WeAreProEU

Introduction

It is without doubt, one of humanity’s greatest and most ambitious projects ever undertaken - the creation of a multinational union of independent nations who not only willingly join but also relinquish some of their national powers to a central body. The European Union is a project that commenced over 50 years ago through the establishment of three independent but related communities.

Europe itself, is no stranger to war or famine. The history of the continent is one of continual warfare and strife, whether within its own continental borders, or with nations beyond them. The world has seen two world wars, both of which begun within Europe itself and rapidly spread throughout most of the world. Most of humanity’s great empires have their roots within Europe, and European beliefs, achievements and discoveries are now the norm throughout our small world.

There are many who, in some cases, have valid reasons to oppose the development of the European Union. Amongst them is the so-called lack of democratic political institutions within the Union, the lack of clear transparency of its operations, and more importantly – and which is one of the driving forces behind those that oppose the EU – is the lack of public knowledge of what the European Union is all about and how it functions.

Yet, despite these deficiencies, the European Union’s survival is not only crucial for Europe itself but also for the rest for the world.

In the series of articles to follow, I’ll address not only the strengths and deficiencies of the European Union itself, but also its impact on Europe and on the rest of the world.

by James aka EUR

This article has been produced exclusively for the WAPEU website. Its reproduction is permitted as long as the article is used in full and acknowledgement is given.