European Union privileges

The European Union has been a desired place for many non-European countries. One EU citizen
might ask why? let me first give you all the privileges that EU offers its citizens:

· Freedom of movement across Schengen Area

· Visa free or easy entry to 180 countries including the USA and the UK

· Living in an EU member country as a permanent resident

· Working and having a business in EU

· Owning real estate in EU member countries, renting it out, and profiting from it

· Access to a high-quality health-care system

· Having the opportunity to study in prestigious universities in 28 different countries with

free or very affordable tuition fees.

· Passing the citizenship to children born in EU territory

· Opening accounts in European banks

· Being protected by the laws of the country

While doing an ESC project in Greece, it became clear to me as a Georgian citizen what the
benefits of being born in EU countries are. Particularly in terms of education. European citizens
have the opportunity to study in 28 different countries. They are free to apply to any university
they wish. It's also less difficult to study abroad for a semester through an Erasmus + program.
There are many places in universities for EU citizens and very few for non-EU citizens. I recall a
friend from Georgia who was attempting to participate in the Erasmus + university exchange
program. She found success and was accepted. However, there is fierce competition among
Georgian students. I tried three times with no success. You must pass special exams with the
highest possible scores. I'm very disappointed since many Georgian students study and work
extremely hard, yet it's still not enough.

Another privilege I've noticed is the freedom of movement in Europe. While traveling in the
Schengen area, EU citizens are not subject to border controls. If they are traveling outside of the
Schengen zone, 180 countries require no visas, only an identity card. The situation is completely
different for Georgian citizens. For instance, if Georgians simply want to travel, they must have a
hotel reservation and enough money for each day, according to country rules. EU citizens can
also easily obtain a work permit in EU countries.

I was also surprised to hear about the health-care systems in EU countries. The EU4Health
program funds initiatives to enhance Union health, fight cross-border health threats, increase the
accessibility and affordability of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and crisis-relevant products,
and strengthen health-care systems. Other EU programs also invest in healthcare systems,
research, infrastructure, and other health-related areas.

In my country, there is a universal health care program. Emergency services and basic human
needs are included. Apart from that, medical and dental care are incredibly overpriced in
comparison to European countries. The majority of people are afraid of going to the doctors
because of the cost. I've seen many elderly Europeans traveling to Georgia. They are hiking and
exploring the country, whereas people their age in Georgia are mostly suffering from a disease or
have countless problems that don’t allow them to travel and enjoy life.

EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for its efforts to spread peace, reconciliation,
democracy, and human rights. It is is now celebrating 70 years of peace. Georgians have wished
this for a long time. Because we have suffered greatly throughout history as a result of our
aggressive neighbor. We had a recent war with Russia in 2008; they are still moving our borders,
and we are losing land every day. Many Europeans do not understand the emotional pain of
having a war in the country and losing friends and family members. They have never seen that,
so they have no idea how much it means to us to join the European Union and enjoy our well-
deserved peace. In 1999 our greatest politician, Zurab Zhvania, said: მე ვარ ქართველი და
მაშასადამე ვარ ევროპელი” - “I am Georgian and therefore I am European.” After 23 years, I
still believe this phrase perfectly expresses our identity and belongings, even my country’s
faraway geographic position, in the South Caucasus region.

Georgia is trying to get candidate status to join the bloc. On 20th of June there was a rally in
support of European integration saying that “We Are Europe.”. Thousands of people gathered in
front of the Georgian parliament to express their will to join the European union. Unfortunately
we did not get a candidate status but as our president Salome Zurabishvili positively says:
“recognition of the country's European perspective was an incredibly historic step. Now, we’re
ready to work with determination over the next months to reach the candidate status."

I’m sure that with our enormous desire to become part of the European Union we will make a
huge progress and achieve our goal.