Europe and Europeans

Before the European Union there was varying levels of health care all over Europe. Rural areas had sub par medical care while other areas were treated to world class care. The EU has done what it can to ensure a certain level of care no matter where you travel in with in member countries. It has gone as far as the introduction of a EU wide medical card that will serve you in any hospital. In 2005 the EU opened a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control which deals with many of the many public health risks such as Asian Bird Flu and AIDS research. There also requirements for substance and alcohol rehabilitation to help those who need it. You can find Health Care videos on youtube.

One of the under rated benefits of being a EU citizen is knowing that all goods you consume are up to standard and if not you have a course of action to correct the wrong. The first industry to feel this effect is foods and restaurants industry. You can freely travel throughout Europe and take comfort that your food has been prepared to the same high standards of the rest of Europe. Food is just the tip of the iceberg in EU consumer protection with many laws that ensure you get what you pay for with a fair sales contract and a warranty or exchange period. Anything that can be done to protect the innocent from bad scams and shoddy businesses.

With all the standardization and singular currency the communications industry has been able to make deals and bring its service to more customers than ever before. With new opportunities at hand there is more competition which leads to lower rates for consumers. People in Europe are able to make cheaper phone calls within the EU for less than ever before and with better quality too. With the vast amount of call carrier options the quality of service has drastically improved in many nations just to retain their current user base. The EU is very active especially in the mobile market and is making sure all companies in the industry are up to standards and do not over charge their clients. Also don’t forget to download free ringtones which Europeans also love.

The European unity has done wonders for raising the standards of living in its members countries. With its singular currency and red tape cutting it has allowed some of the richer countries to invest in some of the poorer countries. It has also allowed those poorer nations to raise their GDP to what is called the EU Standards. On of the greatest success stories of the regional growth program is Ireland which has seen it go from below the average to one of Europe’s top producers. Each time a new nation is added to the EU there is a full analysis of the nations economy and citizen welfare. A stimulus package is prepared for that nation and careful plans are laid out to help the nation meet or exceed the EU Standards Average so that all of the European Union can experience a decent living standard.

We all know what happened in the second World War and Europe is determined not to let it happen again. By opening its borders and markets internally the EU has taken a big stride in keeping peace in the region. As each country focuses on economy and growth there becomes less and less threat of a full scale war in the region. The EU is now focusing on spreading that message of peace to the rest of the world. During a summit in 2003 the EU took a firm stance and joined the fight against terrorism stating that it is the number one threat against citizens of the European Union.

The European Union is doing all it can to protect your ideas, thoughts and discoveries. As our society becomes one of information technology and ways to share information grows there is more and more concern of information theft and piracy. Not only are movies and songs being stolen but ideas and thoughts too. To combat the possible threat the EU has passed the Directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights in 2004. Its responsibility is to protect your interests and makes sure that law breakers are properly investigated and punished. Information is more key today than ever and the EU is doing what it can to make sure that your ideas remain yours.

The original and still the driving force behind the whole European Union is the ideal of becoming one central market that allows for people, goods, services and capital to move around the EU without borders to restrict it. The philosophy is that the each person will be free to love as they chose and where they want to suit their needs and wants. It also allows for businesses to expand and innovate in new areas that would otherwise be shut off to them. It has been working quite well as companies are able to specialize in exactly what they do best and now have a bigger market for their goods and services.

With all of the European countries opening their borders to each other it has become harder and harder to keep their top minds in their own countries and the European Union. To combat this the EU has adopted a student exchange programme that allows students to experience new cultures and learn their respective fields in a new environment. Most of the efforts to share the knowledge are headed up by the ERASMUS programme which is actively promoting the freedom of exchange of the brightest minds in the EU. Currently there are 31 countries and over 2000 universities participating in the ERAMUS student exchange programme.