b0mb3r wrote:^ yo oni tell me more of this Europe Union thing. I just came back from Italy and alot of museums I went to gives tickets half price if your a member of this EU.
The European Union, to put it in a simplistic terms, is a "Commonwealth" of Independent European countries.
It is an political entity that are held together by the Treaty of Lisbon with favourable trade and border control treaties with political representatives that can issue guidelines and enforce with soft political power.
It also has a standardised tax and monetary system, but not all commonwealth political entities have these, take for example the modern British Commonwealth of Independent Nations, with 57 members which includes Canada and Australia. also member nations do not have to agree to the unified monetary system such as the United Kingdom.
Governance wise, it is different from a federate system such as the USA in that each nation have independent governance in both domestic and foreign policies along side the treaties it signed in it's relationship within the E.U. the unified "government" has no overarching "federate" power over any member nation.
it has a "European Council" based in Brussels is the legal forum for ractifying and creating of trade and legal treaties of the European Union, there is a "President" which is voted in by all member of the E.U. The candidates are drawn from each member countries of the appropriate departments.
I.e. President candidates are drawn from Prime Ministers and/or other political Head of State, (this can include monarchies which has political powers, but there is no example to which I can think of at the moment). For secretary of finance will be drawn from the financial ministries/department of each member countries and etc etc etc.
The head of this European council has exclusive power over negotiation of treaty changes that affect the E.U.and as a independent judicial in dispute within the European Union. But the President does not represent or dictate the political views of all member nations.
Take for example, while the majority of the member countries have agreed on the principles and stance of the "War on Terrorism" a minority of member countries have taken a political stance of "neutrality", which is acceptable as long as it does not interfere to the binding trade & economical treaties of the E.U.
It has it's own military, in the Military of the European Union and European Rapid Reaction Force which is(will?) held together by the treaty of Common Security and Defence.
Basically, while it is a unified military organisation made from the member countries who sign the treaty, but the concept of defence coverage will apply to all member nation whether they sign the treaty/contribute a number of their military power or not.
I.e. A western Balkan member nation might not of signed the unified E.U. military treaty, but if they require military assistant which their own nation military cannot handle it can request help from the unified Military of the European Union.
Also it does not have to answer or accept legal or military assistance of any other member countries or that of the combined E.U.
i.e. If there was such a thing as a European Union F.B.I they will not have any legal jurisdiction in any members country except as advisers.
Super-national organisation such as Interpol which is a "commonwealth" system, whom members are all voluntary and co-operate a flow of judicial information.
In the case of judicial matters, they are held domestically but if there is a ruling that a citizen thinks or the judicial process require help it can ask the E.U. Court of Justice for guidance which can draw legal advice from any Judge in all member states. In the case that the citizen does not agree with the ruling of it's nations justice results they can appeal in the E.U. court of Justice which if invoked will be a Last Appeal. All results will be final and the court will comprise of any Judge drawn from any member state and will be judged on the E.U. common agreements & treaties of legal and constitutional rights which each member state mush sign to be accepted into the E.U.
I.e. abolishment of Capital punishment.
So basically to answer your last questions, if you were from Germany you can apply to attend a British University and have only to pay the price of a home student and not that of a Foreign student for the entire course or do only one year and return back to their own universities. This number of perks depends on the relationship of the common agreements between each individual universities.
This also means crossing of national borders within the E.U. are "Open" in that it is hassle free.As a British subject I can travel to France, Sweden or one of this western Balkan nations without a Visa and can stay there with no paperwork (depends on the nation some might require one or two). I.e. No Work permits or Student permits.
All E.U. member citizens will get some sort of perk within the European Union all part of the Treaties.
Well, you could say it's a Treaty Union! :]
