Abstract
On 28th March 2001, Lionel Jospin, the French Prime Minister, made an interesting declaration. He said that: 'Europe is more than a market. It stands for a model of society that has grown historically'. This statement refers to the development of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) of 1951, into the European Union (EU) that we know today. This development has been far from easy and steady, and has depended on various factors such as international relations and international issues, as well as the performances of the European Community, the member states and the leaders of the member states and the Community. Each of these factors have either accelerated and facilitated the development of the EU or hindered it.
