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→ Surrey in Europe summer 2010 newsletter part 1 & part 2

→ European Movement in London August 2010 newsletter

→ Sussex in Europe: news from Central and Eastern Europe

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European Citizens' Consultations Blog, 15 recommendations. Have your say!

What is the European Union? Nothing else than the pooling of resources and competences in order to act and do things together.

The European Union is a unique international institution. It has 27 member states, participating on an equal basis in a set of shared, democratic institutions, taking decisions which have the force of law.  Nowhere else in the world have democratic countries ever chosen to pool their national sovereignty to such a great extent.  Maybe that is one of the reasons why the EU is sometimes controversial.

The EU started out in 1957 with only 6 member states.  Since then, it has grown to 27 member states, which shows how successful it has been.  Even now, there are many more countries queuing up to join.

The reason why countries want to be part of the European Union is because there are issues too big for any individual country to solve on its own.  European integration is necessary to enable effective solutions to be applied to common problems.  The first of these problems was the need to preserve peace after the second world war.  Since then, the EU has moved on to questions such as improving economic prosperity, ensuring social cohesion and protecting the environment.

In parallel to the growth in the number of member states and the increase in the powers of the European Union, there has also been a change in the way in which the EU takes decisions.  It has effectively moved towards having a democratic system along the lines of those within each member state, but it takes time to create such a system at the European level.  Whether it should go further in this direction is a major subject of debate: some people even argue that it has gone too far and should go back.

It is worth pointing out that all three areas of change in the EU – countries, powers, decision-making methods – are based on treaties that are agreed by the member states.  Some people sometimes talk as though the EU has taken on a life of its own, out of the control of the people whom it represents.  This is not the case.  Every change in the EU treaties has to be agreed unanimously by all the member states.  The EU institutions were created by the member states, in order to serve and protect their interests.

There is more information about each of the EU institutions listed in the menu on the left-hand side of this page.  The European Union itself has a comprehensive website, with much information easily accessible.  You can find that website here: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

Below are some links to interesting articles on the history, nature and activities of the European Union:

- Fifty years of the European Union, by Richard Laming, Federal Union Director - click here

- The EU: The first fifty years, by the Senior Expert Group - click here

- Guide to the European Unionby the Foreign and Commonwealth office - click here (pdf file)

- Europe and you in 2008, a snapshot of EU achievements, by the European Union - click here (pdf file)

- Ten things the EU has done for you, by BBC News - click here

- So, what has Europe ever done for us? by The Independent - click here

European Movement Blog

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European Movement in the Media

Is Cameron's Turkish delight good for Europe's waistline?, By Petros Fassoulas, Progress, 27/07/10

First put the EU in the UK's heart, by Petros Fassoulas, FT, 06/07/10

→ Europe is the key factor, by Charles Austin and Alan Beasley, Dorset Echo, 14/05/10

Brussels expects little change from new UK government, interview with Richard Laming, EurActiv, 11/05/10 (full interview Moderate Euroskepsis on EurActiv.de (in German))

How will leaders deal with the EU question?, by Petros Fassoulas, Progress, 21/04/10

Membership of "powerful" European organisation is vital, by Sarah Leigh, Shoreham Herald, April 2010

Tories ought to embrace their proud European tradition, by Sean Schneider, FT, 19/03/10

→ The membership of the EU (scroll down), by Paul Bongers de Rath, Western Gazette, 05/03/10 

UKIP MEP tirade, by John Brand, The Scotsman, 26/02/10 

Greece is no Trojan Horse for the euro, by Petros Fassoulas, Progress, 22/02/10

European Movement Speaker Service

European Movement Speaker Service

European Movement Newsroom

09.08.10 16:19

Annual General Meeting 2010

Come to the European Movement AGM on 11th September 2010 at University College London

15.06.10 13:03

PRESS RELEASE: Call for radical strengthening of Economic Union

Meeting in Toledo on 11 – 12 June 2010, the Federal Assembly of the European Movement International...

07.06.10 13:44

The EuroMove 200 Club is now up and running

The EuroMove 200 Club is now up and running, with the first prize draw taking place on 20 June and...

“The European Union is more important to Britain than ever, which means that the European Movement is too.  The case for Europe needs to be put loud and clear. Join me in the European Movement to put the pro-European case.”

Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP, president of the European Movement

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