THE MAASTRICHT TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION
Abstract
In a technical sense the ·Maastricht Treaty is an amendment of the Treaty of
Rome founding the European Economic Community but, in substance, it expands the
area of Community activity and advances further West European economic and political
integration. However, whilst adding new dimensions to the existing design it also,
for the time being, sets limits to Community activity by providing that "any action of
the Community shall not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of
the Jreaty" and that the Community will act "only if and in so far as the objectives of
the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States"1
• This
double brake reflects the so-called "subsidiarity principle" which confirms that the relationship
between the Member States and the Community is based on a dele,gation
of sovereignty, the powers vested in the Community being limited in scope and their
exercise confined to what is necessary to achieve the common objectives which exceed
the capacity of any single Member State. The principle safeguards the residual
powers of the Member States and guards against the adventurism of the Community
institutions and the ambitions of their bureaucracy.
Keywords
THE MAASTRICHT TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION
Abstract
In a technical sense the ·Maastricht Treaty is an amendment of the Treaty of
Rome founding the European Economic Community but, in substance, it expands the
area of Community activity and advances further West European economic and political
integration. However, whilst adding new dimensions to the existing design it also,
for the time being, sets limits to Community activity by providing that "any action of
the Community shall not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of
the Jreaty" and that the Community will act "only if and in so far as the objectives of
the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States"1
• This
double brake reflects the so-called "subsidiarity principle" which confirms that the relationship
between the Member States and the Community is based on a dele,gation
of sovereignty, the powers vested in the Community being limited in scope and their
exercise confined to what is necessary to achieve the common objectives which exceed
the capacity of any single Member State. The principle safeguards the residual
powers of the Member States and guards against the adventurism of the Community
institutions and the ambitions of their bureaucracy.
Keywords
