The History Of The European Union Politics Essay

The History Of The European Union Politics Essay The European Community was an institutional framework for the construction of a united Europe. The European Community is commonly called the (EU) and later officially became known as the European Union (EU). It was created after World War II to unite the nations of Europe economically and politically by uniting their resources into a single economy. By doing so, another war would be less likely among neighboring countries. A number of European leaders became convinced that the only way to secure a lasting peace between their countries was to unite them economically and politically. This was the framework for the building of the early European Community which expanded into the European Union. The EU was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between its neighbors, which culminated in the World War II. In 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace The organization oversees cooperation among its members in diverse areas, including trade, the environment, transport and employment. (BBC) The six founding countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Based on the Schuman plan, these six countries signed a treaty to run their heavy industries of coal and steel. Thus under a common management no country could, on its own, make weapons of war to turn against the other as in the past. The founding fathers of the European Union, and regarded by many as the principal architects of European integration following the end of the World War II were: Konrad Adenauer Sir Winston Churchill Alcide de Gasperi Walter Hallstein Jean Monnet Robert Schuman Paul Henri Spaak Altiero Spinelli In 1957, the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC), or Common Market. Building on the success of the Coal and Steel Treaty, those six countries expanded cooperation to other economic sectors. They signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the EEC determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. (Goldberg, 2003) The idea was for people, goods and services to move freely across borders. In the 1960s, the early European Community continued to progress. The EU started its common agricultural policy in 1962, giving their countries joint control over food production. All farmers were paid the same price for their produce. The EU grew enough food for its needs and farmers earned well. There were unwanted side-effects, such as overproduction with mountains of surplus produce. Later in 1963, the EU signed its first big international agreement, a deal to help 18 former colonies in Africa. To date, this has expanded to 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions. In 1968, the original six countries removed customs duties on goods imported from each other, allowing free cross-border trade for the first time. They also applied the same duties on their imports from outside countries. The worlds biggest trading group was born. Trade among these six countries and of the EU and the rest of the world grew rapidly. In the beginning of the 1970s pollution was starting to become a problem especially in Scandinavia and Germany because of acid rain which was destroying forests. The EU eventually adopted laws to protect the environment, introducing the notion of the polluter pays for the first time, and since then Institutions such as the EU with its countries like the Netherlands and Germany have made it a cornerstone of their environment. (Bruyninckx, 2009) This led to the founding of pressure groups such as Greenpeace. In 1973, the original six countries expanded to nine when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom formally enter the EU. As a result, in 1974 to show their solidarity the EU leaders set up the European Regional Development Fund. Its purpose was to transfer money from rich to poor regions to improve roads, communications, attract investments, and create jobs. This came to account for one third of all EU spending. In 1979, EU citizens directly elected the members of the European Parl iament for the first time. Previously they were delegated by national parliaments. Members sat in pan-European political groups (Socialist, Conservative, Liberal, Greens, etc.) and not in national delegations. The influence of the Parliament was constantly increasing. Figure . European Summit at work.The EU continued its economic growth, political expansion, and industrial modernization. Membership of the EU reached double figures when Greece joined. They had been eligible to join since its military regime was overthrown and democracy restored in 1974. In the industrial sector, computers and automation were changing the way people lived and worked. To stay in the forefront of innovation The EU organized ESPRIT, the European Strategic Program for Information Technology in 1984. (Grande, Hanson, Lackman, 1994) That was the first of many research and development programs. Automated robots soon joined car factory production lines in the 1980s as well. In 1986, Spain and Portugal entered the EU, bringing total membership to 12. However, trade was not flowing freely across EU borders because of certain obstacles and differences in national regulations. european summit.jpg The Single European Act of 1986 launched a vast six year program to sort out those trade problems. The Act also gave the European Parliament more input and strengthened EU powers on environmental protection. Next in 1987, The EU launched the Erasmus program to fund university students that wanted to study in another European country for up to one year. Since then, more than 2 million students have benefited from this and similar EU plans. The collapse of communism across Central and Eastern Europe which began in Poland and Hungary, symbolized the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Faced by a mass exodus of its citizens to West, the East German government opened the gates. Germany was united after more than 40 years, and its Eastern part joined the EU in1990. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to some economic issues At the same time, consumers suddenly had access to goods and services that hadnt been available behind the Iron Curtain, and, for the first time in decades, entrepreneurs were able to start their own companies. (Tucker, 2009) More major expansions took place in the 1990s for the EU, and later the European Community was officially recognized as the European Union. In 1992, the Treaty on European Union (TEU) was signed in Maastricht. The Treaty established Community policies in six new areas: trans-European networks, industrial policy, consumer protection, education and vocational training, youth, and culture. (EU Legislation, 2007) It was a major EU milestone setting clear rules for the future single currency, foreign policy, security policy, and closer cooperation in justice and homeland affairs. Under the treaty, the name European Union officially replaced European Community. With old barriers gone, people, goods, services, and money moved around Europe as freely as within one country. In 1993, the single market and its four freedoms were established: the free movement of goods, services, people, and money had become reality. As the EU has expanded, more than 200 laws have been agreed on since 1986 covering tax policy, business regulations, professional qualifications and other barriers to try and open more frontiers. Unfortunately, free movements of some services were still delayed. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU which increased membership to 15 countries which covered almost all of Western Europe. In the late 1990s, the Schengen Agreement took effect in seven countries: Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Travelers of any nationality could travel between all of those countries without any passport control at the borders. Other countries have since joined the passport-free Schengen area. In 1997, there was the signature of the Treaty of Amsterdam. It built on the achievements of the treaty from Maastricht by laying down plans to reform EU institutions, to give Europe a stronger voice in the world, and to concentrate more resources on employment and the rights of its citizens. Later that year, EU leaders agreed to start the process of membership negotiations with 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta were also included in negotiations. In 1999, the Euro (European Currency) was introduced in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions only, notes and coins would come later. The Euro countries were Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland (Greece later incorporated the Euro in 2001). However, a countrys old currency must have had a stable exchange rate for two years and because of that Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom decided to stay out of the Euro area for the time being. There were other conditions as well, such as interest rates, budget deficits, inflation rates, and the level of government debt. Moving into 2000, changes to the Treaty of Nice agreed to open the way for enlargement by reforming EU voting rules. In 2001, the EU stood firmly alongside the United States in the fight against international terrorism after the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center killing over three thousand people. Moving into 2002, Euro notes and coins were introduced. Printing, minting, and distributing them in 12 countries was a major logistical operation. More than 80 billion coins were involved, and notes were the same for all countries. Coins had one common face, giving the value, while the other carried a national emblemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all currency circulated freely. Figure . EU PeacekeepersIn 2003, as part of its foreign and security policy, the EU took on peace-keeping operations in the Balkans. Their main concern was in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In both cases, EU-led forces replaced the NATO units. Internally, the EU agreed to create an area of freedom, security, and justice for all citizens by 2010. EU Peacekeepers.jpg In 2004, the EU finally finished the process of membership with eight countries (Bulgaria and Romania still remained candidate countries) of Central and Eastern Europe: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia joined the EU. This finally ended the division of Europe which had been decided by the Great Powers 60 years earlier at Yalta. Next, twenty-five EU countries signed a Treaty to establish a European Constitution in 2004. It was designed to streamline democratic decision-making and management in an EU of twenty five or more countries. It also created the post of a European Foreign Minister. The Constitution had to be ratified by all 25 countries before it could go into force. When citizens in both France and the Netherlands voted No to the Constitution in referendums in 2005, EU leaders declared a period of reflection. (EurActiv, 2007) The constitutional treaty signed in 2004 was meant to make the EU more efficient. In 2007, two more countries from Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Romania, joined the EU. This brought the total number of member states to twenty-seven. Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey were candidates for future membership, but have not yet been accepted. Later that year, the twenty seven EU countries signed the Treaty of Lisbon, which amended the previous Treaties. It was designed to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent, and thereby able to tackle global challenges such as climate change, security, and sustainable development. The Treaty of Lisbon aimed to make the EU primarily act more efficiently in security matters. Also in 2007, a Council decision was made determining the order in which the office of President of the Council should be held. The position is held for six months by each Member State on a rotational basis. The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union. The ministers of the Member States meet within the Council of the European Union. Depending on the issues on the agenda, each country is represented by the minister responsible for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.). Council responsibilities included: The Council passes laws, usually legislating jointly with the European Parliament. The Council coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States. The Council defines and implements the EUs common foreign and security policy, based on guide lines set by the European Council. The Council concludes, on behalf of the Community and the Union, international agreements between the EU and one or more states or international organizations. The Council coordinates the actions of Member States and adopts measures in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The Council and the European Parliament constitute the budgetary authority that adopts the Communitys budget. In 2008, Cyprus and Malta incorporated the Euro, increasing the size of the Eurozone to 15 Member States. The value of the Euro reached an all time high on July 18th at 1.5843 to the U.S. dollar. However, later in the year, the worldwide recession began to take its toll on the currency and European economies. Also in 2008, Sweden ratified the Lisbon Treaty. Slovakia incorporated the Euro in 2009, and the Eurozone now included 16 Member States. In December, the worlds three main credit ratings agencies downgraded Greeces debt, sending financial markets tumbling and raising concerns about other weak European economies like Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Italy. Concerns started to show as The leaders of the European Union gathered in Brussels in an emergency summit meeting that seemed to highlight the very worries it was designed to calm: that the world economic crisis has unleashed forces threatening to split Europe into rival camps. (Castle Erlange, 2009) Later that year, the previously signed Lisbon Treaty entered into force. As the EU struggled in 2010 to contain the debt crisis, Standard Poors in April downgraded Greeces sovereign debt to junk status, and cut Portugal and Spains credit ratings. The Eurozone finance ministers met in May to approve a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬110 billion ($146 billion) loan package to Greece. That June, the Euro reached a four year low, falling below à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.862017 ($1.19). Eventually the Euro began to comeback the EU recovered from the global financial crisis faster than expected, with business investments growing by an estimated 2% in 2010, but with public investment and housing development lagging. Strong corporate profits should enable this recovery to continue in 2011. (The World Factbook) To date, the EU continues to progress and move forward amid untimely setbacks. In closing, the European Community formed as a result of WWII with the intent of preventing European countries from another war, devastating destruction, and the loss of lives within its soon to be member States. The European Community gradually evolved into the European Union with the purpose of increasing economic integration, citizen socialization among its member States, modernizing industrialization, and to centralize a monetary currency among its member States. European citizens now have the freedom to live, work, and study in any part of the EU. Since the European Community began over half a century ago, the EU has taken great strides in achieving a greater sense of unity among its members States and throughout Europe. The future of the European Union rests in its ability to balance supranational (social) and intergovernmental (monetary) issues. While the EU decision-making process might become bogged down as the number of member States around the table increases, the EU has a solid foundation to evolve and prosper with the right unified leadership from within its member States.

Comparison Essay Cuba & U.S. Essay

In different countries they have different economics structures. Some countries are very similiar to other economies while some are the exact opposite. For example a country could have a whealthy economy while another country could have a poor one , just like the U.S. compared to Cuba. The U.S. consitution is designed to protect the rights of the states by establishing a federal system of government. The U.S. federalist system some powers belong to the national governemnt, others share governments and still others are shared by both. The constitution wanted to protect state rights. They also wanted a national that had suffient powers to maintain order and keep the country united. The difference between the U.S. and Cuba is according to the constitution of Cuba, the country is a socialist state and a republic. Cuba is not a democratic republic, in which they people elect leaders to represent them. Cuba is actually a dictatorship controlled by Fidel Castro and communist party the highest leading force of the society and of the state the party leaded by Castro, has about 400,000 members. The top officials in Cuba is fidel Castro who continues as Cuba’s supreme patriarch and leader whos pressence helps to legitimize the regine and preserve its intual cohesion. It remains to be seen if this intual cohesion can be maintained in the event that Castro becomes incapatated or dies. Ricardo Alareor de Quesada is the president of parliament and Juan Almeida Bosque is the vice president of the council of state. In Cuba the government, the primary player in the economy, has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase enterprise efficiency, and alleviate srious shortage of food, comsumer goods, and services but prioritizing of political control makes extensive reforms unlikely. Living standards foe the average Cuban, without access  dollars, remains at a depressed level compared with 1990. Income taxes and increased regulations introduced since 1996 have sharply reduced the number of legally self employeed from a high of 208,000 in January 1996. Much of Cuba’s recovery can be attributed to tourism revenues and foreign investment. Growth in 2001 should continue at the same level as the government balances the need for economic loosening against its concern for firm political control. Compared to the U.S. our economy is not stuggling as they are. From watching news recently Cuba’s from the U.S. send thier relavtives in Cuba american money because american money is worth more there. To conclude this essay Cuba is not a rich country and is struggling in there economy compared to the U.S. ,the U.S. has more organized goverment and equal economy.

`` For The Love Of Culture `` By Lawrence Lessig - 1740 Words

Copyright Laws Need an Update Since the beginning, copyrights have existed to protect people from theft of content, thus inspiring more creativity from the public. The interpretation of these laws has been twisted by large corporations to serve as a legal means to restrict content for public use and to gain from profitable licensing. It is essential that copyrighted materials are available to everyone for our culture to grow. With the copyright laws so perplexing and different depending on the context, individuals may not understand they are committing a crime by using information and be subjected to lawsuits, despite good intentions. Lawrence Lessig’s three proposals for copyright changes are key concepts facing issues like this. It is crucial we pay attention because our cultural future is in jeopardy. In Lawrence Lessig’s article â€Å"For the Love of Culture†, he explains his concern that our copyright laws are hampering our opportunity to learn about our pas t. Lessig gives us a good example in the beginning about a daughter of a late great American documentary. She felt it was important to re-master her father’s collections and make them available on DVD. Lessig describes the challenges she faced clearing permissions because of the copyright laws. He also explains how copyright laws are different when trying to access documentary films versus books. Lessig continues, explaining that Google scanned eighteen million books to have them accessible to the public.Show MoreRelatedEssay Filesharing1193 Words   |  5 Pagesinformation. Perhaps the most useful article I found was an article written by Lawrence Lessig, A Stanford professor and author of â€Å"Free Culture†. In his article Lessig pointed out that the battle against online piracy is hopeless the way it is currently being fought. He noted that prosecuting these so-called â€Å"pirates† has not led to an increase of profits for the artists nor a decrease in the amount if illegal filesharing.(2) Lessig also wrote about a consequence of P2P network piracy that I had not beforeRead MoreWhen Does Fair Use Become Theft and Viceversa680 Words   |  3 Pageslaw professor Lawrence Lessig, BoingBoing founder Cory Doctorow and Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, Gaylor proclaims sampling and remixing as a natural extension of human creativity. In his film, he identifies 2 major groups: the Copy Right (those who feel that ideas are intellectual property, locked up until purchase) and the Copy Left, who say the Public Domain must be defended to ensure the free exchange of ideas. Here are the 4 points of the remixers manifesto: 1 Culture always buildsRead MoreIntellectual Property: Information Must be Freely Available to Everyone2521 Words   |  11 Pagesstates â€Å"That after the expiration of the said term of fourteen years, the sole right of printing or disposing of copies shall return to the authors thereof, if they are then living, for another term of fourteen years,† (Article XI). Lawrence Lessig, author of Free Culture, does a good job of explaining it: â€Å"The act stated that all published works would get a copyright term of fourteen years, renewable once if the author was alive, and that all works already published by 1710 would get a single termRead Moreâ€Å"Today’s Internet Is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy† Andrew Keen (2007). Critique This Viewpoint.3659 Words   |  15 PagesThe aim of this essay is to mainly critique the viewpoint made by Andrew Keen that â€Å"Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy.† First, the brief introduction of Andrew Keen’s book and his viewpoints will be introduced. Second, the Web 2.0 applications such as 1) Wikipedia, 2) Blog, and 3) YouTube will be brought up into the essay and discuss their pros and cons to the Internet environment. Third, Keen’s arguments about these three Web 2.0 applications will be demonstratedRead MoreMarketing and E-commerce Business65852 Words   |  264 Pagesand services, and onli ne content. Mobile device use poses new security and privacy issues as well.  »Ã‚ » Location-based services lead to explosive growth in local advertising and marketing. †¢ Online privacy continues to deteriorate, driven by a culture of self-revelation and powerful technologies for collecting personal information online without the knowledge or consent of users. †¢ Internet security risks increase; cyberwarfare becomes a new way of conducting warfare among nation-states and

A short term cause of World War I was Kosovo Day, which...

A short term cause of World War I was Kosovo Day, which was a day for ethnic cleansing. This relates to World War II because Hitler had extermination camps to kill the Jews, and whoever else he didnt see fit to be in the world. The failure of the Directory eventually lead to the rise of Napoleon because in 1797, there were new elections. Because they couldnt agree on things, they relied on the military. So in 1799, the coup detat came about and led to Napoleon gaining power. (textbook pg. 552) Napoleons military victories lead to the coup detat because he took Egypt and threatened India to invade England. He didnt feel that the French were ready for it. Thinking that he was good by taking Egypt/India because it was the Britishs†¦show more content†¦The American Revolution cost Britain a lot of money to fight the war. So Britain taxed the colonies so they could pay the British soldiers for protection. Because of this, the Stamp Act and Intolerance Act were issued. During the Age of Imperialism, the developed countries were trying to get the undeveloped countries colonized. Europe was competing against this because they wanted the colonies that would provide them with ports for navies. Imperialism - domination of one country of the political, economic, and social and cultural life of another. The women during these times were making themselves known. They were beginning to open up and ask, or more so demand, what they wanted. During the French Revolution, two women created the Society of Revolutionary Republican Women. They did so after the women asked lower bread prices. But the National Convention was adjourned. They felt disrespected because most men felt that women belonged at home, taking care of his kids. The invention of new technology carried over throughout the years. After World War II, technology has progressed so much, that the first space shuttle had been made in 1957. Technology only progressed further to put rovers on other planets by 2004. By 1971, there was enough equipment to make computers. The Fall of Bastille saved the National Assembly because the King couldnt enforce his will anymore. Also, there was a new National Guard.Show MoreRelatedGenocide Throughout History Essay2576 Words   |  11 Pagespart a national, ethnic, racial, religious group by killing members of the group, causing serious bodily of harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction, imposing measures intended to prevent birth within the group and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group (Altman,14). When a planned genocide is occurring, ethnic cleansing is usually hand in hand. Ethnic cleansing is the systematicRead MoreThe Issue Of International Politics1846 Words   |  8 PagesThis essay focuses on one of the most controversial topics in international politics. The question of when, if ever, is it acceptable for states to take strict and in particular coercive military action against another state for the purpose of protecting humans at risk. After the end of the cold war, this became a lingering issue in international politics. During this period, there have been many cries for intervention - some of them being answered and some being ignored. But there continues to beRead MoreSimplifying the Kosovo Conflict through Media Correspondents Essay example6476 Words   |  26 Pagesbegan to arise from Europe. This time, however, it was not from Bosnia or Russia, but Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia, President Slobodan Milosevic was leading an all-out attack on the ethnic Albanians o f the country. Rumors of ethnic cleansing and genocide began to grow as the Serbians sought to drive all Albanians out of their country. By 1998, a full-scale war had erupted between the Albanians and the Serbians as both fought for autonomy of one tiny piece of land: Kosovo. When NATO finally intervenedRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesCritical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th