European Union Essay Research Paper The European

European Union Essay, Research Paper

The European Union is a union of fifteen independent states bases on the European Communities that was founded in 1993 in order to enhance political, economic and social co-operation.

The 15 participating countries are the following:

- Austria – Germany – Holland

- Belgium – Greece – Portugal

- Denmark – Ireland – Spain

- Finland – Italy – Sweden

- France – Luxembourg – United Kingdom

All these countries, although different in opinion, traditions, are united by a common ideal: to make Europe a better place to live by keeping peace and freedom.

The aim of the European Union is to promote economic and social progress, which is balanced and sustainable, bring the European identity on the international scene and introduce the European citizenship for the nationals of the member states.

The ultimate goal is ‘an ever close union among the people of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen.’

The European Union has its own flag, anthem and it celebrates the Europe Day on the 9th of May.

Each Community had, and still has, its own legal base, a Treaty. The Treaties provide a set of policy objectives or goals, institutions to execute them, a decision-making process, and definition of the legal forms to bring those decisions to reality. Over the years, the Treaties have been substantially amended, affecting the Union’s competence, institutional structure, and decision-making processes.

Some future objectives of the Union are:

- to implement the Treaty of Amsterdam, which revises the basic treaties on which the EU is founded. It contains new rights for citizen, freedom of movement, employment, strengthening of institution.

- to enlarge the EU, to include countries from central and eastern Europe as well. This was specified in ‘Agenda 2000′, a detailed strategy for ’strengthening growth, competitiveness and employment, for modernizing key policies and for extending the Union’s borders through enlargement as far eastwards as the Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova’ (President Santer Jacques in the Agenda 2000). This Agenda is the Commission’s much anticipated communication on the future development of the European Union. Introducing the Agenda 2000, the president Jacques Santer also said that ‘Enlargement represents a historic turning point for Europe’.

- to launch the Euro – the single currency of the European Monetary Union which is adopted by 11 countries as from 1st Jan. 1999.

Five institutions can participate in the legislative process under the EC Treaty. Each has its constitutional role. The main three are the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.

The European Commission has the main role to steer the Union in new directions. It operates as a source of policy initiatives and works closely with the Parliament and the Council. Basically it represents the common interests of the Union and it has the sole right to initiate legislation. The Commission is also the Union’s administrative body, overseeing member state implementation of directives and enforcing regulations. Another responsibility of the Commission is to manage the ECU budget and to take decisions in fields such as competition, agriculture and trade policy. It has also important responsibilities for aid and development in the 3rd countries.

One of its limits is that it has not power to take legislative decisions.

After the Commission transmits its proposals, the Council of the European Union, representing the member states, acts on Commission proposals and has the final or joint legislative authority with the Parliament. It has also role in establishing an internal market (no borders between states, that guarantees freedom of movement inside the Union) and that the objectives put by the Treaty are reached by coordinating the general economic policies of the member states of the EU by adopting proposals from the Commission.

The European Parliament represents the people of the European Union, by acting as the EU’s public forum in debating issues and questioning the Commission and Council. It has three fundamental powers:

- legislation power

- the power of the purse

- the power to democratic supervision.

The Parliament is also able to guide and promote the EU’s development and co-operation programs with all the world’s developing countries.

By adopting resolutions on its own initiative, the Parliament is a political driving force generating several initiatives for the development of the Community policies. It regularly works together with the Commission and the Council to develop or modify existing policies, or introduce new ones.

European integration is an important and ambitious project. Europe is currently experiencing high unemployment and Europeans are uncertain about how to find a way out. Part of the solution to it is the European Monetary Union. It is a great benefit for the Cyprus and the whole European economy.

Apart from the advantages at the general economic level, EMU offers individual benefits. Companies and citizens will profit from the stability of the single currency, from lowered costs, and from the new transparency in the Common Market due to the direct

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать