Advantages and Disadvantages of the European Union

European countries have come together to form the EU or European Union. It is a political and economic partnership between 27 countries in the continent where certain decisions are negotiated through intergovernmental and supranational independent organizations/institutions. And this formed partnership is very important for universal coexistence. If you are interested in this topic, or if you want to consider factors that are not listed in the article, you can go to essayelites.com for a more detailed analysis of the topic.

The Advantages

As a member of the EU, you will be able to enjoy the following advantages:

1. Low prices of goods – there exists a ‘Single Market’ for all member countries wherein products are low-priced and there are no charges when it comes to custom tax; custom tax is usually charged when goods are transported or sold between states/countries but this is not applied among member countries
2. Citizens are free to move from one member country to another – citizens can freely travel, study, work, or live in any European country of their choice
3. More jobs are generated – more or less than 3.5 million jobs have been generated over the years
4. Development of deprived regions – some member countries of the EU are economically deprived and through the ‘European Structural Funds’, deprived regions are developed
5. Louder voice – the EU is able to ensure that all their concerns are taken seriously and heard internationally since it speaks in behalf of millions of people
6. Workers are protected – this is made possible through the European Working Time Directive; the directive includes regulations regarding holidays, working hours, breaks, etc.

Member countries of the EU are entitled to these benefits and it can be said that it is truly an advantage to be included in the European Union.

The Disadvantages

If there are benefits to being a member of the EU, there are also disadvantages, and it includes the following:

1. It is costly to be a member of the EU – different sources claim that the cost per head ranges from £300 to £873
2. Not all policies are efficient – a good example is that of the Common Agricultural Policy which resulted to oversupply and higher prices of goods
3. The ‘single currency’ poses a great problem – not all member countries are using the Euro though the EU emphasized its use; still, many problems have risen over the years
4. Overcrowding – it was mentioned earlier that the citizens of member countries are free to move from one place to another; this has led to overcrowding in the major cities of UK and it has increased prices of houses, as well as congestion on the roads

If you try to weigh things, the advantages truly exceed that of the disadvantages. Over the years, member countries of the EU have helped one another which led to great improvements economically, politically, and socially. The people have been united, and their voices are heard effectively on the international level.

Despite the potential disadvantages of being an EU member, more citizens are able to benefit. All it takes is proper management and handling of problems and the union will surely be able to maintain peace, order, and prosperity among member nations. There will always be challenges on the way, but with unity, these things can be conquered.