THREE DIMENSIONS OF CONNECTING STATES IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

European integration is a significant economic and political process that began immediately after the end of World War II and continues to develop. This paper focuses on the three initial dimensions that connected states during the formation of this process: the economic dimension, the dimension of overcoming conflicts, and the ideological dimension.The economic dimension refers to the direct connection of Western European states for the purpose of economic and industrial reconstruction, primarily embodied in the Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program - ERP), adopted by the United States. The implementation of this plan led to the establishment of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), through which Western European countries abolished trade barriers and enhanced economic cooperation.The dimension of overcoming conflicts is reflected in the military and political cooperation among these nations, demonstrated by the formation of the Western European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE/OSCE).The ideological dimension represents a crucial form of connection in post-war Europe, evidenced by the formation of the first regional international organization, the Council of Europe, in 1949. It aimed to promote democracy, liberal values, the protection of human rights and freedoms, and market freedom.The author concludes that this multifaceted cooperation (these three dimensions of connectivity) enabled European states to resolve various political, economic, commercial, national, and cultural antagonisms. This resolution was a vital prerequisite for the later formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the direct forerunner of today's European Union (EU).