Should a country join the EU?

Should a country join the EU? Executive Summary The topics of European Union integration and the EURO are often discussed on TV and in the newspapers. People try to use different perspectives to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of joining the European Union. However, discussions tends to be biased, either pro European integration or eurosceptic. Both arguments for and against the European Union integration has been suggested to provide a fair, well balanced analysis. The main point from the result of my analysis suggests that European Union membership will be favourable for the economy, but it would be foolish to argue that it is bound to lead to a further reduction of unemployment or an increase in economic growth. Therefore the jury for the European Union integration is still out. Introduction This report will examine the background to the European Union, evaluate the benefits & costs, and examine the economic problem that European Union is likely to face in its future evolution, namely enlargement of the European Union to see whether a country should join the European Union, studying the situation via a neutral perspective. Background European Union (EU) is an integration of different European countries. An economist named Healey suggested that "... it helps to remove the boundaries which separate activities in one nation to another." The EU has grown

  • Word count: 1168
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

Should Britain Join the Euro

Should Britain Join the Euro? One of the primary arguments against joining is that there are severe structural differences between the members' economies. These may well undermine the success of the project, meaning Britain would do well to stay out. There is no guarantee that the Euro will be successful, and this is a key issue to consider when assessing whether or not Britain should join at this stage. Britain has already had her fingers burnt by the disastrous entry into the doomed European Exchange Rate Mechanism, the previous attempt to fix European currencies against each other which collapsed, plunging Britain into recession. Another key argument against entry is the loss of economic independence that would be seen from Euro membership. If Britain were to join the Euro, our interest rates, currently the tool used for control of inflation by the Bank of England, would be set by the European Central Bank (ECB). Since being given independence the Bank of England has been successful in controlling inflation in this way. Problems could well arise if Britain loses interest rates as a tool for its own economic objectives. The past few decades have shown we need all the measures we can to keep control of the economy! To illustrate this problem, let us suppose that there are inflationary fears in Germany and France, two influential member countries, but not in Britain. In

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1584
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

Assymetric shocks

Cologne, May 14, 2007 Graded writing assignment SS 2006 (European Economic Issues) "Adjustment to Asymmetric Shocks in the Eurozone countries" Teacher: Aad van Mourik COLOGNE BUSINESS SCHOOL (CBS) Hardefuststr. 1 50677 Köln Diana Mateo Nils Urban Adreas Schnepf WORDCOUNT: 3276 Words ETHICS STATEMENT: Herewith I (we) declare that I (we) have prepared the following work alone and without the use of materials other than those cited. SIGNATURES: Diana Mateo: ____________________ Nils Urban: ____________________ Andreas Schnepf: ____________________ Table of Contents A. Introduction 1 B. Main Part 2 I. Macroeconomic Shocks 2 . Temporary and permanent shocks 2 2. Country-specific and sector specific shocks 3 3. Real and financial shocks 3 4. Exogeneous and policy-induced shocks 3 II. Dealing with asymmetric shocks in the EMU 3 . Market oriented tools 4 2. Institutional mechanisms 7 C. Conclusion and argumentation 8 --> DIANA A. Introduction: Abstract: This paper will analyze how countries should deal with asymmetric shocks when they are hit by an asymmetric shock and which instruments of economic policy have to deal with these types of economic problems. Furthermore it will supply the reader with a brief information on the EMU and its history together with basic information concerning the "taxonomy of shocks". The Conclusion will touch

  • Word count: 4199
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

How has the process of EU economic integration affected the car industry??

How has the process of EU economic integration affected the car industry?? The process of EU economic integration has affected the car industry in many ways. One of the major ways it has is through certain trading agreements that developed in the EU such as the free trade area where tariffs were removed between signatories to encourage free trade in goods also tariff and quota barriers removed and also non-tariff barriers e.g., import export documentation standardised or removed as well. Due to these factors it has enabled car industries to move around in Europe more freely which has led to car industries increasingly concentrating more in central and eastern Europe where factors of production are cheaper. The benefits for car industries to set up specifically in EU countries which are based in central and eastern Europe is that the cheaper factors of production leads to fall in prices and greater demand for cars, this increase in demand which then leads to increased output and better resource exploitation and therefore increases economies of scale and global competition and hence increased profits for the car industry. An example of where car manufacturers have exploited these harmonised rules made by the EU are Skoda who are producing cars in Czech Republic and Fiat who produce their cars in Italy and Poland. Another way in which the EU economic integration has

  • Word count: 543
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

Will examine the effects membership of the European Union or EU has had on the British Constitution and Parliamentary Sovereignty and also the effect membership has had on policies and how the views of the two main political parties have changed

In my essay I will examine the effects membership of the European Union or EU has had on the British Constitution and Parliamentary Sovereignty and also the effect membership has had on policies and how the views of the two main political parties have changed since its inception. The EU was set up as a consequence of the Second World War to establish co-operation and unity throughout Europe. The idea being that if the countries of Europe were more closely integrated, with a mutual dependence on each other, then the threat of war erupting would somehow lessen. Britain joined the EU in 1973. Perhaps the least obvious change membership of the EU has seen is that of the British Constitution. The Constitution is viewed as being flexible. It's unwritten and can be altered as and when required. It sets out a system of government that is unitary and where Parliament is sovereign or supreme to all other governmental institutions. For us to decide whether Parliamentary Sovereignty has been lost since joining the EU, if it indeed ever existed, we must first define what it is. Parliamentary Sovereignty can be divided into three parts:- . Parliament can make or unmake any law but only if it does not conflict with EU Regulations or Directives. In certain areas EU law does take priority over UK law. However, when Qualified Majority Voting1 (QMV) is expanded into areas that

  • Word count: 2423
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

The two world wars had the most significant impact on the development of European identity in the twentieth century.' Discuss

'The two world wars had the most significant impact on the development of European identity in the twentieth century.' Discuss Words 1698 European identity is a concept much deliberated due to its ambiguous nature, for it is a matter of opinion. However, in accordance to David Miller's, On Nationality, the main components of the formation of one's identity usually derive from five factors, which are; firstly through a recognition of one another shared by the members of the nation, secondly through an identifiable historical continuity, the third feature being an active identity of cohesive decisions, the fourth being the connection to a geographical place, and finally an identity requires shared characteristics. The development of a European identity has been a question of the definition, for the nations that symbolise Europe can be categorised through different aspects, such as political, economic, cultural or religious, and geographical. Therefore classing a nation, as 'typically' European is difficult, for to create an overview of a culture made of different nations is too ambiguous, and therefore this is vague enough to incorporate all aspects of being 'European'. Throughout the evolution of Europe significant points in history have altered the identity and ideas within it, such as the domination of religion throughout the Middle Ages which defined Europe through; the

  • Word count: 1744
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

Economic and political integration between the member states of the European Union means that these countries have to take joint decisions on many matters. So they have developed common policies in a very wide range of fields - from agriculture to culture

EUROPE Europe has always shown instability as countries have always fought and invented each other. Many European countries were convinced that the only way to secure peace between countries was to unite them economically and politically. On the 19th September 1946 Winston Churchill calls for Untied States of Europe. This was seen as response to what already America was doing. Four years later on the 9th May 1950 French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposes creation of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Countries like Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands ('the Six') sign Treaty establishing European Coal and Steel Community (Treaty of Paris) in 18th April 1951. This cooperation was going extremely well and on the 1st of January 1958 in Italy, Rome the Treaty of Rome was formed, six countries signed the treaty setting up European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). Another treaty was signed by France and Federal Republic of Germany called the Treaty of Friendship (Elysee Treaty) in 22nd January 1963. The member states were very pleased on how things were running, further more they removed trade barriers between them and forming a "common market". In 1967 the institutions of the three European communities were merged. From this point on, there was a single Commission and a single

  • Word count: 6582
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

To what extent is European community law supreme in member states?

To what extent is European community law supreme in member states? In this essay I firstly will be looking at the basic ideology of European community law, like the origins and the development of European community law and what institutions make the backbone of the European community. To understand supremacy we will look and understand about the vertical and direct effect of the European community law. The year of 1946 is where European Community originates, where the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Zurich proposed "a united states of Europe". After much consultation and referendums this resulted in three communities forming (1) European coal and steal community with the signing of The Treaty of Paris 1951 (2) European Economic Community signing the Treaty of Rome 1957 which also included the European atomic energy community. Today there are fifteen members whom are all committed to the development of a closer economic and politically community. This led to the Single European Act 1986 then the treaty of Maastricht 1992 thus providing a foundation (European Union) based on a European economic community which integrated a vast variety of activities like a monetary union to a common social policy. Consequently in 1993 the European Economic Community became the European Union. There are four institutions that make the European Union. Firstly there is the

  • Word count: 1901
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

fears of European rulers

HISTORY ESSAY June 96: What grounds were there for the fears of those who, in the years 1789-1799, believed that revolution would spread beyond the frontiers of France to the rest of the Continental Europe? Since the French Revolution started in 1789, what the French revolutionary had achieved from constitutional monarchy in 1789 to open republican government in September 1792 was strongly acting against the interests of the European rulers especially regarding the 3 principles of the revolution (liberty, equality and fraternity) which began to spread beyond the frontiers of France and posed a serious threat to those European countries as they were still in the practiced of the Ancien Regime. By the Declaration of the Right of Man, new ideas were put forward; everyone were born equal before the law which was contradict with the European powers who still practiced the hereditary hierarchy of status and it proclaimed of France ruled by its own people posed a strong opposition to the despotism rule of the European rulers. It was this sovereignty of the people, that had created a strong feeling of patriotism and it was further strengthened by the 'levee en masse' (the whole population of France was brought into permanent requisition for the defence of the country) in August 1793. Consequently, this led to the formation of a strong and disciplined revolutionary army during the

  • Word count: 620
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay

The main reason to develop a Competition Policy in the EU is to prevent a number of actions which disturb the economy and the market.

2.2 Question 2: Competition Policy is one of the pillars of the European Union. 2.2.1 What is the rationale behind the E.U Competition Policy and what are it's objectives? The main reason to develop a Competition Policy in the EU is to prevent a number of actions which disturb the economy and the market. The competition policy prohibited this actions which are incompatible with the market: agreements between undertakings, decisions taken by the associations of undertakings and concerted practices which could affect trade between Member States and which have as their aim the prevention, distortion and restriction of competition within the common market, and particularly: * Fix purchase or selling prices directly or indirectly, or to fix any other trading condition. * Limit or control technical development, markets, production or investment. * Share markets or sources of supply. * To create a competitive disadvantage, applying different conditions to equal transactions with other trading parties. * To realise the conclusion of contracts subject to be accepted by the other parties of supplementary obligations which have no connection with the subject of such contracts. The competition policy developed by the Union has a big amount of goals. This policy ensures a diversity of mass market consumer goods and also low prices for the final customer. Through the State

  • Word count: 786
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
Access this essay