Will the European Union collapse?
The European Union is an ambitious concept but it was broken by the financial crisis of 2008. The financial crisis can be summed up as the aftershock effect . The economic collapse that is...
By: Bolh Nake
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Will the European Union collapse? - Video
Motto:"United in diversity"[1][2][3] Anthem:Ode to Joy [2](orchestral) Capital Brussels (de facto)[4][5] Largest city London Official languages Demonym European[6] Member states Leaders - President of the Commission Jos Manuel Barroso (EPP) - President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy (EPP) Legislature Legislature of the European Union - Upper house Council of the European Union - Lower house European Parliament Establishment - Treaty of Paris 23 July 1952 - Treaty of Rome 1 January 1958 - Merger Treaty 1 July 1967 - Treaty of Maastricht 1 November 1993 - Lisbon Treaty 1 December 2009 Area - Total 4,381,376km2 (7tha) 1,691,658sqmi - Water(%) 3.08 Population - 2012estimate 507,890,191[7] (3rda) - Density 116.2/km2 300.9/sqmi GDP(PPP) 2014estimate - Total $16.773 trillion[8] (2nda) - Per capita $33,084[8] (17tha) GDP(nominal) 2014estimate - Total $18.451 trillion[8] (1sta) - Per capita $36,393[9] (16tha) Gini(2010) 30.4[10] medium HDI (2011) 0.876[11] very high 13th/ 25tha Currency Euro (EUR) in the eurozone Time zone (UTC+0 to +2) - Summer(DST) (UTC+1 to +3[a]) Calling code 28 codes Internet TLD .eu[b] Website europa.eu a. If considered as a single entity.
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe.[12][13] The EU operates through a system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states.[14][15]Institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors, and the European Parliament. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.
The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958, respectively. In the intervening years the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993.[16] The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.
The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area (which includes 22 EU and 4 non-EU states) passport controls have been abolished.[17] EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital,[18] enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade,[19]agriculture,[20]fisheries, and regional development.[21]
The monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002. It is currently composed of 18 member states that use the euro as their legal tender. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the WTO, the G8, and the G-20.
The EU is considered to be a potential superpower.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] With a combined population of over 500million inhabitants,[30] or 7.3% of the world population,[31] the EU in 2012 generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of 16.584 trillion US dollars, constituting approximately 23% of global nominal GDP and 20% when measured in terms of purchasing power parity, which is the largest economy by nominal GDP and the second largest economy by GDP (PPP) in the world.[32] The EU was the recipient of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.[33]
After World War II, moves towards European integration were seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism that had devastated the continent.[34] The 1948 Hague Congress was a pivotal moment in European federal history, as it led to the creation of the European Movement International and also of the College of Europe, a place where Europe's future leaders would live and study together.[35] 1952 saw the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, which was declared to be "a first step in the federation of Europe", starting with the aim of eliminating the possibility of further wars between its member states by means of pooling the national heavy industries.[36] The founding members of the Community were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The originators and supporters of the Community include Alcide De Gasperi, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and Paul-Henri Spaak.[37]
In 1957, the six countries signed the Treaty of Rome, which extended the earlier co-operation within the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and created the European Economic Community (EEC), establishing a customs union. They also signed another treaty on the same day creating the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for co-operation in developing nuclear energy. Both treaties came into force in 1958.[37]
The EEC and Euratom were created separately from ECSC, although they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The executives of the new communities were called Commissions, as opposed to the "High Authority". The EEC was headed by Walter Hallstein (Hallstein Commission) and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand (Armand Commission) and then tienne Hirsch. Euratom would integrate sectors in nuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union between members.[38][39]
Throughout the 1960s, tensions began to show with France seeking to limit supranational power. However, in 1965 an agreement was reached and hence in 1967 the Merger Treaty was signed in Brussels. It came into force on 1 July 1967 and created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities (EC), although commonly just as the European Community.[40][41]Jean Rey presided over the first merged Commission (Rey Commission).[42]
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European Union - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Motto:"United in diversity"[1][2][3] Anthem: Political centres Largest city London Official languages Demonym European[6] Member states Leaders - President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy (EPP) - President of the Commission Jos Manuel Barroso (EPP) Legislature Legislature of the European Union - Upper house Council of the European Union - Lower house European Parliament Establishment - Treaty of Paris 23 July 1952 - Treaty of Rome 1 January 1958 - Treaty of Maastricht 1 November 1993 Area - Total 4,381,376km2 (7tha) 1,691,658sqmi - Water(%) 3.08 Population - 2012estimate 507,890,191[7] (3rda) - Density 116.2/km2 300.9/sqmi GDP(PPP) 2011estimate - Total $15.821 trillion[8] (1sta) - Per capita $31,607[8] (15tha) GDP(nominal) 2011estimate - Total $17.577 trillion[8] (1sta) - Per capita $35,116[9] (14tha) Gini(2010) 30.4[10] medium HDI (2011) 0.876[11] very high 13th/ 25tha Currency Time zone (UTC+0 to +2) - Summer(DST) (UTC+1 to +3[12]) Calling code 28 codes Internet TLD .eu[13] Website europa.eu a. If considered as a single entity.
The European Union (abbreviation: EU) is a confederation of 28 member countries in Europe, started in 1957 as the European Economic Community (EEC). It has created a common economic area with Europe-wide laws allowing people to move and trade in other EU countries almost the same as they do in their own. Seventeen of these countries also share the same type of money: the euro.
The Treaty of Lisbon is the most recent treaty that says how the Union is run. Every member state signed to say that they each agreed with what it says. Most importantly, it says which jobs ('powers') the Union should do for the members and which jobs they should do themselves. The members decide how the Union should act by voting for or against proposals.
The objective of the EU is to bring its member states closer together with respect of human rights and democracy. It does this with a common style of passport, common rules about fair trading with each other, common agreements about law enforcement, and other agreements. Most members share a common currency (the euro) and most allow people to travel from one country to another without having to show a passport.
After World War II, the countries in Europe wanted to live peacefully together and help one another's economies. Instead of fighting for coal and steel, the first member countries (West) Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg created one European Coal and Steel Community in 1952.
In 1957 in the Italian city of Rome, the member countries signed another treaty and made the European Economic Community. Now it was a community for coal, steel and for trade. Later it changed the name to the European Community.
In 1993, with the Treaty of Maastricht it changed its name to the European Union. Now the member countries work together not only in politics and economy (coal, steel and trade), but also in money, justice (laws), and foreign affairs. With the Schengen Agreement, 22 member countries of the EU opened their borders to each other, so people can now travel from one country to the other without a passport or identity card. Now already 16 member countries have replaced their national currencies with the euro. 10 new countries became members of the EU in 2004, 2 more became members in 2007, and 1 more in 2013. Today there are 28 member countries altogether.
On 12 October 2012, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
A person who is a citizen of a European Union country can live and work in any of the other 27 member countries without needing a work permit or visa. For example, a British person can move to Greece to work there, or just to live there, and he or she does not need permission from an authority in Greece.
In the same way, products made in one member country can be sold in any other member country without any special permissions or extra taxes. For this reason, the members agree rules on product safety - they want to know that a product made in another country will be as safe as it would be if it had been made in their own country.
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European Union - Simple English Wikipedia, the free ...
Reuters Apr 14, 2014, 06.13PM IST
(Ukraine dominated talks)
LUXEMBOURG: The European Union threatened Russia with more sanctions on Monday over its actions in eastern Ukraine, which Britain said was being destabilised by Moscow, although some EU states said diplomacy should be given more time.
Ukraine dominated talks among EU foreign ministers after Kiev threatened military action against pro-Russian separatists occupying government buildings in the east.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, arriving for the meeting in Luxembourg, said there could were was no doubt that Moscow was behind the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine.
"I don't think denials of Russian involvement have a shred of credibility," Hague told reporters, adding that the EU now needed to discuss adding more people to a list of 33 Russian and Ukrainian officials targeted by EU asset freezes and travel bans over the Ukraine crisis.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the EU must now agree how the list could be expanded.
"The EU has to make it clear to Russia what are the consequences of any possible future actions in eastern Ukraine," he said. "I expect a very specific signal when we can expect sanctions if Russia takes further steps."
But other governments were more cautious on sanctions, underscoring concerns in parts of Europe about antagonising a power with an energy stranglehold over the bloc, and put their faith in talks planned for Geneva on Thursday.
Germany said the planned meeting between the EU, the United States, Russia and Ukraine could help calm tensions even though the option of sanctions remained on the table.
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European Union threatens Russia with more sanctions over Ukraine
Member states could hold an emergency summit next week to adopt further measures.
EU foreign ministers acted in response to a deepening of the crisis in Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists ignored an ultimatum on Monday to leave occupied government buildings.
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"We have agreed ... to expand the sanctions," Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in Luxembourg.
EU officials will now begin work on a list of new names of people who they believe played a role in violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. They will be added to a list of 33 Russian and Ukrainian officials already under EU asset freezes or visa bans.
The ministers again held out the threat of imposing tougher sanctions on Russia, such as trade and financial restrictions, if Moscow took further steps to destabilise Ukraine. Any further tightening of sanctions will likely depend on the outcome of a meeting between the EU, the United States, Russia and Ukraine planned for Geneva on Thursday.
"There may be a meeting of heads of state and government next week at European level, which may adopt new sanctions," French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said.