Advantages and Disadvantages of the European Union - Research Paper Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of the European Union s 18 March Advantages and Disadvantages of the European Union Abstract The European Union is an International Organization that comprises of European countries that joined hands to form the alliance in an attempt to gain strength through unity as a block as well as facilitate free trade between member countries. The Union provides numerous benefits (advantages) to its members such as facilitation of a single market and currency for its members. However, the European Union has its downsides with the main demerits including a loss of sovereignty for member nations among others. The paper will provide a broader view of the major advantages and limitations of the European Union to its members. The discussion will also briefly look at the criteria followed by the states in order to be part of the European Union. 1.0 European Union- Background Information Before the World War II took place, the world did not experience common cases of International organizations (alliances) as there are seen today. However, the war served as an eye-opener in that a majority of the states became open for cooperation towards creating these unions. This has largely been attributed to the widespread crisis, both economic and political, that had hit the world following the harrowing war. This prompted the creation of most of the organizations seen today with the European Union being one of them. As a brief history of the European Union, the idea of the alliance was incepted in 1949 and implemented in 1951 when the first founders of the Union came together for the formation of an alliance. The six member nations, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Luxembourg created what was first referred to as the Council of Europe. Their main objective was to unify the region while also proclaiming peace which was a much-needed necessity following the WWII. Following this was an expansion of the body and consequently, a new name was adopted in 1957- The European Economic Community. As the name suggests, the body was determined to create and facilitate free trade between member states. In the next 50 years, various countries have joined the body and in 1993, the body adopted the name The European Union, which is what it is known today. Currently, the union comprises 27 member states in Europe with the latest members, Bulgaria and Romania having joined the body in 2007 (Sajdik & Schwarzinger, 2008). The European Union is governed by various policies and guidelines that have been formulated over the years in response to various emerging needs in the alliance. Today, the union allows citizens of the member states to move freely within the encompassed states while also deregulating the respective markets to allow for free trade within the boundaries of the member nations. Additionally, the various treaties signed such as the Lisbon Treaty (2007) have enabled improved coexistence between member states in regard to increased democracy, equality, respect for human rights, and freedom among other values. Today, the European Union has grown in its authority becoming one of the controlling economic bodies and one that is heavily relied upon in world political scene. The body has been on the front line in resolving numerous global problems that affect countries within its jurisdiction, as well as those beyond (Ginsberg, 2007). To this end, it is evident that the European Union holds a bright future in facilitating more functions in its role to the member states and the world at large. Nevertheless, the discussion will closely look at some of the key merits and demerits of the Union towards its member states. 2.0 Advantages of the European Union As earlier mentioned, the European Union serves numerous functions towards achieving various benefits for its member states. One of the key benefit that the member states enjoy from this union is the European Single Market that was created by the Union. The market encompasses all the member states in forming a shared market that comprises of over 500 million people spread across the respective states. An upside of this is that companies and individuals are free to trade in the international market created. This has been particularly beneficial to traders who find it comparatively easy and inexpensive to sell and make purchases for their products and services. In addition to facilitating increased business and revenue for the member states, the move to create the free market has greatly reducedthe growing trend of unemployment with creation of millions of jobs within the EU member states. Another key advantage of the European Union is the monetary union enhanced through the creation of a single currency (the Euro). The Euro is a unique currency that facilitates easiness of trade especially with the fact that an alteration in market prices may go unnoticed on most occasions. A shared currency also means that prices of commodities are likely to remain constant in most member states thus leading to an increased transparency in the overall European market. A single currency is seen to be more efficient especially in eliminating common transition costs that are likely to be incurred where different currencies are used. Furthermore, a common currency enhances a market competition which leads to the formulation of lower prices as the respective member countries strive to attract more business (Dalimov, 2009). Environmental protection and war prevention are some of the noble functions carried out by the European Union, and which serves as beneficial to the respective member states. The EU has over the years, created various policies that seek to safeguard the environment. Additionally, the Union has put in place measures that derail any form of wars or terrorism acts within its member states and other states that directly affect its jurisdictions. For example, the EU has outlined its responsibility in ensuring the safety and enhancing security of its members in the Treaty of Lisbon. As a result, the member states enjoy the safeguarding measures put in place by the union which has consequently resulted in the Europe becoming one of the safest places on earth. 3.0 Disadvantages of the European Union While the European Union serves numerous advantages to its membership, the alliance has its flip side that is the demerits. This section will provide some of the key disadvantages that emanate from a subscription to the EU. One of the key requirements for the members seeking to join the European Union entails the agreement to follow and observe all the regulations put in place by the body. In some cases, these regulations may be inconsistent with the national rules of the respective countries but accordingly, the rules of the EU reigns supreme in such an occasion. Additionally, the European Court of Justice provides some of the toughest responsibilities to the member states in cases where these states are at fault with the guidelines in place. For example, member states are forced to pay a penalty if found unable to handle situations that take place within their jurisdiction(Bermann & Pistor, 2004, p. 71). Looking at these examples and observations, it is evident to accept that the EU can on occasion have an unwarranted authority that consequently leads to a loss of the necessary sovereignty on the part of the member states. On the part of the smaller and typically less influential member states, the EU membership may seem daunting to them considering the little impact that their influence counts in the body. The smaller nations within the membership have very little influence in key matters such as security and other issues. In some cases, the small countries have been used as pathfinders in various policy-making processes, which demonstrate just how much they may not be gaining as expected from the alliance (Panke, 2010). On the other hand, it is the dominant countries such as France and Germany that are bestowed with more powers and geo-political influence in place of these smaller nations. Other disadvantages of the European Union entail the high cost of the membership to the body which can be of great economic impact especially to the financially weaker member states. Additionally, the formulation of the Free Movement of Labor has led to migration issues such as overcrowding in the popular European cities such as London among others. Moreover, some of the policies adopted by the EU are not as efficient as deemed especially where the policies are to serve in generality to all the member states. One such policy is the Common Agricultural Policy that has in the past received massive criticism after it distorted various agricultural markets across Europe through the outlined minimum food prices (Panke, 2010). 4.0 Criteria for joining the European Union Before a country is considered for the EU membership, it undergoes a rigorous procedure that entails numerous conditions that should be met. These conditions popularly referred to as the ‘Copenhagen Criteria’ include embracing the free-market economy, the specified rule of law and facilitating a stable democracy. Additionally, the potential member should have a clear understanding of all the institutions operated by the EU as well as all the member states. Upon approval of the membership, the member should be willing to comply with all the rules and standards set by the EU. The country applying for the membership should also be a European country although it has to have in place a fully functional market economy and the required capacity that enables it to cope with the market forces as expected in the competitive EU markets. Additionally, the country should have the required stability within its institutions thus providing a guarantee for sustained rule of law, protection of minorities and general democracy. In this light, it is easy to understand how difficult and complex the process of joining the EU can be, thereby helping unravel probable reasons why Turkey and other countries willing to join this body have not been successful (Wendicke, 2008). 5.0 Reasons why Turkey is not a member of the EU As seen in the earlier section of this paper, there are various conditions which a country has to meet in order to secure a membership with the European Union. Failure to meet any of the conditions warrants a direct inconsideration of the application as has been the case of Turkey over the last few decades. Here are the reasons why Turkey has not managed to secure the EU membership after attempting the process in various cases. 5.1 Turkey’s geographical position A close analysis of the country’s geographical location shows that only 3 percent of Turkey lies in Europe. The rest lies in Asia, which has been the major point of concern to the EU.The small portion of its jurisdiction lying in Europe has been its major point of grip in its arguments that it should be considered for EU membership (Wendicke, 2008). 5.2 Turkey’s perceived political instability (immaturity) According to the perception of the European Union, Turkey still struggles with containing its vibrant political climate which can be a source of instability. The country has been characterized by long-held political tussles over the years with other important values such as basic human rights and freedom of speech remaining massively unobserved. This has led to the country failing to meet some of the conditions set for the European Union membership (Wendicke, 2008). 5.3 Turkey’s economics Despite the recent glimpses of economic growth being observed by Turkey, the country is still considered undeveloped and below the average standards of other EU countries. This has been a point of concern to the EU as well since adopting it as one of its members would obligate the body to invest in it thereby constraining its finances (Wendicke, 2008). 6.0 Conclusion The paper has outlined the both sides of European Union, giving the benefits and limitations it provides to its members. It is clear that the body provides more benefits than the demerits to its members, which is why countries such Turkey have continuously sought this membership for decades now. However, individual countries need to meet various conditions if they are to be accepted into the EU.References Bermann, G. A., & Pistor, K. (2004). Law and governance in an enlarged European Union. Oxford [u.a.: Hart. Dalimov, R. (2009). The Eu Economic Integration:Pros andCons. Current Research Journal of Social Sciences, 1(2), 14-15. Ginsberg, R. H. (2007). Demystifying the European Union: The enduring logic of regional integration. Lanham, Md: Rowman & littlefield publishers. Panke, D. (2010). Small states in the European Union: Coping with structural disadvantages. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate. Sajdik, M., & Schwarzinger, M. (2008). European Union enlargement: Background, developments, facts. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers. Wendicke, A. (2008). EU membership: An unfeasible plan for Turkey. 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