유럽연합은 회원국가간 그리고 유럽연합 시민간 단일의 정체성을 유지하기 위하여 여러 가지 법적제도적 장치를 마련하고 있다. 특히 단일의 정체성을 확립하기 위한 기초적인 기반으로서 공동체법에 사회적인 평등을 위한 여러 가지 원칙을 등장시켰다. 구체적으로 유럽공동체 설립을 위한 조약(Vertrag zur Grndung der Europischen Gemeinschaft, Treaty of the European Community: 이하 EC조약) 제2조에서 회원국간의 연대감 조성을 위한 공동체의 목적을 적시하였고, 제12조에서는 국적에 근거한 차별금지의 원칙과 제13조에서 구체적이고 개별적인 원인에 근거한 차별금지의 원칙을 재천명하고 있다. 또한 이를 위하여 개별 사안에 따라 다시금 법적 지지기반을 만들어가고 있다. 예컨대 동법 제141조에서는 남녀동등대우의 원칙을 언급하고 있으며 여러 가지 지침을 통하여 청소년 보호문제, 직장 내에서의 여성 등의 소수자 보호문제 등을 지속적으로 언급하고 있다.문제는 구체적인 경우에 모든 회원국에서 이 같은 규정을 국내법에 수용하여 운영하는 것이다. 소수계층의 보호는 경우에 따라 국가나 개별주체의 이해관계와 밀접한 관련이 있을 수 있기도 하고, 때로는 소수계층의 보호로 소수계층의 상대자에 대한 역차별의 문제가 발생할 수도 있다. 물론 경우에 따라서는 유럽연합에서의 모든 시민이 하나의 거대조직을 유지하기 위하여 궁극적으로 가져야할 연대감이나 정체성의 문제를 고양하기 위하여 마련한 제도의 합목적성 안에서 소수계층에 대하여 정도를 넘어서는 제도적인 보호 장치나 법적 근거를 제고한다면 이는 일견 의미가 있을 수도 있다. 그러나 그 보호의 범위는 목적달성을 위한 최소한에 그쳐야 할 것이며 근본적인 보호법익을 해하지는 않아야 할 것이다.

It seems that the realization of the Giant European Union is coming soon with ten countries in the East European bloc according to the decision of the European Council on December 2002 in Copenhagen. They are very anxious about the outlook for the enlargement of the EU, however EU has improved various laws and regulations in such a way to meet the realistic needs of the qualitative growth continuously. 'Identify and Harmonisation' are a key term in EU social and legal policy field given its extensive usage, but they are also meagrely defined and established. At present, EU is confronted with keeping its identity and harmonisation in the internal part because it had accomplished a unitary union formally in spite of various races and racial differences in Europe. For this, EU has given an explanation on the principles of social equality in relations among the member states of EU and the citizen of their countries. In concrete terms, they are clearly stated a common cause which conduces to a sense of solidarity in relations among the member nations of EU in the Article 2, the principles of the discriminative prohibition based on nationality in the Article 12 and the principles of the discriminative prohibition based on a concrete and individual cause in the Article 13 of the EC Treaty. Besides for this, EU has put the principle of the equality of the sexes into action under the Article 141 as supporting base in law according to individual case and persevered in its efforts to protect the minority and the social weak through background in law as the above. As a result of close connection and interests of EU member states and individuals, the issue regarding protection of the minority level might be a discrimination by contraries. Hence EU has to go for legal procedure to protect the basic principles of the EU Treaty and identify itself as a common group and a common organization.

It seems that the realization of the Giant European Union is coming soon with ten countries in the East European bloc according to the decision of the European Council on December 2002 in Copenhagen. They are very anxious about the outlook for the enlargement of the EU, however EU has improved various laws and regulations in such a way to meet the realistic needs of the qualitative growth continuously. 'Identify and Harmonisation' are a key term in EU social and legal policy field given its extensive usage, but they are also meagrely defined and established. At present, EU is confronted with keeping its identity and harmonisation in the internal part because it had accomplished a unitary union formally in spite of various races and racial differences in Europe. For this, EU has given an explanation on the principles of social equality in relations among the member states of EU and the citizen of their countries. In concrete terms, they are clearly stated a common cause which conduces to a sense of solidarity in relations among the member nations of EU in the Article 2, the principles of the discriminative prohibition based on nationality in the Article 12 and the principles of the discriminative prohibition based on a concrete and individual cause in the Article 13 of the EC Treaty. Besides for this, EU has put the principle of the equality of the sexes into action under the Article 141 as supporting base in law according to individual case and persevered in its efforts to protect the minority and the social weak through background in law as the above. As a result of close connection and interests of EU member states and individuals, the issue regarding protection of the minority level might be a discrimination by contraries. Hence EU has to go for legal procedure to protect the basic principles of the EU Treaty and identify itself as a common group and a common organization.

The EC Treaty, The Principles of the Discriminative Prohibition, Equality of Opportunity, Principle of the Equality of the Sexes, Social Equality