The European Community in the 21st Century Why an EC Security Policy is the Surest Route to European Union

Abstract

As the 1990s get into their stride and the 21st century comes into view, a great debate rages in the European Community: will the EC develop into a super-state, armed with genuine powers, or will it end up as no more than a querulous nanny-state laden with rather humdrum responsibilities? As a journalist who has lived in Brussels since 1978, back when the EC was still seen by news editors as more of a ‘technical’ than a political story, I find myself following the discussion with interest and even with mounting excitement. Yet I also cannot help but feel that so far the highly charged debate over the Maastricht Treaty and the future of European integration has missed the point.