| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ITO Takayuki Waseda University, School of Politics and Economics, Professor, 政治経済学部, 教授 (30002140)
TSUBOGO Minoru Kitakyushu University, school of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (20118061)
KATO Tetsuro Hitotsubashi University, School of Sociology, Professor, 社会学部, 教授 (30115547)
WAKAMATSU Takashi Chuo University, school of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (90055244)
ONO Koji Nagoya University, school of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (70126845)
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| Research Abstract |
1) EC integration began to assume a new aspect in February 1992, when the epoch-making Maastricht Treaty was signed. In order to grasp the whole current state of European integration, this study offer a general understanding of three aspects of this integration, namely the issues of "completion" (market integration), "deepening" (economic and political integration), and "enlargement" (for example, the creation of the EEA between the coutries of EFTA and the EC member atates, or the association agreements with various coutries of the former USSR and eastern Europe).
2) In order to understand the process of EC integratin enough, we researched the medium-sized and smaller member states as well as the larger member states (Germany, France, United Kingdom). And we also took those non-member states who wish to join the Union, and other neighboring countries in consideration. The integration process is examined in relation to each country's internal political changes, as well as to the mutual interaction between the two levels.Our analysis shows that European-wide environmental problems, national or ethnic problems and government-level disputes regarding the reorganization of the welface atate have resulted in the appearance of new political parties (such as the Green Party, or nationalist or regional parties) or in the struggle for existing parties to redifine their principles. These examples show that the effects of individual countries' characteristics upon integration process must be studies alongside the common influence of EC integration upon political changes within various coutries.
3) EC as political organization has taken the character of a kind of supranational political organization. So the status of the modern nation-atate is being undermined. This study conciders the challenge to the nation-satate (including from subnational units such as ethnic groups and an increasing number of social movements), and examines the future possibilities for the nation-state.
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