EU Crash Course

What is the EU?It is a 27-member organization comprising many but not all of the states of Europe. It arose out of post-WWII partnerships, gradually widening its scope to include both new activities and areas of cooperation and, of course, new members. France and Germany are the pioneers and most influential members. Countries must fulfil democratic, institutional, and economic standards before they qualify to become members. In the beginning, the EU was very intergovernmental a matter between states who did not have to give up power or sovereignty, and internal interference being at a minimum. As time goes by, the EU is becoming more and more supranational. Member states give up some of their sovereign authority to it, to the point that the EU not only intervenes a lot in internal affairs, but can even make demands on states and punish them for disobedience/non-compliance.

Why was the EU formed?1) historical trauma: States wanted to avoid a repeat of WWI and WWII, which, after all, started as fights between European states.2) power politics: European countries will have a hard time exerting influence on the world stage as individual countries, but have a better chance of doing so as a group. It also prevents them from becoming too dependent/subservient towards superpowers.3) economics: better business can be done if they come together to form a bigger market instead of staying as several smaller, national markets.

Three Pillars of the EU: issue areas of activity and cooperation1) European Communities: socio-economic issues2) Common Foreign and Security Policy3) Justice and Home Affairs

“Spillover”This theory/process is supposed to explain/drive the EU integration project. Countries start by cooperating with each other on a few narrow issues. In the case of the EU, it was the coordination of the coal and steel supply. However, these “original” issues are not isolated: they are also related to transportation, border control, tariffs, etc., so cooperation on those related issues becomes necessary also. Think of it as a snowball rolling down a hill: it is more or less inevitable that the countries will have to cooperate on more and more issues.

The Four FreedomsThese are the things that, supposedly, move around easily within the EU. However, keep in mind that it does not necessarily to things from outside the EU trying to enter. The four freedoms are: workers, capital, goods, and services.

EU Institutions1) The European Council: can be considered the steering committee of the EU. It is a meeting of the Prime Ministers or Presidents of the member states to decide general policies—but often ends up tackling “nitty gritty” issues, as well. Not to be confused with “The Council of Europe,” which is not an EU institution at all.

2) The Council of Ministers: made up of EU member state ministers on various issues (ex: Ministers of Education, etc).3) EU Commission: bureaucratic body with a wide range of powers. It can draft legislation and monitor/execute EU policies, and even represents the EU abroad.4) The Court of First Instance and the European Court of Justice: These courts make decisions on trials/suits based on EU law and treaties. However, there is often concern that it is too hard for private citizens to sue EU institutions, and that the courts tend to interpret the treaties in a biased, overly aggressive manner.

Schengen landThis refers to the EU plus Norway and Switzerland, but minus Ireland and the UK. If you have a Schengen passport, you can go around all Schengen countries without a visa.

Euro zoneThis refers to all countries that use the euro as official currency. It does not include all EU countries, since some are not yet qualified, or are qualified but have opted out.

The EU and Human RightsTo a large extent, the EU has a strong reputation as a promoter of human rights. Aid to third countries is often attached to pressure to democratize and institutionalize human rights. The EU (particularly the western part) is also known for strict rules on environmental protection and worker rights. However, member states have passed legislation and policies that can be considered discriminatory, particularly to immigrants and Muslim citizens.

Some Interesting EU Projects1) Erasmus/Erasmus Mundus: a scholarship program that helps both EU and non-EU students do further studies in the EU2) EU Media Programme: funds and promotes media projects, mostly films

Problems/Concerns1) illegal immigration: not just between EU states but from “third” (non-EU) countries2) power gaps: Some member states are much more powerful than others. They are sometimes accused of exerting undue influence, violating rules without having to worry about punishment, e3) development gaps: In general, Western Europe is considered much more economically and politically developed than Eastern Europe. Richer countries give support and “structural funds” to help less affluent members develop.4) isolationism/ethnocentrism: Xenophobia seems to be on the rise. Also, it is rather interesting that Turkey is denied membership, but Cyprus is not.5) lack of political will: Not all governments are equally eager to further all the integration projects, as became very clear when the EU Constitution failed to pass.6) democratic deficit: Many EU officials, especially in the Commission, are appointed, not elected, but still have a lot of power over the lives of ordinary EU citizens. Is this fair?

European Commission. N.d. Eurojargon. Accessed Nov. 13, 2010. http://europa.eu/abc/eurojargon/index_en.htm.