European Government - Essay Example

Musa Muhammad Bala Academia Research December 13, 2006. European Government The European Union (EU) was established primarily for the promotion of Economic and Political integrations between its members, so they can establish a unique policies in a vast arena, ranging from agriculture, environments, culture, transport, trade etc Since its establishment, EU has been exploring various channels through making considerable approaches on foreign policies. Among its focus include ensuring peace and security, within nations, disparaging any form of terrorism and other development perspectives. Few years back, European Union has redoubled its zeal in enhancing security and political aspects across the globe. The tension that ensued in 1989 after the fall of Berlin Wall and the need to put hands on deck in fighting global terrorism have combinable shaped EU to implement diplomacy and intervention policy. One of the E Us efforts to maintain its power across the world that should be presented to support this essay is of its roles during the Yugoslavian crises around 1992. Though by then treaty was signed within it, which was tagged: "Common Foreign and Security Policy", but the Union effort to halt the fighting proved abortive. The EU countries had to join the United Nation Force, which at the end were under the United State leadership. Another Foreign Policy of EU that also focus on security which is seen as a strict diplomacy measure was its effort by creating formidable force that involves representatives from within its members countries, which great supports were attached to it The key action of this force is to foreseen and signal and alert on possibility of tensions. Thus it's dispatched action representatives to various hard areas around the world, so they can expand their power. Examples of these areas include Balkans, Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East. In its effort in creating more credibility's to intervention strategies under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), EU has programmed European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) that would mean to have unanimous defense structure. Since 2003, EU leaders endorsed an European Security strategy with basic focus on crushing terrorism especially in the Middle East, though the acts of terrorism is under increase in that part of the world, which signifies one of the EU failure in its mission over foreign policies. Moreover, EU has pointed out some measure assignments that its Military Force should undergo as part of foreign policy. These are peacekeeping, crises management, humanitarian and rescue mission, including peace making. To achieve these tremendous objectives, a formidable force has been created which is expected to grow strongly in the coming recent years. Meanwhile, despite points that are seen as EU achievements on the above discussion, yet there are some angles that its failures are also noted. One of these point states that though the Union had included political aspect in its international roles, members are finding it a hard task to reshape their nation's policy. A typical example explained how these members failed to come under one umbrella during a debate held in 2003 on if the United Nation should give a go-ahead on the United States led War on Iraq. Another important area that needs a focus as parts of EU Foreign Policy is the adaptation of "Common Agriculture Policy" (CAP), a policy that aims to offer agricultural subsidies for European Union. CAP was created in the late 50s and early 60s to supplement food shortages, which hit EU countries during and after the Second World War. "As part of building a common market, tariffs on agriculture would have to be removed. However, due to the political clout of farmers and the sensitivity of the issue, it would take many years before CAP was fully implemented". (Common Agricultural Policy). The CAP steering strategies had come into being in 1960 by the founding members, while in 1962 these strategies begin to take effect. In the same year there structures were created aiming to steering CAP toward market unity, community preference and financial solidarity. "The CAP has always been a difficult area of EU to reform; this is a problem that began in the 1960s and one that continues to the present day, albeit less severely. It can be described as a "path dependent" institution due to the institutional make-up of the policy". (Common Agricultural Policy). Moreover, in order to make CAP more effective and efficient machinery great priority is attached to farming which is said to be one of the heritage of the European countries. "Farming is regarded "special" A part of Europe's shared heritage is farming, food production and even fine dining. All of these are used as rationalized for keeping the CAP strong". (Common Agricultural Policy). CAP has reached a turning point in the progressive factor during 80s, where tremendous reshape were made. Thus the stumbling stone hindering farming development fall. It was until 1992 that CAP begin to accelerate, though remarkable achievements were recorded hitherto. "In 1992, the MacSharry reforms (name after the European Commission for Agriculture, Ray MacSharry) were created to limit rising production, while at the same time adjusting to the trend toward a more free agricultural market. The reforms reduced levels of support by 29% for cereals and 15% for beef. They also created "set-aside payments to withdraw land from production, payments to limit stocking levels, and introduced measures to encourage retirement and forestation". (Common Agricultural Policy). Sugar regime reform of 2005 can also be presented as another CAP achievements, because it is subsidized. Researched conducted reveals that: "Sugar was not included in the 1992 MacSharry reforms, or in subject to a phase in (to 2009) under the everything. But Arms trade deals giving market access to least developed countries. In 2005 the European Union Agriculture Ministers are planning to cut the minimum beef price by 39% from 2006, over four years". (Common Agricultural Policy). On this note, since some of the achievements of CAP were highlighted in the previous discussion, at this juncture let focus on its failures and the criticism made against its functions. First, as a result of CAP strategies of price intervention, it brought about an increase in food price within the EU. Analysis conducted has shown that "as a consequences of artificial high food price European Union consumers pay a regressive consumption tax. In general, the fraction of income spent of food products tends to increase as income decreases, as everyone has to eat least a minimum of food". (Common Agricultural Policy). According to another analysis, with the establishment of CAP, there is high production of Agricultural products in the European Countries, which as a result of its surplus, it then exported to other areas of the world, especially the Third the World countries. This action has in no small measure hinders the Third World Farmers from supplying their farming products to western countries, a situation that has contributed toward the increase of poverty in the Third World Countries. Also, CAP has in one-way or the other affect the development of Small Scale Farming in a negative perspective. Because it is a well known fact that the large scale farmers are benefiting more than the small scales counterpart in terms of CAP agricultural subsidies. This policy has caused a set back toward enhancing and encouraging the small-scale farmers. One of the greatest failure and critics against CAP is that its give most of its primary focus while giving special benefit to France, which is said to have the largest Agricultural sector. According to a source, CAP was initially established to assist France. Meanwhile, it is not said that only France benefiting from CAP subsidies, but the primary focus giving to the country has created impression that "CAP only means to France". Though other countries with large Agricultural sector also benefited. These are only but few of CAP failures and criticism it is facing since its establishment. Finally, the future of CAP as a machinery set up to enhance Agricultural sector within EU would be positive indeed, especially if the leadership of CAP agreed to embraced challenges and critics. It would indeed yield fruitfully outcomes in the near future when considerable strategies are implemented, while other strategies that are in place should be readdressed in order to meet the desire of EU members and the entire world people at large. Meanwhile, why is it that some other EU policies like Social, Regional and Environmental could not yield positive results even though they are implemented. Regional Policy is one of the EU objectives, which include Solidarity and Unity. This implies that members should put hands on deck irrespective of their economic and social gap and unify for the promotion of economic and social aspect of them. Regional Policy of EU also refers that others would jointly assist people of other countries that are economically and socially weak at the peak of economic and social development. Moreover, one of the primary aims of EU as regard Regional Policy is that to enhance the living standard of its new members countries if not equal to other countries, but at least to become almost equal. These include improving basic infrastructure and enhancing business, economic and social restructuring, job creation and many others. Despite all these effort made by EU to maintain Regional Policy, yet the internal differences of income of the members countries and the entry of new members countries in May 2004, whose income are very low has resulted to a failure in implementing this policy effectively. The next Policy of EU is Social, which include employment opportunity for citizens of member's countries. The objective is to ensuring that jobs opportunities are created to address its needs. While improving quality of life and also to enhance social and territorial unity is another factor. The social Policy also gears to bring to an end the unemployment, pushing away poverty and promote unique opportunities for all. To this end, European Union is playing a significant role is investing large amount of Money as human capital for the development of working and social skills, so the beneficiaries would stand self-reliant. While great priority is attached to EU areas where they are facing poor condition of living. The main aim is to discourage discriminations, enhance gender equality and prevent social exclusion. Other objectives of Social Policy of EU include the right for working class with good atmospheric condition, protection from noise and the basic right as relating to working hours. Others are labor relationship between workers and employers, the right to travel and work at any country member of EU, with access to social security right for the traveling workers and their families, etc Environmental Policy is also one of the EU agenda, which aim to focus on the protection of environment. Some of the areas that EU target to address as regard to this aspect between now to the year 2010 are climate change and global warming, natural habitat and wildlife, environment and health issues, natural resource and managing wealth. Additionally, on this basis, EU Environmental Policy also focuses on enforcing existing environmental laws, and taking the environmental impact into account in all relevant EU Policies. The European Environment Agency is established to address these issues, which include signaling initial alert of any environmental problem, informing policy makers on way forward to address their targets. Additionally, the roles of this agency include the promotion of best action in protecting the environment, and disseminating the outcomes of any environmental research. By these explanations, we would conclude by stating that all these Policy of EU are implemented primarily to achieve positive results. However, we can note that the policies are facing challenges in terms of implementation, but nothing more than that. In a final note this essay, we can foresee the future of EU as very challenging. The greatest Challenge it will face is the issue of Globalization. One of the challenges is the internal between member's countries, while the other comes from other international community. This challenges was also brought forward during one of the EU Summit, where Head of States from member's countries. To this end, there is the need for the EU to simplify its functions to suites the International recognition. Work Cited Common Agricultural Policy Read More