4.2. NATO, ECSC & EURATOM:

Belgium has become a very important State regarding International Law for its active participation in many International Organizations.

Before Brussels became the headquarters to the European Union, Belgium was also a relevant Member State of NATO, Euratom, and the ECSC.

NATO: The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created through the ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. Belgium was one of its 10 founding members. To this day, Belgium has continued supporting the NATO and its core objectives, which include the promotion of peace and stability among its members, through the handling of crisis, the mutual defense of its members, and the cooperation in the area of international protection.

Its headquarters were originally established in London, but they were transferred to Paris in 1952. However, since France withdrew from the military structure in 1966, the headquarters is settled in Belgium.

• ECSC. The European Coal and Steel Community was created in 1951 through the Treaty of Paris and Belgium was one of its original members. All of the members of the Benelux joined the ECSC. Its main objective was: ‘to supervise its members reduction of their excess production of coal as that mineral was replaced by petroleum as an industrial fuel’ since 1962. However, its original objective was ‘to create a common market for coal and steel’ for its Member States. (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016)

Given the importance of the coal industry in Belgium, it originally was one of the members which generated a lot of output, which was specially notorious after the Second World War. However, it forced the region of Wallonia to decrease the production of coal during the 1960’s, which damaged the economy of the region.

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  Euratom: The European Atomic Energy Community was created in 1957 through the Euratom Treaty. It was established by the ECSC. It is an International Organization which establishes a common market for nuclear resources. Since nowadays it is regulated by the EU organs, Belgium also plays an important role in the organization, and it was one of its founding members. It also tries to ensure the ‘secure access to nuclear materials and technology for peaceful uses and research.’ (Institute for Government, n.d.)

• EEC: The European Economic Community was also created in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome. All the topics which this organization is  involved in are related to economy. Among its objectives we can point out the establishment of a common market, fixing a common tariff, and a shared agricultural policy. After the signature of the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992, this organization was renamed as the European Commission (EC). This year, The ECSC, Euratom and EC (previously ECC) became components of the new EU.

IMAGES:

1. European Commission. (n.d.). Euratom. Retrieved December 2018, from European Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/euratom#Article
2. NATO. (n.d.). Retrieved from North Atlantic Treaty Organization: https://www.nato.int/

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Leboutte, R. (2017). 14 Coal Mining, Foreign Workers and Mine Safety: Steps towards European Integration, 1946-85. In A. Croll, Towards a Comparative History of Coalfield Societies. Routledge.

CITED WORKS:

1. Institute for Government. (n.d.). Euratom. Retrieved December 2018, from Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/euratom

WEBGRAPHY:

1. Institute for Government. (n.d.). Euratom. Retrieved December 2018, from Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/euratom
2. Gabel, M. (2018, September). European Community. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Community-European-economic-association
3. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (2016, March 15). European Coal and Steel Community. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Coal-and-Steel-Community