The European Union (EU) is a supranational and intergovernmental union of twenty-seven states in a category of its own. It was established in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (The Maastricht Treaty), and is the de facto successor to the six-member European Economic Community founded in 1957. Since then new accessions have raised its number of member states, and competences have expanded.The EU is one of the largest economic and political entities in the world, with a total population of 494 million and a combined nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of €11.6 (US$14.5) trillion in 2006.The Union is a single market with a common trade policy, a Common Agricultural/Fisheries Policy, and a Regional policy to assist underdeveloped regions. It introduced a single currency, the euro, adopted by 13 member states. The EU initiated a limited Common Foreign and Security Policy, and a limited Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters.Important EU institutions and bodies include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, and the European Parliament. Citizens of EU member states are also EU citizens: they directly elect the European Parliament, once every five years. They can live, travel, work, and invest in other member states (with some restrictions on new member states). Passport control and customs checks at most internal borders were abolished by the Schengen Agreement.

History

Robert Schuman

The EU has evolved from a Western European trade body into the supranational and intergovernmental body that it is today. After the Second World War, an impetus grew in Western Europe for institutional forms of cooperation (through social, political and economic integration) between states, driven by the determination to rebuild Europe and eliminate the possibility of another war between Germany and France. Eastern Europe, on the other hand, was largely within the Soviet sphere of influence, and only in the 1990s did the EU see central and Eastern European states as potential members.In 1946 Winston Churchill called for a "United States of Europe" (though without the inclusion of the UK). On 9 May 1950 the French foreign minister Robert Schuman presented Jean Monnet's proposal for the joint management of France's and West Germany's coal and steel industries. The proposal, known as the "Schuman Declaration", envisaged the scheme as "the first concrete step towards a European federation". It is considered to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union, and led to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community by West Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries. This was accomplished by the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1951.

The first full customs union - the European Economic Community - was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and implemented on 1st January 1958. This later changed to the European Community, which is now the "first pillar" of the European Union created by the Maastricht treaty.On 29 October 2004, EU member state heads of government and state signed the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. This was later ratified by 17 member states. However, in most cases ratification was based on parliamentary action, rather than popular vote, and the process faltered on 29 May 2005 when French voters rejected the constitution 55% to 45%. The French rejection was followed three days later by a Dutch one, in which 62% of voters rejected the constitution as well.

Member states

On 23 July 1952 six founding members formed the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was transformed into the European Community, later renamed the European Union, in waves of accession:

     Member states

Politics The presidency of the European Council is currently held by Germany (Angela Merkel, Chancellor).Supporters of the European Union argue that the growth of the EU has been a force for peace, democracy, and prosperity for its member states. However, others contend that peace in Europe since World War II is instead the product of other causes, such as the need for reconstruction after World War II, a collective temporary exhaustion with waging war, and the disparate reasons that caused dictatorships within Europe to end. Another factor is decolonisation, which removed a major source of conflict between European powers.The nature and future direction of the European Union itself is a key issue in European politics and a significant issue in the national politics of the member states. General issues include whether or not to belong to the EU, the impact of the EU on the member states, sovereignty issues, economic harmonisation issues, what the EU is becoming and should become (i.e. a single country in itself or a club of individual countries), the ultimate size of the Union, limits on new accession, the pace of new accessions, expansion in membership versus internal integration, a future as a political union versus a future as a free trade zone, the geographical limits of "Europe" for membership purposes, and the values and historical-cultural identity of the Union. Internal structure, procedures and policies are themselves subject to constant political debate. Specific issues at present include the status and future of the constitutional treaty; enlargement on the Balkans and Turkish accession; problems of financial probity and democratic accountability; relative economic viability; revision of the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact; and the Common Agricultural Policy.

The Financial Perspective for 2007–2013 was defined in 2005 when EU members agreed to fix the common budget to 1.045% of the European GDP. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to review the British rebate, negotiated by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Former French President Jacques Chirac declared this increase in the budget will permit Europe to "finance common policies" such as the Common Agricultural Policy or the Research and Technological Development Policy. France's demand to lower the VAT in catering was refused. Controversial issues during budget debates include the British rebate, France's benefits from the Common Agricultural Policy, Germany and the Netherlands' large contributions to the EU budget, reform of the European Regional Development Funds, and the question of whether the European Parliament should continue to meet both in Brussels and Strasbourg. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. The constitution was rejected by France and the Netherlands, where referenda were held causing other countries to postpone or halt their ratification procedures. The constitution now has an uncertain future. As of February 2007, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovenia and Spain have ratified the constitutional treaty. Finland, Germany and Slovakia have completed parliamentary procedures required for ratification. Spain and Luxembourg held referenda, thus in those member states the constitution was ratified by popular vote. The 'pillar' structure created by the Treaty of Maastricht moved the older policies and activities into the 'first pillar, labelled the 'European Communities'. The more controversial new policy areas - foreign policy, security and defence, asylum and immigration, and judicial co-operation - were moved into two new 'pillars'.

European Economic Community

A prominent policy goal of the European Union is the development and maintenance of an effective single market. Significant efforts have been made to create harmonised standards claimed by their proponents to bring economic benefits through creating larger, more efficient markets. Since the Treaty of Rome, policies have implemented free trade of goods and services among member states, and continue to do so. This policy goal was further extended to three of the four EFTA states by the European Economic Area, EEA. Common EU competition law restricts anti-competitive activities of companies (through antitrust law and merger control) and member states (through the State Aids regime). The EU promotes free movement of capital between member states (and other EEA states). The members have a common system of indirect taxation, the VAT, as well as common customs duties and excises on various products.

They have a Common Agricultural Policy (with the Common Fisheries Policy) and the structural and cohesion funds, which improve infrastructure and assist disadvantaged regions. Together they are known as the cohesion policies. The EU also has funds for emergency financial aid, for instance after natural disasters. The funding extends to programmes in candidate countries and other Eastern European countries, as well as aid to many developing countries, through programmes such as Phare, TACIS, ISPA. The EU also funds research and technological development, through four-year Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.In a more political sense, the EU attempts to create - with much controversy - a sense of European citizenship and European political life. That includes freedom for citizens of the EU to vote and to stand as candidates in local government and European Parliament elections in any member state. The European Parliament is now attempting to create pan-European political parties, and almost all members have joined at least a federation of national political parties.

Common Foreign & Security Policy

Defence and security are traditionally matters of national sovereignty. EU policies in this area were established as the second of the three pillars in the Maastricht treaty of 1992. The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP were further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. It superseded the European Political Cooperation. The CFSP acknowledges NATO being responsible for territorial defence of Europe and "peace-making". In 1999 the European Council took over responsibilities for the implementation of peace-keeping missions (EUFOR in Bosnia Herzegovina, Congo) and policing of treaties. The supervision is coordinated by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana.The European Security and defence Policy is an element of the CFSP and stipulated the framing for policies that could deal with humanitarian and rescue tasks, and tasks of combat forces. It includes the creation of a 60,000-member European Rapid Reaction Force for peacekeeping purposes, an EU military staff, a European Defence Agency and an EU satellite centre (for intelligence purposes).

Police and Judicial Co-operation

The third of the three pillars of the European Union is focusing on cooperation in criminal matters, including sharing of intelligence (through Europol and the Schengen Information System), agreement on common definition of criminal offences and expedited extradition procedures. It is the EU instrument of law enforcement and combating racism.It was created as the Justice and Home Affairs pillar in the Treaty of Maastricht; subsequently the Treaty of Amsterdam transferred the areas of illegal immigration, visas, asylum, and judicial co-operation to the integrated first (European Community) pillar. The term Justice and Home Affairs now covers these integrated fields as well as the intergovernmental third pillar.

Foreign relations

Policy is agreed on an inter-governmental basis however the general effect of the Union is also felt through Enlargement; the attraction of membership is taken as a major factor contributing to reform and stabilisation of the former Communist countries in Eastern Europe. The Union and its member states also contribute €43 billion in humanitarian aid; making it the largest humanitarian aid provider in the world. These factors influencing other countries are generally referred to as "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power".

The foreign relations of the European Union are primarily a domain of the member-states, although the Union as a whole is beginning to exercise some influence through its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). External representation is handled by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Commissioner for External Relations. The Commission is gaining greater representation in bodies such as the United Nations and G8.

On the world stage the Union is gaining greater influence and ability to speak as a bloc. All 27 member states are represented in the World Trade Organization (WTO) through its Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson. The latest WTO negotiation round has currently stalled, partly due to European refusal to curtail the agricultural subsidies unless other developed countries would also stop subsidising their agricultural producers.Europe has had a long history with the United States, being particularly close during the Cold War. The US initially supported the development of the European Community and contributed to the defence of the continent through NATO. However recently there has been friction between the United States and the modern European Union, for example over the Iraq war. Some individual member state governments have backed the USA over the war revealing weaknesses in forming a coherent foreign policy.

The European Union is more pro-expansion on small nation states such as Georgia and Moldova to join the EU rather than larger nations such as Russia or Turkey, this is because smaller nations can be developed much more quickly than larger ones. Turkey is an official candidate to join the European Union. Turkish European ambitions date back to the 1962 Ankara Agreements, and Turkey started preliminary membership negotiations on 3 October 2005. However, analysts believe 2015 is the earliest date the country can join the union because of the large number of economic and social reforms it has to complete, and because the 2007–13 budget does not take into account any of the considerable costs Turkey's accession will involve. Because of its occupation of 1/3 of Cyprus, as well as Turkey's geographic setting (only 3% of its territory lies within Europe), many argue that Turkey must not be accepted to the E.U. However, the Copenhagen criteria do not impose strict geographic conditions; EU member Cyprus is geographically an island in the Middle East. Lately, there have been reports on growing divisions between the EU and the Turkish government, including discontent on the Turkish side, which feels it is capitulating to EU demands without receiving anything in return for its efforts.

It all started with the six countries of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. Today there are 27 European Union member states. There have been six enlargements, with the largest occurring on 1st May 2004, when 10 states joined, and the most recent occurring on 1st January 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania joined. In order to join the European Union, a state needs to fulfil the economic and political conditionsgenerally known as the Copenhagen criteria (named after the Copenhagen summit held in

June 1993). These basically require a secular, democratic government, rule of law, and corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the EU Treaty, any enlargement must be agreed to by every current member state as well as the European Parliament.

Croatia is an official candidate country to join the EU and started accession negotiations in 2005. In June 2006, the EU officials projected that the accession of Croatia would likely happen in 2009. The closure of negotiations for all chapters of the acquis communautaire is expected towards the end of 2008, with the signing of the Accession treaty and membership occurring in January or May 2009.The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became an official candidate in December 2005.. Issues to be resolved include the controversy with Greece over use of the name Macedonia, and the country's poor relations with Bulgaria. Greece has clearly stated that it will veto the Republic's accession unless the name dispute is resolved.Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia are officially recognized as potential candidates. Norway and Switzerland, however, rejected applying for membership in separate referendums. Iceland is also touted as potential applicant but is opposed to the Common Fisheries Policy. These countries are sometimes said to be within the Euro sphere.

Treaty of Amsterdam

 The treaty of Amsterdam, signed 2 October 1997 and entered in vigour 1º May 1999, has modified and introduced a new numeration of treaty's UE and CE and brings in attached the versions consolidated of the same treaty's. The treaty of Amsterdam has modified the designation of articles of the treaty on the European Union, that they were indicated from capital letters give To S, having replaced it with a progressive numeration.

Action only European (AUE)

Action only European (AUE), signed to Lussemburgo and the Aia, entered in vigour 1º July 1987, has arranged the adaptations demands in order to complete the home market.

Treaty of fusion

The treaty of fusion, signed to Brussels the 8 you open them 1965 and entered in vigour 1º July 1967, it has instituted an only Commission and an only Council of then the three European Communities.

The economic and monetary Union and the euro

1° January 2002 the euro becomes legal tender for beyond 300 million European. Between the treaty of Maastricht that in February 1992 sanctions the principle of an European only currency and the breaking in circulation of the Euro coins and the banknotes of euro in twelve countries of the Union are passed alone ten years, a lasso of extraordinarily short time if it is considered that the operation does not have equal in the world-wide history. The euro it has replaced coins that have been for many of the interested countries symbols and centennial instruments of national sovereignty. The new one I coin has contributed remarkably to the process of economic unification of Europe and to the sense of belongings of the European citizens to an only identity. With the euro in pocket they can by now travel and acquire everywhere in the Union, without change problems.How is born the idea of an European only currency? Already in 1970 the relationship Werner, from the name of the first minister of Lussemburgo, proposed a convergence between the coins and the economies of Europe of the Six. A first step in such sense is only completed in March 1979 with the introduction of European Monetary System (SME). Objective of the SME was to try to contain the variations of change between the coins of the States members, being fixed they of the fluctuation margins that went from the 2,25 to 6%. The system was however mined from a series of crisis tied to the instability of the dollar and the weakness of some currencies, hit from speculators above all in the periods of great international tension.

In June 1989, to the European Council of Madrid the Commission presided from Jacques Delors introduces a plan and a calendar for the realisation of economic and monetary Union (UEM). The plan has been later on integrated in the signed treaty to Maastricht in the February 1992, than fixed one a series of criteria which the States will have to conform members in order to enter in the UEM. They are imprinted to the rigour of the economic discipline and budgetary: reduction of the inflation, the interest rates, public deficit (3% of the PIL), public debit (60% of the PIL) and stability of the changes.With of the attached protocols to the treaty, Denmark and United Kingdom are themselves classified the right to the third phase of the UEM (introduction of the euro) also answering to the prescribed criteria (clause of the opting-out). Denmark has moreover confirmed, with a referendum, the intention not to participate to the euro and also Sweden has manifested perplexity with regard to.

It was necessary to find the way to guaranty the stability of the new currency, since the inflation mine the competitiveness of the economy, the confidence of the consumers and reduces the purchasing power. For this reason it has been instituted a Central bank them European (BCE) with centre to Frankfurt, a status of total autonomy and the mission to act on the interest rates in order to maintain the value of the euro.

Gathered to Amsterdam in June 1997, the European Council has adopted two important resolutions:before, known as `Pact of stability and increase engages the States members to adhere itself to a discipline budgetary, exercising a mutual and multilateral control that includes the possibility of excessive deficits; the second one regards the economic increase and engages solemn the States members and continuous the Commission to make so that the occupation to occupy a place of prim' order between the political priorities of the Union. Within a third resolution on the coordination of the economic political, the European Council of Lussemburgo dl December 1997 decides that “the Ministers of the States participants to the area of the euro can gather in informal way in order to discuss on issues connected with the specific competences that share in matter of only currency”. Such important decision of the heads of State and government of the Fifteen opens therefore the way to a process of intensification of the ties between the countries that have adopted the euro, destined to extend the mere monetary union in order to invest also the political financial institutions, budgetary, social and fiscal. The progressive realisation of the UEM has facilitated the opening of the only market, consolidating it. In spite of not stable a world-wide situation (attempted much terrorist, crisis of the financial markets, war in Iraq), the zone euro has enjoyed the stability and the necessary forecasts to the investor and the consumers. The confidence of the European citizens in the euro has found confirmation in the good outcome, amazingly express, of the process of breaking in of the coins and banknotes in euro in the first half of 2002. The Europeans can today compare the prices from a country to the other, travel and acquire with great facility. The euro it has become the second world-wide currency for importance and was in order to become, like the dollar, a currency of reservoir and international payment. The rhythm of integration of the financial markets of the zone grows more and more euro, with consequent fusions not only between mediators of bag but also between stock markets.

7 February 1992: company of the treaty of Maastricht

January 1994: the European monetary Institute is born. With European monetary Institute (IME) they come introduced new procedures of control directed to promote the economic convergence.June 1997: the Pact of stability and increase.The European Council of Amsterdam adopts `the Pact of stability and increase and the new mechanism of change (SME II) that it connects to euro currencies of the States members not pertaining to the area of the euro. It comes also approved of the design of the metallic coins in euro. May 1998: eleven countries are characterised for the euro. From the 1° to 3 May 1998 the political leaders of the Union gather to Brussels in order to establish which countries introduce requirement in order to enter to make part of the zone euro and irrevocably fix the exchange rates between the coins participants. 1° January 1999: the euro is born. 1° January 1999 the only currency enters like currency of the 11 countries participants (Low Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lussemburgo, Countries, Portugal and Spain-- Greece adopts euro 1° January 2001) and the Central bank them European enters in the IME, assuming the responsibility of a monetary policy at this point defined and put into effect in euro. 4 January 1999 the operations of change in euro are inaugurated to the rate 1,18 dollars approximately. It begins therefore the period of transition that will last until 31 December 2001.  1° January 2002: introduction of coins and banknotes. 1° January 2002 the metallic banknotes and coins in euro enter in circulation. It begins a short period of double circulation during which they come progressively withdrawn the national banknotes and coins. From 28 February 2002 solos the euro have run legal.

The treaty on the European Union and the economic and monetary Union comes concluded to Maastricht in December 1991, signed in February 1992 and enters in vigour in November 1993. According to the new treaty, the national coins will yield the step to the only currency if they will rerun sure economic conditions. The more important of `the criteria of Maastricht' is the ability to support the public finance: the public deficit does not have to exceed 3% of Gross Domestic Product (PIL) and the public debit does not have to be advanced to 60% of the PIL. The other criteria in the long term preview the stability of the prices, the interest rates and the changes between currencies participants.

The CALENDAR Of the EURO

In 1999, 11 of then the 15 countries members of the European Union, making part of European Monetary System, has adopted an only currency: the euro. In 2001, with Greece, the Countries of the eurozona have become 12. The coins and banknotes called in euro have begun circular in 2002. In 2007, with the Slovenia, the Countries of the zone of the euro have become 13.

The NIZZA TREATY: its main objective is to predispose the communitarian institutions for the future increase of

the Union.Between the innovations:

New division of the number representatives of the States members, in the institutions and the communitarian

organs.Reduction of the cases in which the Council of Ministers it

must deliberate unanimously.Simplification of the procedures in order to realise a

“forced cooperation”.Widening of the competences of the President of the

Commission.

Thirteen States have introduced adhesion question.

1° the May is the fixed date for the adhesion of ten new States (Polonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lituania, Lettonia, Slovenia, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta).

All the countries candidates have not been thought ready for the income in the Union:

Rumania and Bulgaria: previewed for 2007

Turkey: not still fixed

• France

• Germany

• Italy

• Holland

• Belgium

• Lussemburgo

• United Kingdom

• Ireland

• Denmark

• Greece

• Spain

• Portugal

• Polonia

• Austria

• Sweden

• Finland

• R. Czech

• Hungary

• Slovakia

• Lituania

• Lettonia

• Slovenia

• Estonia

• Cyprus

• Malta

Albania (Tirana) Andorra (Andorra the Vella)

Armenia (Yerevan)Austria (Vienna)

Azerbaijan (Baku) Belgium (Brussels) Bielorussia (Minsk)

Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sarajevo) Bulgaria (Sofia) Cyprus (Nicosia)

Croatia (Zagabria) Denmark (Copenaghen)

Estonia (Tallinn) Finland (Helsinki)

France (Paris)Georgia (Tblisi)

Germany (Berlin)

Greece (Athena) Éire o Republic of Ireland (Dublin)

Island (Reykjavík) Italy (Roma)

Kazakistan (Astana) Lettonia (Riga)

Liechtenstein (Vaduz) Lituania (Vilnius)

Lussemburgo (Lussemburgo) Macedonia (Skopje) Malta (La Valletta)

Moldavia (Chişinău) Montenegro (Podgorica)

Norway (Oslo) Paesi Bassi (Amsterdam)

Polonia (Warsaw)

Portugal (Lisbona) Principato of Monaco

United Kingdom (London) Czech Republic (Praga)

Romania (Bucarest) Russia ( Mosca)

San Marino (Marino Saint city ) Serbia (Belgrade)

Slovakia (Bratislava) Slovenia (Lubiana)

Spain (Madrid) Sweden (Stockholm) Ucraina (Kiev o Kyiv) Hungary (Budapest)

Western Europe (in red on the map), includes Great Britain, Ireland, France and the Benelux (Belgium, Holland and Lussemburgo). In sure cases, it includes also the Germany, even if more is appropriated to consider it in Europe Centre them. In other cases, the concept of Western Europe refers to the entire western half of Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal, Andorra), the Italian peninsula (Italy, Saint Marino, Vatican City), the Nordic countries (Norway, the alpine Sweden, Finland, Island, Denmark), and countries (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia) and Monaco. Used in historical or political sense (referring to the divisions of the Cold War), the term can include also Greece and Turkey.

Europe Centres them (in blue on the map) is a used term less regarding Western Europe and Orients them, often, its nations are classified in one or the other category. Usually, referring to Europe they Centres, agrees the Group of Visegrad (Polonia, Czech Republic, the Alpine Slovakia, Hungary), and Countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Germany).

Europe Orients them (in orange on the map), is not a well defined concept, like for Western Europe. It includes the Community of the European Independent States (Bielorussia, Kazakistan, Moldavia, Russia, Ucraina), often the Baltic States (Estonia, Lettonia, Lituania), more very rarely the Polonia. Often it includes also the Caucasus, or the countries Transcaucasiani (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), although these can also be considered part of Asia. In a wider political economic context/, the Group of Visegrad (Polonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary), and the Balkans (Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonian, Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro could also be comprised). During the Cold War, the Communist Countries of the Soviet Block (the pertaining to the Warsaw Pact), were defined like " Europe Orients". Often the term but includes also countries not pertaining to the Soviet Block like Albania and the Former Yugoslavia.

A future for Europe

“Day will come in which (…) you all, nations of the continent, without to lose your peculiar qualities and your glorious individuality, will melt yourselves closely in a advanced unit and will constitute the European union (…). Day will come in which not there will be other battlefields to outside of the open markets to the commerce and of the spirits opened to the ideas. Day will come in which it projects them and the bombs will be replaced from the ballots (...).”It had to pass before beyond a century that the forecast of Victor Hugo, pronounced in 1849, from utopy became truth. Two world wars and other conflicts had to still cut with a scythe million screw in Europe and many times over it would have gone lost every hope. Today, to the dawn of XXI the century, the perspectives are more rose-colored but the difficulties and the challenges, also various remain.The increase of the Union to twenty-five States members has been come true within the expirations established from the European institutions, so that today, like a politician of the new States has said members, the history and European geography finally coincides. Between the 2007 and 2015 Union it will continue to extend but it will have also to establish, in agreement with the public opinion, its last, geographic, political and cultural frontiers.The European Union I found myself on a pact between sovereign nations, determined to share a same destiny and to renounce to part of their sovereignty for giving to their people that to which more they hold: the peace, the emergency, the democracy, the justice and the solidarity. This pact is strengthened and renewed on all the continent: half billion of men and women decides of living in the respect of the law and harmony with secular values that turn around to the man and its dignity.

The technological revolution is transforming the industrialised world and with it the life of the Europeans. New challenges are born whose dimensions exceed the traditional frontiers. Political nation neither that can manage alone, with effectiveness does not exist national, thematic like the development, the demographic tendencies, the economic increase and the social solidarity, ethics and the world-wide progress of sciences of the life. The pollution of the oceans for the shipwreck of the oil tankers, the risk of nuclear incidents as Chernobyl imposes measures of collective prevention to protection of the “European common good” and transmits it, integral, to the future generations.   The increased European Union is part of a fast world in and radical evolution, still in tries of new equilibriums. Null of that it happens on other continents them are stranger: religious cruelty in the world Muslim, epidemics and hunger in Africa, unilateralismo in America of the North, bankruptcy in Latin America, demographic and economic outbreak in Asia, total industrial delocalizzazione. Europe cannot be concentrated single on its development, must also be part of the globalization process. And although it can, to reason, virtue of its business policy is made them, is still to choral express and acquitting a credible role on the chessboards international.

The institutions of the UE have great merits but they must however be adapted in order to make forehead to the more and more numerous tasks of a Union in expansion. With increasing of the States members, it increases also the threat of the centrifugal forces and a implosion of the system. The perspectives to short of the single national interests cannot compromise the advanced interests, in the long term, of the Union. The protagonists of this adventure without previous have therefore the enormous continuous responsibility to act so that the institutional mechanism to work with effectiveness. Every important reform of it puts into effect them communitarian system must guaranty the respect of the cultural diversity and the language of Europe, its maximum wealth, and invest the decisional process. The systematic search will carry unavoidably to the paralysis, since will be given to only work to a political and legal system based on the ballot of majority and controls and equilibriums.

The plan of constitution for Europe proposes for the note a simplification of the treaty's and the greater transparency of the decisional system. The European citizen must know who ago what in Europe in order to feel itself been involved, to support European integration and to take part to the elections of the European Parliament. The text establishes with clarity the powers and the competences of the Union, the States members and the regional authorities and sanctions that European integration draws from the will of the citizens and the States of Europe to construct a common future, where the State remains the privileged and legitimate within in which its priorities are said.The constitution marks a new fundamental step of a process that has allowed to people and nations to join in order to act. It is not given to know but if it is the last one, the definitive step that exhausts the majestic plan of the founding fathers. The political structure of Europe will have to perhaps grow of new and still before that the destiny is completed some.