European+Union


 * History **

The European Union was founded by Italy, Belgium, Germany, and France in 1952. The main purpose of the European Union is to prevent warfare between the neighboring states of Europe. It was created in part because of the circumstances leading up to World War II and its aftermath. For more information, go to the official site of the European Union: [].


 * Member States **

There are 27 European states in the EU. The most powerful states in the EU are Germany, France, and Britain.


 * Purposes/Goals/Objectives **

The main objectives of the EU are to promote economic cooperation (thus avoiding conflict), human rights, and environmental conservation.


 * Structure **

The EU has no one head body of control, but consists of several institutions such as The European Commission,The European Council, The European Parliament, the European Central Bank, The European Court of Justice, and The Council of Ministers. The European Commission derives its importance and power from the fact that it has the right to impose its decisions on treaties, laws, and policies it creates on states that are members of the European Union. It has to put any legislative proposals to the Council of Ministers. If these proposals are approved, they become law. This makes The Council of Ministers the most influential institution within the EU in regards to decision-making. It is the job of the Commission to apply the laws they create, which become EU policies. The European Council’s purpose is in setting the EU political agenda and dealing with complicated issues that can’t be dealt with at lower levels of multiple governments’ cooperation.

The European Parliament is made up of elected members. It is not a legislative organization.The Parliament can reject the annual budget of the European Union and, in theory, can also decline the European Commission if two-thirds of MEP’s (members of the European Parliament) vote for this.

The European Court of Justice’s purpose is to administer the laws of the Commision and community laws. It is made up of 15 judges appointed by the member states. For more information on the institutions of the EU, go to [].


 * Advantages of Joining **


 * The EU uses one common currency
 * People travel freely within most of the EU due to abolition of border controls between EU countries It has become much easier to live and work in another EU country.
 * Helped raise living standards
 * Promotes democracy and human rights
 * Fights climate change
 * Building a single Europe-wide market in which resources move among member states as freely as within one country


 * Disadvantages of Joining **


 * Building a single Europe-wide market in which resources move among member states as freely as within one country
 * Has the right to impose its decisions on member states of the European Union
 * Larger states have more to lose and less to gain than smaller ones


 * Effects on Local Diversity **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the goals the EU is striving for is the creation of a single market that operates for all of the member states. This would make all the states involved have only one market to operate within, decreasing local diversity. The interdependence of the market would limit the states economic opportunities. Also, the fact that traveling between EU countries is much easier would be a challenge to local diversity because of accessibility to moving from one state to another.

The European Commission. Retrieved from: []

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">The insitutions of the European Union. Retrieved from: []

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> European Union. How the EU Works. Retrieved from : []