Legal Definitions - EEC

The European Economic Community (EEC) was a significant international organization established in 1957 by six European countries. It served as a crucial precursor to the modern European Union. The EEC's primary goal was to foster deep economic integration among its member states by creating a common market. This involved eliminating customs duties and other trade barriers, and ensuring the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people across national borders. The EEC aimed to boost economic growth, increase prosperity, and promote closer political cooperation in post-war Europe.

Here are some examples illustrating the function of the EEC:

• Imagine a Dutch electronics company in the 1970s wishing to export its televisions to Italy. Before the EEC, this would likely involve complex customs declarations, tariffs, and potentially different product standards for each country. Under the EEC's common market principles, the Dutch company could transport its televisions to Italy with significantly reduced bureaucratic obstacles and without incurring additional taxes simply for crossing the border. This demonstrates the EEC's success in removing trade barriers between member states.

• Consider a young German doctor in the 1980s who wanted to pursue a medical career in France. Thanks to the EEC's provisions for the free movement of workers, this doctor could apply for and accept a position in a French hospital without needing a specific work visa or permit that would typically be required for citizens from non-EEC countries. This illustrates how the EEC facilitated a unified labor market, allowing professionals to seek opportunities across member nations.

• Suppose a Belgian food producer in the late 1980s developed a new type of packaged snack. Once this product met the agreed-upon food safety and labeling standards within Belgium, it could generally be sold in other EEC countries, such as Denmark or Portugal, without having to undergo entirely separate and potentially conflicting approval processes in each individual nation. This highlights the EEC's efforts to harmonize economic policies and product standards, making it easier for businesses to operate across the common market.