ローマ条約50年

経済統合の回顧と展望

抄録

The European Union is today the most developed integration body in the world with the single market and the single currency. What effects did the Rome Treaty signed in 1957 have on this integration development?
The Rome Treaty was based on free competition principles and oriented towards a common market. It had a structure with a systematic economic constitution. But, it was impossible to create a common market with four freedoms, since national independence was regarded as the most important objective in Western Europe. In the 1960's, the European Economic Community created only a customs union and an agricultural common market.
When the European Community faced a true economic crisis in the 1980's, it could jump to the internal market integration, namely common market building. As the Rome Treaty was formulated along a common market building, the Treaty was easily reorganized with the simple Single European Act of 1986. Since the Rome Treaty included several clauses to abolish non-tariff barriers (NTBs), the EC could make preliminary practices in the 1970's and in the first half of the 1980's. As the Treaty was so systematic for abolitions of NTBs, the treaties after it could be formulated by adding new clauses to the Treaty or correcting old clauses. It made the development of the single market integration easier.
After 50 years from the Rome Treaty, the EU economy looks very strong, even in comparison with the American economy. What are reasons? The present paper regards the three epoch-making economic integration after the 1980's as the most important: internal market building, monetary integration and the eastern enlargement, The three integrations revitalized the old European economy by a kind of creative destruction in the Schumpeterian sence. The western European companies and banks organized a pan-European production networks by marching into Eastern Europe, where they organized a production bases for the western European companies. There has been a reaction, which stimulated economic innovation in Western Europe and it made the whole European economy competitive in the world.
In the 21st century, emerging market economies have been rising. They want their economies to be modernized, mechanized and equipped with better infrastructure. As the American economy was too developed towards service economy, the country cannot reply to the needs of the emerging economies. Europe can do, because it keeps its heavy and chemical industries strong. The present paper has a prospect that Europe will be able to compete in the world in the beginning of the 21st century.