Introduction
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) refer to entities formed by treaties and may involve two or more states that come together to work in good faith without aspects of common interest. IGOs do not exist unless they have been passed in during a treaty, and they are confined by legal protection. An example of IGO is the European Union (EU), formed in 1993, Maastricht, Netherlands. The main function of EU was to prevent frequent collisions that were evident in Europe after the Second World War. Some of the EU members include Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, and the list continues. This paper aims to research the works of the EU to the member states by focusing on the effects it has resulted for the recipients and the prevailing cons and pros.
The Work of European Union How It Affects the Recipients
One of the main functions of the EU is the trading obligations that it has to regulate its member’s international business roles. So far, the EU is huge trading bloc in the European region and the entire world. There are trade policies that the union ensures and they are restricted or allowed to member states (European External Action Service [EEAS], 2019). For instance, the EU is tasked with close monitoring of exports and imports in the European region.
Member states are allowed to import and export commodities to make sure there is proportional development. Through the EU, prices for products and services are set, and there is a regulation on the number of items that member states must transact during the international business practices. EU is known for its voice in controlling the international partners so that fairer international trading practices are achieved.
The EU is a contributor to peace issues in the world where and ensures the advocacy to efficient conflict solving that does not result in adverse effects to the affected countries. The union has been a key player in international peace talks globally, where it has facilitated in negotiating between colliding parties. For instance, EU-led diplomacy reached a historic agreement on Iran’s nuclear matters in July 2015 (EEAS, 2019). The agreement was brokered between countries such as the US, Germany, China, and France. During the agreement, Iran committed itself to avoiding seeking nuclear weapons under any given circumstance. The union also contributed to a Malian peace agreement that was signed in June 2015 (EEAS, 2019). The agreement helped Mali to emerge from the challenges it has from the political crisis.
The EU has been on the forefront on climate change matters to ensure that society is sensitized to the processes that may lead to reduced global warming. The international efforts to combat climate change have seen the EU play a vital role in securing the climate deal that many private sectors have adopted in the member states. The climate change deal was reached in 2015 Paris, and the EU has been following closely to see whether the members have breached or honored the agreement (Belov, 2017). Through the EU’s efforts, many countries have restricted issues that may lead to adverse effects of climate changes, such as practicing environmentally safe processes while performing industrial actions.
Pros of European Union
Through the intervention of the EU, countries have been able to have fair trade barriers that ensure economic development is achieved, especially for the non-developed countries. Additionally, the union’s existence has led to reforms in terms of security matters where geopolitical tensions have been barred from happening. The environment has been conserved through efforts made by the EU, such as the global climate change agreement of Paris in 2015 (Harada, 2017). Lastly, the involvement of the EU in global matters has resulted in stimulus in the gross domestic product (GDP) since members have controlled imports and exports.
Cons of European Union
The cost for being EU membership is high, whereby some members would strain to budget for that. For instance, before Brexit, EU membership in the UK was approximately fifteen billion euros which may be about 0.06% of the country’s GDP (Pettinger, 2019). Other costs include the regulation and possible costs, which may make countries get a challenge in meeting the cost. Additionally, the EU has inefficient policies where almost 40% of the EU expenditure goes to agricultural policies (Pettinger, 2019). That has led to disrupted agricultural markets, especially on food prices, hence making farmers strain in getting returns. There is a problem in the euro currency where the EU has placed a major emphasis on adopting one currency. Countries may fear low economic growth rates if the problem is not solved.
Conclusion
The establishment of the EU has resulted in more positive results than negative outcomes. The reason is that the works of the EU have majorly been emphasized on economic development and social security. Through the union, better trading terms have been reached, which have seen countries benefit in raising their GDP. The existence of the EU has led to peace among countries such as Mali and Iran. Countries have achieved stability in international business as a result of EU involvement. However, joining the EU is costly and may lead to inefficient agricultural policies and problems of currency use. Members should agree on the framework so that no state feels to be challenged by the EU terms and conditions.
References
Belov, M. (2017). The functions of constitutional identity performed in the context of constitutionalizing of the EU order and europeanization of the legal orders of EU member states. Perspectives on Federalism, 9(2), E-72-E-97. Web.
Harada, T. (2017). EU political process over BREXIT and “Social Benefits and Free Movement.” EU Studies in Japan, 2017(37), 92-114. Web.
Pettinger, T. (2019). Disadvantages of EU membership. Economics Help. Web.
European External Action Service [EEAS]. (2019). The EU’s international roles. Web.