Ireland+-CS

 **Why was the European Union created? ** **· To provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples  ** **· To overcome the divisions on the continent ** **· To ensure that its people can live in safety ** **· To promote balanced economic and social development ** **· To meet the challenges of globalization and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe ** **· To uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development, a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy ** **<span style="color: #cc99ff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To keep peace between European nations ** **<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">Give a thorough history of the EU. ** **<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· In 1951, the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community was created between France, West Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, to pool the coal and steel resources of its member-states; this treaty was signed in Paris, France  ** **<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The "Treaty of Paris" entered in force by 1952

· In 1950, a man named Schuman presented the proposal of the creation of the European Union ** **<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· In 1973, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the European Union

· In 1981, Greece joined the European Union ** **<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· In 1990, West Germany and East Germany are reunited ** **<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden join the European Union ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">· In 1999, Euros become the European Union’s national currency ** **<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">What is the purpose of the EU? ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To direct and govern European countries  ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To promote peace and stability in Europe through discussion, rather than fighting ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To unite the countries of Europe ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· For the European nations to cooperate, economically ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To have a cooperation that would stop Germany from rising in anger, like they did in World War I and World War II ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To have a single government, a single bank, a single economy and a single currency (Euros) ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To facilitate economic trade ** **<span style="color: #00ccff; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· To stabilize the economic markets that were ravaged from years of extremist war policies ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">  **<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: red; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How does the EU benefit Europeans? **  ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It has a more prosperous economy (Since it’s made up of many countries)  ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It has a stable democratic government ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It provides free transfer of goods, and free transfer of capitol ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It gives its people the freedom to provide services ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It offers a lot to its citizens; job safety, good health, education and a higher quality of life ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· It’s ecology-friendly ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU provides easy traveling ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">** · The common currency, Euros, will be enforced ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #f524bf; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff00c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: fuchsia; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Is your country a member of the EU? **<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: black; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #f524bf; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff00c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Yes; the Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union.

** <span style="display: block; color: #f524bf; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff00c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="display: block; color: #ff00c6; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="display: block; color: #f524bf; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff00c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">The Irish Flag ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: lime; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If it is, how and when did it become a member? **   <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">** · Ireland joined the EU in 1973 (along with Denmark and the United Kingdom). **   <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: #ff9900; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What are the pros and cons of joining the EU for your country? **<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: black; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> **<span style="color: #ff9900; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Ireland was a poor country before it joined the EU; it had high unemployment rates, low levels of income (€38 a week), and high levels of emigration. But since joining the EU, Ireland has earned €17 billion in EU Structural Cohesion Funds support   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Ireland’s economic growth was the result of many factors:   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· billions of Euros of EU funding   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· a single European market, established between the EU members   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· the break up of national monopolies and their privatization   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· deregulation of the marketplace across Europe   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· the encouragement of free and fair competition between EU countries   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· unrestricted trade between EU member countries using common rules   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· a large and growing market of consumers as the EU enlarged and more countries joined   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· low corporate taxes introduced within Ireland (12.5%)   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· a stable Irish political system   ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· high levels of Foreign Direct Investment flowing into Ireland   ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">** <span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· But joining the EU, also meant that Ireland had to use Euros as their national currency  **<span style="font-weight: normal; color: black; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9400; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"> **<span style="display: block; color: #ff9f00; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">A Euro ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: #ffcc00; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How does the EU benefit your country, whether they are a member or not? **   ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU allows Ireland’s citizens to move, work and reside freely within the territory of other Member-states  ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· If Ireland’s economy begins to fail, the EU will provide funding, to help make the it strong again ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU has enabled Ireland to help shape the development of Europe, and to achieve high levels of economic and social development, which were unimaginable thirty years ago ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· In 2007, Irish became the 21st official and working language in the EU; Key EU legislation will now be translated into Irish, and Government Ministers will be able to speak in Irish at Council meetings. ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· By getting involved in the EU, Ireland can be assured that its views and interests will be reflected in the policies of the EU towards the rest of the world. ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU makes sure that Ireland is included in important council meetings, and elections  ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU allows Ireland to have access to a market made up of some 460 million people; the Single Market ** ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· The EU allows the free transfer of goods, and the free transfer of capital ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 26pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Resources **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Europa, Why The European Union?, 01-30-09, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_1/index_en.htm ** **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Europa, The History Of The European Union, 02-02-09, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://europa.eu/abc/history/index_en.htm ** **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· EU-OPLYSNING, What Is The Purpose Of The EU, 01-29-09, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/euo_en/spsv/all/1/ ** **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· Benefits Of Joining The EU, 02-03-09, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art60fr.htm ** **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">· NDP, Ireland And The EU Structural Funds, 01-27-09, <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://www.ndp.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/eu_structural_funds/overview/structural_funds.htm&mn=eusj&nID=3 ** **<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333399; line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">·The Picture of the Euro= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">http://www.curbside.on.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/euro.jpg **