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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 11

Publication Date: November 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/assrj.911.13361. Matthijs, H. (2022). The European Political Community: What’s Up? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(11). 99-104.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The European Political Community: What’s Up?

Herman Matthijs

Universiteit Gent

ABSTRACT

Since the beginning of October 2022 the European continent has a new institution:

“The European Political Community” (EPC). It’s a meeting of 44 European countries

and the leading institutions of the European Union (EU). This article overviews the

history and the realisation of the EPC Also the memberships and the aims are a part

of this study concerning the most recent European institution.

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the “European Political Community”. Based at this first commentaries and

the press releases of the presidency of the EU council.

This article pursues the following lines of inquiry:

- What are the reasons for the realisation of the EPC ?,

- Who are the members and why?,

- What’s up with the EPC in coming periods?

HISTORY

Already in the year 1952 an “European Political Community” was proposed and this together

with the already (1951) existed “European Coal and Steel Community” (ECSC) and the

“European Defence Community” (EDC). This EPC à la the proposed treaty of 1952 and approved

by the “ECSC” Assembly (the distant predecessor of the present European Parliament)

contained the following novelties for the six members (the three Benelux countries, France,

Italy and West-Germany) at that time: a directly elected assembly, a Senate appointed by the

parliaments of the six members and a supranational executive-government accountable to the

two parts of the EPC parliament.

But in 1954 the French parliament voted against the “EDC” and it was far from sure if other

national parliaments should vote in favour (f.e. the Dutch parliament) for this “EPC” treaty,

edition 1952. That was also the end of the idea of an “EPC” in the post- world war II years in

Western Europe.

The EU Council meeting in June 2022 agreed to launch the “European Political Community” with

the aim of bringing together as many of countries on the European continent in relation with

the Russian war against Ukraine. The original idea came from the French President Macron in

May 2022. During the six first months of the year 2022 the French republic was the president

of the European Council (second part 2022: Czech republic, first period 2023: Sweden). (EU

Council, 2022/1).

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 11, November-2022

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Macron said, in a speech before the European Parliament on 9 May 2022, that his idea of the

creation of the EPC would be a new European institution to provide a space of democratic

European nations with shared core values. The President of the French republic proposed areas

for cooperation in the political field, security cooperation, energy and the free movement of

people (House of Commons, 2022). The Macron proposal came in response of the recent

applications for EU membership from Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine. The left liberal President

Macron referred to the idea of the socialist President Mitterrand in 1989 for a European

confederation (Notre Europe, 2022).

AIMS

The EU Council Concilium press release (2022/2) says that the “EPC” aims to:

- Foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest;

- Strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent;

- Particular more cooperation in regard of the European energy crises.

The permanent presidency of the EU council, Charles Michel, underlines in his communiqué

that the “EPC” does not replace any existing organisation, structure or process, nor does it aim

to create a new one at this stage. The EU informal Council of 7 October 2022 at Prague says that

the ambition of the “EPC” is: “to bring leaders together on the European continent and to foster

their cooperation on issues of common interest, revolving around peace and security, the

economic situation, energy and climate, migration and mobility.” (EU Council, 2002/3).

INVITATION

After the proposal of President Macron and the approval by the EU Council it was the duty of

the permanent presidency of the EU council to post the invitations for the following list of

countries and institutions, namely:

- The 27 members of the European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,

Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Finland, France,

Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland,

Portugal, Romania, Slovak republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden;

- The four EFTA (European Free Trade Agreement) states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

and the Swiss confederation;

- The presidency of the EU Commission and the permanent presidency of the EU Council;

- The Balkan states which are at present not an EU member: Albania, Bosnia &

Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Concerning Kosovo the

EU Council presidency says: ‘This designation is without prejudice to positions on status

and is in line with the ‘United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/1999 and the

‘International Court of Justice’ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence (EU

Council, 2002/2);

- The south-eastern states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldavia, Turkey and Ukraine;

- The former EU member : the United Kingdom.

That means that 44 countries were invited and also the presidencies of the EU Council and the

Commission or 46 delegations. Remarkable is that the mini-states ( Andorra, Monaco, San

Marino and Vatican City ) didn’t get an invitation. But Liechtenstein, as an EFTA member, was

at the table in Prague.

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Matthijs, H. (2022). The European Political Community: What’s Up? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(11). 99-104.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.911.13361

Not invited were the two states in war: the Russian Federation and partner Belarus. In the

weeks and months before the creation of the “EPC” three far east countries: Georgia, Moldavia

and Ukraine demanded the Eu membership.

All the 31 members ( 27 European Union and 4 EFTA ) of the “European Economic Area” (E.E.A.)

are invited to this new organisation. Due to the fact that governments are invited, the “European

Political Community” is an intergovernmental organisation with as establishment date and

place: 6 October 2022 at Prague. This first “EPC” meeting was also an opportunity to bring

together the governments of America and Azerbaijan, two countries in war. Concerning this

situation the “EPC” meeting resulted in the fact that Armenia agreed to facilitate a civilian EU

mission alongside the border with Azerbaijan. This last country and friend of Turkey agreed to

cooperate with this mission (EU Council, 2022/2).

All the European members of the NATO (23 in the EU, including Finland and Sweden), Norway,

Iceland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia are ”EPC”

members or 30 of the 32 NATO states (excluded: Canada and the USA) with the creation of the

“EPC” the United Kingdom is back at the European table.

Liz Truss said in June 2022, then foreign Minister, that her country didn’t support the proposal

of President Macron.

Mrs. Truss emphasised that the United Kingdom sees the NATO as the key for the European

security and the “G7” (members: USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the United

Kingdom and the EU Council/Commission) as the key economic alliance (House of Commons,

2022).

But in September 2022, as new Prime Minister Truss announced that she would be attending.

The UK proposed the changing of the name: “EP Community” in “EP Forum” in order to remove

possible connotations with the European Communities, the forerunner of the EU. The United

Kingdom wanted also a limited role of the EU institutions inside the “EPC”, knowing that the UK

recently left the Union. At present it’s unknow how the new British Prime Minister, after the

resignation of PM Ms. Truss, will react in regard of this EPC idea ?

In this group of “EPC” members, there are countries (f.e. Serbia and Turkey) which haven’t

taken sanctions to the Russian federation for the Ukraine military invasion. After the first

“European Political Community” the participants decided to held two “EPC” summits each year,

alternating between EU countries and non - EU members. After the Czech republic, it will be

Moldavia to organise the “EPC” spring meeting. Spain is the host country in the autumn 2023

and the fourth “EPC” summit will be organised on British territory in 2024. But the agreement

for holding next tops means that the “EPC” invited countries and institutions are convinced of

the usefulness of further meetings in the context of the “EPC”.

CONCLUSION

After the first EPC summit the conclusion is that the summit was relatively informal and

intergovernmental. There was and is no-supranational aspect in this EPC idea.

The first invitations for the “EPC” summit were launched by the permanent presidency of the

European Union and the rotating presidency of this council (Czech republic). It’s not clear which