150 likes | 392 Views
Unit 10-Current Issues The European union. By: Mark Beshara 5/10/11 World History Period 8. The EU (The European Union) is a highly complex political and financial organization. The EU has 27 member states with a combined population of 490 million as of 2008 and steadily growing.
E N D
Unit 10-Current Issues The European union By: Mark Beshara 5/10/11 World History Period 8
The EU (The European Union) is a highly complex political and financial organization • The EU has 27 member states with a combined population of 490 million as of 2008 and steadily growing
History • The EU evolved from the ESCC (European Steel and Coal Community) and also the EEC (The European Economic Community) • The ESCC was an idea proposed by French foreign minister Robert Schuman. • The ESCC was a common market place for steel and coal for states that would allow these areas to be delegated by an independent party
History (Continued) • As trade barriers were eliminated trade rose dramatically in the 1950’s • But as fuel of choice shifted to petroleum the coal industry suffered • Also low-cost steel from Japan also reduced the steel economy.
History (Continued) • The ESCC was dissolved in 2002 and replaced by the ECC • The ECC later evolved into the EU which is now the leading political and economic power in Europe
Argument • The EU is vastly complicated and poses a threat to its member states economies because of its enormous power and influence and should be replaced or shrunken down.
What is the EU? • The EU is an economic community that has evolved to also accommodate political power • The EU has 27 member states whose combined population of 490 million as of 2008 • The EU greatly increases its member states economies because it has virtually eliminated all tariffs and trade boundaries
The EU • The EU also has it’s own governing system and laws • It also has a GDR that has surpassed the Us’ as of 2007 • This community is what inspired the creation of NAFTA
Flaws • The EU has several loopholes in its legislative branch that can be easily exploited by major corporations to push legislation that is beneficial to them. • The EU is also too influential as seen in the creation of the Euro in 1999 which led to the collapse of several of the EU’s member states economies in 2007 that had adopted the currency
Why is it dangerous? • With it’s size the EU is too powerful and influential politically and economically • In their governmental system the EU has no checks and balances, and the people have no say so essentially the government makes all the decisions
Conclusion • The EU is a threat not only too Europe but also to the Us and to the global financial market because of its size, complexity, and influence
Quiz questions • What did the EU establish in1999 to some of its member states? • The EU’s success inspired the creation of this treaty? • How large is the EU’s population and how many member states are there