What is the EU?
Is it just a group of countries in Europe? Is it a trade bloc? Or is it something much more complex?
When people talk about the EU, they often mention things like the Euro, the Schengen Zone, or European laws, but many people don’t actually know what the EU really is or how it works.
In today’s episode of Thinking in English, I want to explore the European Union, which I think one of the most ambitious and influential political projects in modern history. We’ll look at what the EU actually is, how and why it was created, and what its main institutions do. I’ll also try to clear up some common confusions, like the difference between the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, and the EU itself.
Finally, we’ll examine its successes and criticisms, discuss why the United Kingdom decided to leave, and consider what the future of the European Union might look like, all while learning some new vocabulary and practicing your English comprehension!
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Vocabulary
- Union (noun): A group of countries or organizations that join together for a shared purpose or goal.
- The European Union is a union of 27 countries that work together on trade, law, and human rights.
- Integration (noun): The process of combining or coordinating different parts into a single system.
- European integration began after World War II to promote peace and cooperation.
- Supranational (adjective): Having authority or power that goes beyond individual nations.
- The European Court of Justice is a supranational institution whose decisions can override national laws.
- Treaty (noun): A formal and legally binding agreement between countries.
- The Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community in 1957.
- Single Market (noun): An area where goods, services, capital, and people can move freely without barriers between member countries.
- The EU’s Single Market allows businesses to trade across Europe without paying tariffs.
- Institution (noun): An important organization that performs a specific function, such as making or enforcing laws, within the EU system.
- The European Parliament is one of the main institutions that create EU laws.
- Euroscepticism (noun): Opposition to the European Union or to deeper political and economic integration in Europe.
- Rising Euroscepticism in the UK was one reason for the Brexit vote in 2016.
The EU: Explained
The European Union, often called the EU, is a political [00:04:00] and economic union made up of 27 European countries.
These countries have chosen to work closely together in trade and economics, and also in areas like law, the environment and human rights.
The EU was originally designed to promote peace, stability, and economic cooperation,after centuries of conflict in Europe. Especially after two World Wars. European leaders believed that if countries were economically and politically connected, war between them would become almost impossible.
One of the EU’s core principles is the “Four Freedoms“. The free movement of people, goods, services, and capital.
This means that EU citizens can live, work, study, and travel freely across member countries. Companies [00:05:00] can trade goods and services without tariffs. And money can move easily between member states.
The EU is often described as a supranational organization. This means that in certain areas, the EU’s laws and decisions can influence or even override national laws.
For example, when EU member states agree to common rules on things like food safety or environmental standards, those rules apply across all countries in the Union.
However, the EU is not a single country. Each member state still keeps its own government. Instead, the EU represents a unique form of cooperation. It’s something between a traditional international organization and a federation.
History and Development of the EU
Let’s take a more [00:06:00] detailed look at the history and development of the EU.
By 1945, Europe had experienced two devastating conflicts within a single generation, the First and Second World Wars.
Millions of people had died. Cities were destroyed. And the continent was now divided between the “democratic” Western Europe and the “communist” Eastern Europe.
Many European leaders began to believe that the only way to guarantee peace and stability in Europe was through economic and political cooperation.
The first major step came in 1951 with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. Six countries, France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg agreed to integrate, to combine, their coal [00:07:00] and steel industries. These were the key materials for making weapons and funding wars. So by mixing control over them, the countries made war between them “materially impossible”.
Next came the Treaty of Rome in 1957, which created the European Economic Community. The goal was to establish a common market. This removed barriers to trade, standardized some regulations (which made regulations the same across different countries), and also allowed for the free movement of people and goods and services.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the European Economic Community began to grow and deepen its cooperation. New countries joined, including the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Portugal.
Then in 1992, the European Union was officially [00:08:00] created. This introduced cooperation across more areas: foreign policy, justice, and home affairs.
In the 2000s, the EU continued to expand. Many Central and Eastern European countries, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, joined after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The EU also expanded in scope. The Euro was introduced in 1999. And now the Euro is one of the world’s most powerful currencies.
However, since the year 2000 there have been a lot of challenges in the EU. The Eurozone debt crisis tested the EU stability. The migration crisis of the 2010s, raised questions about borders and solidarity.
And then rising euroscepticism has led to political tension and ultimately the United Kingdom voting to leave the EU in [00:09:00] 2016.
Institutions and Roles of the EU
The European Union may seem complicated from the outside, and to be honest, it is. It’s something unique. It is a system where countries share power and make decisions together through a network of institutions.
Let’s take a look at these main institutions.
The European Commission is often described as the executive branch or the government of the EU. The commission has three main roles. Propose new laws, enforce EU rules, and manage the EU’s budget.
Next, there’s the European Parliament, which is the only institution directly elected by EU citizens. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) debate and vote on laws that affect people across Europe.
The Parliament works together with another key institution, the Council of the European Union, [00:10:00] which is also known as the Council of Ministers. The Council of the EU represents the governments of each state. Each country sends its relevant minister depending on the topic being discussed.
So for example, if the EU is debating climate policy, each country will send their environment minister.
Together, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament share the power to pass laws and approve the EU budget.
The European Council is slightly different to the Council of the EU, despite its similar sounding name. The European Council brings together the leaders, the heads of states or the heads of government, from different countries. They don’t make laws directly, but instead they set the direction or the political priorities of the Union.
Then there’s the European Court of Justice, which ensures that EU law is interpreted [00:11:00] and applied consistently. If a national government fails to follow EU law or if there’s a dispute, an argument, between countries, the European Court of Justice has the authority to make decisions.
In some areas like trade and environmental policy, the EU and its institutions has very strong powers. In other areas like defense and taxation and education, individual countries keep most of their control.
Common Misconceptions about the EU
So you might be thinking right now, this is so confusing. And you are right. When people talk about Europe and the European Union, there’s often a lot of confusion. Terms like Eurozone, Schengen area and single market are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things.
So let’s take a moment to clear up some of the most commonly misunderstood concepts.
First, we have the [00:12:00] Eurozone. This refers specifically to the 20 EU countries that use the Euro as their official currency. Not every EU country uses the Euro. Denmark, Sweden, and Poland are in the EU, but they have their own currencies.
Then there is the Schengen area, which includes countries that have removed passport and border control between them. This means you can travel freely across Schengen countries without going through immigration checks.
However, not all EU members are in the Schengen area, and not all Schengen members are in the EU. For example, Norway and Switzerland are part of the Schengen area, but not the EU. While Ireland is in the EU, but not in the Schengen area.
Another important concept is the single market. This is the economic area that allows free movement of goods, services, people, [00:13:00] capital across the continent.
For example, a company based in France can sell products in Germany without tariffs, and a Spanish worker can freely take a job in the Netherlands.
Closely connected to this is the European Economic Area. The European Economic Area includes all EU countries, plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway, which are not in the EU. These three non-EU countries have agreed to follow many EU rules, so that they can access the single market, even though they’re not official members.
The European Court of Human Rights is something completely different. It’s not part of the European Union at all. Instead, it belongs to the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is a separate organization that focuses on protecting human rights and democracy.
Now, you might be a bit confused because I’ve already mentioned the [00:14:00] Council of the European Union and the European Council, but these are different. The Council of Europe is not the same as the European Council or the Council of the European Union.
So there are lots and lots of confusing and mixed terms, which I think leads us on to some of these successes and criticisms of the EU.
Successes and Criticisms of the EU
Let’s start with the successes.
Perhaps the most significant success is that the EU has created or helped to create the longest period of peace in European history.
Before the EU, Europe was always at war. The creation of the EU has maybe encouraged cooperation instead of competition. Countries that were once enemies and going to war every few years, like France and Germany, have now shared over 70 years of peace.
Another major success is economic growth and development, especially in newer [00:15:00] members like Poland. Joining the EU has often meant access to new markets and investment and financial support.
The EU has also made everyday life easier for millions of people through the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. EU citizens can live, work, travel, study across the continent. Students can take part in exchange programs. Workers can easily move for new job opportunities. And travelers can cross borders without needing visas or passport checks.
People in the EU benefit from better safety standards and protections that ensure products sold anywhere in the EU have high standards.
Also the EU is now a global power in trade and diplomacy. Although a lot of Europe’s countries are small in population and economic size, the EU is not. It is 27 countries [00:16:00] that together can negotiate.
But of course, the EU also faces criticisms. One of the most common is that it’s bureaucratic and complex.
You probably can guess this from my previous section, clearing up the institutions and the common misconceptions. There are so many institutions, committees, regulations. It can be quite slow to make decisions in the EU, and it’s quite difficult to understand what is happening in the EU. When I was talking about those institutions earlier, I realized myself how confusing it all is.
Another criticism is called “democratic deficit”. Many citizens feel quite distant from EU decision making. People are often unsure of how or by whom policies are made.
While the European Parliament is directly elected, that is the only part of the EU that is elected. Most of the [00:17:00] EU’s power is in institutions that are not elected, such as the Commission or the European Council.
There’s also the issue of unequal benefits. Some countries and regions have become wealthier and more connected through EU membership. Others have struggled to keep up.
The EU has also been criticized for its handling of major crises, like the Eurozone debt crisis of the late 2000s or the refugee crisis of the mid 2010s. In both cases, the EU was slow to act and lacked unity. Different countries, different members of the EU, disagreed with how to solve the problems.
And of course there is always a tension between national sovereignty, a country’s power to be a country, and EU power. Some people feel that the EU interferes too much in national politics.
The UK’s Relationship with the EU
These criticisms [00:18:00] of the EU bring us to the topic of the UK. The United Kingdom was once one of the EU’s most influential members, but it was always a reluctant member.
It joined the European Economic Community, so the precursor to the EU, in 1973, but from the very beginning Britain’s relationship with Europe was complicated. In fact, Britain had wanted to join the European Economic Community earlier, but was blocked from joining by the French government.
Many British people supported the idea of free trade and cooperation. But they were less comfortable with the idea of political integration and shared decision making, especially with long-term rivals Germany and France.
Over the decades, this tension only grew stronger. There were always concerns that EU membership meant giving up too much control over British [00:19:00] laws and British policies.
Some politicians and newspapers argued that unelected officials in Brussels were making decisions that should be taken by the UK Parliament, not the EU parliament.
Immigration also became the key issue. The EU’s principle of free movement allowed citizens of other European countries to live and work in the UK. This brought many benefits. It filled jobs and contributed to the economy. But it also made people worried. It made people anxious that immigration was too high, and that communities were changing too quickly.
Another point of contention was the UK’s financial contributions to the EU budget. Although the UK received funding in return, many critics believe the UK was paying too much to the EU every year for too little benefit.
These issues came to a head in 2016 when Prime [00:20:00] Minister David Cameron called for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in or leave the European Union.
The campaign was divisive.
The Leave Campaign argued that Britain should take back control of its laws and borders and money. They promised that leaving would give the UK more independence and allow it to make its own trade deals.
The Remain Campaign warned that leaving would damage the economy and weaken Britain’s global influence.
When the votes were counted, the result was 52% to leave and 48% to remain.
The years that followed were filled with political uncertainty. There were debates in Parliament, lots of negotiations with the EU over the terms of departure. And then finally in 2020, the UK officially left the European Union.
Some people believe that Brexit has given Britain more freedom. Others [00:21:00] argue it has made the country more isolated and economically weaker.
The issue is that we don’t really know the long-term consequences of Brexit yet, we won’t know for many more years, especially as COVID complicated things.
Future of the EU
So finally, what is the future of the EU?
I think the EU will face a mix of challenges and opportunities over the next years and decades.
On the challenges side, the EU must deal with climate change, migration, and economic inequality between the richer and poorer member states.
For example, countries like Ireland, Portugal, and Greece suffered from major economic crises about 15 years ago. These countries were bailed out of their debt issues by the EU. But this caused a lot of resentment, especially in the economically stronger countries like Germany, where people thought, “why are we [00:22:00] paying for those countries economic issues?“
If the EU was to face another economic crisis, perhaps we would see even more resentment.
The rise of nationalism and euroscepticism in some countries also threatens the EU. It’s not just a thing that was happening in the UK. There are eurosceptic parties across Europe, and while they’re not always that influential now, neither was the UK’s eurosceptic movement before the year 2016.
Additionally, the war in Ukraine has tested Europe’s security and Europe’s solidarity.
At the same time, there are significant opportunities for the EU to strengthen itself.
The Union could take the lead on green policies. The Union could push for digital innovation and the regulation of big tech. Or it could develop a stronger defense strategy.
In terms of possible [00:23:00] directions, there are several paths the EU could take.
Some leaders favor deeper integration, moving closer to a federal style Europe, perhaps with shared defense and taxation and foreign policies.
Others propose a flexible Europe model where countries can choose the areas of cooperation that they want to participate in.
Finally, expansion could happen and probably will happen. Countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, and several in the Western Balkans have applied to join the EU.
Whatever direction the EU takes its future will depend on finding a balance between cooperation and each country’s individual identities.
Final Thought
The European Union is one of the most ambitious [00:24:00] political and economic projects in modern history.
It has united dozens of countries that were once divided by war. It has brought peace, prosperity, and cooperation across the continent, but it also faces deep challenges over identity, democracy, and sovereignty.
So what do you think? Can so many countries actually work together for a long time?
What is your opinion of the EU?
If you are not from Europe, would you like your country to join this kind of union? And if you are from the EU, do you think EU membership has been a good thing for your country?
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