20.

European Union

Objectives:

After the Second World War, European countries wanted to create a unified area to
 promote peace
 promote social and economic progress
 secure freedom and justice
 promote scientific advance
 create a common monetary policy (Euro)

The official establishment of the European Union: 1993

Members:

28 member states
2004 – Hungary joined

There countries that have applied but have not joined yet e.g. Turkey
Coppenhagen Criteria: the requirements that an applying country has to meet

 advantages of membership: free movement of labour, capital, goods and services,

scholarships to study, easier to travel (no borders), being part of the Eurozone, receiving
support for developing education, healthcare and infrastructure
 disadvantages: difficult to adjust to developed contries, highly skilled workers can leave the
country, great amount of bureaucracy, there is still competition between member states (not
all are equally developed), globalisation (English is dominant)

Institutions:

The 3 branches of government are separate:

 legislative: the Council of the European Union (based in Brussels) and the European
Parliament (based in Strasbourg) – they have budgetary power, ensure coordination of the
economic and social policy, set out guidelines for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
and conclude international agreements, European Parliament elections are held once every
five years in every member state

 executive: European Commission (based in Brussels) - submits proposals for new legislation
to the Parliament and to the Council, implements EU policy and administers the budget,
negotiates international treaties

 judicial: Court of Justice (based in Luxembourg) - ensure uniformity of interpretation of

European law, has the power to decide legal disputes between EU member states, EU
institutions, businesses and individuals

Other institutions:

- European Council - gives the necessary impetus for the development and sets out general
objectives and priorities (based in Brussels): the European Council consists of the heads of state or
government of the member states (28 members), alongside its own President and the Commission
President
- European Court of Auditors – financial auditor (based in Luxembourg)
- European Central Bank – monetary excutive (based in Frankfurt)

The current issues of the European Union:

 migration
 Brexit (their membership can end in 2019 March)
 cybersecurity, cyberattacks
 disinfomation
 inequality
 terrorism
 North Korea