The European Union (EU) is one of the most influential international organizations in the modern world. It contributes to the cooperation of its member states in the domains of political, economic, cultural, and social spheres. Even though the union was initially successful, it has faced a few challenges recently. Thus, the primary purpose of the given brief is to demonstrate that the EU is unraveling and explain what legal implications this process is going to offer.
To begin with, one should present the issues that show that the unraveling is taking place. Firstly, after an era of prosperity, the EU faced difficult times, including unemployment, social distress, and political unrest (Seth, 2016). In addition to that, a refugee crisis created inequality and disputes because some members refused “to subscribe to a quota system” (Seth, 2016, para. 2). Secondly, Brexit became a significant indicator that the EU would face considerable problems in the future. If Great Britain could leave the EU, the other countries would also be able to achieve this result. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the Schengen zone among the EU member states is a fragile phenomenon. In an attempt to prevent the disease from spreading, the countries have limited the movement across their borders. Consequently, the EU is on the verge of collapse because it does not have the legal tools to discipline member states and feels difficulties while coping with new issues (Blake, 2019).
If the EU experiences disruption, this scenario will result in specific legal implications. On the one hand, the Eurozone will disappear because it will be impossible to have a common currency without such a large organization. This fact will lead to more complicated and inconvenient economic relationships among European countries because currency conversion operations will be required. On the other hand, the dissolution of the Eurozone will lead to the end of the Schengen area. As a result, it will become impossible for former EU member states to benefit from the “free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the borders of the Eurozone” (Ross, 2018, para. 3). Consequently, the EU values will vanish, and every state will solve the existing issues on its own. Finally, Europe will turn to many separated nations instead of a system of countries that were united by shared objectives.
In conclusion, the European Union is experiencing difficult times, and both external and internal phenomena contribute to this fact. It relates to the economic downturn, the refugee crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, and others. If the organization fails to discipline its member state, it will be likely to dissolute. Once it happens, the former European Union member states will face a number of new challenges. It will refer to the collapse of the Eurozone and the end of the Schengen area. Consequently, united Europe will disappear, and numerous independent states with their own currencies, objectives, and political systems will come instead of it.
References
- Blake, D. (2019). The European Union is in total crisis – we need to get out now! Web.
- Ross, S. (2018). Here is what will happen if the euro falls. Web.
- Seth, S. P. (2016). Is EU unraveling? Web.