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The European Union

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states. It was established after World War II to promote cooperation and prevent future wars between European countries. Over time, through various treaties, it transitioned to a single market and adopted goals of democratic governance, economic cooperation, and a unified security policy. Today, the EU is governed through institutions that represent member states, citizens, and common interests to continue its mission of prosperity, freedom, and cooperation across Europe.

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98 views2 pages

The European Union

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states. It was established after World War II to promote cooperation and prevent future wars between European countries. Over time, through various treaties, it transitioned to a single market and adopted goals of democratic governance, economic cooperation, and a unified security policy. Today, the EU is governed through institutions that represent member states, citizens, and common interests to continue its mission of prosperity, freedom, and cooperation across Europe.

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The European Union (EU

The European Union (EU) is a unification of 27 member states united to create a


political and economic community throughout Europe. Though the idea of the EU might
sound simple at the outset, the European Union has a rich history and a unique
organization, both of which aid in its current success and its ability to fulfill its mission
for the 21st Century.

History

The precursor to the European Union was established after World War II in the late
1940s in an effort to unite the countries of Europe and end the period of wars between
neighboring countries. These nations began to officially unite in 1949 with the Council
of Europe. In 1950 the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community expanded
the cooperation. The six nations involved in this initial treaty were Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Today these countries are referred
to as the "founding members."
During the 1950s, the Cold War, protests, and divisions between Eastern and Western
Europe showed the need for further European unification.
In order to do this, the Treaty of Rome was signed on March 25, 1957, thus creating
the European Economic Community and allowing people and products to move
throughout Europe. Throughout the decades additional countries joined the
community.

In order to further unify Europe, the Single European Act was signed in 1987 with the
aim of eventually creating a "single market" for trade. Europe was further unified in
1989 with the elimination of the boundary between Eastern and Western Europe -
the Berlin Wall.

The Modern-Day EU

Throughout the 1990s, the "single market" idea allowed easier trade, more citizen
interaction on issues such as the environment and security, and easier travel through
the different countries.
Even though the countries of Europe had various treaties in place prior to the early
1990s, this time is generally recognized as the period when the modern day European
Union arose due to the Treaty of Maastricht on European Union which was signed on
February 7, 1992 and put into action on November 1, 1993.

The Treaty of Maastricht identified five goals designed to unify Europe in more ways
than just economically. The goals are:

1) To strengthen the democratic governing of participating nations.


2) To improve the efficiency of the nations.
3) To establish an economic and financial unification.
4) To develop the "Community social dimension."
5) To establish a security policy for involved nations.

How a Country Joins the EU

For countries interested in joining the EU, there are several requirements that they
must meet in order to proceed to accession and become a member state.
The first requirement has to do with the political aspect. All countries in the EU are
required to have a government that guarantees democracy, human rights, and the
rule of law, as well as protects the rights of minorities.
In addition to these political areas, each country must have a market economy that
is strong enough to stand on its own within the competitive EU marketplace.
Finally, the candidate country must be willing to follow the objectives of the EU
that deal politics, the economy, and monetary issues. This also requires that they
be prepared to be a part of the administrative and judicial structures of the EU.

How the EU Works

With so many different nations participating, the governance of the EU is challenging,


however, it is a structure that continually changes to become the most effective for the
conditions of the time. Today, treaties and laws are created by the "institutional
triangle" that is composed of the Council representing national governments, the
European Parliament representing the people, and the European Commission that is
responsible for holding up Europe's main interests.
The Council is formally called the Council of the European Union and is the main
decision making body present. There is also a Council President here and each
member state takes a six month turn in the position. In addition, the Council has the
legislative power and decisions are made with a majority vote, a qualified majority, or a
unanimous vote from member state representatives.

The European Parliament is an elected body representing the citizens of the EU and
participates in the legislative process as well. These representative members are
directly elected every five years.

Finally, the European Commission manages the EU with members that are appointed
by the Council for five year terms- usually one Commissioner from each member state.
Its main job is to uphold the common interest of the EU.

In addition to these three main divisions, the EU also has courts, committees, and
banks which participate on certain issues and aid in successful management.

The EU Mission

As in 1949 when it was founded with the creation of the Council of Europe, the
European Union's mission for today is to continue prosperity, freedom, communication
and ease of travel and commerce for its citizens. The EU is able to maintain this
mission through the various treaties making it function, cooperation from member
states, and its unique governmental structure.

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