[Smallfrog]

http://upload.wikime..._Europe.svg.png


The European Union now covers 27 states, with several more bound by treaties, or under strong economic influence due to joining the European Economic area.

This shows the growing size of the EU to its current size.

This Shows the various countries which are not actual memebers but under strong EU influence. (see description for key)

So whats your this union. Has it been a success, failure, or one of the other poll options.


I personall think that in terms of economy, the common market has been a great success (largest economy in the world), along with the EU human rights law, and in terms of technology it is well in advance of much of the rest of the world. However, Brussels is becoming over bureaucratic, and the common agricultural policy is a joke, pumping undeserved money into inefficient French farmers. Also, there is a severe lack of growth in German, Italian, and French economies, although I believe Sarkosy may be able to reverse that in France.

[Prd777]

Pretty much what you said, Smallfrog.

[Arcturus Jefferson]

If you don't mind your nation completely losing any autonomy, it's great.

Voted "average" for the Euro though...

[rozalia]

The human rights law is a joke.

[THUNDER-X]

rozalia, on Sep 21 2007, 10:52 AM, said:

The human rights law is a joke.

Please Explain why it is a Joke.

[Smallfrog]

rozalia, on Sep 21 2007, 05:52 PM, said:

The human rights law is a joke.

Right to life? good/bad?

prohibition of torture? Good/bad?

prohibition of slavery? Good/bad?

right to liberty and security? Good/bad?

right to a fair trial? Good/bad?

18 in a similar style. Whats wrong with it?

[I.K.s-c]

If you look at the EU's original goals (as the EEC), it has been entirely successful - and more so than almost anyone would have predicted

[Buller]

The economic success is just too good to deny.

[friendoftheherb]

Anyone want to explain why the British have kept using the pound as opposed to the Euro. I know the pound is stronger then the euro.

I'm not sure why I never figured this out when I lived in London..

The EU is a good thing IMO. If you look at the pattern of history, people/nations tend to group into larger and larger units. Political Antropologist Reniero (I think thats his name) feels that we will be living in a completly unified world by 2300.

This post has been edited by friendoftheherb: 21 September 2007 - 12:48 PM

[Smallfrog]

friendoftheherb, on Sep 21 2007, 07:52 PM, said:

Anyone want to explain why the British have kept using the pound as opposed to the Euro. I know the pound is stronger then the euro.

The treasury set 5 economic tests which the Euro had to pass to be used by the U.K. It hasn't passed yet, so we use the pound. (also, the coinage of the Euro is horrible.)

[Dennis Von Bremen]

I said the second choice because economically the EU is amazing...

[Jacob the Malignant]

I said it has generally been successful(second option), it's so economically powerful...

[Shanny]

The EU has been an undeniable success in so many areas that it's impossible to deny it as a 'great success', although nothing is a complete success, and the EU itself is the first institution of its kind, or rather the first institution of its kind to go so far in the modern age, so I think there's bound to be kinks in the model to be ironed out over time.

Economically, the EU has had huge benefits for its member states. The Common Market has been about a thousand times the success people believed it would be, and it's got to a point where we seem to take for granted the numerous economic advantages of being in the EU.

On the topic of education, another of the EU's successes is most apparent, although it's not often mentioned. As an EU citizen, I have the right to study anywhere in the EU without facing extra charges usually imposed on foreign students. Not only that, the exchange program has been a huge success. Not only does one recieve grants rfom the EU to live and study in a foreign country for one year of a Bachelors Degree Course (only certain courses, of course) but one can also recieve grants to study the language of the country you reside in for the year.

It's a great life experience that gives you knowledge in a foreign language.

On less successful ideas, one needs only to look at CAP. It was oversuccessful simply because it encouraged bad farming habits, not because it was y'know, good.

Thankfully it seems to have been scaled a littl bit now.

This post has been edited by Shanny: 21 September 2007 - 03:31 PM

[Vaal Satori]

What both Napoleon and Hitler tried and failed to do, has now been accomplished without a single shot being fired. I really wonder why Switzerland never takes part in these pan-European treaties though. They seem to always be geographically in the thick of it while shunning all political involvement. If someone could provide me with an answer I would greatly appreciate it.

[Dennis Von Bremen]

Vaal Satori, on Sep 21 2007, 05:12 PM, said:

What both Napoleon and Hitler tried and failed to do, has now been accomplished without a single shot being fired. I really wonder why Switzerland never takes part in these pan-European treaties though. They seem to always be geographically in the thick of it while shunning all political involvement. If someone could provide me with an answer I would greatly appreciate it.

They want to be completely independent... meaning they never wish to join any side even economically...

[Smallfrog]

Vaal Satori, on Sep 21 2007, 11:12 PM, said:

What both Napoleon and Hitler tried and failed to do, has now been accomplished without a single shot being fired. I really wonder why Switzerland never takes part in these pan-European treaties though. They seem to always be geographically in the thick of it while shunning all political involvement. If someone could provide me with an answer I would greatly appreciate it.

Switzerland voted no to the EU in a referendum. However, due to a rather odd collection of trade and legal treaties they may as well be a memeber. This article explains it somewhat. The swiss are a partner to the EU, but with one partner so strong the can pretty much dominate the other.

This post has been edited by Smallfrog: 21 September 2007 - 04:14 PM

[Lord GVChamp]

Human rights should not be attached to economic treaties. And political treaties need some measure of foreign policy coherence and military might behind them.

I like the EU. I think it needs to decide what it wants to be.

[Kenadian_2006]

Lord GVChamp, on Sep 21 2007, 07:05 PM, said:

Human rights should not be attached to economic treaties. And political treaties need some measure of foreign policy coherence and military might behind them.

I like the EU. I think it needs to decide what it wants to be.

They should just get it over with and declare its plan for world domination.

[King Penchuk]

The EU will be the dominant force in the future I believe. Therefore a collapsing America will no longer be an issue.

[President Kent]

It united post-WWII Europe and provided economic stability to member nations, I'd say it is a success.