I like how you completely ignored the main point I was making (namely that freedom of movement is an exclusive achievement of the European Union, only available to people living in EU member states, and that Schengen has nothing whatsoever to do with it) and quibbled with my framing of the EU and EEC.
You were incorrect in bringing up Schengen. That is my main point. Try and respond to it. Now to the sidelines.
Yes, the EEC was changed when it was renamed in 1993. Not radically, though. It still is mostly about economics and its main goal is to create a common market. That includes freedom of movement. The famous two pillars that were added in 1993 – namely security and justice – haven’t seen all that much love from EU member states and are for the purpose of this discussion irrelevant.
The EEC was political, the EU is political. Making a distinction there doesn’t make any sense. The European Parliament is much older than the EU. The European Commission is much older than the EU. Those are all political institutions.
Yes, how those elements work together was changed in 1993 but that’s it.
I was referring only to the "buy ticket and go" part, that is free travelling, which was made possible by Schengen. To work you indeed used to need a visa (some EU countries still need that even today btw), you are right there.
The rest of your post is just sad. I think you're trolling, but in case you really don't see the difference between the original integration process (voluntary cooperation of nation states, read up on De Gaulle&co) and the current state of the EU (anything but), that's delusional. I suggest you open an arbitrary newspaper today and see what's happening in Europe.
You were incorrect in bringing up Schengen. That is my main point. Try and respond to it. Now to the sidelines.
Yes, the EEC was changed when it was renamed in 1993. Not radically, though. It still is mostly about economics and its main goal is to create a common market. That includes freedom of movement. The famous two pillars that were added in 1993 – namely security and justice – haven’t seen all that much love from EU member states and are for the purpose of this discussion irrelevant.
The EEC was political, the EU is political. Making a distinction there doesn’t make any sense. The European Parliament is much older than the EU. The European Commission is much older than the EU. Those are all political institutions.
Yes, how those elements work together was changed in 1993 but that’s it.