Europe and Europeans

Since the forming of the European Union has opened up the markets for all participating countries this includes travel services. Train travel prices have fallen and most notably air fares withing Europe. Having a central governing body has enabled better air traffic management and naturally more competition. There are more flights to more locations and Europeans can find flights that are almost free between some destinations. As a result of the European Union air travel has also become more safe as there are now central guidelines and regulations.

The European Union is also making great strides in making everyone of any sex, color, race or creed to be treated equally and fairly too. In the year 2000 new directives made it so that discrimination, harassment and victimization in employment and training on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation was outlawed and same with ethnic background or race. In 2006 a new Roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010 was started which is trying to make men and women equal in the workplace and private life. The EU is certainly setting trends for the masses in making Europe an equal place for one and all.

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.

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.