European Union presentation

1. THE EUROPEAN UNION
INDEX
1.- EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
2.- IMPORTANCE OF THE UNION
3.- MONETARY UNION
4.- THE SINGLE MARKET

2. 1.- EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Web Links:
http://europa.eu/
http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/E
N/

3. 2.- IMPORTANCE OF THE UNION
The European Union contains five of the world's mayor economic
powers: Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Many of the Spanish's laws are based on EU Directives and
regulations. The EU's influence includes:
Supporting equal treatment in the workplace.
Protecting employees from exploitation.
Encouraging greater industrial democracy by getting workers
more involved in decision-making.
The EU's Social Charter protects the rights of workers, and
covers areas of work such as working hours, the right to join a
union, and health and safety.

4. 3.- MONETARY UNION
Most of the EU's members states are in the Eurozone, having
agreed to adopt the euro as their future currency. The UK did not
join the Eurozone in 1999. Spain and Portugal did join the
Eurozone in 1985. From 2002, transactions in the Eurozone's
financial markets will be carried out in euros. Households will
also use the euro as their currency.
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is closely linked with the
euro and Eurozone. The single currency will affect the EU:
Since trade will be valued in euros, exchange rate fluctuations between
different currencies will no longer happen- this makes trade between these
member states much easier, and there will be no need to change national
currencies.
Price differences between member estates will be much easier to see, a
result of a single currency.

5. 3.- MONETARY UNION
The UK businesses most affected by EMU are imports and
exporters, and UK-based multinationals and financial institutions.
These and other UK firms will need to consider how the euro and
the Eurozone affects:
Their competition
How they price their goods and services.

6. 4.- THE SINGLE MARKET
Promoting trade between the member states was a major
influence in establishing the EU. Its' Common Market' is now a
single market consisting of about 400 million people.
The main purposes of the Single Market are to establish:
Free movement of people
(labour)
Free movement of goods
(no internal tariffs)
Common technical and
other standards

7. 4.- THE SINGLE MARKET
Examples of single market activity include:
CE marking – if a product is to be sold or used within the EU it must carry
the CE mark which indicates that the product has met with essential health
and safety requirements set by the EU.
Competition policy and merger control regulations – to control monopolies
in member states so free and fair trade can take place.
Consumer protection – including guaranted information about prices and e-
commerce providers, and protection against unfair advertising and unsafe
products.
The Single Market has influence Spain business in several ways:
Open markets encourage competition, requiring Spain firms to be
efficient in order to compete successfully.
Free movement of labour and goods encourages employment and skill
development.