Importance of the EU for Its Members
The importance of the EU for the collective well-being of its members is similar to the importance of states for their citizens. Citizenship may be regarded as formal relationships between a country and its people, according to which the former is responsible for the latter’s protection, the promotion of human rights, and the provision of opportunities for personal and professional growth and development.
In the same way, the EU is a regional organization that guarantees security, freedom, and economic stability for its members based on the values of democracy, equality, and the rule of law (“Aims and values,” n.d.). In addition, membership in the EU benefits people as it allows them to choose where they want to live, study, work, and retire, protecting their human rights and dignity and promoting social justice concerning cultural diversity.
At the same time, regional cooperation is driven by multiple factors. Thus, according to Karns et al. (2015), collective action may appear in response to internal and external threats. In particular, the EU was created after World War II to confront the spread of communism and regulate political movements in its states (Karns et al., 2015).
Regardless of differences in the political and social contexts, the emergence of the EU may be compared with the American Revolution, when thirteen American colonies united to confront threats represented by Britain’s control and colonial taxes.
Importance of the EU for Other States
Promoting peace and stability in its member states, the EU also contributes to the well-being of other regions and states. The creation of a single market based on a single currency and a free flow of products, services, investments, and workforce throughout the region has made the EU an influential player on the global stage, in which the voices of its members are unified (Kersschot et al., 2020). Thus, other countries, such as the United States, China, or Russia, should consider the long-term viability of the EU predominantly within the framework of international business and trade.
For instance, Europe and the United States have highly close trade links as the EU is “the largest export market for US industrial products, and the United States is the EU’s largest export market” (Viani, 2019, p. 4). The EU is among the largest exporters of services and goods globally. Moreover, for its business partners, the EU offers the markets of all its members protection along with fair trade based on its legislation.
Biblical Perspective of the EU
Although there is a common assumption that the formation of the EU was predicted in the Bible, no evidence can support it. However, there have been multiple times when the Bible has supported the significance of people’s unity based on humanity, humility, and common thinking. For instance, in Corinthians 1:10, there is “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (BibleGateway, n.d.).
Thus, it may be stated that the Bible generally supports creating regional organizations, such as the EU, NATO, and the Arab League, based on states’ unity in perspectives, policies, attitudes, and actions. At the same time, there may be differences in institutions’ approaches to the same issues, values, and norms. Thus, in communication between them, it is essential to consider the boundaries of identity, cultural and religious norms, and purpose of existence to reach mutual agreement.
References
Aims and values. (n.d.). European Union. Web.
BibleGateway. (n.d.). 1 Corinthians 1. New International Version (NIV). Web.
Karns, M. P., Mingst, K. A., & Stiles, K. W. International organizations: The politics and processes of global governance (3rd ed.). Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Kersschot, M., Kerremans, B., & De Bièvre, D. (2020). Principals and transceivers: Regional authorities in EU trade negotiations. Political Research Exchange, 2(1), 1-21. Web.
Viani, F. (2019). The latest protectionist trade trends and their impact on the European Union. Banco de Espana Article, 6-19.