歐洲聯盟源自歐洲煤鋼共同體，與幾乎同一時代創立的經濟互助理事會，兩者地理他置相鄰，均為區域性的經濟統合組織。經過四十多年的發展，歐盟持續擴大，且擬議朝歐洲合眾國發展，有涵蓋全歐之勢；經互會卻已解?。本文以歷史途徑，就兩者共有的特質進行宏觀的比較研究發現，歐盟持續擴大及經濟互會終至解散的主要因素，圾在於「國家主權」的觀念是否與時俱進，兩者相互對照的現象至為明顯；甚至影響兩者內部運作的關鍵，是否願意讓渡部分國家主權卻仍是最主要的變項。至於兩個組織內部個別成敗因素以及外部影響，不在本文討論之例。

　　　　　Tge European Union (EU) and the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) were initially created in the era of cold war. EU in west Europe now is ambitiously going to be an organization to integrate the whole Europe, to achieve a United States of Europe; but CMEA, on the contrary as an organization composed on members most in east Europe, were dissolved after its 42-year establishment. By a study of historical approach, it can be found from a macro analysis that the most important factor is the different idea of sovereignty of state. Members of EU have been intentionally and voluntarily ceding authority in critical areas-political, economic and social-to a larger whole. Although there have been so much problems in the process of development of EU, the principles of "intention" and "voluntary" kept the organization going forward to the deeper and wider cooperation, hence, will also rewrite the definition of "nation state." On the other hand, members of CMEA insisted on the highest authority of independent sovereignty led the integration too difficult to be accomplished, so it dissolved finally.