European Union Policies

European Union Policies minor teaches you some issues about Europe and the evolution of the union. Since 1950s the impact of the European Policies in the daily life and companies is increasing. There are twenty seven Members States in the European Union and a few more want to join us.

The minor help me to understand the importance of Europe nowadays. Europe has an important role in the world, and with the new treaty, Lisbon Treaty, it will be a Union better represented in the world field. The minor has three pillars that consist of European law, where we learn some issues of the policies and in which way we can protect our rights and our business; the European economics teach us some skills about the European economy and how works the Single Market, and European communication, where we can learn debating skills and ethics to know how to be polite in a debate. We do English as well. We can improve our English skills by our self.

Homework, group projects and meetings took up the free time of the first weeks. Every week, we have to study the weekly task that helps us to understand some topics of the European Union. The tasks are about different aspects regarding the European Union, from the Union history to mergers between companies. In each task a student must be the chairman and another student must be the secretary. This help us to become more involved in the care of the classes and help us to be more self confident when we want to speak in public.

The minor offered us the opportunity to visit several institutions related to European Union. “ASIS goes Europe”. We went to Brussels and we visited the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission and the House of Dutch Provinces. In the Commission a man of the visitor department gave us a lecture about topics of the Union and the Lisbon Treaty; and another man gave us a lecture about Regional Policy. Also, we went to Strasburg and we visited the European Court of Human rights where we paid attention a session. After, we went to the Parliament and a Dutch Member of the Parliament gave us a lecture about the role of the institution where she is working. Moreover, we attended in a Plenary Meeting in the Parliament. Strasburg is a really nice city, with a lot of history, where German and French quarrel during few years. The day after, we moved to Luxembourg and we visited the European Investment Bank. The trip was very exciting. Now, I have a better view about Europe and the trip teach me to be more involved in the European cause.

After the trip we started the second period. During these weeks we are doing some topics like Free Movement of People, Mergers & Acquisition or Competency Policy. We did another midterm test about three task and Mergers. At the end of the course, we should do an oral exam about all the task, books, lectures, etc. Also, we should do an individual paper regarding one topic of the European Union. I will do it about Environmental Policy, concerning air pollution and climate change.

In conclusion, if you choose European Union Policies you will not loss your time and you will be able to be well prepared in law, economics, and ethics about Europe. You will be able to feel more European and you will see that Europe is one of the best places to live because every country tries to take care of the well fare system and to increase the conditions of the countries less development inside the Union. Europe is a big family, and I am proud to belong to Europe.

The Credit Crisis

The economic crisis is becoming a huge dimension, as always it affects the most vulnerable people. It is trigger was the subprime mortgages crisis. The development of events has shown that this situation has been due to the large amount of toxic financial packs with no real value, including those of prime mortgages. The contamination has spread throughout the world in a global market, where the system is less regulated. The financial crisis has moved into the real economy, which has some difficulties to get credit. As a result what first appeared to be liquidity problems has shown to be a problem of solvency.

Some economists had warned about the dangers of expanding property markets and the financial system and the speculative bubbles that were created in both markets. Also, it has studied the future of the capitalism.

Data from recent years has shown very high growth rates that did not reflect the reality, because it was a favoured growth of inequalities and annihilation the environment.

In Europe, the crisis is damaging the welfare state. Some countries, like Spain or Leetonia have increasing unemployment rates. This will be a bad situation for some social collectives. In Spain the unemployment is nearly 20 percent among the active population. There are nearly one hundred thousand families that all the members are unemployed and they are living with a low wage of the government.

In Spain, a lot of people bought houses to earn some money selling them in the future. The housing market was increasing its value and it was a good investment. But at the end most people had to rent the house or sell it for less money than they bought it.

The financial system has benefited over the years based on unorthodox practices that has predominated in enrichment quick and easy. But now, it is changing. New growth must be based on sustainable development, where the environment plays an important role, where energy and food must be well managed. We have to think of poverty in the country where we live, where social exclusion still exists, and also, we have to think of the poverty in the Third World, where many of them are hungry and sick.

Fortunately, in my case, the crisis has not affected me much, although I have many friends around me with several problems since they have lost their jobs or cannot sell the house that they bought.

In conclusion, this crisis cannot be resolved only with measures of economic policy, it is necessary to consider other ways to grow and consume. People have to take the initiative in their daily life with measures like recycling, managing the energy, and investing carefully. Then, maybe, we will be able to live in a better world without having to hear the word crisis in a lot of years.

"Thousands of people demonstrate in Madrid against the law of abortion"

The debate has started in Spain. The government of José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero changed the abortion law to increase the decision power for woman who to want to abort. The conservative are against this new bill, and they are doing some actions to call the attention of the government to retract about the new abortion law.

Tens of thousands of anti-abortion campaigners protested against the new abortion law last Saturday in a march on Madrid. It was supported by Spanish anti-abortion groups and by the top leaders of the opposition party (Popular Party), like the euro deputy Jaime Mayor Oreja or the ex president of Spain, José Maria Aznar. The march was organized under the slogan “Every Life Counts” (“Cada vida importa”). It was one of the largest demonstrations since José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is the President of Spain.

The march was organized by the Family Forum, a Roman Catholic coalition, and they invited all 48 million Spaniards.

Many banners were displayed to the Government, with pictures of the President Zapatero or the Vice President Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, in which you could read: “Resignation Zapatero”

The new law will permit woman to abort until the week fourteen and you only have to be sixteen to decide if you want to interrupt the pregnancy. This is the controversy, a minor, under-18s, will be able to decide by herself if she want to abort, and without parental consent.

The Popular Party has already announced that they will propose an amendment to the bill and they will go to the Constitutional Court when the bill would be approved. The Socialist Party (PSOE) already has support to reach the absolute majority is needed to take forward the bill. It has the ERC, BNG, IU, ICV and Nafarroa Bai, the Nationalist Parties. Some of them want to extend the period to interrupt the pregnancy, and other want to change the bill to permit the parents will be informed if their minors are who want to abort.

Every life counts, but every woman also counts. About hundred twenty-two thousand of women abort every year in Spain and about five thousand women abort illegally. Then, this bill will legalize a lot of practise that can damage the health of women.

The free abort stimulates the practice of abortion by specialized medical and paramedical staff, reducing further the need to resort to illegal abortion performed by unqualified personnel. Over more, the new law will protect the minors avoiding the birth of unwanted children. This creates conflict in the mother, the couple, the household and society. These conflicts become objectified in the economy, overpopulation, and the intimate and emotional aspect of single mothers and couples.

In conclusion, the new abortion law in Spain will respect women to be more freedom in their decisions and will increase the possibilities to exercise their ability to close decision, in my opinion; what is more, the law will protect more the health of women against the illegally practices.

Find the whole articles on the following websites:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Miles/personas/manifiestan/Madrid/Ley/aborto/elpepusoc/20091017elpepusoc_6/Tes
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/world/europe/18spain.html?_r=1&ref=europe

Sant Antoni de Portmany, Eivissa

The village of Sant Antoni de Portmany is located in Eivissa (Ibiza, Balearic Islands). I would like to invite you to Sant Antoni because is one of the best places in Europe for holidays. There you can go to different beaches, restaurants and pubs or discos, and enjoy the warm and sunny weather.

If you want to have a good night, I will tell you what you can do and I hope that you will accept it.

Firstly, around 8 p.m., we will go next to the Mediterranean sea to relax seeing the sunset and drinking some strawberry daiquiris, the best cocktail to start the night. After the sunset, we will walk by the seafront and we will go to the restaurant to take a dinner. We can choose between a lot of kind of restaurants, such as, Italian, English, Mexican, Indian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish, of course.

If we decide to go a Mexican restaurant, we will go to Rita’s Cantina. With nine Euros you can eat for first course: “quesadilla, nachos”, etc., and also you can eat the dish of the day: special meat from Mexico with rice or pasta and a spicy sauce. Delicious! But if you want to enjoy the food of the country, you have to eat “tapas” in a Spanish restaurant. The best restaurant is “El rincón de pepe” (Pepe’s corner). We will be able to start with some “chistorra”, spanish omelette, “chipirones”, cuttlefish and cured ham. After, we will be able to eat Paella, the typical dish of Spain. With 14 Euros you will be able to get your dinner.

Now, we have to start the party night. We should go to the West End. It is the place where are a lot of pubs. You will be able to choose between Ireland pubs, Hippies pubs, Spanish pubs, Heavy metal pub or Rock Pubs. It depends on the music that you prefer; moreover, if you like to sing we can go to Karaoke.

To complete the night, we will go to the best discos. If you like to get wet in the disco, we can go to “Es paradis terrenal” (Heaven on earth). This disco is very beautiful. You can feel like inside a paradise, predominating the white colours of the island, and the green of the all plants that are inside the disco. You will hear house and dance music while the water starts to fall over you. Finally, we will hear old music to finish one of the best night in your life.

Are you convinced?

THE BREAK-UP

In a game of baseball Gary (Vince Vaughn) is willing to link to the young and beautiful Brooke (Jennifer Aniston), an amateur who enjoys the game too. He succeeded and began a relationship in which they share a fabulous apartment in the city of Chicago.

But after 2 years of marriage, relationship is very difficult and after a small discuss that becomes a struggle beyond measure, and emotional demands of a couple in crisis, Brooke decides to break up her relationship with her boyfriend, Gary. She does not feel valued for the work done at home, and although she breaks the relationship, she tries to show him that he must change and value her in order to recover the relationship. But Gary is hurt, and through his friends and his brother, he tries to feel better with some new experiences, to forget that his wife has left him.

When he is not willing to leave the apartment they shared, the only solution is to continue living together as hostile roommates until one of the two sinks. They follow the wrong advices of family members and friends.

Gary is installed in the living-room of the apartment, where he makes strep-poker parties, plays the playstation, drinks beer and watches game summaries about baseball.

Brooke stays in the bedroom of the couple. She tries to make Gary jealous inviting handsome boys at home to go out for a drink or using weapons of naked women showing off at home.

When she is not getting the relationship back, she is disappointed in her room crying. Gary hears her and he decides to speak with her, then he realizes that she is right. Gary prepares a romantic dinner at the apartment, but Brooke comes with another boy, so Gary is shocked. The boy waits outside while they start to talk, but Brooke does not agree to have dinner with Gary.

One week later, the apartment is sold, they split the money and each of them decide to continue living separately. Gary will continue working as tourist guide, and Brooke will travel around the world, leaving for a season the gallery where she works.

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Hello! I'm Carlos.