Farewell to the European Community: The Lisbon Treaty and the Conceptual Shifts of a Sui Generis Public Law Experience

Abstract

After a quick look at some of the new provisions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, the article aims to bring to light some of the legal and ideological implications related to the decision of erasing all references to the term “Community” from the Lisbon Treaty. Starting from an etymological analysis of the term “Community”, the research explores how the decision to give such a name to the first successful experiments of European integration in 1951 and in 1957 was, on the one hand, a cultural legacy of the Thirties and Forties and, on the other hand, necessary in order to achieve some political goals. In line with this, it will be possible to understand how the term «Community», quite unusual in the context of international organizations, allowed for more opportunities than the term “Union”, which seems, prima facie, to embody the old federalist dream of the United States of Europe.