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As part of an ongoing series of articles looking
at the various topics contained within Citizenship Learning
for Life and Works, this month we want to look at some aspects
of the European Union.
Twenty-five countries are currently members of the European
Union (EU) which include, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Romania.
Origins
After the end of the Second World War, governments throughout
Europe were determined not to repeat the horrors of the War,
in which 50 million people had died.
In 1951, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
and West Germany signed an agreement setting up the European
Coal and Steel Community through which the coal and steel
production of all six countries came under the control of
a single European authority.
The architects of this plan believed that placing coal and
steel production outside the control of individual states
would greatly reduce the likelihood of another war. Britain
was invited to join the ECSC, but declined.
In the early years co-operation was mainly designed to make
it easier for member states to trade with one another. Gradually,
the scope of the union has widened, and covers many areas
today, including employment, the environment, transport, travel,
foreign policy - and for twelve of the member states a common
currency - the euro.
The idea of European states forming a single market has always
been central to the development of the European Union.
A single market means that goods, services, people, and money
must be able to move freely between member states.
Over the last 30 years member states have agreed all kinds
of measures to make this possible:
- taxes and duties on products have been made broadly similar
between member states,
- technical and safety specifications of goods have been
standardised, so that goods made in one state meet the standards
required in another,
- people are allowed to travel, live, study, and work more-or-less
wherever they wish.
A Single Currency
The EU has also eased the movement of goods and people through
the creation of a single currency, also sometimes called economic
and monetary union (EMU).
The idea was first proposed in 1969, but the first significant
steps were not taken until around 1990 when member states
interested in moving towards a single currency began to prepare
their economies for this process.
They were required to meet a number of conditions - usually
described as convergence criteria - such as having low interest
rates, keeping currency rates and prices stable and keeping
government expenditure within certain limits.
The Euro
On 1st January 2002, after, a transition period of two years,
twelve of the then fifteen EU member states moved to a single
currency - the euro (€) .
Since 28th February 2002, euro banknotes and coins have been
the sole legal tender within these twelve countries.
The seven euro notes, from €5 - €500 are the same
throughout the single currency area. Each country produces
its own coins, of smaller value, although these can be used
anywhere within the euro area, regardless of national origin.
The UK and the Euro
The United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden decided not to proceed
with the single currency. Denmark has held two national referendums
on joining the euro, rejecting the idea on both occasions.
In 2003, the people of Sweden voted against the euro.
The UK government has also undertaken to hold a referendum
on the issue when the government believes that its own five
convergence criteria have been met.
Next month we will continue to look at other aspects of the
European Union, which will include health care, travel and
work.
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