Current challenges faced by the EU

• Author: Gledina Mecka
• Position: Albanian National Bar Association, Tirana
• Pages: 15-20

15

Vol. 3 No. 1

May, 2017

Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2410-759X

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

Current challenges faced by the EU

PhD (C.) Gledina Mecka

Albanian National Bar Association, Tirana

Abstract

The European Union is an organization sui generis composed by member states which

have transferred part of their sovereignty in certain policy areas. These member states have

harmonized laws on economic and political issues. The EU integration begun a er World War

II. It started by six Western European countries as founders, to promote development in peace,

security, and economic sector. The EU is considered a successful project and a cornerstone of

European democracy and integrity. On the other hand, the EU is facing political and economic

pressures, including slow growth and high unemployment, as well as the rise of populist

political parties, at least some of which harbor anti-EU or “euroskeptic” sentiments. Such

factors are complicating the EU’s ability to deal with a multitude of internal and external

challenges. Among the most prominent are the June 2016 vote in the United Kingdom (UK)

in favor of leaving the EU; the Greek debt crisis and lingering concerns about the eurozone;

the migration and refugee crisis; a resurgent Russia; and a heightened terrorism threat. This

paper aims to make a brief analysis of the most concerning challenges EU is currently facing.

Keywords: EU challenges, economic pressure, refugee crisis, Eurosceptic.

Introduction

Today’s European Union began as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951.

According to O’Sullivan, the community was an a empt to prevent a future war in

Europe because it meshed the national industries on which the machinery of war then

depended. Founded by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and

Luxembourg, the Community over the course of 50 years grew into the EU. Along

the way, the European Economic Community (EEC) was created in 1957 to integrate

the economies of the same six countries, expanding in 1973 to include the United

Kingdom (UK), Ireland and Denmark.1 The European Union is an organization sui

generis composed by member states which have transferred part of their sovereignty

in certain policy areas. These member states have harmonized laws on economic

and political issues. The EU integration begun a er World War II. It started by six

Western European countries as founders, to promote development in peace, security,

and economic sector. Currently, the EU has 28 member states which share a customs

union; a single market (where four freedoms: goods, services, people, and capital

move freely); common trade policy; agricultural policy; and euro as a common

currency. Euro is used by 19 member states which constitute the “eurozone”. Twenty-

two EU members participate in the Schengen area.

The EU is largely viewed as a success story and as a cornerstone of European stability

and prosperity. Currently, however, the EU faces a range of political and economic

1 http://web.international.ucla.edu/euro/article/164869, European and Russian Studies, Peggy

McInerny, Director of Communications.