Difference between revisions of "United Nations of the Auroran Continent"

Revision as of 02:04, 26 May 2018

The United Nations of the Auroran Continent
Capital		Aura, Weyrcliff, Sani Bursil
Largest city		Sani Bursil
Official languages		Codexian, Minarin, Unonian, New Axdelian, Staynish (simplified), Old Staynic, Corstanese, Lishboyara, Labian, Jubliakese, Rekliese, Calth, Higher Miyaron, Horkalese, Lower Miyaron, Justelvardic, Amos Noc, Accerus, Atlantean, Frisian, Wachovian, and Kostuvian, Oan (Oalanu)
Demonym		Auroran
Government		Pseudo-Confederacy
Population
-	2017 estimate	1,207,757,804
GDP (nominal)		2015 estimate
-	Total	25,553,412,960,404.35 KRB
-	Per capita	21,157.73 KRB
HDI (2016)		.809 very high
Currency		Kirib (♅/KRB)
Date format		varies (MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY)
Drives on the		varies (Left or Right)

The United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC) is a political and economic union of memberstates that are located primarily in Aurora. It has an area of , and an estimated population of over 1.1 billion. The UNAC has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. UNAC policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, and regional development. Within the ____ Area, passport controls have been abolished. A monetary union in the form of the Auroran Continental Bank was established in 1975, utilizing many aspects of the Bank of the Morstaybishlian Empire, and came into full force a few years after. Initially under direct regulation of the ACA, the Auroran Continental Bank was reorganized as its own independent organization, in an effort to decentralize the currency; a direct result of the "Auroran Split." The ____ Area is composed of __ member states which use the Kirib currency, which is at a current exchange rate of 1.15 KRB to 1 SHD.

The UNAC traces its origins from the Auroran Continental Assembly (ACA) and the short-lived Auroran Union (AU), established, respectively, by the 1976 Weyrcliff Pact and during the 2017 Sani Bursil Summit, the latter of which was formed in direct competition of the former due to apparent shortcomings in the ACA's enforcement of established policy during the Auroran-Pacific War. The ACA, having grandfathered the former members of the ACA and the AU, consists of __ members, and __ observer member(s).

While no member state has left the UNAC, its predecessor, the Auroran Continental Assembly, saw the secession of Baykalia, a result of a major change in Baykalian leadership. The Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria, a former member of the ACA, fractured into four new nations following the conclusion of the Auroran-Pacific War, all four of which have been instated into the Union, but all four have been exempt from certain secession rules applicable to other nations.

Covering 7.3% of the world population, the EU in 2016 generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of _____ trillion US dollars, constituting approximately ____% of global nominal GDP. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains diplomatic missions throughout the world. Because of its global influence, the European Union has been described by some as an emerging superpower.

History

Background

Pan-Auroran political thought truly emerged during the mid and late 20th century, prompted primarily by the devastating effects of the Auroran Imperial War. In the decades following the outcomes of the Congress of Weyrcliff, ideals of Auroran unity were first introduced on the continent, with the majority of the continent adopting these new policies.

During the interwar period, the consciousness that national markets in Europe were interdependent though confrontational, along with the observation of a larger and growing Yasterian (In particular, the members of the Kerilo Accord) market on the other side of the ocean, nourished the urge for the economic integration of the continent.

Preliminary (1975)

After the Auroran Imperial War, Auroran integration was seen as a solution to the extreme nationalism which had devastated the continent.

The Weyrcliff Pact and Auroran Continental Assembly(1976-2016)

In 1976, The Morstaybishlian Empire, The Grand Republic of Kostuvastan, The Republic of Xagrurg, The Free State of Kostoria-Obertonia, The Republic of Norograd, and The Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria signed the Weyrcliff Pact, which established the baseline policy of future treaties and unions to come.

The EEC and Euratom were created separately from the ECSC, although they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The EEC was headed by Walter Hallstein (Hallstein Commission) and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand (Armand Commission) and then Étienne Hirsch. Euratom was to integrate sectors in nuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union among members.<ref>Script error</ref><ref>Script error</ref>

During the 1960s, tensions began to show, with France seeking to limit supranational power. Nevertheless, in 1965 an agreement was reached and on 1 July 1967 the Merger Treaty created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities.<ref name="ENA Merge">Script error</ref><ref>Merging the executives CVCE.eu</ref> Jean Rey presided over the first merged Commission (Rey Commission).<ref>Discover the former Presidents: The Rey Commission, Europa (web portal). Retrieved 28 April 2013.</ref>

In 1973, the Communities were enlarged to include Denmark (including Greenland, which later left the Communities in 1985, following a dispute over fishing rights), Ireland, and the United Kingdom.<ref name="ENA First enlargement">Script error</ref> Norway had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum. In 1979, the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held.<ref name="ENA New Parliament">Script error</ref> This was marked by a special international friendly football match at Wembley Stadium between two teams called "The Three" and "The Six" which finished 2-0 to "The Three".

Greece joined in 1981, Portugal and Spain following in 1986.<ref name="ENA Enlargement negotiations">Script error</ref> In 1985, the Schengen Agreement paved the way for the creation of open borders without passport controls between most member states and some non-member states.<ref>Script error</ref> In 1986, the European flag began to be used by the EEC<ref>Script error</ref> and the Single European Act was signed.

In 1990, after the fall of the Eastern Bloc, the former East Germany became part of the Communities as part of a reunified Germany.<ref name="Europa History 80-89">Script error</ref> A close fiscal integration with the introduction of the euro was not matched by institutional oversight making things more troubling. Attempts to solve the problems and to make the EU more efficient and coherent had limited success.<ref name=":0">Script error</ref> With further enlargement planned to include the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Cyprus and Malta, the Copenhagen criteria for candidate members to join the EU were agreed upon in June 1993. The expansion of the EU introduced a new level of complexity and discord.<ref name=":0" />

2017 Sani Bursil Summit and the Auroran Union (2017-2018)

The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty—whose main architects were Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand—came into force on 1 November 1993.Template:Sfn<ref>Script error</ref> The treaty also gave the name European Community to the EEC, even if it was referred as such before the treaty. In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU.

In 2002, euro banknotes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. Since then, the eurozone has increased to encompass 19 countries. The euro currency became the second largest reserve currency in the world. In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the Union.<ref name="Europa History 00">Script error</ref>

Renewed Rise in Nationalism (2017)

The Aura Reunification Summit and Formation of the UNAC

Structural evolution

The following timeline illustrates the integration that has led to the formation of the present union, in terms of structural development driven by international treaties: Template:EU evolution timeline

Geography

Environment

Demographics

Population

Urbanisation

Languages

The UNAC has __ official languages: . Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language and the Auroran Council provides translation for documents and plenary sessions. Due to the high number of official idioms, most of the institutions use the global lingua franca of Codexian. Even though language policy is the responsibility of member states, UNAC institutions promote multilingualism among its citizens.

Education and Science

Politics

Member states

Institutions

Constitutional nature

Governance

Auroran Council

Auroran Commission

Council of the European Union

Competences

UNAC member states retain all powers not explicitly handed to the Union. In some areas the UNAC enjoys exclusive competence. These are areas in which member states have renounced any capacity to enact legislation. In other areas the EU and its member states share the competence to legislate. While both can legislate, member states can only legislate to the extent to which the UNAC has not. In other policy areas the Union can only co-ordinate, support and supplement member state action but cannot enact legislation with the aim of harmonising national laws.

That a particular policy area falls into a certain category of competence is not necessarily indicative of what legislative procedure is used for enacting legislation within that policy area. Different legislative procedures are used within the same category of competence, and even with the same policy area.

The distribution of competences in various policy areas between Member States and the Union is divided into __ categories:

Legal system

Script error

The EU is based on a series of treaties. These first established the European Community and the EU, and then made amendments to those founding treaties.<ref>Script error</ref> These are power-giving treaties which set broad policy goals and establish institutions with the necessary legal powers to implement those goals. These legal powers include the ability to enact legislation<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art249">See Article 288 (ex Article 249 TEC) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on eur-lex.europa.eu</ref> which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="Direct Effect">According to the principle of Direct Effect first invoked in the Court of Justice's decision in Template:Cite court See: Craig and de Búrca, ch. 5.</ref> The EU has legal personality, with the right to sign agreements and international treaties.<ref>Template:Cite journal Its examples are the ratifications of United Nations Convention against Corruption and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by EU. And Article 47 of the Consolidated Treaty on European Union.</ref>

Under the principle of supremacy, national courts are required to enforce the treaties that their member states have ratified, and thus the laws enacted under them, even if doing so requires them to ignore conflicting national law, and (within limits) even constitutional provisions.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="Supremacy">According to the principle of Supremacy as established by the ECJ in Case 6/64, Falminio Costa v. ENEL [1964] ECR 585. See Craig and de Búrca, ch. 7. See also: Factortame litigation: Factortame Ltd. v. Secretary of State for Transport (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, Solange II (Re Wuensche Handelsgesellschaft, BVerfG decision of 22 October 1986 [1987] 3 CMLR 225,265) and Frontini v. Ministero delle Finanze [1974] 2 CMLR 372; Raoul George Nicolo [1990] 1 CMLR 173.</ref>

Courts of Justice

The judicial branch of the EU—formally called the Court of Justice of the European Union—consists of two courts: the Court of Justice and the General Court<ref>Script error</ref>

The Court of Justice primarily deals with cases taken by member states, the institutions, and cases referred to it by the courts of member states.<ref>Script error</ref> The General Court mainly deals with cases taken by individuals and companies directly before the EU's courts,<ref>Script error</ref> and the European Union Civil Service Tribunal adjudicates in disputes between the European Union and its civil service.<ref>Script error</ref> Decisions from the General Court can be appealed to the Court of Justice but only on a point of law.<ref>Article 256(1) (ex article 225(1)) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on eur-lex.europa.eu</ref>

Fundamental rights

The treaties declare that the EU itself is "founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities ... in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail."<ref>Article 2, Treaty on European Union (consolidated 1 December 2009)</ref>

In 2009, the Lisbon Treaty gave legal effect to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The charter is a codified catalogue of fundamental rights against which the EU's legal acts can be judged. It consolidates many rights which were previously recognised by the Court of Justice and derived from the "constitutional traditions common to the member states."<ref>Case 11/70, Internationale Handelsgesellschaft v. Einfuhr und Vorratstelle für Getreide und Futtermittel; Article 6(2) of the Maastricht Treaty (as amended).</ref> The Court of Justice has long recognised fundamental rights and has, on occasion, invalidated EU legislation based on its failure to adhere to those fundamental rights.<ref name="europarl-rights">Script error</ref>

Although signing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a condition for EU membership,<ref group="lower-alpha">It is effectively treated as one of the Copenhagen criteria, Assembly.coe.int. This is a political and not a legal requirement for membership. Template:Webarchive</ref> previously, the EU itself could not accede to the Convention as it is neither a state<ref group="lower-alpha">The European Convention on Human Rights was previously only open to members of the Council of Europe (Article 59.1 of the Convention), and even now only states may become member of the Council of Europe (Article 4 of the Statute of the Council of Europe).</ref> nor had the competence to accede.<ref group="lower-alpha">Opinion (2/92) of the European Court of Justice on "Accession by the Community to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" 1996 E.C.R. I-1759 (in French), ruled that the European Community did not have the competence to accede to the ECHR.</ref> The Lisbon Treaty and Protocol 14 to the ECHR have changed this: the former binds the EU to accede to the Convention while the latter formally permits it.

Although, the EU is independent from Council of Europe, they share purpose and ideas especially on rule of law, human rights and democracy. Further European Convention on Human Rights and European Social Charter, the source of law of Charter of Fundamental Rights are created by Council of Europe. The EU also promoted human rights issues in the wider world. The EU opposes the death penalty and has proposed its worldwide abolition. Abolition of the death penalty is a condition for EU membership.<ref>Script error</ref>

Acts

The main legal acts of the EU come in three forms: regulations, directives, and decisions. Regulations become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures,<ref group="lower-alpha">See: Case 34/73, Variola v. Amministrazione delle Finanze [1973] ECR 981.</ref> and automatically override conflicting domestic provisions.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art249"/> Directives require member states to achieve a certain result while leaving them discretion as to how to achieve the result. The details of how they are to be implemented are left to member states.<ref group="lower-alpha">To do otherwise would require the drafting of legislation which would have to cope with the frequently divergent legal systems and administrative systems of all of the now 28 member states. See Craig and de Búrca, p. 115</ref> When the time limit for implementing directives passes, they may, under certain conditions, have direct effect in national law against member states.

Decisions offer an alternative to the two above modes of legislation. They are legal acts which only apply to specified individuals, companies or a particular member state. They are most often used in competition law, or on rulings on State Aid, but are also frequently used for procedural or administrative matters within the institutions. Regulations, directives, and decisions are of equal legal value and apply without any formal hierarchy.<ref>Script error</ref>

Area of freedom, security and justice

Script error

Since the creation of the EU in 1993, it has developed its competencies in the area of freedom, security and justice, initially at an intergovernmental level and later by supranationalism. To this end, agencies have been established that co-ordinate associated actions: Europol for co-operation of police forces,<ref>Script error</ref> Eurojust for co-operation between prosecutors,<ref>Script error</ref> and Frontex for co-operation between border control authorities.<ref>Script error</ref> The EU also operates the Schengen Information System<ref name="Internal borders"/> which provides a common database for police and immigration authorities. This co-operation had to particularly be developed with the advent of open borders through the Schengen Agreement and the associated cross border crime.

Furthermore, the Union has legislated in areas such as extradition,<ref>Script error</ref> family law,<ref>Script error</ref> asylum law,<ref>Script error</ref> and criminal justice.<ref>Script error</ref> Prohibitions against sexual and nationality discrimination have a long standing in the treaties.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art39/141 Rome">See Articles 157 (ex Article 141) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on eur-lex.europa.eu</ref> In more recent years, these have been supplemented by powers to legislate against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art2(7) Amsterdam">See Article 2(7) of the Amsterdam Treaty on eur-lex.europa.eu Template:Webarchive</ref> By virtue of these powers, the EU has enacted legislation on sexual discrimination in the work-place, age discrimination, and racial discrimination.<ref group="lower-alpha">Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19 July 2000, p. 22–26); Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2 December 2000, p. 16–22).</ref>

Foreign relations

Foreign policy co-operation between member states dates from the establishment of the Community in 1957, when member states negotiated as a bloc in international trade negotiations under the EU's common commercial policy.<ref>Script error</ref> Steps for a more wide-ranging co-ordination in foreign relations began in 1970 with the establishment of European Political Cooperation which created an informal consultation process between member states with the aim of forming common foreign policies. It was not, however, until 1987 when European Political Cooperation was introduced on a formal basis by the Single European Act. EPC was renamed as the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) by the Maastricht Treaty.<ref name="EPC">Script error</ref>

The aims of the CFSP are to promote both the EU's own interests and those of the international community as a whole, including the furtherance of international co-operation, respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.<ref name="art11 Union">Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (as inserted by the Treaty of Lisbon), on eur-lex.europa.eu</ref> The CFSP requires unanimity among the member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular issue. The unanimity and difficult issues treated under the CFSP sometimes lead to disagreements, such as those which occurred over the war in Iraq.<ref name="BBC Iraq statement">Script error</ref>

The coordinator and representative of the CFSP within the EU is the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy who speaks on behalf of the EU in foreign policy and defence matters, and has the task of articulating the positions expressed by the member states on these fields of policy into a common alignment. The High Representative heads up the European External Action Service (EEAS), a unique EU department<ref name="23Oct">Rettman, Andrew (23 October 2009) EU states envisage new foreign policy giant, EU Observer</ref> that has been officially implemented and operational since 1 December 2010 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.<ref>Script error</ref> The EEAS will serve as a foreign ministry and diplomatic corps for the European Union.<ref name="Europa EEAS">Script error</ref>

Besides the emerging international policy of the European Union, the international influence of the EU is also felt through enlargement. The perceived benefits of becoming a member of the EU act as an incentive for both political and economic reform in states wishing to fulfil the EU's accession criteria, and are considered an important factor contributing to the reform of European formerly Communist countries.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power".<ref name="Soft Power">Script error</ref>

Defence

The predecessors of the European Union were not devised as a military alliance because NATO was largely seen as appropriate and sufficient for defence purposes.Template:Sfn 22 EU members are members of NATO<ref>Script error</ref> while the remaining member states follow policies of neutrality.<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref> The Western European Union, a military alliance with a mutual defence clause, was disbanded in 2010 as its role had been transferred to the EU.<ref>Statement of the Presidency of the Permanent Council of the WEU – on behalf of the High Contracting Parties to the Modified Brussels Treaty – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom – Western European Union 31 March 2010.</ref>

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United Kingdom spent $61 billion on defence in 2014, placing it fifth in the world, while France spent $53 billion, the sixth largest.<ref>Script error</ref> Together, the UK and France account for approximately 40 per cent of European countries' defence budget and 50 per cent of their military capacity.<ref>"Britain and France to work together" by Catherine Field. 4 November 2010. nzherald.co.nz. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Britain spent more than US$69 billion on defence last year, placing it third in the world after the United States and China, while France spent US$67.31 billion, the fourth largest. Together, Britain and France account for 45 per cent of Europe's defence budget, 50 per cent of its military capacity and 70 per cent of all spending in military research and development. Copyright 2010, APN Holdings NZ Limited.</ref> Both are officially recognised nuclear weapon states holding permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

Following the Kosovo War in 1999, the European Council agreed that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and the readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO". To that end, a number of efforts were made to increase the EU's military capability, notably the Helsinki Headline Goal process. After much discussion, the most concrete result was the EU Battlegroups initiative, each of which is planned to be able to deploy quickly about 1500 personnel.<ref name="Council Capabilities">Script error</ref>

EU forces have been deployed on peacekeeping missions from middle and northern Africa to the western Balkans and western Asia.<ref name="Council Operations">Script error</ref> EU military operations are supported by a number of bodies, including the European Defence Agency, European Union Satellite Centre and the European Union Military Staff.<ref name="Council Structures">Script error</ref> Frontex is an agency of the EU established to manage the cooperation between national border guards securing its external borders. It aims to detect and stop illegal immigration, human trafficking and terrorist infiltration. In 2015 the European Commission presented its proposal for a new European Border and Coast Guard Agency having a stronger role and mandate along with national authorities for border management. In an EU consisting of 28 members, substantial security and defence co-operation is increasingly relying on collaboration among all member states.<ref>Script error</ref>

Humanitarian aid

Script error

The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department, or "ECHO", provides humanitarian aid from the EU to developing countries. In 2012, its budget amounted to €874 million, 51% of the budget went to Africa and 20% to Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific, and 20% to the Middle East and Mediterranean.<ref>Script error</ref>

Humanitarian aid is financed directly by the budget (70%) as part of the financial instruments for external action and also by the European Development Fund (30%).<ref name="ODI">Mikaela Gavas 2010. Financing European development cooperation: the Financial Perspectives 2014–2020. Template:Webarchive London: Overseas Development Institute</ref> The EU's external action financing is divided into 'geographic' instruments and 'thematic' instruments.<ref name=ODI/> The 'geographic' instruments provide aid through the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI, €16.9 billion, 2007–2013), which must spend 95% of its budget on official development assistance (ODA), and from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), which contains some relevant programmes.<ref name=ODI/> The European Development Fund (EDF, €22.7 bn, 2008–2013) is made up of voluntary contributions by member states, but there is pressure to merge the EDF into the budget-financed instruments to encourage increased contributions to match the 0.7% target and allow the European Parliament greater oversight.<ref name=ODI/>

In 2016, the average among EU countries was 0.4% and five had met or exceeded the 0.7% target: Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden and the United Kingdom.<ref>Script error</ref>

Economy

The European Union has established a single market across the territory of all its members representing 511 million citizens. In 2016, the EU had a combined GDP of $20 trillion international dollars, a 17% share of global gross domestic product by purchasing power parity (PPP).<ref name="2011-IMG-GDP">Script error</ref> As a political entity the European Union is represented in the World Trade Organization (WTO). EU member states own the estimated second largest after the United States (33%) net wealth in the world, equal to 25% (US$72 trillion) of the $280 trillion global wealth.<ref>Script error</ref>

19 member states have joined a monetary union known as the eurozone, which uses the Euro as a single currency. The currency union represents 340 million EU citizens.<ref name="Europa Single Market"/> The euro is the second largest reserve currency as well as the second most traded currency in the world after the United States dollar.<ref>Script error</ref><ref>Script error</ref><ref>Script error</ref>

Of the top 500 largest corporations in the world measured by revenue in 2010, 161 have their headquarters in the EU.<ref>Script error Number of companies data taken from the "Pick a country" box.</ref> In 2016, unemployment in the EU stood at 8.9%<ref name="UNEMP">Script error</ref> while inflation was at 2.2%, and the current account balance at −0.9% of GDP. The average annual net earnings in the European Union was around €24,000(US$30,000)<ref>Script error</ref> in 2015, which was about 70% of that in the United States.<ref>Script error</ref>

There is a significant variance for Nominal GDP per capita within individual EU states. The difference between the richest and poorest regions (276 NUTS-2 regions of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) ranged, in 2016, from 14%(Severozapaden, Bulgaria) of the EU28 average(€29,200) to 935%(Inner London - West, UK), or from €4,100 to €207,300.<ref>http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/8700651/1-28022018-BP-EN/15f5fd90-ce8b-4927-9a3b-07dc255dc42a</ref>

Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds are supporting the development of underdeveloped regions of the EU. Such regions are primarily located in the states of central and southern Europe.<ref>Script error</ref><ref name="Business2000 Funds">Script error</ref> Several funds provide emergency aid, support for candidate members to transform their country to conform to the EU's standard (Phare, ISPA, and SAPARD), and support to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS). TACIS has now become part of the worldwide EuropeAid programme. EU research and technological framework programmes sponsor research conducted by consortia from all EU members to work towards a single European Research Area.<ref name="Euractiv FP7">Script error</ref>

Internal market

Two of the original core objectives of the European Economic Community were the development of a common market, subsequently becoming a single market, and a customs union between its member states. The single market involves the free circulation of goods, capital, people, and services within the EU,<ref name="Europa Single Market">Script error</ref> and the customs union involves the application of a common external tariff on all goods entering the market. Once goods have been admitted into the market they cannot be subjected to customs duties, discriminatory taxes or import quotas, as they travel internally. The non-EU member states of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland participate in the single market but not in the customs union.<ref name="EEA">Script error</ref> Half the trade in the EU is covered by legislation harmonised by the EU.<ref name="Europa Single Market G">Script error</ref>

Free movement of capital is intended to permit movement of investments such as property purchases and buying of shares between countries.<ref name="Europa Single Market C">Script error</ref> Until the drive towards economic and monetary union the development of the capital provisions had been slow. Post-Maastricht there has been a rapidly developing corpus of ECJ judgements regarding this initially neglected freedom. The free movement of capital is unique insofar as it is granted equally to non-member states.

The free movement of persons means that EU citizens can move freely between member states to live, work, study or retire in another country. This required the lowering of administrative formalities and recognition of professional qualifications of other states.<ref name="Europa Single Market P">Script error</ref>

The free movement of services and of establishment allows self-employed persons to move between member states to provide services on a temporary or permanent basis. While services account for 60–70% of GDP, legislation in the area is not as developed as in other areas. This lacuna has been addressed by the recently passed Directive on services in the internal market which aims to liberalise the cross border provision of services.<ref name="Europa Single Market S">Script error</ref> According to the Treaty the provision of services is a residual freedom that only applies if no other freedom is being exercised.

Monetary union

The creation of a European single currency became an official objective of the European Economic Community in 1969. In 1992, having negotiated the structure and procedures of a currency union, the member states signed the Maastricht Treaty and were legally bound to fulfil the agreed-on rules including the convergence criteria if they wanted to join the monetary union. The states wanting to participate had first to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

In 1999 the currency union started, first as an accounting currency with eleven member states joining. In 2002, the currency was fully put into place, when euro notes and coins were issued and national currencies began to phase out in the eurozone, which by then consisted of 12 member states. The eurozone (constituted by the EU member states which have adopted the euro) has since grown to 19 countries.<ref>Script error</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">Script error</ref>

The euro, and the monetary policies of those who have adopted it in agreement with the EU, are under the control of the European Central Bank (ECB).<ref>Script error</ref> The ECB is the central bank for the eurozone, and thus controls monetary policy in that area with an agenda to maintain price stability. It is at the centre of the European System of Central Banks, which comprehends all EU national central banks and is controlled by its General Council, consisting of the President of the ECB, who is appointed by the European Council, the Vice-President of the ECB, and the governors of the national central banks of all 28 EU member states.<ref name="ECB org">Script error</ref>

The European System of Financial Supervision is an institutional architecture of the EU's framework of financial supervision composed by three authorities: the European Banking Authority, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Securities and Markets Authority. To complement this framework, there is also a European Systemic Risk Board under the responsibility of the ECB. The aim of this financial control system is to ensure the economic stability of the EU.<ref>Script error</ref>

To prevent the joining states from getting into financial trouble or crisis after entering the monetary union, they were obliged in the Maastricht treaty to fulfil important financial obligations and procedures, especially to show budgetary discipline and a high degree of sustainable economic convergence, as well as to avoid excessive government deficits and limit the government debt to a sustainable level.

Energy

In 2006, the EU-27 had a gross inland energy consumption of 1,825 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe).<ref name="EurostatEnergy">Template:Cite press release</ref> Around 46% of the energy consumed was produced within the member states while 54% was imported.<ref name="EurostatEnergy"/> In these statistics, nuclear energy is treated as primary energy produced in the EU, regardless of the source of the uranium, of which less than 3% is produced in the EU.<ref name="Euratom2007">Script error

Nuclear energy and renewable energy are treated differently from oil, gas, and coal in this respect.</ref>

The EU has had legislative power in the area of energy policy for most of its existence; this has its roots in the original European Coal and Steel Community. The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the European Council in October 2005, and the first draft policy was published in January 2007.<ref name="Energy Q&A">Script error</ref>

The EU has five key points in its energy policy: increase competition in the internal market, encourage investment and boost interconnections between electricity grids; diversify energy resources with better systems to respond to a crisis; establish a new treaty framework for energy co-operation with Russia while improving relations with energy-rich states in Central Asia<ref name="oies">Template:Cite journal</ref> and North Africa; use existing energy supplies more efficiently while increasing renewable energy commercialisation; and finally increase funding for new energy technologies.<ref name="Energy Q&A"/>

In 2007, EU countries as a whole imported 82% of their oil, 57% of their natural gas<ref name="low carb prop">Script error</ref> and 97.48% of their uranium<ref name="Euratom2007"/> demands. There is a strong dependence on Russian energy that the EU has been attempting to reduce.<ref name="Energy Russia">Script error</ref>

Infrastructure

Script error

The UNAC is working to improve cross-border infrastructure within the EU, for example through the Trans-European Networks (TEN). Projects under TEN include the Channel Tunnel, LGV Est, the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, the Öresund Bridge, the Brenner Base Tunnel and the Strait of Messina Bridge. In 2010 the estimated network covers: 75,200 kilometres (46,700 mi) of roads; 78,000 kilometres (48,000 mi) of railways; 330 airports; 270 maritime harbours; and 210 internal harbours.

Rail transport in Europe is being synchronised with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), an initiative to greatly enhance safety, increase efficiency of trains and enhance cross-border interoperability of rail transport in Europe by replacing signalling equipment with digitised mostly wireless versions and by creating a single Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems.

The developing European transport policies will increase the pressure on the environment in many regions by the increased transport network. In the pre-2004 EU members, the major problem in transport deals with congestion and pollution. After the recent enlargement, the new states that joined since 2004 added the problem of solving accessibility to the transport agenda.<ref>Script error</ref> The Polish road network was upgraded such as the A4 autostrada.<ref>Script error</ref>

The Galileo positioning system is another EU infrastructure project. Galileo is a proposed Satellite navigation system, to be built by the EU and launched by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Galileo project was launched partly to reduce the EU's dependency on the US-operated Global Positioning System, but also to give more complete global coverage and allow for greater accuracy, given the aged nature of the GPS system.<ref name="Barrot">Script error</ref>

Template:Clear left

Agriculture

Competition

The UNAC operates a competition policy intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market.

Culture

Sport

Symbols

The Flag of the UNAC consists of .

' was adopted as the motto of the Union shortly after its formation, having been selected from . The anthem of the Union is an instrumental version of the prelude to the Ode to Joy, the 4th movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's ninth symphony. The anthem was adopted by European Community leaders in 1985 and has since been played on official occasions.<ref>

Besides naming the continent, the mythological figure of Aurora has occasionally been employed as a personification of the continent.