During 1950 – 1957 European Unity grew. Benelux was created during the early 50s, which allowed free trade, and no customer barriers between Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. This was early evidence of both growth and change for European Unity. Benelux was created to recover each of the three country’s economies by creating free trade etc.
Later the OEEC (Organisation of European Economic Co-operation) was introduced to decide how the ‘Marshall Aid’ should be spent. The OEEC meant that European countries were almost forced into unity. The countries had to join together to resolve where the money went and what it should it be spent on. 10 European countries had to work together to split the money because the US refused to have anything to do with splitting up the money.
The ECSC (European Coal and Steel Industry) was later introduced. This organisation had France, West Germany, Italy and Benelux within it. The ECSC was the first clear step towards a federal Europe. The ECSC was an economic success. Though it did not find modernising the coal industry an easy task, steel production increased by 42% in 5 years, faster than its main competitors. Leaders within the ECSC planned to create a common market without customs barriers between the member-states. A supranational authority would develop the economic policies of the area, which in population and wealth would rival the USA. This ECSC demonstrates growth of European unity and shows the improvements and change that were made. The ECSC made the countries work closer together, even more so than with the OEEC. This was definitely a step closer to European Unity.
The EEC (European Economic Community) was then introduced which is closely and directly linked to the ECSC. They both worked to increase the European economies. The EEC enlarged the area covered by the 6 countries. The EEC has the same number of countries involved as the ECSC had but the EEC has a larger slice of economy because it included other areas. The EEC had high authority in control over a larger economy compared with the ECSC. The EEC had two other organisations set up at the same time. These were European assembly and European Court. The EEC, then, increased the unity by the ways the countries communicate, the parliament and the court.
In conclusion the growth of the European Unity is evidential. Firstly the size of the Unity went from nothing to 3 Benelux countries all the way to 6 countries in the EEC in the time frame of 1950-1957. During this time the European Unity had an increase in complexity and an increase in areas of activity.