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.