European integration: economic analysis and social reality

In 1952, at the opening of the intergovernmental conference on the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, Jean Monnet spoke the historic words: “Nous sommes là pour accomplir une oeuvre commune, non pour négocier des avantages mais pour rechercher notre avantage dans l’avantage commun”. In his view this common advantage was the safeguarding of peace through the mutual economic dependence of the members of a strong supranational institution. In practical policy-making the attention has shifted from common advantages to member-country advantages. This is only logical as the cohesion of the EC is based on a fair distribution of cost and benefits.