Uniting Europe: European Integration and the Post-cold War World

As the European Union (EU) introduces its new currency, the euro, it has embarked on an equally ambitious new venture: enlarging to include ten or more of the former communist countries of central and eastern Europe along with Cyprus and Malta. If enlargement proceeds as envisioned, the EU of the twenty-first century could have as many as thirty countries and a population nearly double that of the United States. In this timely and accessible text, John Van Oudenaren explores whether a political and economic union this large and diverse can hold together and whether it can accomplish the policy tasks that matter to its citizens: sustaining economic growth and reducing unemployment, raising living standards in poorer regions, preserving the environment, and coping with the problems of immigration and political instability on Europe s borders. To reach these goals, the author argues that the EU must build on its existing achievements the single market, the common currency, and common policies in many areas. At the same time, the union must reform its institutions and decision making processes and find ways to balance the needs of its member states and the competing demands of different interest groups. How the EU will evolve is still unclear; there is no precise blueprint for its future. But the historic attempt to unite Europe will have enormous implications not only for Europe itself, but for the United States as a key European ally, trading partner, and on occasion rival. By providing an overview of the Union s institutions, laws, and policies, Van Oudenaren provides a solid foundation for understanding its history and emergence as a global economic and political power.