The European Union was established in 1993. Over time, it grew to have 27 countries as members. Established primarily as an economic and political force, the European Union has, over time, evolved to encompass many other functions. These functions now range from the primary focuses to security, ethics and so on. This section covers some of the most significant changes in the European Union.
The European Union produces about 30% of the world’s gross product. For such a giant economic block, security is a significant problem. In January 2007, the member countries of the European Union took distinctive steps towards curbing the security menace. The law enforcement departments in the member states agreed to share their databases containing such information as fingerprints, DNA, license plate information, and so on. This was an expansion of a seven-state database that was already in existence (Workpermit, 2007). The implication would be that all criminal records in the European Union would be contained in one common database.
Still, in January 2007, rules on immigration and expansion of the European Union were made tighter. From then on, the Union would operate under the common base of patriotism. A group of deputies formed and became the primary drivers of this task force. This group called itself “Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty” (Workpermit, 2007). The rules on immigration were stipulated to control the number of foreigners seeking employment within the member states of the European Union. They were also supposed to maintain the European Union’s long tradition of Christian values and fair resource sharing amongst the member states.
Europe’s latest expansion occurred when Bulgaria and Romania joined it. This brought the total number of member states to 27. The Union is now sometimes called Euro-27. Both of these new members were former communist states, and it will be some time before they are fully integrated into the general functions of the Union (Neil, 2007). But just as Slovenia, another post-communist country, managed to integrate Euros into their national circulation, it is but a matter of time before these latest additions to the European Union become fully active in the Union’s economy. As with all previous entrants into the European Union, these new members had to pass the Copenhagen Criteria, which checks a state’s readiness to compete within the Union and to follow all European Union rules. There are now several other potential candidates for the Union, including Croatia, Turkey, and the Republic of Macedonia.
Some countries within the European Union have worked towards being a non-smoking policy. Although this has not occurred across the entire Union, the influence of the Union is still evident in how this policy has spread. The first countries to ban public smoking within the Union were Ireland, Italy, Malta, and Sweden, in that order (Neil, 2007). Belgium and Lithuania instituted the ban at the beginning of 2007. Other countries like France and Finland pledged to toughen up their regulations concerning smoking.
While most of the European Union’s resources are directed at mainstream, international businesses, a small part of these resources are now being diverted towards private entrepreneurs, the disadvantaged, and students. InMarch, 2009, 20 entrepreneurial projects will be showcased in Brussels. All these projects have received funding from the European Union. They cover anything from video games for children, to learning kits for adults, to exhibitions of traditional culinary art. This shows that the scope of the European Union is expanding to cover the social, cultural, and educational facets of member states. It is also becoming a significant force in social integration and development (Europa, 2009).
Works cited
Europa (2009) How the EU promotes creativity and innovation – 20 projects showcased in Brussels. Web.
Neil Woodburn (2007) Changes in the European Union, Web.
Workpermit (2007) European Union changes in security, police and immigration cooperative efforts. Web.