The genesis of the European Union can be traced back to the post war period when six nations formed the European Coal and Steel Community. Part of the European project has always been political – to the extent that it sought to ensure that there would never be another European war with all the suffering and destruction that it would bring. That body was superseded with the Treaty of Rome, in 1957, which brought the European Economic Community (EEC) into being.
The EEC did away with customs charges between its members and the common agricultural policy (the infamous CAP) was intended to ensure that Europeans had enough food production for their needs at a time when rationing had only recently ended. The EEC expanded to ten members in 1973 when the UK, Ireland and Denmark joined the founding partners; Germany, France, Belgium, Italy,Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The European Union (which has now expanded to 27 nations) was created in 1993, following the Maastricht agreement of 1991. Its principal aim was to establish a single European market.
It’s fair to say that the people of Europe have always been ambivalent about the EU; Maastricht accord required that referenda in several member countries were held twice since a narrow majority rejected the agreement when first polled (the UK Conservative government ratified the accord without a referendum). In the UK, “Euroscepticism” has become a popular political platform with appeal found across the whole political spectrum.
The Prime Minister has stated it is his policy to try to renegotiate the terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU and, if he is returned to office in 2015, an “in-out” referendum would be held by 2017.
The European Commission and UK proponents of continued membership have done such a poor job of making the arguments for the status quo that were such a referendum held today, a majority may well be in favour of leaving. The EU is an easy target for (British) politicians, but if the UK were to leave, the consequences for the nation would be serious. A group of leading business men have made their opinion clear that Eurosceptics are putting politics before economics in a letter published in the Independent newspaper. Given that the government is clearly trying to paint a (rightly) apocalyptic view of the future of Scotland outside the UK ahead of a vote on Scottish independence to be held next year, they would be well advised to see the UK’s future in broader terms themselves; no matter how many easy votes are to be had from Brussels bashing.