Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 31 views

    European Union

    Uploaded by

    no4russo
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 25 European countries. It was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty, building on earlier economic and political cooperation dating back to 1951. Key activities of the EU include establishing a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people across member states, a common currency adopted by 12 countries, and common agricultural and fisheries policies. There are currently 25 EU member states, with Bulgaria and Romania set to join in 2007 and Turkey beginning accession negotiations in 2005. Recent reports indicate some new member states are experiencing a "youth drain" as young, well-educated citizens leave for better opportunities in western Europe.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    European Union

    Uploaded by

    no4russo
    31 views6 pages
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 25 European countries. It was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty, building on earlier economic and political cooperation dating back to 1951. Key activities of the EU include establishing a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people across member states, a common currency adopted by 12 countries, and common agricultural and fisheries policies. There are currently 25 EU member states, with Bulgaria and Romania set to join in 2007 and Turkey beginning accession negotiations in 2005. Recent reports indicate some new member states are experiencing a "youth drain" as young, well-educated citizens leave for better opportunities in western Europe.

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The European Union is an economic and political union of 25 European countries. It was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty, building on earlier economic and political cooperation dating back to 1951. Key activities of the EU include establishing a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people across member states, a common currency adopted by 12 countries, and common agricultural and fisheries policies. There are currently 25 EU member states, with Bulgaria and Romania set to join in 2007 and Turkey beginning accession negotiations in 2005. Recent reports indicate some new member states are experiencing a "youth drain" as young, well-educated citizens leave for better opportunities in western Europe.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    31 views6 pages

    European Union

    Uploaded by

    no4russo
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 25 European countries. It was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty, building on earlier economic and political cooperation dating back to 1951. Key activities of the EU include establishing a single market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people across member states, a common currency adopted by 12 countries, and common agricultural and fisheries policies. There are currently 25 EU member states, with Bulgaria and Romania set to join in 2007 and Turkey beginning accession negotiations in 2005. Recent reports indicate some new member states are experiencing a "youth drain" as young, well-educated citizens leave for better opportunities in western Europe.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 6

    European Union

    European flag

    Motto: In varietate concordia


    (Latin: Unity in diversity)

    Headquarters

    Brussels

    Parliament

    Strasbourg (official seat), Brussels, Luxembourg City

    Official languages2

    Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish,
    Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish

    Area
     - Total

    Ranked 7th3
    3,976,372 km²

    Population
     - Total (2005)
     - Density

    Ranked 3rd3
    457,030,418 (EU-25)
    116.4 people/km²

    Largest city

    London

    GDP (2005)
     - Total (nominal)
     - Per capita (PPP)

    Ranked 1st3
    $13,926,873,800,000
    $26,900

    The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25


    European countries, known as member states. The European Union was established under
    that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). However,
    many aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor
    relationships, dating back to 1951. According to the Lisbon Agenda the European Union
    or EU is to become until the end of the decade the most advanced economic, technological
    and cultural area of the Earth.
    The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from health and economic
    policy to foreign affairs and defence. However, the extent of its powers differs greatly
    between areas. Depending on the area in question, the EU may therefore resemble:
     a federation (for example, on monetary affairs, agricultural, trade and environmental
    policy)
     a confederation (for example, on social and economic policy, consumer protection,
    home affairs)
     an international organisation (for example, in foreign affairs)

    A key activity of the EU is the establishment and administration of a common single


    market, consisting of a customs union, a single currency (adopted by 12 of the 25 member
    states), a Common Agricultural Policy and a Common Fisheries Policy.

    European Union member states


    Current members
    There are currently 25 member states in the European Union. Together with their dates of
    accession, these are:
     Austria (1995)
     Belgium (founding member: 1952/58)
     Cyprus (2004)
     Czech Republic (2004)
     Denmark (1973)
     Estonia (2004)
     Finland (1995)
     France (founding member: 1952/58)
     Germany (founding member: 1952/58)
     Greece (1981)
     Hungary (2004)
     Ireland (1973)
     Italy (founding member: 1952/58)
     Latvia (2004)
     Lithuania (2004)
     Luxembourg (founding member: 1952/58)
     Malta (2004)
     The Netherlands (founding member: 1952/58)
     Poland (2004)
     Portugal (1986)
     Slovakia (2004)
     Slovenia (2004)
     Spain (1986)
     Sweden (1995)
     United Kingdom (1973)

    Future and prospective members


    Acceding nations

    Acceding countries (with year of submitting and accession):


     1995, Bulgaria, completed negotiations, set for membership in 2007.
     1995, Romania, completed negotiations, set for membership in 2007.

    Candidate nations

    The following states have submitted applications for EU membership (with year of
    submitting):
     1987, Turkey, expected to start negotiations in October 2005. (EU-Turkey Customs
    Union is in force since 1995)
     2003, Croatia, was set to start negotiations in March 2005, but they have been
    postponed.

    Other nations

     2004, Republic of Macedonia, currently in the process of being recognized as a


    candidate country by the EU.

     Switzerland has a long-standing EU membership application. The Swiss


    government's stated long-term aim is for Switzerland to join the EU when certain
    key conditions are met [1]. A recent study by the Demoscope institute found that
    51% percent of those polled were against EU membership.

     Norway has previously submitted applications, but twice rejected membership in


    referenda. In November 2004, a study by the Opinion Institute found 56% of those
    who expressed an opinion were in favour of joining the EU, ten years after rejecting
    the idea by referendum. A representative of the institute stated that this has been the
    balance of power for two to three years. This was confirmed by another poll in April
    2005. After two rejections of the EU constitution in France and Netherlands, 59% of
    Norwegians were opposed to membership in the EU according to a survey taken
    immediately after the referenda. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, a leading
    figure in the 1994 'no' campaign who now sees the benfits of intergration, plans to
    raise the subject of joining midway through the next parliament, although the matter
    will not form part of his election manifesto. Norway's two largest political parties,
    Labour and the Conservative Party, are largely pro-EU but supporters of EU
    membership say they are waiting for public opinion to stabilise before launching a
    third campaign. A new EU membership debate will be started after 2007, when a
    date for a referendum will be set and, pending a positive outcome, negotiations will
    be launched on Norway's accession

    Brussels says things are looking up for euro zone economy


    12.08.2005 - 09:53 CET | By Lisbeth Kirk

    EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The European economy appears to be regaining some


    momentum and the indications are that things will continue to improve in the
    second half of the year, the European Commission announced yesterday (11
    August)

    Presenting its growth figures for the second quarter of 2005, the Commission said
    that the euro zone had grown by 0.3%, a much stronger performance than most
    analysts had expected, although weaker than the 0.5% seen in the first three
    months of the year.

    The figures were helped by some surprisingly strong economic growth from Italy,
    which has rebounded from recession but were dragged down by stagnation in
    Germany, Europe’s largest economy.

    The Commission also said that growth should be higher in the fourth quarter of the
    year (September to December), forecasting 0.4%-0.8%.

    The economy should be spurred on by better economic conditions globally and the
    fact that the recent decline in the value of the euro against the dollar has made life
    easier for European exporters, Brussels said.

    The European Central Bank also sounded a slightly more optimistic note on the
    European economy. In its monthly report published yesterday, the Bank said that
    the economy should grow in a "sustained, albeit gradual manner".

    Although this may not seem like an especially optimistic outlook, it represents a key
    departure from the ECB’s usual language and signals a marked change in the Bank’s
    usually more gloomy assessment of the economy.

    However, there was little comfort for those euro zone politicians calling for lower
    interest rates. The ECB repeated its opinion that it believes rates – at a historically
    low level of 2% - were "appropriate".

    And the Bank warned that high oil prices, which continue to rise strongly, could
    dampen the recovery. The ECB said it was also worried about the low level of
    consumer confidence in the euro zone.

    Economists and market participants now expect the Bank to increase borrowing
    costs rather than decrease them, which would potentially slow the economy and
    harm the consumer.

    Fear of 'youth drain' from new member states


    11.08.2005 - 08:44 CET | By Honor Mahony
    EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Some new member states are battling with a 'youth drain'
    as well-qualified young people leave for jobs in western Europe, according to a new
    report.

    Published on Wednesday (10 August) by the NGO, European Citizen Action Service
    (ECAS), the report suggests that "3% to 5% of young new member states nationals
    who [have] completed a third-level education tend to leave their home countries for
    better wage prospects".

    "Sending countries (such as Poland or Hungary) fear not simply a brain drain but
    rather a youth drain", states the report.

    Statistics show that workers tend to be predominantly young (18-34) and male.

    Poland, as the biggest new member state, has the most nationals abroad. Poles make
    up the biggest number of eastern workers in the UK (98,235 or 56%), Ireland
    (40,000) and Sweden, where Poles account for 60 percent - all three member states
    opened their borders to new member state workers.

    In Germany, where there is a seven-year transitional period before free movement is


    allowed, Poles are again the most numerous, with 216,575 seasonal workers and
    almost 20,000 contractual workers registered in the first half of 2004.

    Scare-mongering
    ECAS says that the statistical data on migration within the EU since enlargement last
    year shows that fears about an influx of workers to old member states proved to be a
    myth.

    "The scare-mongering was wrong", said Tony Venables, head of ECAS adding "There is
    still an enormous gap between the public perception of enlargement and what is
    happening on the ground".

    The authors of the report suggest that particularly in the UK, Ireland and Sweden,
    migrants from new member states tend to be temporary, so do not bring their family,
    and take jobs that others cannot or will not do.

    In Warsaw, for example, a training school has been set up to prepare Polish dentists to
    work in Britain, where there is a lack of dentists.

    Ireland most popular destination


    However, the lack of restrictions in the UK, Sweden and Ireland has led to a sharp
    increase in the numbers of workers coming to these countries, when compared to pre-
    enlargement data.
    In the UK, 175,000 workers have registered - much higher than the 5,000 to 10,000
    predicted by the British government.

    Similarly, in Ireland, 85,000 social security numbers have been allocated to migrants
    from accession countries, a high percentage for the small four-million strong country.

    In Sweden, which is the only country that also allows equal access to its social security
    system, there was a 70 percent increase in the number of applications for residence
    permits.

    But arguing that these workers fill a gap that needed to be filled, Mr Venables said that
    the justification for transitional measures restricting workers - in 12 of the 15 old
    member states -"appears indefensible".

    He also indicated that there may be a link between the transitional measures and the
    'Polish plumber' syndrome in France, which has become a metaphor for all the fears
    about cheap eastern labour.

    He suggests that because it is so difficult for a Polish worker to get employed in


    France, the worker becomes self-employed, and charges cheaper Polish prices.

    You might also like