what is the eu's primary focus course hero

What is the purpose of the European Union?

Share Link. The European Union's primary purpose was meant to be more economic than political. Its scheme of law and regulation is meant to create, in some ways, a cohesive economic entity of its countries, so that goods can flow freely across the borders of its member nations, without tariffs, with the ease of one currency, ...

What is the function of the EU government?

The function of the EU government is to decide how this integration should be done and to carry it out. For example, 16 members of the EU use the Euro as their currency. One of the functions of a part of the EU government was to devise the currency -- to decide what it would be called, what it would look like, etc.

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Why was the European Union created?

The European Union, however, was established primarily for political, not economic reasons. The European Union's primary purpose was meant to be more economic than political. Its scheme of law and regulation is meant to create, in some ways, a cohesive economic entity of its countries, so that goods can flow freely across the borders ...

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Who argued that the international system of financial governance did well at coping with the 2008 global financial crisis?

A much-debated example of this kind of system perspective has been presented by Daniel W. Drezner (2014), who argued controversially that the international system of financial governance did well at coping with the 2008 global financial crisis.

What are the three levels of the international system?

IR generally distinguishes between three levels of analysis: the system, the state, and the individual – but the group level is also important to consider as a fourth.

What would happen if we studied the global financial crisis?

If we studied the global financial crisis from a system-level perspective, for instance, we would expect to gain an insight into the global dynamics that make up the international financial system. Focusing on the big picture would enable us to develop a comprehensive model of explanation that could potentially capture the states and national economies within that global system. The explanations we derive from this systemic model, however, might exaggerate the system-level factors that have conditioned the global financial crisis. As a consequence, we might overlook a lot of psychological and sociological issues that would be the subject of a group-level or individual-level analysis.

What would lead to us drawing different conclusions again about the causes and consequences of the financial crisis?

Finally, focusing on the individual level and , say, particular actions of specific personalities in the public realm – be they politicians, diplomats or bankers – would lead to us drawing different conclusions again about the causes and consequences of the financial crisis.

Why is it important to be aware of different perspectives?

Being aware of various possible perspectives helps us to develop an understanding of where we stand as analysts and observers. It also guides us through the process of investigation and analysis. First of all, the particular perspective we assume determines the kind of information we would need to gather and look at in order to be able to answer our questions and draw meaningful conclusions.

What are the key indicators of foreign policy?

Key indicators of the foreign policy of states would be the policies proposed and decided by governments, statements of top-level politicians but also the role and behaviour of diplomats and their adjoining bureaucratic structures.

What would happen if we studied the same theme from a state perspective?

If we studied the same theme from a state perspective, we would develop a greater level of detail about specific circumstances in particular states as well as in their interaction with each other. The distinction here, as will be discussed further below, is not quite this rigid in practice as the state level is rarely looked at in isolation but more in its wider systemic context. For our example this would mean that the world financial system is taken as the framework in which state actors operate, so state action is often conditioned by factors beyond the state’s control.

What is the EU's foreign policy?

The EU has a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), in which member states adopt common policies, undertake joint actions , and pursue coordinated strategies in areas in which they can reach consensus. CFSP was established in 1993; the eruption of hostilities in the Balkans in the early 1990s and the EU’s limited tools for responding to the crisis convinced EU leaders that the Union had to improve its ability to act collectively in the foreign policy realm. Previous EU attempts to further such political integration had foundered for decades on member state concerns about protecting national sovereignty and different foreign policy prerogatives. CFSP decisionmaking is dominated by the member states and requires unanimous agreement of all national governments. Member states must also ensure that national policies are in line with agreed EU strategies and positions (e.g., imposing sanctions on a country). However, CFSP does not preclude individual member states pursuing their own national foreign policies or conducting their own national diplomacy. CFSP remains a work in progress. Although many view the EU as having made considerable strides in forging common policies on a range of international issues, from the Balkans to the Middle East peace process to Iran, others argue that the credibility of CFSP too often suffers from an inability to reach consensus. The launch of the U.S.-led war in Iraq in 2003, for example, was extremely divisive among EU members, and they were unable to agree on a common EU position. Others note that some differences in viewpoint are inevitable among a multitude of countries that still retain different approaches, cultures, histories, and relationships—and often different national interests—when it comes to foreign policy. The EU’s Lisbon Treaty sought to bolster CFSP by increasing the EU’s visibility on the world stage and making the EU a more coherent foreign policy actor. As noted, the treaty established a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to serve essentially as the EU’s chief diplomat. The Lisbon Treaty also created an EU diplomatic corps (the European External Action Service) to support the High Representative. In recent years, many European leaders have renewed calls for the EU to become a more assertive, independent global actor (often referred to as strategic autonomy). For some EU officials, ensuring the EU’s position as a robust international leader reflects concerns about the future trajectory of the U.S.-EU partnership, heightened by strained relations during the former Trump Administration.11

What are the challenges of the EU?

The EU is generally considered a cornerstone of European stability and prosperity, but it faces a number of internal and external challenges . Managing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its economic repercussions is preoccupying EU leaders’ time and attention. Other key issues for the EU include democratic backsliding in some member states (including Poland and Hungary), the presence of populist and to some extent anti-EU political parties throughout the bloc, managing relations with the United Kingdom (UK) following its exit from the EU in January 2020 (Brexit), ongoing political and societal pressures related to migration, and a range of challenges posed by both Russia and China. Many of these challenges could have implications for the EU’s future shape and character.

What is the EU's CSDP?

Since 1999, with political impetus initially from the UK and France, the EU has been working to develop a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), formerly known as the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). CSDP seeks to improve the EU’s ability to respond to security crises and to enhance European military capabilities. The EU has created three defense decisionmaking bodies and has developed a rapid reaction force and multinational “battlegroups.” Such EU forces are not a standing “EU army” but rather a catalogue of troops and assets at appropriate readiness levels that may be drawn from existing national forces for EU operations. CSDP operations focus largely on tasks such as peacekeeping, crisis management, and humanitarian assistance. Many CSDP missions to date have been civilian, rather than military, in nature, with objectives such as police and judicial training (“rule of law”) or security sector

What is the Lisbon Treaty?

On December 1, 2009, the EU’s latest institutional reform endeavor—the Lisbon Treaty—came into force following its ratification by all of the EU’s then-27 member states. It is the final product of an effort begun in 2002 to reform the EU’s governing institutions and decisionmaking processes. It amends, rather than replaces, the EU’s two core treaties—the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). Changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty seek to  enable the EU to function more effectively;  enhance the EU’s role as a foreign policy actor; and  increase democracy and transparency within the EU. To help accomplish these goals, the Lisbon Treaty established two new leadership positions:  The President of the European Council, a single individual who chairs the meetings of the EU Heads of State or Government, serves as coordinator and spokesman for their work, seeks to ensure policy continuity, and strives to forge consensus among the member states.  A dual-hatted position of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to serve essentially as the EU’s chief diplomat. The High Representative is both an agent of the Council of Ministers—and thus speaks for the member states on foreign policy issues—as well as a Vice President of the European Commission, responsible for managing most of the commission’s diplomatic activities and foreign assistance programs. Other key measures in the Lisbon Treaty included the following:  Simplifying the EU’s qualified majority voting system and expanding its use to policy areas previously subject to member state unanimity in the Council of Ministers. This change was intended in part to speed EU decisionmaking, but member states still tend to seek consensus as much as possible.  Increasing the relative power of the European Parliament by strengthening its role in the EU’s budgetary process and extending the use of the “co-decision” procedure to more policy areas, including agriculture and home affairs issues.3As such, the treaty gives the European Parliament a say equal to that of the member states in the Council of Ministers over the vast majority of EU legislation (with some exceptions, such as most aspects of foreign and defense policy). For the first time in the EU’s history, the Lisbon Treaty also introduced an “exit clause”—Article 50 of the TEU—which outlines procedures for a member state to leave the EU. A member state that decides to leave would invoke Article 50 by notifying the European Council of its intentions, which would trigger a two-year period for withdrawal negotiations to be concluded; the EU may also decide to extend the time for negotiations.

How do EU countries work together?

EU member states work together through common institutions (see “How Is the EU Governed?”) to set policy and promote their collective interests. Decisionmaking processes and the role of the EU institutions differ depending on the subject under consideration. On a multitude of economic, social, and internal security policies, member states have pooled their sovereignty to varying degrees and EU institutions hold decisionmaking authority. EU legislation in such areas often has a supranational quality, because it is subject to a complex majority voting system among member states as well as European Parliament approval and is legally binding on member governments. In certain other areas—especially foreign and security policy—member states have agreed to cooperate but retain full sovereignty. Decisionmaking in such fields is intergovernmental and requires the unanimous agreement of all EU countries; any one national government can veto a decision. EU institutions generally play a more limited role in the decisionmaking process in such policy areas but may be involved in implementation and oversight.

How many countries are in the European Union?

The European Union (EU) is a unique political and economic partnership that currently consists of 27 1member states (see the map in the Appendix). Built through a series of binding treaties, the EU is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II to promote peace and economic recovery in Europe. Its founders hoped that by creating specified areas in which member states agreed to share sovereignty—initially in coal and steel production, trade, and nuclear energy—it would promote interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. Since the 1950s, this European integration project has expanded to encompass other economic sectors; a customs union; a single market in which capital, goods, services, and people move freely (known as the “four freedoms”); a common trade policy; a common agricultural policy; many aspects of social and environmental policy; and a common currency (the euro) that is used by 19 member states. Since the mid-1990s, EU members have also taken steps toward political integration, with decisions to develop a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and efforts to promote cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). Twenty-two EU members participate in the Schengen area of free movement, which allows individuals to travel without passport checks among most European countries. The EU is generally considered a cornerstone of European stability and prosperity, but it faces internal and external challenges. Most notably at present, managing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its economic repercussions has tested the EU. Other key issues include democratic backsliding in some member states (including Poland and Hungary), the presence of populist and to some extent anti-EU political parties throughout the bloc, managing future relations with the United Kingdom (UK) following its exit from the EU in January 2020 (Brexit), ongoing political and societal pressures related to migration, and a range of challenges posed by both Russia and China. During the Trump Administration, the EU also grappled with numerous foreign policy and economic disputes with the United States. Many experts expect U.S.-EU relations will improve with the new Biden Administration, but U.S.-EU tensions on several issues likely will remain. This report serves as a primer on the EU and discusses U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest to the 117thCongress

How has the EU been built?

The EU has been built through a series of binding treaties. Over the years, EU member states have harmonized laws and adopted common policies on an increasing number of economic, social, and political issues. EU members share a customs union; a single market in which capital, goods, services, and people move freely; a common trade policy; and a common agricultural policy. Nineteen EU member states use a common currency (the euro), and 22 members participate in the Schengen area of free movement in which internal border controls have been eliminated. In addition, the EU has been developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and pursuing cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) to forge common internal security measures. Member states work together through several EU institutions to set policy and to promote their collective interests.