The European Union began in 1950 with the goal of promoting peace and economic cooperation in Europe. It has since grown to include 28 member states and over 500 million citizens. Key milestones included the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1950, the European Economic Community in 1957, and the adoption of the euro currency by many member states. The EU aims to promote values of unity, solidarity, democracy and human rights through policies that enable free movement of people, goods, services and capital across Europe. While critics argue it reduces sovereignty and imposes austerity, proponents counter that the EU has boosted economic growth, employment, trade and development for member states.

1. European Union
“United in Diversity”
Presenters:
Elina Shrestha
Suzana Bajracharya
Tshering Sherpa

2. What is European Union?
• Social, political and economic union
• Promotor of peace

3. How it started…
• 1950 : European Coal & Steel Community (ECSC)
France & Federal Republic of German
• 1957 : European Economic Community (EEC)
European Atomic Energy Community (Euroatoms)
• 1967 : Merged all three community to form European Community, a
single commission, today known as European Union
• 1979 : First direct election for European Parliaments
current European Parliament President Martin Schulz

4. EU Symbols
• The European flag:The 12 stars in a circle symbolize the ideals of unity, solidarity
and harmony among the people of Europe.
• The European Anthem:The melody used to symbolize the EU comes from the
Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by LudwigVan Beethoven
• Europe Day:The ideas behind the European Union were first put forward on 9th
May 1950 by French foreign minister Robert Schuman.This is why 9th May is
celebrated as a key date for the EU.
• The EU motto: “United in Diversity”

5. Entering EU
• 1973 : Denmark, Ireland and United kingdom
• 1981 : Greece
• 1986 : Spain & Portugal
• 1995 :Austria, Finland & Sweden
• 2004 : Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia & Slovenia
• 2007 : Bulgaria & Romania
• 2013 : Croatia

7. How is EU funded?
• gross national income contributed by all EU countries
• EU country’s standardized value-added tax revenue.
• Share of import duties on non-EU products (the country that collects the
duty retains a small percentage).

8. Main Objective of EU
• Peace and reconciliation
• Single market
free movements of goods, services and capital
common currency “euro”(except Denmark & UK)
coordination of monetary and fiscal policies
• Focus on human rights, equality and democracy

9. Positive effects of EU
• The Single Market
• EU Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002 was 1.8% higher (€164.5 billion) [£110 billion]
than it would have been without the Single Market.
• Over ten years, the Single Market has boosted the EU’s GDP by €877 billion [£588 billion].
This represents €5,700 [£3,819] of extra income per household.
• EU Employment has grown (1992-2002) by 1.46% (an extra 2.5 million jobs) thanks to the
Single Market. Up to 3 million British jobs are linked to exports to the EU, around ten
percent of the total workforce.
• Intra-EU trade has increased as a percentage of GDP from less than 25% in 1993 to 35% in
2005

10. Contd..
• Free trade & removal of non-tariff barrier
• 28 trade agreements in force
• Removal of custom barriers
• Social Cohesion Fund invested in poorer areas of the EU to help reduce regional
disparities. Example: Ireland
• Countries like Ireland, Portugal and Spain have made significant degrees of
economic development since they joined the European Union.

11. Contd..
• Countries in the EU, are amongst the highest positions in the Human Development
Index (HDI)
• European Union has attracted greater inward investment from outside the EU.
• Free movement of labour and capital have helped create a more flexible economy.
For example, UK and Ireland.
• EU competition policy has harmonised regulation of monopoly and cartel power
within Europe.

12. Negative effects of EU
• Problems of the Euro/Currency
• Limitation to Sovereignty
• Pressure towards austerity
• Barriers due to single market

13. Conclusion
• Peace, prosperity and stability in Europe and raised citizen’s living standard
• Preserved European identity
• Overcome each other’s drawbacks

14. QUESTIONS??
THANKYOU