international organization driven by decisions made among the member
states, but this view has changed in recent decades and the EU is now seen as a political system
in its own right. The chapter outlines the foundations of the debate by looking at major concepts
and theories of integration, divided into two categories: theories of how the EU evolved and
theories of what it has become.
The role of the state
How long states have been important is debatable, the article acknoledges that the 1648 Peace
of Westphalia is usually seen as starting point of this. It describes the international state system
that has existed since then. There are also important critics on the state to take into account,
such as its division of humans, and its association with nationalism, which has often led to
internal instability, violence, and war. To reduce tensions, states have signed international
treaties and formed international organizations to promote cooperation. This has led to the
growth of institutions in which states can attend to matters of mutual interest and, in some
cases, regional integration, though states do not surrender their separate identities.
How did the EU evolve?
The European Union (EU) evolved with the underlying motive of promoting peace and
reducing the frequency of wars in Europe. After World War II, federalists proposed a new
European federation that would replace national states and lead to political, economic, social,
and cultural integration. However, their plan was too radical and the Council of Europe was
created instead as a platform for intra-European cooperation. The idea of functionalism was
introduced by David Mitrany, which suggested that states should be bound together by
international agencies based on common interests and with authority in specific fields. This
idea was later adapted as neofunctionalism by Ernst Haas and Leon Lindberg, which took into
account voluntary mingling and merging of states, and the phenomenon of "spillover."
Five stages Regional integration (proposal), on the basis of ‘functional spillover’:
1. Creation of a free trade area by eliminating internal trade barriers and retaining
separate external tariffs.
2. Agreement on a common external tariff resulting in a customs union.
3. Expansion of the single market through the removal of barriers to the movement of
capital and labor.
The European Union is a unique political arrangement that is difficult to define or categorize.
There is a vigorous debate among scholars and political leaders about how to understand and
classify the EU, with no single, widely accepted theoretical framework. Initially, the EU was
approached as an international organization driven by decisions made among the member
states, but this view has changed in recent decades and the EU is now seen as a political system
in its own right. The chapter outlines the foundations of the debate by looking at major concepts
and theories of integration, divided into two categories: theories of how the EU evolved and
theories of what it has become.
The role of the state
How long states have been important is debatable, the article acknoledges that the 1648 Peace
of Westphalia is usually seen as starting point of this. It describes the international state system
that has existed since then. There are also important critics on the state to take into account,
such as its division of humans, and its association with nationalism, which has often led to
internal instability, violence, and war. To reduce tensions, states have signed international
treaties and formed international organizations to promote cooperation. This has led to the
growth of institutions in which states can attend to matters of mutual interest and, in some
cases, regional integration, though states do not surrender their separate identities.
How did the EU evolve?
The European Union (EU) evolved with the underlying motive of promoting peace and
reducing the frequency of wars in Europe. After World War II, federalists proposed a new
European federation that would replace national states and lead to political, economic, social,
and cultural integration. However, their plan was too radical and the Council of Europe was
created instead as a platform for intra-European cooperation. The idea of functionalism was
introduced by David Mitrany, which suggested that states should be bound together by
international agencies based on common interests and with authority in specific fields. This
idea was later adapted as neofunctionalism by Ernst Haas and Leon Lindberg, which took into
account voluntary mingling and merging of states, and the phenomenon of "spillover."
Five stages Regional integration (proposal), on the basis of ‘functional spillover’:
1. Creation of a free trade area by eliminating internal trade barriers and retaining
separate external tariffs.
2. Agreement on a common external tariff resulting in a customs union.
3. Expansion of the single market through the removal of barriers to the movement of
capital and labor.
