European union
... In the background of the competition between the superpowers, Western European nations were taking steps towards creating a united Europe. The devastation of World War II and the threat of the Soviet Union/Communism in the East became the fuel for Western Europe to unite politically and economically. European leaders saw a united Europe as a way to derail nationalistic movements and future conflicts on the continent. At the same time, European integration was seen as a potential for limiting German influence (especially since Germany was blamed for beginning WWI and II). ... Beginning with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1950, the founding nations (France, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) expanded on the organization by creating the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. The next 35 years would bring about major changes, with the addition of 6 more nations (Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, and Greece), the end of the Cold War, the reunification of Germany, and the new name of the European Union (E. ... includes a total of 15 nations (Sweden, Finland, and Austria joined in 1995), along with a strong single currency (the euro), 10 Eastern European countries slated for 2004 entry, the project of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and Turkey applying for membership. However, despite all of these achievements in European integration, currently the E. ... In the tradition of European international relations nations such as France, Germany, and Spain are returning to balance-of –power politics in which they are making decisions for the purposes of national interest and countering each other. ... The realism portrayed by each of these nations is reminiscent of the 19th century European style of politics and is the main hindrance to E. ... Since the 19th century European nations have been trying to create a balance in which neither is completely dominated by the other(s). ... R was a significant factor in European integration. ... hegemony in the Western Hemisphere, Western European governments decided that integration, as a continent was the key. The first major example of such multilateralism was the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) by the “six”(Torbiorn, “Destination Europe” p. ... An elected Assembly along with a European Court of Justice (ECJ) to mediate any disagreements between governments would do democratic consultations to the ECSC. ... These discussions would lead to the 1957 “Treaty of Rome” establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). Under the EEC, the “High Authority” was called the “Commission” and the Assembly became the European Parliament. ... The CAP has come to represent a new face in European integration due to the fact that it places the role of agriculture solely in the hands of the Commission. Today, the EEC has taken large steps towards further European unity. ... The 1990’s saw the ascension of Sweden, Finland, and Austria as well as the EEC being renamed the European Union (E.