The Success Of The European Union
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European Union became a very successful organization helping countries recover after wars as well as boost their economy and standard of living. At first the goals of the European Union where to unite fighting neighbours, now it is about uniting all European countries to preserve their culture and become a one big “family”. Looking at the quality of life in Europe I believe that the European Organisation has successfully achieved more than the goals that they have set. Rich countries set examples for poorer countries- which with a little bit of help manage to reach their level.
European Union was created by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Nederland and Italy in 1950 right after the WWII. They came together in order to create peace, clean up after the war and to stabilize the economy and politics. Few years later in 1957 the European Economic Community (EEC) or “common market” is created by the Treaty of Rome. In the sixties the European Union was making serious moves, first countries stop charging duties, when trading between each other, and then they had a joint control over food, so that everybody had enough eat. 1973 three countries join the Union; Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. October 1973 a brutal Arab-Israeli war started, which resulted in an energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. The last right-wing dictatorships in Europe came to an end with the overthrow of the Salazar regime in Portugal in 1974 and the death of General Franco of Spain in 1975. After that the EU regional policy starts to transfer huge sums to create jobs and help the infrastructure in poorer areas. Soon after that The European Parliament increases its influence in EU affairs and in 1979 all citizens can, for the first time, elect their members directly. A few years later in 1981, Greece becomes the 10th member of the EU and Spain and Portugal follow five years later. In 1987 the Single European Act is signed- a treaty which provides the basis for a vast six-year programme aimed at sorting out the problems with the free-flow of trade across EU borders and creating the вЂ?Single Market’. With the collapse of communism across central and Eastern Europe, Europeans become closer neighbours. In 1993 the Single Market is completed with the four freedoms of: movement of goods, services, people and money. The 1990s is also the decade of two treaties, the вЂ?Maastricht’ Treaty on European Union in 1993 and the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. In 1995 the EU gains three more new members, Austria, Finland and Sweden. The agreement of вЂ?Schengen’ is brought to life where it gradually allows people to travel without having their passports checked at the borders. The European Union gives an opportunity to millions of young people helping them study in different countries and supporting them financially. Farmers receive donations so that they can expand their agriculture. After the 9/11 in New York, the European Union decides to work closely together to fight crime. The next step was to heal the political divisions between east and west Europe. They achieved that by letting join another 10 countries in May 2004; Cyprus, Check Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
European Union is the biggest international organization. It takes part in many areas such as:
Agriculture
Audiovisual and Media
Budget
Competition
Consumers
Culture
Customs
Development
Economic and Monetary Affairs
Education, Training, Youth
Employment and Social Affairs
Energy
Enlargement
Enterprise
Environment
External Relations
External Trade
Fight against fraud
Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
Food Safety
Foreign and Security Policy
Human rights
Humanitarian aid
Information Society
Institutional affairs
Internal Market
Justice, freedom and security
Public Health
Regional Policy
Research and Innovation
Taxation
Transport
European Union sets standards to all these subjects, and they apply them to all the countries equally and fairly.
Another major success that the European Union has achieved is bringing to life “The euro” which is the single currency shared currently by 15 of the European Unions Member States, which together make up the euro area. The introduction of the euro in 1999 was a major step in European integration. Around 320 million EU citizens now use it as their currency and enjoy its benefits, which will spread even more widely as other EU countries adopt the euro. The euro is not the currency of all EU Member States. Two countries (Denmark and the United Kingdom) agreed an вЂ?opt-out’ clause in the Treaty exempting them from participation. The euro was created because a single currency offers many advantages and benefits over the previous situation where each Member State had its own currency. Not only are fluctuation risks and exchange costs eliminated and the single market strengthened, but the euro also means closer co-operation among Member States for a stable currency and economy to the benefit of us all. The benefits of the euro are diverse and are felt on different scales, from individuals and businesses to whole economies. They include:
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More choice and stable prices for consumers and citizens
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Greater security and more opportunities for businesses and markets
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Improved economic stability