THE EUROPEAN UNION
Brad, Victoria and Paige
BACKGROUND/TIMELINE
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Politico-economic union
28 member states
Formed after WWII
1948 Hague Congress- pivotal in European federal history
Led to European Movement International and the College of Europe
1951- Founding countries created the EU: France, Germany, Belgium,
Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands (united their coal and steel industries)
• 1952- creation of the European Coal and Steel Community “first step in
the Federation of Europe.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union
WHO/WHERE?
CROATIA
WHAT/WHEN?
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After WWII (1951-present)
Economic partnership bringing countries in Europe together
Most recent activity: Croatia joining the EU in July 2013
Trying to recruit more countries to create a stronger union
1951- first treaty was formed (Treaty of Paris)
Treaty of Paris: signed April 18 th 1951 by West Germany, Italy, France,
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands establishing the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC)
http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
WHY?
• Escape from extreme forms of nationalism
• Established a common market with a single currency and member states
agree to abide by common laws
• Foster economic cooperation
• The idea of being that countries whom trade with one another become
economically interdependent so more likely to avoid conflict
• Aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capitol
http://europa.eu/
EU SIGNIFICANCE
Crisis Response and Humanitarian Aid
• EU provides around 50% of global funding for emergency relief.
• Provides lifesaving aid to victims of disaster, refugees and others in dire
need
• Responds to international needs: earthquakes in Haiti, tsunamis in Japan,
or flooding in Pakistan
Force of Global Security
• Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), the EU operates civilian
and military missions worldwide
http://eeas.europa.eu/what_we_do/index_en.htm
HOW IS THE EUROPEAN UNION
DOING?
Ukrainian President Sets Sights on Closer E.U. Ties (2014)
• “The doors of the E.U. are open to us; I am absolutely convinced of this,” (President
Petro O. Poroshenko)
• Move towards European integration
GDP Rise
• Rise in GDP from 2005-2013 between the majority of the members of the EU
• E.g. Belgium (9.8), France (7.6), Germany (12.1), Luxembourg (18.3)
Economically
• 12 new members of the EU have higher growth rates than elder members
• Reasons for growth: government commitments to monetary policy, export oriented
trade policies, low flat tax rates, utilization of cheap labour
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/world/europe/petro-poroshenko-ukraineeu.html?_r=0
CURRENT IMPACT
https://www.google.ca/search?q=views+of+european+union+influences&biw
PROBLEMS WITH EU
Social problems
 High unemployment – more than six million jobs were lost from 2008 –
2013
 Poverty has increased
 High debt
 More limited action to education
http://www.bruegel.org/publications/publication-detail/publication/823europes-social-problem-and-its-implications-for-economic-growth/
VICTORIA
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/business/global/poll-shows-europeanunion-loses-favor-in-europe.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
PAIGE
• When countries join the European Union, they had to sacrifice a lot to get
where they are. Countries sacrificed their own economic independence.
• Each country has their own economic standing but it all revolves around
the union as a whole
• The unemployment rate in the European Union is 11.5 % in June, 2013
alone
• The government hasn’t been as flexible as it should be.
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The European union has 14 countries with a GDP below 10
• My personal opinion is that the union isn’t working like it did when it was
first started, it needs big changes that aren’t going to happen over night but
need to be made so that the failing countries are no longer failing. The
European union works as a whole when its succeeding but when its failing
Germany throws higher taxes and less sending at the country but it has yet
to work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/opinion/europes-recurring-malaise.html
BRAD: “… RESULTED IN DRAMATIC
CHANGES IN PEOPLE’S LIVES..”
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Creation of human rights:
Increase rights of indigenous people
Protection of children/ children’s rights
Women’s rights
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Fight against impunity (preventing crimes
against humanity, genocide etc.)
Non-discrimination (Article 21 under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European
Union prohibits discrimination)
Human trafficking (no tolerance)
Human rights defenders (UN declaration on Human Rights Defenders)
Work with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations)
Fight against the death penalty
Ban of torture and ill-treatment
Protecting and promoting the rights on LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender= equality rights)
INTERESTING FACTS
• The budget of the EU Parliament for 2012 is 1.7 billion euros, 24% of this
amount is spent for basic expenditures of MPs, such as travel,
accommodation, food etc.
• Germany is the country with the highest number of seats in the European
Parliament. Being the most populous country in the European Union, it
has 99 MPs
• 1/3 of the MPs are woman
• In 1990 the population and territory of the European Union were enlarged
when East Germany reunited with West Germany
http://evropskikutak.me/en/european-union/intresting-facts-about-eu