Cichowski/Börzel 2
Law, Politics and Society in Europe
In the late 1950s, moved by a hope for peace and economic prosperity in Europe, six
governments constructed the foundations of an unprecedented form of supranational governance:
the European Community. Heads of governments came together around the negotiating table to
begin developing the rules and organizations that would govern what was largely an international
economic agreement. Public interest groups and the ordinary individuals of society were but a
distant presence at this table and public policies were not high on the agenda.
Today, in the year 2002, this same supranational space, the European Union (EU),
possesses an ever-expanding net of public policies and law: from maternity rights to
environmental protection. Further, national executives are no longer alone in this space. Instead,
individuals possess enforceable rights under EU law and public interest groups are now
permanent participants in EU policy processes. Similarly, EU organizations such as the European
Court of Justice (ECJ) are equally active in shaping and determining European policy outcomes.
This consequence was unimaginable from the point of view of the creators of the Treaty of Rome
and this path has evolved as a dynamic interaction between law, politics and society across
Europe. Far from merely characterizing historical expansion, the intersection between law and
politics remains at the heart of current and future developments in the EU.
Convention