European Community: Difference between revisions

|name = European Community<br />{{small|''Communauté européenne'' (French)}}<br />{{small|''Europäische Gemeinschaft'' (German)}}<br />{{small|Европейское сообщество (Russian)}}<br />{{small|''Comunidad Europea'' (Spanish)}}

|membership = 31 member states

|leader_name1 = {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Mark van Loon

|leader_name2 = {{flagicon|Italy}} Luigi Guido   

|established_event1 = Treaty of Sigmaringen signing

|established_date1 = 22 May 1977

|established_event2 = Treaty in effect

|established_date2 = 1 November 1977

The '''European Community (EC)''' is a economic intergovernmental regional organization that aims to promote economic integration and development, the rule of law, and human rights in Europe. It has 32 member states and a total population of over 900 million, and with a total GDP of $23.98 trillion, the European Community is the second-largest regional economy in the world after the [[Conference of American States]]. The organization uses five official working languages, which are {{W|English language|English}}, {{W|French language|French}}, {{W|German language|German}}, {{W|Russian language|Russian}}, and {{W|Spanish language|Spanish}}. It is also referred to as the '''Common Market''' in English-speaking countries.  

The EC was founded in November 1977 by the [[Treaty of Sigmaringen]], in the aftermath of the [[Great War II|Second Great War]], initially for the purpose of creating a lasting peace in Europe. The organization developed from the Mitteleuropa system of satellite states that Germany maintained since the 1940s, and during the [[Cold War]] it became a geopolitical bloc of Nationalist authoritarian regimes led by [[Germany]], as one of the three poles of power along with the liberal democratic West led by [[Sierra]] and [[United Kingdom|Britain]], and the Communist world led by the [[United Commonwealth]] and [[China]]. It was preceded by the European Economic Community (EEC) created in 1962 for the purpose of rebuilding Europe after the devastation of Great War II with German funding, an effort by Germany to stop British and [[Anglo-America]]n financial influence from undermining German control over the continent. The nationalist authoritarian system in Europe lasted until the 1970s and 1980s, seeing a demise as Germany itself began to democratize its political system, also leading to further integration of EEC member countries.  

The EEC established a {{W|common market}} among the German satellite states of {{W|Western Europe|Western}} and {{W|Eastern Europe}} during the early 1970s, leading to rapid economic growth and increasing the standard of living for the middle classes in Europe. It also led to the development of previously underdeveloped Eastern European economies. These factors contributed to democratic development in EEC member states, leading to the end of nationalist one-party autocracies by the mid 1990s. The organization's membership was expanded to include almost all of Europe, and after the end of the [[Cold War]] with the [[Revolutions of 2000]], [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Albania]], [[Croatia]], and the [[United Kingdom]] also joined the Community, making every European state a member of the organization.

The Community gained a set of common institutions to promote trade, and its main decision-making body is the [[Council of Europe]]. It consists of representatives from each member state, with a rotating Presidency. The [[European Court of Justice]] (ECJ) was also created as the main legal authority in the organization, helping coordinate law enforcement and settling disputes between states. The EC is not a federal structure and cannot make binding laws without the unanimous agreement of every member state, although the Council of Europe is permitted to take action to enforce European Court of Justice decisions in certain situations. Member states of the organization maintain their own individual currencies, border controls, defense and foreign policy. The EC has acted upon a unified foreign policy on occasion, and provides a forum for European nations to discuss international issues.  

The EC has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where members have agreed to act as one. EC policies aim to ensure the free movement of member state citizens, goods, services and capital within the internal market; enact legislation in justice and home affairs; and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. As the EC has always been regarded as a loose association of member states, in recent years there have been discussions of creating a "European Union" that would include a common currency, less border controls, and possibly a unified military command, similar to the role of the Conference of American States in {{W|North America}}, but these discussions have not led to the implementation of any policy.

==Institutions==

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| [[Malta]]

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| [[Monaco]]

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| [[Slovenia]]

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| [[Spain]]

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