European Union
'The European Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries created on the basis of committing to working together for peace and prosperity'1. The present EU we have come to know and understand was established out of The European Economic Community (EEC) which was founded in 1957 following the signing of the Treaty of Rome by the six original Member States. In 1967 the EEC joined together with the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) which was also established in 1957 and the European Coal and Steel Community which was established in 1951 to form the European Communities, or EC. The creation of these treaties represented the culmination of a movement towards international cooperation by member states which was an unprecedented achievement in the twentieth century. The EC later transpired into the European Union (EU) by the establishment and ratification of the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht on 7 February 1992. The treaty came in to existence on the 1st of November 1993 to create the European Union out of the European Community. The treaty also paved the way for European Economic Community to be renamed the European Community and the EC's Council of Ministers was renamed the Council of Ministers of the European Union. In the aftermath of the establishment of the EU there has been some deep transformation in the way in which the European Union
George Washington: America's Greatest Leader
George Washington: America's Greatest Leader An independent country requires a strong, wise and dignified administration to guide a highly emotional population through a tough phase while establishing a stable relationship with other nations. At the same time, the first president, guided by his administration, must create a charter to govern the nation. Being the first president of the United States of America and a new face on the world stage, George Washington along with his administration created an excellent blueprint for the recently formed nation. Washington was successful as the first president because his administration maintained peace and neutrality in European affairs, consisted of men from all factions in administrative departments, and created the concept of a three-branch government. Washington had organized a government in 1789 that no American had ever seen before.1 Being the first president, he had to set high standards to unify his nation. Washington knew that unity would come when he acknowledged one fact, "The states had once been wards of England, and they wanted no more of it."2 Rather than aiming at England directly and solely, Washington broadened his target to the society of Europe. The influence Europe had on the United States of America after the colonies won independence and especially when Washington served his first term in office declined,
Analyse how EU membership has affected the political parties in the UK
Kirstin Stobo Dr Cameron Analyse how EU membership has affected the political parties in the UK The issue of the European union has been one which has dramatically shaped the course of British politics. Most significantly, it has affected the political parties, in various ways. It might be assumed that each party would be required to create firm and coherent policies on Europe, to provide choices for the electorate. However, in Britain, the issue of the European Union serves to divide the parties internally and leads to fluctuating and irresolute policies. Within both major parties, there has been intense division since the establishment of even the most basic "European Union". Originally, the Labour Party was divided on the issue bordering on the hostile, when in opposition; their Euro-policies were erratic and were incoherent. From 1983, they have pursued a far more pro-European stance which was one of the most crucial elements in their landslide victory in both 1997 and 2001. It was in 1997 where we saw the party support a "loose confederation of the states" and this was a particular ideal of Tony Blair, and his victory was seen as a victory for the pro-Europeans in the party, and not the more socialist, federal contingency. A good example is the caution shown to the idea of the European Single currency, which Blair has pledged to put to the
Discuss the suggestion that ''Britishness' is a story whose final chapter has been written.'
Discuss the suggestion that ''Britishness' is a story whose final chapter has been written.' To answer whether the final chapter of 'Britishness' has been written we must first identify when the story began, as it's only through contrasting these opposites ends of the same part that we can understand the narrative in-between. I will do this by suggesting that if the reasons for the Act of Union are no longer pertinent then consequently the Union should collapse. If the 'nation' is a 'story' we must identify which symbols convey Britishness to its 'readers' as it is only by identifying these elements that we can decide whether the plot has reached a conclusion. These symbols come in many forms and one thinks immediately of Woodrow Wyatt's response when asked to spell his name 'Waterloo, Ypres, Agincourt, Trafalgar, Trafalgar' came the reply. (quoted in Paxman,1999: 87) The symbols I will focus upon are monarchy, from the Anderson-Nairn thesis, and daily ceremonies. Finally we must question is it possible for a nation to simply stop existing? Instead I will suggest that it is certain versions of Britishness which are ending, focusing upon Thatcherism and New Labour as examples. The opening chapter of British history started when Scotland, England (and with it Wales) joined together in the Act of Union later to be joined by Ireland in 1801. In 1707 the parliaments united
Czech Republic: What potential benefits and losses are there for this country if it gains EU membership?
Czech Republic: What potential benefits and losses are there for this country if it gains EU membership? What are the potential benefits and losses for the EU if this country gains membership? Who stands to gain more by this country's membership; the country of the EU? "The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the six Candidate Countries negotiating accession to the European Union on the basis of the decisions of the Luxembourg European Council in December 1997 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia - met for the third time in Budapest on 15 November 2000. They reconfirmed that their accession to the European Union is not only crucial for their own countries but a well-managed enlargement is an integral part of realizing the vision of a strong and efficient European Union." - Joint Statement, Budapest, November 15 20001 As the above statement suggests, converting from a 'candidate country' into a formally recognized member of the European Union holds both benefits and opportunities for the respective nation and the EU itself. The respective nation in this case is the Czech Republic and through this paper I shall attempt to identify those gains and losses the Czech Republic will face when moving from the status of applicant to a position of formal membership. Yet I will also address what consequences Czech membership holds for the EU itself. How will
E.U. Enlargement
E.U. Enlargement .-INTRODUCTION European Union enlargement is fast approaching; negotiations have begun with the called fast-track candidates. Those countries, out of a possible 10, that are likely to qualify for EU membership first are the Czech Republic; Estonia; Hungary; Poland; and Slovenia. Waiting in the wings are Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania (as it can be seen in the map below) In this map we can see all the countries that can be in the enlargement of the European union, in the first wave they are Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary Slovenia and Cyprus (country that we are going to speak during the essay),. In a second wave there will be countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. In the last place we can see to Turkey, which is only an applicant country. The process of joining the EU is largely a technical one. All the candidates are receiving a great deal of help and instruction from the European Commission and from individual member states on what it means to be an EU member. Globalization and EU enlargement will shape the future of Europe over the next decades. The eastward enlargement of the European Union is not only a political issue or an effort to reunite peoples sharing a common history, culture, and spiritual values. It is also a process through which Europe's firms seek to enhance their competitiveness by taking
Is there a democratic deficit at the heart of the European Union
Is there a democratic deficit at the heart of the European Union The question of the democratic deficit involves not just a discussion of the role of the European Parliament, but also an examination of the roles of other institutions, and especially the need to look at the way in which these institutions relate to each other. The main emphasis lies with the three main "institutions" of the European Union - the Commission, the European Council and Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The European Union continues to play an important role in traditionally domestic areas of policy, but many people however see the union as distant, and believe they have extremely little involvement and influence. The only body over which they have any control, the European Parliament, is by far the weakest, and important decisions are seen as being taken behind 'closed doors'. This lack of public accountability in the European Union is known as the 'Democratic Deficit.' The term, 'Democratic Deficit' refers to, "The growing gap between the power and authority of EU institutions". As more aspects of national sovereignty are transferred to the European level, the ability of citizens to influence and supervise this new power base has declined significantly. Leaders can no longer afford to continue to appear unaccountable. It is the connection between the European Union's institutions
The Foreign Policy of Great Britain in relationship to the European Union.
The Foreign Policy of Great Britain in relationship to the European Union. B.A. (Hons) European Studies 2nd Year ES 202 - The Foreign Policies of the Main EU States : Assignment Introduction The aim of this paper is to analyze the British policy vis-à-vis the European Union; first of all by looking at how the British Government itself looks at its country's participation in this community and related aspects like monetary union and the organization of a common defense. Also this paper will look at Britain's position in regards to the Union's present major internal debates, namely enlargement to the Central-East of Europe and to the Mediterranean and the necessary institutional reforms. Historical Background Before looking at the present position it is important to keep in mind the historical background. The British Government today, led by Tony Blair's Labour Party explains to the British citizens that their country without Europe will be weak. Yet the same party, fifty-five years ago was completely opposed to British participation. The first elections after World War II were, perhaps surprisingly, not won by the pro-Europeanist and British leader during the War, Winston Churchill, but by the Labour Party led by Clement Attlee, which obtained a 146-seat majority in a seat of 640 deputies. There were several reasons that alienated the British Government away from the
UK agriculture and its dependence on Europe.
UK agriculture and its dependence on Europe Europe's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was established in 1962 driven by a strategic need for food security in Europe. The CAP created a deliberate economic signal to increase domestic food production. It was founded on the basis of 'open-ended price support', that is, if output doubled so did revenue (Institute of Economic Affairs 2000). Furthermore, it included protection for domestic markets through import taxes and export subsidies (DEFRA- Shifting support from the 1st to the 2nd Pillar of the CAP). As production responded, increasing surpluses necessitated heavier expenditure, which led to friction with other suppliers to the world market who were not reliant on subsidy. The CAP was so successful that by the late 1980's surpluses such as the widely reported grain mountains and milk lakes were being produced. Various systems designed to limit this over-production were introduced such as set-aside, milk quotas and reduced price support, but they have failed to limit production and the intensification of farming. To compensate for reduced price support subsidies now largely include direct payments to farm businesses, based on the cropped area or number of animals. This has further encouraged large farms and intensive systems with increasing numbers of animals, resulting in further loss of space for wildlife and overgrazing
Common Agriculture Policy in European Union.
Common Agriculture Policy in European Union COMMON AGRUCULTURE POLICY IN EU INTRODUCTION The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is comprised of a set of rules and mechanisms, which regulate the production, trade and processing of agricultural products in the European Union (EU), with attention being focused increasingly on rural development. Among the EU's policies, the CAP is regarded as one of the most important policy areas. Not only because of its share of the EU budget, the vast number of people and the extent of the territory directly affected, but also because of its symbolic significance, and the extent of sovereignty transferred from the national to the European level. The significance of the CAP, nowadays, is also portrayed by the fact that it is directly related to the Single Market and the EMU. The Treaty of Rome defined the general objectives of a common agricultural policy. The principles were set out at the Stresa Conference in July 1958. In 1960, the CAP mechanisms were adopted by the six founding Member States and two years later, in 1962, the CAP came into force. To explore the different aspects of this very significant EU policy, we will start by explaining the very first reasons of the creation of the CAP. Then, we will describe its objectives, its functionment and the way it is financed. We could thus make an assessment of the first consequences of the
