EU Portal .net

How effective is the European Union?

I have a question that asks
“Evaluate the effectiveness of the EU?” and i dont know how to pull the answer together, i think it can be found on this page though, ( http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_4/index_en.htm ) but ive read it so many times, could anyone help me with this answer please

It’s quite obvious there’s no easy answer, the question is too complex or at least the subject is. In fact how can you answer it objectively?

The EU is a work in progress, a huge political project, controversial and opposed at every step by different groups for various reasons. There in lies the problem.

Lack of direction and power is the central issue for the EU. The individual nations are unwilling to surrender sovereignty and power to a “federal” government! And the people(s) are skeptical of any government!

Effectiveness can be measured in many ways, but what are your parameters? I would say the EU is very effective in creating and enforcing the laws it creates.

There’s a huge bureacracy with rather low efficiency considering the incredible number of levels of government, people, nations, groups and not least languages!

And politically it can certainly be described as ineffective because it is unable to form a consensus on most issues [due to it's lacking authority].

From agreeing on what stance to take at trade negotiations to what actions to take on foreign issues (see: Georgia/Russia and Israel/Palestine).

The EU is not only hindered by it’s size and structures but by it’s own members. The people of Ireland managed to stop the creation of a new Constitution, and without it the EU is on “hold”.

Cecilia Malmstrom answers questions in Strasbourg

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