The European Union is one of the most successful and powerful entities in modern history. Its establishment has brought about innumerable changes that have fundamentally improved lives, both in Europe and around the world. This is in large part due to its very nature.
The EU is a union of 28 independent nations, each of which retains its own unique cultural, social, economic, and political institutions and traditions. Despite these differences, it has been successful at bringing them together under a united banner to better serve the entire region.
What we discuss within the article about European Union membership benefits:
- Brief history of EU and why it was formed
- Current crises in European Union
- Practical and ideological benefits of EU membership
What are some important things that have been accomplished by European Union membership?
In the past, Europe has been a continent with many different countries and cultures. However, over the years, this has changed as the European Union (EU) has brought together a number of European countries and made them feel more connected to each other. The EU is an international union that brings together 27 countries in Europe.
The EU was created after World War II to help rebuild Europe and make it into a peaceful place where people from different countries could live in peace within European Union. European Union is also responsible for promoting peace, democracy, human rights and free trade among its member states.
The benefits of being part of an international union are many: members can travel freely without visas or passports; people can work anywhere in the union; they have rights to social security benefits; there are no customs barriers between member states. The European Union has brought together a number of different countries from Europe and made them feel more connected to each other.
The European Union: From Creation to Current Situation
The European Union has been around for over 60 years. It was created to provide a sense of unity and peace among the nations that were once at war. The history of Europe dates back to when humans began living in groups instead of being isolated in small tribes or clans. All these countries were at war with each other until they decided to form a union and become one entity so that they can have peace among themselves.
This idea started around 500 BC with the Greeks who formed their own city-state called Athens. The way they did this was by not just uniting themselves, but also the other surrounding city-states.
How was European Union formed
Europe was destroyed in 1945 after the Second World War. Many believed that a more united Europe was possible, and began to work on the First Pro European Movement as a model for peace in the region. The idea of European unity was used to stop the return of WWII nationalalism. This idea was eventually realized and the Council of Europe was established in London in 1949 by 10 countries as part of the first pan-European assembly for democracy and human rights.
The Cold War was a period of tension between the “Western Bloc”, which was led by the United States of America, and the “Eastern Bloc”, which was headed by the Soviet Union. These two superpowers had totally different economic and political approaches (capitalist democracy against communism), dividing Europe into two areas of influence. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the West) and Warsaw Pact for the East were the two major military alliances.
France and Germany were keen to form an economic alliance. In 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community was established in Paris by France and Germany. The 6 countries were motivated by this achievement to expand the economic agreement to other sectors. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome was ratified by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the European Atomic Energy Community. Also in 1957, the Euratom Treaty was created. The Treaty’s initial purpose was to establish a European market for nuclear power. This was the foundation for Europe.
Growth and crises in EU
Over the past decade , the EU has been hit with a number of crises. The EU’s integration process and rule-based multilateralism have been affected by the EU’s economic and euro crises, the Brexit crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. This may have resulted in a shift towards a faster approach between MS rather than an ever closer Union.
The EU, 50 years later, is still a remarkable global example of true integration of different states. It includes 450 million people in 27 countries. This dynamic integration involved the creation of supranational EU bodies and alignment of a wide range of policies between MS: economy, agriculture, energy and foreign policy, as well as in science, technology, and innovation. In a world of global problems, European integration requires the adaptation and consolidation of the EU. This will ensure prosperity and peace.
Security concerns in European Union
The EU has been struggling for years to find the best way to deal with significant changes in Europe’s security environment. Most prominent concerns are the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and terrorist activity in Europe connected to the Islamic State organisation. These issues have impeded the EU’s ability forging common foreign and security policy (often made more difficult by the need to achieve consensus among all member countries) and to promote integration in the areas of Justice and Home Affairs. There are also risks to the Schengen region of freedom and mobility from an increased terrorist threat.
The EU, like the United States has had to reevaluate its relationship with Russia. This is a serious problem for European stability and security. The EU supported Ukraine’s political transition and condemned Russia’s annexation in March 2014. It also strongly urged Russia not to back separatist forces in Ukraine. The EU worked to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin and promote a political solution for the conflict in Ukraine. It also imposed a number of sanctions against Russia (including those that target the Russian financial, energy and defense sectors). It was difficult to create common EU policies due to the differences in the national histories and economic relationships with Russia between the EU’s different member states.
Experts in Europe and the United States believe that Brexit could be a win for Putin’s Russia. While the UK is a strong supporter of EU sanctions against Russia and has voiced concerns about Russia’s assertive military posture, it’s not the only EU member to have such views. Brexit, however, could complicate efforts to maintain a common EU position toward Russia. This is due to the UK’s diplomatic and military abilities and its leadership role in building EU consensus about major security and foreign policy issues.
Benefits of EU membership
Being a member of the European Union offers many benefits to countries. Most people recognize the direct benefit of EU funding through the common budget. However, this is only a small part of the benefits EU membership provides. It will be the subject of all discussions during negotiations for the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework, i.e. The seven-year EU budget.
The ‘juste Retour’ approach dominates the MFF negotiations. It allows each country to contribute as little as they can and get as much from the common budget. This logic reduces EU operations into a zero-sum game, according to which one country “wins” another one “loses”. It completely ignores the wider benefits that Member States receive from their EU membership, economic or otherwise.
These benefits cannot be replicated at the national level and can only be achieved through EU-level actions. These benefits are dependent on a critical number of countries, or they result from cross-border operations and network externalities.
Single-market Economy
The EU allows Member States of the EU to jointly address cross-border problems. This prevents fragmentation and increases the effectiveness of international communication and actions. The effects of climate change, water and air pollution don’t stop at borders. All countries can benefit from EU-wide environmental protection legislation and standards.
For example, the EU regulation of air pollution has led to a dramatic reduction in air pollutants over the past decade. EU funding also supports climate change adaptation and mitigation, even in potential Member States. Terrorism, money laundering and trafficking are all transnational threats. A common response is better than fragmentation that involves a number of national policies.
The European Arrest Warrant, which is a fully harmonised system, means that warrants issued in a Member state are valid throughout the EU, and thus prevents other Member States from preventing arrests. For citizens’ safety, cross-border information exchange is essential. This is true in the area of security with cross-border exchange of information and expertise on cross-border criminal activities assailable by Europol. It also applies to consumer protection.That is why EU has taken a step ahead to introduce ETIAS visa, ETIAS visa is a new electronic travel system for all visa-exempt citizens who do not have an EU nationality.
The EU has a common system to ensure food and product safety. This includes tracking products and sending alerts across the EU about health hazards (the Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed and Rapid Alert System For Non-Food Products).
Individual Protection
Because EU citizens can live and work in many Member States during their lifetime, it is important to have a common set rules that ensures that EU rights are harmonised. Having different national laws can lead to grey areas that do not provide protection. For example, workers’ protection is one example.
Exportability of social security rights and safety and health requirements, as well as rules on working hours, is possible. Consumer protection rules also cover online purchases and passenger rights. Food and product protection is another important area. EU legislation also created minimum standards for gender equality. This includes equal treatment of men and women in many areas such as social security, work entitlements, and parental leave.
Common Ideology
Apart from the practical benefits, EU membership protects and entails certain fundamental principles. First, freedom of movement, i.e. The freedom to choose where you want to live and work. This liberty is valuable, but it also allows for the free transfer and exchange information. This in turn increases human capital.
Democracy and the rule of the law are second: Many countries have undergone democratisation in the past and today. They have implemented reforms to strengthen democratic institutions and ensure the protection of human rights. The EU can inspect the state of each country’s national democracies once they are members.
However, there may be flaws in this approach in situations where more than one country is covered by the procedure. Finally, peace was sustained on the continent after the Second World War thanks to increased political cooperation and stronger economic ties between countries within the European Communities.
Final Thoughts: How does European Union benefit Europe?
As the benefits of EU membership become clearer and more widely accepted, governments will be more keen to consider them when the EU budget negotiations are underway. This will likely lead to increased funding for policies that have a higher EU value. To overcome the “juste retour” approach, long-term structural reforms are likely to be required. They could include a new governance structure, which, along with the ability to raise own resources (i.e. Taxation could also lead to greater democratic accountability and decision-making authority at EU level.
