欧洲一体化在艰难中缓步推进

European Integration:Slow Progress in A Hard Time

自1991年12月欧共体12国在马斯特里赫特举行首脑会议达成建立欧洲经济货币联盟和政治联盟条约(简称马约)以来,欧洲一体化进程遇到了不少障碍,几乎处于停滞不前状态。本文着重就当前欧洲一体化进程中遇到的主要难题、原因及今后的发展趋势作一剖析。一体化进程滞缓遇阻欧共体委员会今年2月向欧洲议会呈交的年度报告承认,由于“

Since Maastricht Treaty was signed at the EC summit in December 1991, European integration has hardly had any major progress. Although Danish second referendum and British House of Commons approved the Treaty recently, the whole process of European Union construction has been deferred. That the movement of European integration undergoes setbacks and slows down should be attributed to the European economies steadily deteriorating since 1990. In each of the EC countries the growth of economy has been continuously on the decline, while the unemployment keeps rising. The crisis of European Monetary System has furthermore frustrated directly the program for European Economic and Monetary Union. The instability of political situation in a number of member states and the frictions between the EC and the US reduced the momentum of European integration. The way of European integration being long and tortuous, all the member states have realized that there is no way to retreat. European Single Market will be gradually improved and enlarged into Pan-European single market. The EC, too, will overcome obstacles to accomplish'horizontal'enlargement. In deepening European integration, however, the EC is going to come across great hurdles as the countries' related interests are complicated. As for the Political Union, it won't go plain sailing; in terms of the advance of the Economic and Monetary Union, two or even more speeds will be inevitable.