Overview of the European Union at work and its major achievements

For many years, the EU institutions have been thought of as a huge bureaucracy far removed from citizens’ daily lives and concerns. Yet the EU deals with issues which are critical for all Europeans.
Examples include efforts to develop liberty, prosperity, education, peace, security, justice, the protection of the environment and health, thereby helping to disseminate basic human values at the global level.

The euro: the most visible and concrete expression of the European project

Euro notes and coins have, quite successfully, been in circulation since 1 January 2002. The single currency creates a sentiment of involvement among citizens by giving them a visible, concrete example of the European project at work. An added benefit is a stable economic climate which encourages trade and growth, as well increased competitiveness for EU products and service.

There are 16 Member States in the euro zone: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovania and Spain.

To date, the other EU Member States have not yet adopted the single European currency.

Specific result:

• With the euro, the single currency with the symbol "€" , it has become easier to travel in Europe and compare prices without having to deal with the uncertainties of daily foreign exchange rates.
  

A free area

One of the EU’s greatest success stories was rounded off in 1993 with the full entry into force of the internal market (free movement of people, goods, services and capital).

Specific results:

• People, goods, services, capital and, to a great extent, services, can move freely within the European Union as if they were in the same country.
  
• Individuals can travel across most borders without any formality and it has become much easier to work, holiday or study in another EU Member State.
  
• Citizens all have a similar EU passport.
  
• Consumers have access to a greater range of goods and service and comparing prices is easier since the introduction of the euro.

Peace and stability in Europe and throughout the world

Having learned the lessons from the armed conflicts of the early 20th century (the first and second World Wars) and more recent hostilities (in ex-Yugoslavia and Kosovo) which took place on its soil, Europe has taken a resolute stance to promote peace and stability both within its own borders and at the global level.
This is first and foremost achieved by promoting human rights, democracy and active diplomacy focussing on conflict prevention, and the reason why the EU has developed a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
Similarly, the EU also aims to build a genuine common European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) to protect EU territory and carry out peacekeeping missions.

Specific result:

• Since 2003, the EU is capable of deploying a European combat force of about 60,000 troops. This combat force can act either independently or in conjunction with NATO units. This has enabled the EU to launch civilian and military crisis management operations in the Balkans (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina), Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Afghanistan.

A unique area of freedom, security and justice

One of the EU’s priorities (which has been given added weight in the European Constitution) is to guarantee Europeans a unique area of freedom, security and justice. All too often, the authority of police services and courts is limited to their national territory while crime and terrorism do not stop at a country’s borders.

For this reason, the European Union decided to take a series of common measures to effectively combat these scourges in all Member States. These measures include more effective protection of basic individual rights, promoting initiatives in the field of European citizenship and a common policy for managing migration flows, developing a common European asylum policy and judicial cooperation in civil matters, promoting a coherent prosecution policy and intensifying the fight against terrorism.

Specific results: 

• With regard to crime, national police forces are working more closely together, notably through Europol. Databases make it possible to gather, analyse and share information on criminal activities.
• With regard to terrorism, the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States prompted the Members States to pass laws ensuring a certain level of consistency in the definition of acts of terrorism and for sentencing measures.
• With regard to justice, citizens must be able to call on the courts and authorities of all Members States as easily as they would in their own country. For example, rulings and decisions must be complied with and implemented in all EU countries, the goal being greater compatibility and convergence among the various Member States’ legal systems.

A common commercial policy

The common commercial policy, which is based on the Member States’ Customs Union, includes common arrangements for imports as well as a common external tariff uniformly applied to all Member States.

The policy’s objective is to contribute to the harmonious development of world trade and the reduction of customs barriers. It has been clearly shown that free trade based on fair rules is beneficial to stability and development not only for the EU, but also far beyond its borders. Through the common commercial policy, EU countries take part in trade negotiations as a single group and thereby further promote Europe’s image throughout the world.

Efforts are also made to bear in mind the poorest countries when developing the EU’s common commercial policy, although they often accuse it of refusing to let in more of their exports, particularly agricultural products. Nevertheless, in its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) the EU grants duty-free access or preferential access at a reduced rate to its market for certain imports from developing countries or economies in transition. Exports from the world’s 49 poorest countries (with the exception of weapons) have also been granted duty-free access to the European market.

Specific result:

• Products entering the EU are charged the same duties regardless of whether they are imported, for example, via the port of Antwerp or via the port of Athens.

A common agricultural policy

The European Union set up the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to increase agricultural productivity, provide for an adequate standard of living for agricultural workers, stabilise markets, guarantee security of supply and ensure reasonable prices for consumers. While maintaining these initial objectives, the most recent CAP reforms also take account of growing societal concerns regarding food safety and quality, environmental protection issues and animal welfare.

Specific result:

• From now on, payments of direct aid to farmers will be contingent on compliance with food safety, environmental and animal health and welfare standards, in addition to the application of good agricultural practices. Through its rural development programmes, the CAP also makes an essential contribution to boosting the competitiveness of agriculture, improving the rural environment and spaces and diversifying economic activities in rural areas. Compliance with European legislation stemming from the common agricultural policy is the responsibility of various verification bodies at both the federal and regional level.

Social Europe and the cohesion policy

Social considerations continue to play an important role in the European project. Through its Directives, the EU aims to arrive at a convergence between the laws of Member States in fields such as employment, social protection and working conditions to develop a common, basic set of rules at the European level.

To do this, the EU has developed measures to encourage convergence and advocates coordination methods between Members States.

With regard to employment and growth, the EU actively tries to involve the social partners in order to ensure that the interests of all parties are adequately represented.

Lastly, solidarity in Europe is also the cohesion policy, which aims to gradually work away development shortcomings or stimulate conversions in certain regions of the EU.

Specific results:

• the free movement of workers and the coordination of social security systems: all EU nationals are entitled to work, without any discrimination, in another Members State and to benefit from its social insurance system;
• gender equality: five Directives have been issued since 1975 to guarantee equal treatment at work, the same salary for the same job and access to social security cover;
  
• labour law: protection of individual and collective rights and a guarantee of safety and security in the workplace;
  
• the fight against various forms of discrimination;
  
• several Belgian provinces have benefitted from EU funds to support their development initiatives or to assist in their economic conversion (specifically Hainaut, Liege, Limburg and Antwerp).
  

Protecting health and the environment

Taking care of the environment to safeguard quality of life for current and future generations is one of the EU’s main priorities, and it has embarked on the ambitious project to combine environmental protection and economic growth. The main priorities are as follows: preventing climate change and fighting global warming, protecting nature areas and the wild flora and fauna, dealing with health and environmental problems and finding better waste management solutions.

Clearly, very many environmental problems go far beyond the EU’s borders and this is why it has signed international programmes and conventions tackling problems such as acid rain, biodiversity, climate change and greenhouse gases.

Specific results:

• The Ecolabel scheme helps European consumers make more eco-friendly choices when selecting products or services;
• The European Environment Agency monitors the state of the environment and issues alerts when problems are detected. This in turn makes it possible for the EU to take the necessary legislative measures;
• The well-known Kyoto protocol (greenhouse gas reduction) was in part initiated by the EU, which remains one its most fervent proponents, and it symbolises the beginning of global awareness of the risk of climate change;
• In the 1990s, the EU decided to require catalytic converters on all vehicles and to    stop adding lead to petrol.

A knowledge-based society

The European Union has set itself the objective of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society in the world. As a result, education, professional training and support for young people have become three major priority areas.

Every year, thousands of European citizens benefit from cross-border education or training programmes which foster intercultural understanding and make it possible to live, study, specialise and work in other European countries.

Educational qualifications are accredited in other EU countries and citizens’ access to training, whether in their own country or another Member State, is made easier through partnerships, exchange programmes and the elimination of numerous administrative hurdles.

Specific results:

Below are a few examples of education and training programmes included in the broad range of options offered by the EU:

• Socrates, an education programme which includes Erasmus, the oldest and probably best-known cross-border education programme financed by the EU. Each year, Erasmus provides grants to students and teachers which enable them to attend universities in other Member States to follow or teach courses.
• Leonardo da Vinci promotes international exchanges and cross-border projects in the field of vocational training and education.
• Europass-training makes it possible to establish a record of achievement for the education received or the time spent training in another country.
• Gruntvig is designed for adult students and their teachers.
  
• Comenius is specifically reserved for schools and teachers.
• Lingua promotes language learning.
• Minerva covers the use of new technologies in education.

Conclusion

This overview of achievements and specific results show how the European Union has been active in numerous sectors for decades. Although we don’t always realise it, the EU’s work regularly influences many aspects of our daily lives.