The European Unification Essays - Council Of Europe, Free Essays

The European Unification Essays - Council Of Europe, Free Essays The European Unification The European Unification 500 years ago, the European age began. Portuguese seafarers swept Europe out of the medieval age, and boldly helped Europe to grow. During the European age, constant wars were fought among the many nations that made up Europe. By 1945, Europe had all but destroyed itself. With the end of the 20th century, Europe has been given a historic opportunity, a united Europe, it is a chance at new life, a miracle as some consider it. On January 1, 1999, champagne corks popped, fireworks lit up the skies, and the peoples in Europe were happy. What is important about this date? January 1, 1999 marked the launching of the new single currency for the European Union, the euro. Many see this as a giant step towards Europes long quest for unity. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf hailed the launch of the euro as the crown upon European unification. After many decades of dreams, diplomacy, and delays, European unity seemed closer than ever. However as you shall see, the European Union will not benefit Europe, rather it will serve as a detriment. In order to decide whether the EU will serve to benefit Europe, or hurt it, we need to consider the history behind Europe. In 1993, the European Union was started. Across all of Europe it was hailed as a new opportunity for peace, something that could not be rejected. The EU began with five countries, who signed a pact to unite and grow stronger. Now, in the year 2000, the European Union has grown to some 15 member countries, joined together for a common cause: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. These countries have at great expense, decided to make the change from individual countries, to a united group of people. The rules and requirements are strict, or else many more countries would have already joined. As it is, there are many countries waiting in the wings, waiting to be accepted into the European Union; countries like Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hung ary, Poland, and Slovenia. There are eight others that are awaiting their turn, but cannot join as of yet, since the entrance fee does not come cheap. However, in time, most of Europe will join the EU and a new United States of Europe will be born... hopefully. What is the purpose of the EU? Well, in short, unity. All of Europe, for once, working towards the same goals; no more wars, no more violence, stability, and peace. These are goals every nation in the world strives towards These are the three pillars which the European Union is based on: Pillar One: abides by the Treaty of Rome, as revised by the Single European Act, it introduces a single market, where all can share and prosper, it includes democracy in Europe, and the European Monetary Union (single currency, European Central Bank, single monetary policy, coordination of economic policies) Pillar Two: established the Common Foreign Policy and Common Security Policy which make it impossible for the Union to take joint action in foreign and security affairs. Pillar Three: establishes an asylum policy, rules on crossing state borders, an immigration policy, the combating of illegal activities, and includes customs, police and judicial cooperation. These are the three pillars upon which all the EU must abide. The European Union offers much for Europe: a common constitution, a single economy and currency, a common foreign policy, as well as common security and defense policies. It offers to give Europe the ability to become a major world power, with an economy that can compete with the U.S. economy. If everything works out, the European unifications will strengthen Europe, not only in its economy but in every other area as well. And indeed, improvements can be seen. The European Union has already begun to expand Europe's economy. Previously, countries such as Finland had as little a gain as 4% on their exports. Now revenues have increased 25% or more in these countries. Not only Europe's economy has grown, but so has its security, as well as its peace. Tariffs have been removed, and borders are marked merely by signs, along with small guard

The Difference Between Of and From

The Difference Between 'Of' and 'From' Many English learners have difficulties understanding the difference between of and from in English. This comes from the fact that a number of languages, like Italian and French and German, use the same preposition for both of and from. For example, in Italian, the phrase I am from Milan or I come from Milan can be translated as, Sono di Milano. The possessive use of of in English can also use the preposition di in Italian. For example, the phrase, Hes a friend of ours can be translated into Italian as, E un amico di noi. In other words, the preposition di in Italian corresponds to the use of both from and of in English. This is true in many languages. In English, however, there is a distinct difference between of and from. Using Of in a Sentence Of is mainly used as a possessive. For example: Hes a friend of mine.The color of the house is red. It is important to remember that it is more common to use the possessive s or the possessive adjective in English than to use of- even if of is grammatically correct. Thus, the sentences above would generally be in these forms: Hes my friend.The houses color is red. Common Phrases With Of Of is also commonly used with all and both to describe a common trait that many objects share. For example: All of the students in the class enjoy volleyball.Both of the assignments are due at the end of the week. Common Phrases With Of Another common phrase with of is one of the superlative form plural noun singular verb. This phrase is commonly used to focus on a specific object that stands out from a group. Notice that although the plural noun is used, the singular phrase takes the singular conjugation of the verb because the subject is One of the.... For example: One of the most interesting things about my job is the people I meet.One of the most difficult subjects for me is math. Using From in a Sentence From is generally used to express that something originates from something else, that something comes from somewhere, or some person. For example: Jack comes from Portland.This formula derives from the work of Peter Schimmel.This pearl comes from the South Pacific. Common Phrases With From From can also be used with the prepositions to and until to mark the beginning and ending point of time of an action or state. Generally, from...to is used with past tenses, while from...until is used when speaking about future actions. However, from...to can be used in most situations. For example: I played tennis from two to four in the afternoon yesterday.We are meeting in Chicago from Monday until Thursday. Understanding the difference between of  and from can be tricky at first for ESL students, but like all commonly-confused words, the difference between them becomes more clear the more they are used.