European Union (EU)

How can we define Europe? The European Union’s Treaty does not define Europe…”Any European state…may apply to become a member of the Union.” For our purposes Europe is defined by membership in the EU.

Density What are your thoughts about the density of the EU member nations?

Identity What are some groups you are members of? Are you less loyal to one group because you are a member of another?

Historically, France has been home to the French, Germany has been home to the Germans, and Italy home to the Italians, and so forth. People’s loyalties were to their city, their region and their nation. Today, these diverse peoples are also learning to develop a political loyalty to Europe as a whole. In an effort to help this process and to assist with the transition, the European Union adopted symbols for a unified Europe.

What are some symbols that could help people develop a sense of loyalty to a political entity? Flag Anthem Motto Holiday Currency Language

EU Flag In Washington DC the Member States embassies fly the EU flag alongside their national flags. EU institutions fly the 28 country and EU flags together at their headquarters.

Anthem https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/symbols/anthem_en

Motto "United in diversity" is the motto of the European Union. It signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent's many different cultures, traditions and languages.

Holiday Europe Day The ideas behind the European Union were first put forward on 9 May 1950 by French foreign minister Robert Schuman. This is why 9 May is celebrated as a key date for the EU.

Why is the development of a common EU identity a challenge for Europe? Look at map

Europe is a collection of nations that speak different languages and are ruled by different types of democratic governments, some of which use different currencies. Europeans have many centuries of ancestral, cultural, and historical ties to their homeland.

Because of the proximity of diverse cultures in Europe cultural differences are more pronounced. One way to meet those challenges is to speak several languages. Within Europe is the requirement that students learn two or three languages, beginning in about the 6th grade, in addition to learning their own language.

http://www. pewresearch http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign- language-a-must-in-europe-not-so-in-america/

Speaking a foreign language is useful for many purposes… …studying abroad, travel, business contacts, and international friendship— and it opens up all sorts of job opportunities. That is why the European Union encourages citizens to learn other languages in addition to their mother tongue. Over half of Europeans (56%) say they can hold a conversation in one foreign language. Of these, some can speak two or even three foreign languages.

Structure What is the difference between these two phrases? The European Union v The United States of Europe Focus – Compare and Contrast the governance structure of the US and the EU.

Euro “There certainly can’t be a greater Grievance to a Traveller, from one Colony to another, than the different values their Paper Money bears.” An English visitor, circa 1742 (Kimber, 1998, p. 52). Before the American Revolution each colony had its own conventions, tender laws, and coin ratings, and each issued its own paper money.  What problems might this create?

Colonial Currency Proposal In order to make the trading of goods and services between the thirteen colonies more efficient and free, we propose the elimination of separate and unique currencies in each of the thirteen colonies. Each colonial currency will instead be replaced with a common national currency. This common currency will eliminate the cost of exchange rate transactions between each colony, it will make the buying and selling of goods and services produced in the thirteen colonies much easier for the average citizen and it will strengthen the economies of all thirteen colonies. -Colonial Commission on Standardized Currencies

Colonial Currency Proposal Support the proposal Oppose the Proposal No need to change currencies Easier to sell between regions - Could lose money during the exchange Less original- currency often represents the country Could hurt weaker colonies economically Easier to counterfeit Could create or not create unity

These countries were the FIRST to begin using the Euro as cash on January 1, 2002. Before January 1, 2002 each of these countries had different currencies and different exchange rates?

What is an exchange rate?

Fixed Euro Conversion Rates (One EUR) BEF 40.3399 (Belgian francs) DEM 1.95583 (Deutsche Mark) IEP 0.787564 (Irish pound) GRD 340.750 (Greek drachmas) ESP 166.386 (Spanish pesetas) FRF 6.55957 (French francs) ITL 1936.27 (Italian lire) LUF 40.3399 (Luxembourg francs) NLG 2.20371 (Dutch guilders) ATS 13.7603 (Austrian schillings) PTE 200.482 (Portuguese escudos) FIM 5.94573 (Finnish markkas)

The euro symbol “€” was inspired by the Greek letter epsilon. It also stands for the first letter of the word ‘Europe’ in the Latin alphabet, while the two parallel lines running through the symbol signify stability.

“Four Freedoms” of a Single Market Free movement of people Free movement of goods Free movement of services Free movement of capital] How are consumers and businesses benefitted in a single market?