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lnstitutions of
The
European Economic
Community
The daily work of running che
European Economic Communiry
(EEC) is handled by Communiry in–
sritutions which include a Council
of Minisrers and, as irs execurive
branch, a permanenr Commission
sitting in Brussels. The minisrers,
who rcpresenr rheir respective gov–
ernmenrs, garher in Brussels as occa–
sions demand. They alone are emp–
owercd ro make imporranc policy
decisions. The nine-man Commis–
sion drafcs or iniciares policy. Ir then
implcmenrs che Council of Min–
isrers' decisions. These decisions are
binding on all six member narions.
The EEC also has a Court of Jus–
tice, locaced in Luxembourg, and a
European Parliament of 142 mem–
bers from che nacional parliaments
of che Six. The European Parliament
meers in Srrasbourg, France. For rhe
time being, che Parliamenr has no
real powers over che Communicy
budgcc (alrhough chis is being re–
considered). lt is not allowed co
veto dccisions of che Council of
Miniscers.
The language barrier is one prob–
lem the Communiry inscicurions
consrantly face.
Ir
is a refleccion of
(Continued from page
23)
posicion che late Charles de ·Gaulle
rook while boycotting rhe Commu–
niry for 7 monrhs in 1965. De Gaulle
saw rhe EEC and lirsr Commission
President Walrer Hallsrein as moving
roo rapidly coward federarion. In
deference to De Gaulle and France,
Germany wirhdrcw irs supporr for
Hallsrein and Jean Rey succeedcd him
as Presidcnr of rhe Commíssion.
Thc supranacional EEC Commis–
sion is nor direcdy responsiblc ro
individual nacional governmenrs -
and is, in facr, expressly forbídden ro
PLAIN TRUTH August 1972
rhe various differing cultures repre–
senred in rhe EEC. Thcre are four
official languages - French, Ger–
man, Ducch and Iralian -in which
rhe Spokesman Group is consranrly
churning out translacions ro keep
rhc people of rhe six narions abreasr
of Communiry acrivities. If che four
candidare counrries do enter rhe
EEC as scheduled on January
1,
1973, this problem will be furrher
compounded. The English language
wil l, ro a large exrenc, dominare che
ncw member narions because of the
large number of Scandinavians who
speak
ic.
Anocher problem has been che
facr rhac rhe Communicy insriru–
tions have nor had che convencional,
accusromed prcsrigc and aurhoriry
of a nacional government. A single
nacional governmenr (in most cases)
has one defined ser of cultural values
ro work with. Ir has organizarions
and insriturions thac are long stand–
ing and recognized by che whole na–
cion. The insrirurions of che EEC
have had ro gingerly feel cheir way
along, hoping not ro cread on chese
tender or sensirive nacional feelings
en roure.
accepr insrrucrions üom nacional gov–
ernmenrs.
le
is being placed in second
posirion ro che Council of Minisrers,
who are directly responsible ro rhcir
nacional governmenrs.
Clcarly chen, a srrong central gov–
ernmenr for Europe is yer furure.
Bu r che Common Marker is fase
reaching a point where, by che very
narure of irs size and economic
power, more and more quesrions are
arising of an increasingly polirical na–
cure. These must be faced and ovcr–
come if rhe EEC is ro survive and if
rhe narions of Europe are ro conrinue
enjoying che increased prosperiry che
Common Marker has produced.
Uniry Coming Step by Step
This is in facr what men like Rob–
en Schuman and Jean Monner fore–
saw many years ago. Said Schuman in
1950: "Europc will not be built all at
once, or chrough a single comprehen–
sive plan.
It
will be builr rhrough
concrete achievemenrs, which will
first creare a 'de faero' solidariry....
These proposals will build che first
solid foundarions of che European
federarion which is indispensable ro
che preservation of peace."
Yec even Monner's federarion is
noc on che immediate horizon.
Words Aow endlessly about the
needs, but che polirical will has not
yet appeared. As J ean Rey wrote in
Vision
magazine: "What che Commu–
niry is really sutfering from coday is a
lack of leadership. l ts institutions do
nor enable ir ro meer its rcsponsi–
bilitíes. lt is che world's largest
rrading bloc, che largesr imponer of
agriculcural produces from the devel–
oping countries. Ir has rerrirory, laws,
common policies and intereses. I r
should rherefore be governed as any
of our coumries is governed, by a de–
cision-making political aurhority."
Bur up ro che prescnr rime, che Six
have not shown thc desire or felr che
need ro creare a "political aurhority."
Even che invasion of Czechoslavakia
in 1968 and che internacional mone–
rary crisis of 1971 have nor been
enough ro force che Six ro form a
cenrral polirical aurhority. The lesson
ro be drawn from the monetary crisis
- and all the crises che Six have
expcricnced up ro now - is rhar no
member stare is as yer willing ro sacri–
fice any interese ir considers viral.
They are unwilling ro give authoriry
ro a supranational government.
EEC officials themselves cake pride
in the fact rhat rhey are not involved
in marrees of defense and thar rhey are
che firsr internacional grouping in his–
rory ro operare only in rhe field of
economics and not in che field of po–
lirical coercion or milirary aligo-
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