The European Union
6th Grade Informational and Literature Reading Texts
As World War II came to a close, many western European countries found it difficult to rebuild their shattered economies. As the reality of this struggle arose, a movement for European unity began to take hold. Beginning in 1950, Robert Schuman, a French leader delivered a speech laying out ideas to bring peace to Europe though economic cooperation. Schuman proposed that France, Germany and others in Europe should work cooperatively to manage their coal and steel productions. Six countries agreed with him and out of this the European Coal and Steel Community was born. This group created a common market for the coal and steel industry. Within the common market, trade barriers were removed and tariffs were lowered.
By the early 1990s a number of European countries agreed an economic community could be created within Europe to bring greater cooperation among the individual countries. In 1992 representatives from a number of European governments met to create the Maastricht Treaty. This agreement would set up the European Union, a new governing body aimed at creating supranational cooperation among its member countries. The prefix supra means "on top of." Supranational is a term referring to the government of the European Union standing above the governments of the member countries. the European Union (EU) uses supranational cooperation to work towards shared goals. Member countries give up some power and control over certain areas, but remain separate countries. While they are united in many ways they are divided in others. It is these forces that work both for and against the EU.
In the United States, traveling from one state to the next is easy. There are no border checkpoints to cross or customs to pass through. When you travel from one state to the next, you have no need to trade your dollars in for the new state's money. Imagine traveling in Europe. Prior to the creation of the EU, each time you went to another country it was much like traveling from the United States into Canada.
Living in the United States, people move freely from one state to the next. Someone might live in Michigan and work in Indiana or Ohio. There are borders defining a state's boundaries but people are able to cross them with no impact on their day to day lives. Europe is just slightly larger than the US. Many countries are comparable in size to US states; however, prior to the creation of the EU it was very difficult to travel country to country. National laws made it difficult for someone to live in one country and work in another.
Today member countries of the EU have a common economic goal. They promote many different ways to promote economic cooperation between each other. One is the creation of a common market. This has been important in creating cooperation among member countries. In this common market, goods and people are able to move freely across borders. This allows people to have the benefit of working in one country and living in another. The people also have more choices in what they can buy. With no tariffs on EU goods, prices are lower. This encourages people to purchase goods from EU countries and strengths the economy at the same time.
The EU has taken other steps towards economic cooperation. Many member countries have adopted a common currency called the Euro. Now Europeans no longer have to exchange their money as they travel and trade in other member countries. This makes living and doing business in EU member countries easier. Culturally, the EU has worked at creating a common European culture. The EU has its own Flag, has adopted the Beethoven song "Ode to Joy" as its national anthem, and celebrates Europe Day every year on May 9th. Politically, the EU encourages cooperation between the governments who run the member nations.
The EU government works to bring its members together to work on issues they have in common. This allows them to work on large scale problems, like pollution, together. Promoting a common European cultural identity is difficult. The countries of the EU are very diverse. They include people of many different languages, religions, beliefs, traditions and values.
The EU doesn't always work together. With all the diversity that makes up the member countries it can be difficult to get everyone to agree on everything. Member nations do not always agree on the issues they face or on how to address many of these issues. Economic differences create a number of strains within the EU. Generally speaking the Western European countries are wealthier than those in the rest of Europe. This can create a number of issues as the EU focuses funds on poorer countries to bring them up to the EU's economic standard. The differences in wages from country to country have prompted a number of people to leave poorer countries for jobs in wealthier ones.
The adoption of the Euro is another issue. Not all member countries have adopted it as their national form of currency. Economically, this has created some division within the EU. Politically, the government of the EU does not trump the governments of the member countries. Giving up political power is not easy for governments to do. Some member countries still want to make their own decision on issues like defense and foreign affairs, especially when they don't agree on a decision made by the EU. With the EU having no real recourse for countries that go out on their own at times, there is no incentive to follow all the decision made by the European Union.
By the early 1990s a number of European countries agreed an economic community could be created within Europe to bring greater cooperation among the individual countries. In 1992 representatives from a number of European governments met to create the Maastricht Treaty. This agreement would set up the European Union, a new governing body aimed at creating supranational cooperation among its member countries. The prefix supra means "on top of." Supranational is a term referring to the government of the European Union standing above the governments of the member countries. the European Union (EU) uses supranational cooperation to work towards shared goals. Member countries give up some power and control over certain areas, but remain separate countries. While they are united in many ways they are divided in others. It is these forces that work both for and against the EU.
In the United States, traveling from one state to the next is easy. There are no border checkpoints to cross or customs to pass through. When you travel from one state to the next, you have no need to trade your dollars in for the new state's money. Imagine traveling in Europe. Prior to the creation of the EU, each time you went to another country it was much like traveling from the United States into Canada.
Living in the United States, people move freely from one state to the next. Someone might live in Michigan and work in Indiana or Ohio. There are borders defining a state's boundaries but people are able to cross them with no impact on their day to day lives. Europe is just slightly larger than the US. Many countries are comparable in size to US states; however, prior to the creation of the EU it was very difficult to travel country to country. National laws made it difficult for someone to live in one country and work in another.
Today member countries of the EU have a common economic goal. They promote many different ways to promote economic cooperation between each other. One is the creation of a common market. This has been important in creating cooperation among member countries. In this common market, goods and people are able to move freely across borders. This allows people to have the benefit of working in one country and living in another. The people also have more choices in what they can buy. With no tariffs on EU goods, prices are lower. This encourages people to purchase goods from EU countries and strengths the economy at the same time.
The EU has taken other steps towards economic cooperation. Many member countries have adopted a common currency called the Euro. Now Europeans no longer have to exchange their money as they travel and trade in other member countries. This makes living and doing business in EU member countries easier. Culturally, the EU has worked at creating a common European culture. The EU has its own Flag, has adopted the Beethoven song "Ode to Joy" as its national anthem, and celebrates Europe Day every year on May 9th. Politically, the EU encourages cooperation between the governments who run the member nations.
The EU government works to bring its members together to work on issues they have in common. This allows them to work on large scale problems, like pollution, together. Promoting a common European cultural identity is difficult. The countries of the EU are very diverse. They include people of many different languages, religions, beliefs, traditions and values.
The EU doesn't always work together. With all the diversity that makes up the member countries it can be difficult to get everyone to agree on everything. Member nations do not always agree on the issues they face or on how to address many of these issues. Economic differences create a number of strains within the EU. Generally speaking the Western European countries are wealthier than those in the rest of Europe. This can create a number of issues as the EU focuses funds on poorer countries to bring them up to the EU's economic standard. The differences in wages from country to country have prompted a number of people to leave poorer countries for jobs in wealthier ones.
The adoption of the Euro is another issue. Not all member countries have adopted it as their national form of currency. Economically, this has created some division within the EU. Politically, the government of the EU does not trump the governments of the member countries. Giving up political power is not easy for governments to do. Some member countries still want to make their own decision on issues like defense and foreign affairs, especially when they don't agree on a decision made by the EU. With the EU having no real recourse for countries that go out on their own at times, there is no incentive to follow all the decision made by the European Union.