President Barroso's Overview of The European Union

The European Union (EU) began following World War II to control the supply and trade of steel and coal, the implements of building a war machine in Europe.  In the years since it has expanded into an economic and political union among twenty-seven of the thirty-three sovereign countries in Europe.  The aim is to develop a single economic zone, that would provide the free movement of labor goods and services, to the economic benefit of each member country.  The EU currently include the countries of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czeck Republic, Denmark Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.  As the bond between them grows we continue to find new ways to collaborate in mutually beneficial ways.

Economy  – The European Union (EU) economy includes the economies of its twenty-seven member states.  According to the EU’s web-site, “the single market is all about bringing down barriers and simplifying existing rules to enable everyone in the EU – individuals, consumers and businesses – to make the most of the opportunities offered to them by having direct access to 27 countries and 480 million people.”

The most significant part of the EU’s combined economy is described on its web-site as “the four freedoms’ – freedom of people, goods, Services & capital.  This gives individuals across the EU the right to live, work, study or retire in another EU country.

Currency - Seventeen of the twenty-seven countries of the European Union have adopted a shared a currency since it was introduced in 1999.  According to the European Commission, the euro is used by 331 million people and is “one of the world’s most important currencies.”  Two EU countries (Denmark and the United Kingdom) have agreed to an “opt out” of adopting the euro and keeping with their own currency.  The others are still working to meet the conditions to be able to adopt the euro.  The goal is to continue to build Europe into a single economic zone, unencumbered by tariffs and other market inhibitors, to provide member countries with a larger direct market for goods and services.

Legal System  – The EU was developed as a single market based economic system.  Standard economic laws have been implimented by those member states who have adopted the euro as their currency.  They have developed the Court of Justice to deal with cases taken by member states and the General Court to deal with cases taken by individual companies.
EU countries have adopted shared standards.  Those on human rights are outlined in Article 2, Treaty on European Union (consolidated 01/12/09)

“The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.”

Each country continues to maintain independent judiciary and laws to govern the people of their independent nations.  Different countries share similar laws based on regional proximity levels of inter-governmental cooperation.”

Ethnicities – According to Pam and Pfeil (2004) count in Wikipedia, “87 distinct “peoples of Europe”, of which 33 form the majority population in at least one sovereign state, while the remaining 54 constitute ethnic minorities”.  The EU constitutes 27 of these countries and 480 million of the estimated 770 million people in Europe.  Since there is no precise way of defining ethnicities this could be counted in a variety of ways, but generally includes all ethnic groups, nationalities and linguistic minorities.  The European Union is a tremendously diverse group of people and countries, that have come together for common economic and social benefit of its members.