...Institutions of European Union Introduction The European Union is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 European countries that together cover much of the continent, created in the aftermath of the Second World War. 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. Through successive enlargements, the Union has grown from the six founding states—Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands—to the current 28. It took around 60 years from the Treaty of Brussels, 1948, to the Treaty of Lisbon, 2009, to get its final form. In 1993, under Maastricht Treaty the name European Economic Community was changed to European Union, which reflects the evolution of an economic union to an organization standardizing system of law to maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights: these are the core values of the EU. During the formation and development of European Union the number, structure, cross-link and interdependency of institutions and other bodies increased (Figure 1). In our work we will explain the history and development of political and legal institutions of European Union. Figure 1, Power structure of main political and legal institutions of European Union . European Parliament ...
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...| The accession of Croatia to EU: A timely change for EU? | | | | | | Introduction This paper discusses the path of Croatia to the European Union. It explains all the different challenges Croatia faced in order to be able to comply with the EU standards and obligations. There is the Fundamental Rights chapter that presents the arguments that showing the great effort that Croatia has put in adopting new frameworks in all areas of the chapter. After, there are the benefits and risks that Croatia could face after EU accession. Some concerns about the economic crisis are mentioned from the public opinion and other EU members’ point of view. Finally there is a conclusion explaining what Croatia could benefit from or be deprived of by joining the EU, followed by a last explanation if there are still challenges in the political criteria. The path to the European Union The war in Croatia cost them loss of a whole decade in the path to European Union. In particular the war was detrimental for the economy. Was Croatia lagging behind to meet EU standards back then? Was there enough stability or any limitations toward accession to EU? The first step towards EU was on 29th October 2001 when Croatia signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in Luxembourg, becoming a potential candidate for joining the EU. All candidates which aim in joining the EU have to adopt the EU’s legal patrimony known as acquis which contains 31 chapters. The process of integration...
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...Advantages of the European Union Jim Stewart MGT/448 Clark McCarrrell September 18, 2013 Advantages of the European Union The European Union or EU is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 European countries that together cover much of the European continent. The EU was borne from the aftermath of World War II. The goal was to encourage economic cooperation between countries. It was presumed that countries that were trading partners were less likely to attack each other. This was known as the European Economic Community or ECC and was created in 1958. ("Europa.eu", 2013) The ECC became the EU in 1993, when what had previously been a purely economic partnership, melded into a political partnership spawning policy, development, and environmental concerns. The EU is based on the rule of law: everything is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by all member countries. These agreements are binding. ("Europa.eu", 2013) There are any benefits derived from being a member of the European Union. These benefits run the gamut of economic, political, social and environmental. There are many economic advantages of being a member of the European Union. Member states cab move goods and capital from place to place inside the EU. Entrepreneurs are free to offer their services anywhere inside the EU. This is made possible because the EU operates under a unified set of economic laws...
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...The European Union (EU) is the umbrella organization encompassing the European countries that have eliminated economic, trade, and immigration barriers between the member countries of the union. The European Union is a unique economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It has delivered half a century of peace, stability, and prosperity, helped raise living standards, launched a single European currency, and is progressively building a single Europe-wide market in which people, goods, services, and capital move among Member States as freely as within one country. The EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: countries that trade with one another are economically interdependent and will thus avoid conflict. In 1950 French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposes integrating the coal and steel industries of Western Europe, 1951 The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) is established, with six members: Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands. A supranational body, called the High Authority, is created to manage the coal and steel industries, 1957 the six members of the ECSC sign the Treaties of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community. The EEC member states aim to remove trade barriers between them and form a common market, In1967 The institutions of the three European communities are merged, creating a single...
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...The development of the European Union was due to the travesties left behind via World war one initially, which resulted in the treaty of Versailles (1919) and was a peace settlement, signed only a year after the first world war, in an attempt to not only hold Germany and her allies to ransom but responsible, weak, in check and to punish them financially. The anger and resentment that built up in Nazi Germany as a result of the heavily imposed precautions set in the treaty of Versailles 1919 was part of the long term cause, which directly contributed to the cause of the second world war, short term causes such as Austria and Czechoslovakia in the 1930 also had a hand. Europe was crushed, due to these events as those involved underwent fatalities way beyond anything ever imagined So the need to prevent any further atrocities was seen as important so binding Germany's coal and steel industry (the strength of its war machines), into an economic and political alliance. Was of major importance The Soviet Union also a concern due to occupancy of the former East Germany, Eastern and Central Europe, urged Western European and America to come together and form NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) 1949, the former West Germany, joined Nato in October 1954 and along with others received millions of dollars, under the marshal plan to support economic recovery. Restricting Germany’s and France coal and steel was a sure fire way to encourage a plan, much than before, to give...
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...European Union and Turkey Introduction to European Union In this globalization era, the world seems to be borderless, especially in Europe. This further confirmed by the formation of the European Union, which serves as a binding substance between the countries contained in the European continent. European Union is a political and economic based union, established in 1993 after the ratification of Maastricht Treaty. The international organizations are working together to create economic and political stability among member states. During its development, the European Union may not run smoothly. The emergence of the economic problems that rocked the euro zone, then Spain and Cyprus emerged as a "burden" in these economic problems. Another emerging issue is productivity, border policy, and the exchange rate that makes this organization stability unsteady. Another issue that emerged is the exclusivity of the organization. Another issues arising from the exclusivity of membership expansion problem. Preceded by the six founding countries, EU has 28 members now, as Croatia joined on 1st July 2013. The membership number is certain to grow rapidly with the number of countries that volunteered to become a member. Regardless of all the problems it faces today, the EU is still believed to be an organization that brings positive impact to its members. States' desire to be able to join the candidate can not be separated from the success tale of the European Union, particularly in the fields...
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...European Union Is an economic and political entity and confederation of 27member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and theEuropean Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1951 and 1958 respectively. In the intervening years the EU has 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. The latest amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009. The EU operates through a system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states. Important 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, and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens. The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area(which includes 22 EU and 4 non-EU states) passport controls have been abolished. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital,] enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheriesand regional development. A monetary union,...
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...The EU. [Course] [Instructor] [University Affiliation] [Date] ROLE OF SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN EMPLOYMENT POLICIES OF THE EU. Introduction. Evidence from various countries from the past three decades of European integration indicated that EU level social dialogue indeed plays an imperative role in the advancement of the social model of the Union. This is done through the delivery of benefits from the workers, workers as well as for the economy and the entire society as a whole . October 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of the agreement between social partners which was later officially enshrined on the mashsrctictt treat ( Alter, 1998). This lead to the establishment of procedures for governance of the labor and management on shaping as well s executing the EU employment as well as social policies (Bailey,2009). According to (Armingeon,et al. 2008), the European social dialogue entails the discussions , negotiations , consultations and joint actions that involve the organizations that represent two sides of the European industries, namely the worker sad the employers. The EU social dialogue primarily takes two forms: • The tripartite dialogue that entails the public authorities • The bipartite dialogue between the trade union organizations and the European employers. Usually this happens across the cross industry levels and also within the sectoral committees of social dialogue As an integral part of the treaty that established the European community...
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... |Jacques Santer – President of the EU Commission | |From: |Joseph Donyo | |Re: |Turkey's admission in the EU | |Date: |6 May 1998 | In December 1997, members of the European Union (EU) met in Luxembourg, for a European Council summit, to talk about countries being considered for future EU membership. Among these countries, there was one remarkable absence: Turkey. Since it was excluded from this enlargement process for the foreseeable future, relations between the EU and Turkey have been very cold. Turkish Prime Minister, Mesut Yilmaz, has given the EU until the next European Council meeting in June to include Turkey in the pre-accession group of applicant countries. Otherwise, it has threatened to withdraw Turkey's application for membership. Even if such threats are unlikely to have an impact on the EU, they point out a major clash in the EU-Turkey relations. At this stage of my research, my point is not to argue whether Turkey should enter the EU or not. My research project is meant to find out whether it has the ability to meet European requirements, on a political and economic basis...
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...The Potential Twilight of the European Union Charles A. Kupchan INTRODUCTION The European Union’s (EU) trillion-dollar loan package succeeded in quelling the financial maelstrom spawned by Greek debt. Nonetheless, the financial crisis has taken a painful toll on many EU members, and high national debts and the uncertain health of the continent’s banks may mean more trouble ahead. Although these economic woes have of late captured the headlines, they pale in comparison with a more serious malady: Europe’s historic experiment in political union is faltering. As the poisonous politics that delayed the EU’s rescue of the eurozone revealed, Europe is experiencing a renationalization of political life. The project of European integration, which has steadily advanced since the bitter years after World War II, has been thrown into reverse as its members claw back from the union the traditional powers of national sovereignty. And the causes run much deeper than the ongoing financial crisis, suggesting they are here to stay. Generational change, a backlash against globalization, and the absence of a compelling vision of Europe’s place in the world may well mean that the European Union is running out of steam. The EU’s uncertain future has enormous stakes for Americans as well as Europeans. Europe remains the United States’ go-to partner on every front—from stewardship of the global economy to curbing global warming to bringing stability to Afghanistan. With U.S. debt soaring...
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...EU coursework 14th January 2013 ‘The courts direct effect decisions transformed the whole nature of the European Union from International organization to something like a federal union.’ (Shapiro) Discuss… The Phrase international organisation can be commonly defined as entities established by formal political agreements between their members that have the status of international treaties; their existence is recognised by law in their member countries; they are not treated as resident institutional units of the countries in which they are located. This definition is what the vast majority of people would class the European union as; an international organisation. ‘International organisations’, those that include the UN (united nations), tend to leave their decision making processes to the executives and those who are higher up in the organisation, which can leave the public, the legislation the organisation is designed to protect, feeling disillusioned from the organisation and not feel as if they get a say. This is something that the EU attempted to prevent and made some progress with the Lisbon treaty, ‘representing the culmination of decades of Treaty reform, to create a closer relationship between the institutions and public’. In contrast, a federal union is a political entity that is characterised by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government. An example of a federal union is the United states of America. As it has so many...
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...Introduction Serbia trying to promote their work to the highest European and civilized norms, values and standards and their activities support participation of Serbia in international organizations whose membership includes the willingness to establish these values. Their work has also focused on the activities that can contribute to a better understanding of the value and the system of the European Union and to facilitate Serbia's path towards full membership in the European Union. Following the process of Serbia's joining European Union, the Center for Democracy in September 2008, began with the realization of the project "Implementation of EU values, policies and standards in the local community." European values, policies and standards in the local community The project is designed in accordance with the current status of Serbia in the process of Euro-integration. The ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement Serbia has pledged to implement comprehensive reforms through harmonization of national legislation with the EU acquits. "Action Plan for the harmonization of the laws of the Republic of Serbia with the EU in 2007" provides for the first stage of harmonization, which implies changes and the adoption of 44 laws, which are mainly related to the field of food safety, environmental protection and consumer protection. The new laws provide for the adoption of European standards, which are largely different from the existing standards in Serbia...
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...------------------------------------------------- Accession of Turkey to the European Union | Turkey's application to accede to the European Economic Community, a predecessor of the European Union (EU), was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member since 1963.[2] After the ten founding members, Turkey was one of the first countries to become a member of the Council of Europe in 1949, and was also a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1961[3] and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 1973. The country has also been an associate member of theWestern European Union since 1992, and is a part of the "Western Europe" branch of the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) at theUnited Nations. Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on 12 December 1999, at the Helsinki summit of the European Council. Negotiations were started on 3 October 2005, and the process, should it be in Turkey's favour, is likely to take at least a decade to complete.[4] The membership bid has become a major controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union.[5] ------------------------------------------------- History After the Ottoman Empire's collapse following World War I, Turkish revolutionaries led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emerged victorious in the Turkish War of Independence, establishing the modern Turkish...
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...The Nation-State, Foreign Policy, and Transnational Entities - SST Task 1 Elizabeth A. Lilley Western Governors University The Nation-State, Foreign Policy, and Transnational Entities A modern nation-state is characterized by being a fixed territory, having sovereignty, meaning having authority over its territory or its geographical area, and having a common culture. The definition of a Nation is "A culture group residing within the territory of a political state." (Perry, 2009) I selected Scotland, and the reason why is because they are a country that is part of the United Kingdon, which holds sovereignty over Scotland. The Queen of England is the head of state. Scotland was an sovereign state until 1707 when they came under the control of the United Kingdom. Scotland does however have a limited self-government within the United Kingdom and is also represented in the United Kingdom Parliament. The United Kingdom Parliament has power over Scotland's taxes, social security, defense, broadcasting, and international relations. Where as the Scottish Parliament has legislative pwer of all other areas for Scotland. (Scotland, n.a.) A State is, "the abstract embodiment, or the symbol, of the political institution." (Perry, 2009) I select the United Kingdom and the reason is the United Kingdom, also called the UK, and has sovereignty over England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Queen of England is the chief of state, and...
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...European Union (EU) The European Union (EU) is a distinctive economic and political union. It was established on the first of January 1958 with 27 member countries. The EU is located primarily in Europe (European Union, 2013). France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg founded the Treaty of Rome in the year 1957 and established The European Economic Community. (The European Union, 2012) The European Union’s main aim was create a business environment that’s united by harmonizing taxes and laws of companies, to form incorporated capital markets and endorse openness between counties during good and labor transfer. (Aswathapa, 2010) EU Harmonizing efforts The European Union EU has worked to harmonize accounting standards within the EU by using two directives, which are the fourth Directive (1978) and the seventh Directive (1983) that were able to enforce laws. After applying the EU new accounting standards they decided in the year 1995 to transfer to international standards. Moreover, the transfer was done by following the IASC efforts. In the year 2000 the European Union requested all the companies to follow the IFRS standards when preparing consolidated statements. (Khan, 2008) The directives used by the EU were the most appropriate way to minimize the differences between the twelve European Union countries. According to Dedman (2010) “directives are legislative instruments from the commission to the member state “. According to the fourth and the...
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