Pros And Cons Of The European Union

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5.2.1. European Union - EU
Established in 1951 as the European Coal and Steel Community by the six founding members, the EU chronologically has established a common market, common policies, a single market and finally a monetary union. Today, the EU has 27 member states and acts in a wide range of policy areas - economic, social, regulatory and financial - where its actions are beneficial to the member states. These include: Solidarity policies (also known as cohesion policies) in regional, agricultural and social affairs and Innovation policies, which bring state-of-the-art technologies to fields such as environmental protection, research and development (R&D) and energy. Europe’s mission in the 21st century is to: Provide peace, prosperity and stability for its people, Overcome the divisions on the continent, Ensure that its people can live in safety, Promote balanced economic and social development, Meet the challenges of globalization and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe, Uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy.
As a regional integration the EU is ahead of a free trade agreement or a free trade association. Therefore it is not a catalyst for globalization but the globalization itself in all areas and European integration will continue in the fields in which the member states consider it is in their best interests to work