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Advantages of regional integration in european countries
Advantages and disadvantages of being a member of the European Union
Advantages and disadvantages of joining the eu
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The European Union (EU) is by far the most advanced form of cooperation between independent sovereign countries today. Despite the great diversity in culture of its member states, in its integration the EU has established characteristics of a single state; its own parliament, justice system and a single market with one currency. The Europeans are the first to create this model where countries give up a part of their sovereignty to gain other benefits, but it is my opinion that as time progresses, and given that the EU model will prove itself, we will see more countries in different parts of the world integrating and forming similar unions.
In order to form such alliances a nation-state must give up a part of its sovereignty, the right to control its own territory and be independent of any other state. Today, in the modern age of globalization, sovereignty is being challenged by a number of factors even without willingly sacrificing a part of it for the purpose of integration. The free market economy makes it possible for major companies to affect national economies very highly without the government being able to control it, for example if all foreign direct investment is pulled out of a specific country. Other factors such as global communications, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and more also challenge the government’s control of their territories.
The awareness of international protection of human rights and humanitarian law is also an increasing factor in challenging sovereignty because it calls for international groups to intervene in domestic state affairs. Even though Krasner does not view this issue as an unprecedented challenge he gives the example of the Yugoslavian successor state which was forced to accept constitutional provisions guaranteeing minority rights in order to receive international recognition, thus proving that it does play a major role.
The factors mentioned above are affecting the world’s countries and there is not much they can do to prevent the loss of sovereignty. This can influence countries to willingly give up a part of their sovereignty, which in fact is being nibbled away regardless, to integrate and at least benefit from their loss. There are several benefits which derive from integration.
First, the integration and cross-national ties make it less likely that member states will go to war with one another. This is a major benefit for member states, especially in Europe where throughout history they were constantly at war with each other and at times with the whole world.
The benefits of the European Union outweigh the costs. Ever since the end of World War II, countries in the EU have been helped economically, politically, and culturally.
Furthermore, Norway didn’t join because they do not want to give up their independence. Small countries such as Portugal, Greece, Italy joined so they could be more powerful and wants more money. Still, does do the advantages of being in the EU excel the sacrifices? Honestly, I would say yes; essentially for economic competition, peace and security, and cultural diversity.
The European Union cooperation all started with economic integration. Since the beginning of the ECSC in 1952 until now one of the major forces but also one of the major weaknesses of the EU has been their will for a common market and a monetary union. The single market was achieved in 1992 with the entrance into function of the Maastricht treaty. This treaty greatly influenced how states would have to deal with external border control and the free movement of the people because what the Maastricht treaty did was not only opening a single market, but also allowing people, goods and services to move freely across European Union member states. Economic integration has explained by Nevin has usually 5 level which goes from he lowest o he highest level of cooperation. The first level of integration is the preferential tariff which only allows st...
The European Union today is a political and economic entity that controls in a single market located mostly in Europe exploiting Euro as a single currency uniting the vast majority of its members. The market that all European Union members share provides free trade of goods and services as well as a common external tariff. One might argue that the European Union would not perceptible its current influence had it not been for the introduction of the Euro. Speaking of the benefits of the Euro, one can name the elimination of exchange rate problems, creation of a single financial market, providing price stability, low interest rates as well as being a political symbol of unity and commitment to the Union. Today, Euro is the second reserve currency in the entire world - a fact that clearly speaks for itself of its value in the global market.
Over the course of sixty years, the European Union (EU) has evolved to become one of the most economically and politically integrated regions in the world. Compare and contrast the EU with one other major global trading bloc, such as NAFTA or ASEAN, with which you are familiar.
In the past, when empires formed alliances, it’s either due to the speed and possibility of war, the change of power from nation to nation, and whether there is a presence or absence of ideological problems. It’s no secret that we live in a competitive world. This has been proven much throughout history as empires have competed against each other. The conclusion, is that as one empire rises, another falls. From the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we’ve had the Holy Roman Empire followed by the Mongol Empire, to the French, British, American and several other empires. All with the exception of American, no longer exist t...
It is well known that after World War II, states began to move away from the trends of nationalism that had brought on conflict in the first place. Across large parts of Europe, there is instead great support for federalism and get support for integration and interdependence. In 1952, the European Coal and Steel Community was created, followed by the establishment of European Economic Community in 1957. With allies being made and different treaties and agreements being signed, Europe was definitely becoming a ‘federation’. In 1973, Britain joins the EEC along with Denmark and Ireland. The European Union is then formally established by the Maastricht in 1993 and gains its 28th member, Croatia by July 2013. When a referendum was taken in the UK regarding joining the EU the vote was two-to-one in favour. The benefits of joining of the EU were clear. The UK would benefit not only in an economic sense but also politically and socially. However, in recent times, opinions have changed. There is now debate as to whether the UK should remain n member of the EU. More and more people are speaking in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the EU and standing on its own. While there are persuasive arguments for and against, it could still be argued that the argument against...
Alliance while although good overall also happen to drag other countries into each other’s internal affairs. For E...
...ty exclusive of external authorities. Second, in terms of domestic sovereignty, for fairly long time the political structures of states have been following the global trends, from monarchy, to republics, to democratic states most recently. From above we can see that both domestic sovereignty and Westphalian sovereignty are facing challenges all the time, which are not new, but characteristic from time to time. Since sovereignty is the core value of a state, it is reasonable to conclude that nation-state is challenged by globalization but its power is not undermined.
After WWII, many politically influential people saw a need to create some form of interdependence between the nation states of Europe as a means to preventing further war (Watts, 2008: p6). In 1951 Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg all signed the Treaty of Paris creating the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC); the beginnings of an integrated Europe which has seen many changes since its creation (Thody, 1997: p1). Today it has become the highly integrated European Union with 28 member states, 18 of which share a single currency (Archick, 2014: p1). The process of EU integration is a complex one, as can be seen in its history and will surely be seen in its future. There is no simple explanation that can successfully explain the growth of the EU from a economic community of six nation states to the political and economic union it has become today. However there are two competing theories for explaining EU integration that give opposing views on the matter, neo-functionalism and intergovernmentalism. In this essay I will examine both theories and attempt to reach a conclusion if either successfully explains EU integration.
Europe has a history of war and conflict that predates living memory and the idea of a united Europe is something that appears repeatedly in that history. Hitler, Napoleon, and the many Roman Emperors all sought a united Europe. Their quests although in many ways motivated by a horrifying desire for power sparked the minds of philosophers and other political thinkers to imagine Europe united in harmony and peace despite national differences. Today we have the European Union which is quite unique. After the horrors, bloodshed, and economic disaster of the twentieth century, in a desire for peace and harmony and economic and political prosperity twenty-seven states have limited their national sovereignty.2 With national interests and ambition still in mind these countries see the European Union and supranational governance and the benefits of peace and prosperity therein as something worthwhile. However, in the history of European integration there has been much conflict and Euroskepticism. Some see unity in diversity and diversity in unity as impossible, and the existence of differentiation in the EU as highly problematic. However, differentiation in the European Union’s integration process is not the hindrance it is often defined as, rather it creates further cooperation in Europe bringing the European Union closer to its objectives of peace, and economic and political growth, resulting in a more effective and efficient bureaucracy. Differentiation in the EU’s integration process has created more successful integration as it allows the nations who wish t...
When there is a conflict, alliance is needed to confront one’s enemy. That is the US-USSR confrontation would need alliances of the 2 blocs. But if one wants to solve a conflict and ease tension, international cooperation is needed to have conversation and a balance of power. That is the integration of the Europe as EU as a third power to counterbalance and maintain peace. All in all, the confrontation between the US and USSR during the Cold War brought about international conflicts for sure, but it did promote international cooperation at the same time.
Much of the political case for regional economic integration stems from national security. Another case study provided by Hill is the European Union. The nation states of Western Europe bonded together in an effort to deal with the political giants of the USSR to the east and the USA to the west. Further, regional economic integration can facilitate political harmony between nations due to their increased level of
Before we delve deeper into this topic, it is imperative to properly provide a definition of sovereignty and lay down some foundation on this topic. There are four different definitions of sovereignty – international legal sovereignty, Westphalia sovereignty, domestic sovereignty and interdependence sovereignty. International legal sovereignty deals with “the practices associated with mutual recognition, usually between territorial entities that have formal juridical independence” (Krasner 4). The main definition of sovereignty that this paper will use is the ...
Regional economic integration enhances political cooperation. Several group of nation can have significantly greater political influence than each nation would have by individually. This integration is an essential strategy to address the effects or issues of conflicts and political instability that may affect the region. Improved political cooperation due to regional economic integration is also useful tool to handle the social and economic challenges associated with globalization. Countries which are link together will be more dependent on each other that will reduce the likelihood of violent conflict between each nation. This integration will also give countries greater political clout when dealing