It tackles a wide range of international crime: drug trafficking, trade in stolen vehicles, people trafficking and illegal immigration networks, the sexual exploitation of women and children, child pornography, forgery, the trafficking of radioactive and nuclear material, terrorism, money-laundering and counterfeiting of the euro.
They have shocked the world by attacking the symbols of basic European values such as religious freedom and freedom of speech. Examples of these terrorist acts include the attack on staff in the offices of a satirical magazine in Paris in January and the murder of hundreds of people in several attacks across Europe.
Europeans are faced with an unpredictable enemy, often with financial and military bases in the Middle East and Africa, and are therefore considering both increased cooperation between European intelligence services as well as political and military action outside Europe. Other measures taken to fight terrorism in Europe include better control by airlines of people coming into and leaving the EU.
It is now compulsory for airlines to register their data in passenger name records, which under certain rules can be used by police across Europe to fight terrorists. At present, many different judicial systems operate side by side in the European Union, each within national borders. But international crime and terrorism have no respect for national boundaries.
This is why the EU needs a common framework for fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and counterfeiting, so as to guarantee its citizens a high level of protection and to improve international cooperation in this area. The EU also needs a common criminal justice policy, to ensure that cooperation between the courts in different countries is not hampered by their differing definitions of certain criminal acts.
The main example of practical cooperation in this field is Eurojust, a central coordinating structure established in The Hague in Its purpose is to enable the national investigating and prosecuting authorities to work together on criminal investigations involving several EU countries.
Another tool for practical cross-border cooperation is the European arrest warrant, operational since January It replaces lengthy extradition procedures. In the area of civil law, the EU has adopted legislation to help apply court rulings in cross-border cases involving divorce, separation, child custody and maintenance claims.
The aim is to ensure that judgments in one country are applicable in another. The EU has established common procedures to simplify and speed up the settlement of cross-border cases in small and uncontested civil claims like debt recovery and bankruptcy. In economic, trade and monetary terms, the European Union has become a major world power. It is sometimes said that the EU has become an economic giant but remains a political dwarf.
This is an exaggeration. The European Union has considerable influence within international organisations such as the WTO and the specialised bodies of the United Nations, and at world summits on the environment and development.
Nevertheless, it is true that the EU and its members have a long way to go in diplomatic and political terms before they can speak with one voice on major world issues. Military defence the cornerstone of national sovereignty remains in the hands of national governments, whose ties are those forged within alliances such as NATO.
These policies were introduced by the Treaties of Maastricht , Amsterdam and Nice Decisions in this area are taken by consensus, although individual states can abstain.
Since , this post has been occupied by Federica Mogherini who is also a Vice-President of the European Commission. The aim of EU foreign policy is, essentially, to ensure security, stability, democracy and respect for human rights — not only in its immediate neighbourhood e.
At the same time, the EU actively encourages these countries to respect the rule of law, human rights and support for civil society, as well as to open up their markets to international trade. The Commission and the European Parliament are careful to ensure that the aid is provided in an accountable manner and is properly managed and used.
That is the main challenge for the years ahead. The EU has also been a very active player in the international negotiations concerning the civil war in Syria. Meanwhile, the large Member States continue to play their own individual diplomatic roles.
Yet it is when the European Union speaks with one voice that it is seen as a truly global player. Since , the European Union has had the capacity to carry out crisis management operations, as the Member States voluntarily make some of their own forces available to the EU for performing such operations. These bodies are answerable to the Council and are based in Brussels. This set of tools is what gives substance to the common security and defence policy.
It enables the EU to carry out the tasks it has set itself — humanitarian and peacemaking or peacekeeping missions. Since , the European Union has launched over 30 military operations and civilian missions. These missions and operations, under the European flag, are being or have been deployed on three continents.
As military technology becomes ever more sophisticated and expensive, EU governments are finding it increasingly necessary to work together on arms manufacture — especially at a time when countries are striving to reduce public spending to help them weather the financial crisis.
Moreover, if their armed forces are to carry out joint missions outside Europe, their systems must be interoperable and their equipment sufficiently standardised. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has mentioned the need in the long term to establish a real European defence policy.
This is a perspective that might gradually gain ground as more Europeans realise that their common security interests should be linked to the defence of their values and strategic interests. No current power, great or small, can single-handedly ensure the military power to guarantee the security of its population in an unstable world.
The EU has the competence to deal with trade matters on behalf of its Member States. This system provides a degree of legal certainty and transparency in the conduct of international trade. The WTO sets conditions under which its members can defend themselves against unfair practices like dumping selling below cost through which exporters compete against their rivals. It also provides a procedure for settling disputes that arise between two or more trading partners.
All of their exports, with the sole exception of arms, enjoy duty-free entry to the EU market. The EU does not, however, have specific trade agreements with its major trading partners among the developed countries like the United States and Japan.
Here, trade relations have been handled through the WTO mechanisms, but bilateral agreements are being negotiated. An economic and trade agreement was concluded between Canada and the European Union in and signed between these two parties in October This includes issues such as customs barriers, harmonisation of standards, access to public markets, the recognition of appellation of origin and how to settle disputes. Another main feature of the agreement should ensure that standards used worldwide in the future are not decided by other competitors, such as China.
The EU insists on respect for high standards in food safety, social protection, data security and cultural diversity.
If the agreement enters into force, it is expected to increase economic growth in the EU countries. The European Union is increasing its trade with the emerging powers in other parts of the world, from China and India to Central and South America. Trade agreements with these countries and regions also involve technical and cultural cooperation.
However, the European Union imposed trade sanctions against Russia in protest at the annexation of Crimea in , which have consequently seriously disrupted trade and investment flows.
Relations between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa go back a long way. Under the Treaty of Rome in , the then colonies and overseas territories of the Member States became associates of the Community. Decolonisation, which began in the early s, turned this link into a different kind of association, one between sovereign countries. This agreement between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries is the most ambitious and far-reaching trade and aid agreement ever concluded between developed and developing countries.
This agreement goes significantly further than earlier ones, since it has moved from trade relations based on market access to trade relations in a wider sense. It also introduced procedures for dealing with human rights abuses. The EU runs civil or military peacekeeping operations such as this anti-piracy force off the coast of Somalia. The European Union has granted special trading concessions to the least developed countries, 39 of which are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement. Since , they have been able to export practically any type of product to the EU, duty free.
Even if this traditional EU policy has had positive effects on Africa, it does not meet the needs of the current situation. Large parts of Africa, south of the Sahara, have experienced economic growth and have managed to use their vast natural resources to improve their infrastructure and living standards.
But other regions have been dramatically hit by war, unrest and dictatorships. The whole region of Sahel just south of the Sahara has been destabilised: religious fanatics such as the Boko Haram group continue to spread terror and the Horn of Africa has been dominated by civil war and dictatorships.
This creates political refugees. Drought caused by climate change and the increase in population are also driving people to attempt to migrate to Europe. In addition to providing humanitarian aid therefore, the EU has reasons for engaging in a major strategy designed to create economic growth on the African continent and stabilise population movements. In addition to this, a common European immigration policy would tackle the longer-term need for creating a new workforce in Europe, where the population is getting older.
So said Robert Schuman in his famous declaration, launching the European integration project on 9 May Almost 70 years on, his words are as true as ever. This has always been the case throughout the history of the European Union. In the early years after the Second World War, focus was placed on increasing production and ensuring that there was enough food for everyone. Completion of the single market in the early s was a major achievement. In later years, the euro and the European Central Bank were created in order to make the market function more effectively.
At the same time, a substantial effort was made to heal the divisions created by the Communist regimes during the Cold War. The economic crisis that began in revealed that the euro was vulnerable to attack by global speculators. In order to counteract this, EU countries decided on closer coordination of their national economic policies and took measures to establish a banking union.
Most recently, challenges relating to security and immigration have dominated the European agenda. And the Community itself is only a stage on the way to the organised world of tomorrow.
Or should we rather be asking how to unleash the full potential of over half a billion Europeans who share the same values and interests? The European Union comprises almost 30 Member States with very different histories, languages and cultures and considerable differences in living standards.
Its moral legitimacy was based on reconciliation and consolidating the peace between former enemies. It adhered to the principle that all Member States, whether large or small, had equal rights and respected minorities.
The multiplication of such arrangements could lead to a situation where each Member State is free to choose whether to pursue a particular policy or to be part of a particular institution. This solution might appear attractively simple, but the EU has always been based on the concept of solidarity — which means sharing the costs as well as the advantages. It means having common rules and common policies. At the same time, the recent economic crisis has shown that the countries using the euro as their currency are in a special situation of dependency which has led them to function as a core group of countries within the EU.
The European Commission has proposed an increased integration of the euro area with reinforced policies for financial, budgetary and economic areas, but also an increase in the legitimacy and democratic responsibility for these policies.
The idea is that a qualitative step, aimed at transforming the euro area into an area with united economic governance, will give new dynamism to the Union as a whole and consequently benefit the whole continent. Recent events have highlighted the need for greater European cooperation in areas that are traditionally reserved for national sovereignty: i.
It is likely to be in these areas where the EU will face its greatest challenges and where it needs to find common solutions, giving its citizens a greater sense of security and a renewed confidence in the European Union.
Globalisation obliges Europe to compete not only with its traditional rivals Japan and the United States, but also with fast-rising economic powers such as Brazil, China and India. Can Europe continue to protect its social and environmental standards by restricting access to European markets? Even if it did, there would be no escaping the harsh realities of international competition. It is therefore likely that many forces will continue to push for Europe to become a real global player, acting in unison on the world stage and asserting its interests effectively by speaking with one voice.
At the same time, many Europeans say that the EU needs to be closer to citizens. The European Parliament — which has been given greater powers with each new treaty — is directly elected by universal suffrage every 5 years. But the percentage of the population actually voting in these elections varies from country to country, and the turnout is often low.
This is one of the key challenges that both Member States and EU institutions need to tackle in order to confront the euroscepticism that encourages the rise of populism and weakens democracy. The extent to which Europe is able to affirm its values will determine how other regions of the world regard it as a positive example.
We will only be able to judge whether the EU has achieved what it has set out to do and delivered tangible results if we can answer questions such as the following. If it can achieve all of this, Europe will continue to be respected and will remain a source of inspiration for the rest of the world. Information in all the official languages of the European Union is available on the Europa website:. All over Europe there are hundreds of local EU information centres. You can find the address of the centre nearest you at:.
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On the phone or by e-mail Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. You can contact this service. Data can be downloaded and reused for free, both for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Menu Home 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Key dates.
Europe in 12 lessons. Contents Why the European Union? What does the EU do? The single market The euro Creating investment and growth in the digital economy What does it mean to be a European citizen?
Key dates in the history of European integration. Chapter 1: Why the European Union? The aim of the EU is to: maintain and build on the peace established between its Member States and its neighbours; bring European countries together in practical cooperation; ensure that European citizens can live in security; promote economic and social solidarity; preserve European identity and diversity in a globalised world; promote the values that Europeans share.
Peace Before becoming a real political objective, the idea of a united Europe was just a dream shared by philosophers and visionaries. Security Europe in the 21st century still faces considerable security issues. Economic and social solidarity The European Union was created to achieve political goals, and it set about achieving them through economic cooperation. Values The EU promotes humanitarian and progressive values, and ensures that humankind is the beneficiary, rather than the victim, of the great global changes that are taking place.
Chapter 2: Twelve historic steps. This put in place a common market in coal and steel between the six founding countries Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The latter would involve building a wider common market covering a whole range of goods and services. Customs duties between the six countries were abolished on 1 July and common policies, notably on trade and agriculture, were also put in place during the s.
So successful was this venture that Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom decided to join. This first enlargement, from six to nine members, took place in At the same time, new social and environmental policies were introduced, and the European Regional Development Fund was set up in June saw a decisive step forward, with the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.
These elections are held every 5 years. In , Greece joined the Communities, followed by Spain and Portugal in This came after the fall of dictatorships in all these countries. This expansion of the Communities into southern Europe made it all the more necessary to implement regional aid programmes. However, hope sprang anew in when the European Commission, under its President Jacques Delors, published a White Paper setting out a timetable for completing the European single market by 1 January This ambitious goal was enshrined in the Single European Act, which was signed in February and came into force on 1 July Chapter 3: Enlarging the EU and getting on with the neighbours.
The European Union is open to any European country that fulfils the democratic, political and economic criteria for membership. As of , six Balkan countries and Turkey are either negotiating membership or are at different stages of preparation for possible membership. Each treaty admitting a new member requires the unanimous approval of all existing Member States. In addition, before each new enlargement, the EU must assess its capacity to absorb the new member s and the ability of its institutions to continue to function properly.
There will be no new countries joining the EU during the legislative period as the EU continues to focus on economic growth. The neighbourhood policy of the EU faces challenges unprecedented since the Cold War: Russian policy culminating in the illegal annexation of Crimea in has stirred up diplomatic and military tensions.
In the Middle East, acts of terror by extremists in Syria and Iraq are a direct attack on European fundamental values and interests. A massive exodus of more than 1 million refugees from this region poses immense long-term political and humanitarian challenges for Europe. Membership conditions A. Legal requirements European integration has always been a political and economic process, open to all European countries that are prepared to sign up to the treaties and take on board the full body of EU law.
By the time they join, new members must have: stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union; the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including support for the aims of the Union — they must have a public administration capable of applying and managing EU laws in practice.
Uniting a continent A. A union of 28 When it met in Copenhagen in December , the European Council took one of the most momentous steps in the history of European integration. Formal negotiations on accession to the EU have started with Montenegro and Serbia. How large can the EU become? Geographical frontiers Public debate on the future of the EU shows that many Europeans are concerned about where the borders of the EU should be drawn.
However, recent geopolitical developments have radically changed the situation. Chapter 4: How does the EU work? The European Parliament, which represents the citizens of the EU, shares legislative and budgetary power with the Council.
The European Commission, which represents the common interest of the EU, is the main executive body. It puts forward proposals for legislation and ensures that EU policies are properly implemented.
The decision-making institutions The European Union is more than just a confederation of countries, but it is not a federal state. The Parliament takes part in the legislative work of the EU in two ways. Council and Parliament can reach an agreement following the first reading. If an agreement is not reached after two readings, the proposal is brought before a conciliation committee.
The political groups in the European Parliament B. Other bodies A. The Committee of the Regions The Committee of the Regions consists of representatives of regional and local government. Chapter 5: What does the EU do? The European Union acts in a wide range of policy areas where European leaders have judged that joint action is beneficial, including the single market, the euro, promotion of economic growth, security, justice and foreign affairs see later chapters.
Other policy areas include: innovation policies, which promote the use of new solutions in fields such as climate and environmental protection, research and energy; solidarity policies also known as cohesion policies in regional, agricultural and social affairs.
The EU funds these policies through an annual budget which enables it to complement and add value to action taken by national governments. The EU budget is small in comparison with the collective wealth of its Member States: it represents no more than 1. Solidarity policies To make sure the single market see Chapter 6 works properly, imbalances in that market need to be corrected. The European Regional Development Fund is used to finance regional development projects and to boost the economy in regions that are lagging behind.
This includes the redevelopment of declining industrial areas. The European Social Fund is used to finance vocational training and to help people find work. Funding is particularly directed towards ensuring that the unemployed receive relevant training. When the pandemic—this objective factor—is gone, the emergency legislation will be over as well.
The powers of the parliament are not limited, on the contrary. Nevertheless, the hysteria is still not over. We should return to this issue once the pandemic is over and examine where it led to lasting legal changes. There might be surprises! The Hungarian and Polish governments know they can act with impunity.
Firstly, for political reasons: Brussels lacks the mechanisms or the will to sanction democratic backsliding, and European political families will stick to partisan interests. And, secondly, for economic reasons: Western European investment including German! Cohesive political-economic EU action could easily pressure them, but such alignment, already unlikely, has been rendered virtually impossible by the crisis.
That means pointing out Hungary in particular. Second, EU courts should present specific judgments regarding concrete faults in the rule of law systems of Hungary and Poland. Such decisions already exist and should, in case of noncompliance, be followed by financial penalties until the problems are resolved.
Third, EU funds need to be suspended for specific and concrete violations of EU rules, such as indefinite emergency laws, unconstitutional appointments and dismissals of judges, and expulsions of universities and NGOs.
Both countries have a list of such violations of basic democratic principles for which they have not been properly confronted.
After all, they do have democratic mandates to govern. Rather, the focus should be specific: making sure that the most serious deviations from democratic standards are removed. Is now the right time to change course?
In crisis management, essential, action-oriented politics seems to be the norm. I am convinced that this is the perfect time to demonstrate how we want to live together in the future in a pluralist society. World Show more World. US Show more US. Companies Show more Companies. Markets Show more Markets. Opinion Show more Opinion. Personal Finance Show more Personal Finance. There has never been a better time to implement such a European pandemic insurance. History will judge all European countries harshly if they fail to agree one.
This is a very pertinent question. But let me ask you a counterquestion: Do you know of any monetary union that has survived for a hundred years without a fiscal union? So, yes, we definitely need common debt. If we consider that the European integration project is like a couple and every decade of its existence more than seventy years is the equivalent of a year of relationship hence a bit more than seven years , this is now crunch time.
Indeed, the couple has been married for a couple of years the euro came twenty years ago , but now they need to decide whether they take on a mortgage to buy a house together. Not an easy decision. But it is in this moment of truth that you need to decide if you want to stick together. In order to decide, I would advise the weaker member to think hard about a joint plan on how they will be able to repay the debt. If this is the case, the stronger part might say yes.
In the coming months and years, the EU and its member states will need huge budgets to kick-start economic recovery and fund necessary economic transitions with regard to digitization and ecological transition.
All this will have to happen in an international environment that is more competitive and rough, while political and social tensions within the EU rise. There is, hence, no time to lose; if the current disruptions the EU is facing shall only be temporary, EU leaders need to act quickly to avoid lasting damage. The EU will be best served if it issues joint bonds, ideally perpetual bonds, that the EU guarantees together so that money can be raised in the markets at low cost.
This does not entail a mutualization of national debt. This fresh money can either go to a specific recovery fund that serves to hand out grants and loans or to reinforce the financing capacity for the next multiannual financial framework.
Whichever way money is paid out, it is key that the EU insists basic principles such as the rule of law and democracy are respected by the recipients. The cost of this crisis will prove to be the biggest economic shock in a century and, given our levels of debt, it will be a testing moment for European economies and for European politics. The consequence is that this crisis could further accelerate economic divergence between European countries. This is particularly important in the euro area where it could again fuel economic divergence that would threaten the integrity and sustainability of the single currency.
So far, the ECB has undertaken to buy large amounts of European government debts and de facto played the role of mutualizing the fiscal response that European governments have shunned. But this is not a sustainable response. Indeed, the central bank cannot effectively mutualize and monetize the costs of this crisis without political endorsement. Governments must allow a level of fiscal mutualization, which will enable the ECB to underwrite parts of the costs of this crisis. Whether we collectively allow this to take place over the next few months will to a large extent determine the shape of the European economy and European politics for the next generation.
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