Economic and political integration in EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economic and political integration in EU - Essay Example The first of course was the founding of the European Economic Union (EEU). The second was the witness of regime change; the emergence of a liberal substitute wherein the state was harnessed by a common economic rule. The third, thanks to globalisation, saw the revival of economic liberalism as a doctrine, and the fourth; saw during the final decade of the century, the integration process of states suffer a series of eventually correctable setbacks that still peril the Union (John Gillingham, p.xiii, Preface, 2003). The European Union is unique among international organisations, in that, it has a complex yet well developed system of law, directly affecting its member states. The EU constitutes a law that draws mutual social and economic benefit of the member states. European Union law has come a long way since its inception over the past 50 years. As of today, the EU has around 500 million citizens in 27 member states bound together by this law, making it one of the most encompassing and dynamic modern legal systems in the world (Wikipedia, 2007). It all started when, the heads of the member States of Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands, agreed to lay the foundation of an ever closer union among the European Union members1. These included: The nature of the EC Treaty ensures that unelected individuals have had a greater impact on the development of EC Law than elected officials. This paper takes a look at three prominent laws that regulate the free movement of goods, people, and competition. 2.0 Executive Summary The free movement of persons between the Member States of the EU was at one time restricted to only the working class. This however changed with the economic development of all member states within the EU, and all people, citizens, students, dependents, and others who were no longer economically active were allowed to travel to any country in the EU and reside there if they wished. Since the integration of the