Supranationalism

A form of political organization that partially transcends the sovereignty of its constituent units, increases the permeability of their boundaries, but that falls short of becoming a complete federation, in that the states so incorporated retain a significant measure of political independence. A cluster of states that joins together to promote trade and economic development, or to enhance their collective security, is not necessarily a supranational group. To reach this distinction, a greater degree of integration beyond simply promoting mutual interests must be sought and achieved. Some commentators consider supranationalism to be a form of political globalization. 

The first use of the term in a legal document appears to be in the Treaty of Paris in 1951, which formally established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), setting the stage for the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC) with the promulgation of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. After adding members steadily for several decades, the EEC became the European Union (EU) under the Masstricht Treaty in 1994. Other international organizations may be “supranational” to a limited extent, but to date the European Union remains the most ambitious example of supranationalism.

The motivation behind the drive toward supranationalism in the European region has several points of origin. In the aftermath of World War II European countries sought some mechanism beyond simple treaties to ensure a lasting peace on the continent and to avoid a repetition of the massive destruction of the first half of the 20th century. Economic integration was viewed as such a mechanism, because by tightening economic (and ultimately, political) ties, the basis for conflict would be undermined, a notion that is the foundation of economic peace theory in the field of international relations. This is made quite clear in the famous statement by the French politician Robert Schuman, in which he held that economic integration would make war “materially impossible” in Europe. 

In addition, some of the smaller European countries were at a disadvantage in competing against the larger economies and sought to cooperate as a larger, single economic space to be more competitive. This was the case with the Benelux customs union, formed in 1948 between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The reduction of customs duties and other impediments to trade between the Benelux countries led to rapid economic growth and other benefits, and the Benelux union along with the ECSC provided the basis for further integration. The three Benelux states then joined with the larger economies of West Germany, Italy, and France in forming the EEC. The EEC was much more than a simple customs union, because from an early point it attempted to coordinate economic policy among its members, some of whom initially resisted what they viewed as efforts to erode their national sovereignty.