History and Trade Policy of European Union

This article provides a brief history of the European Union, from its formation in 1951 to the present day. It also discusses the trade policy of the EU, including its role in global trade and its approach to tariffs and trade agreements. The article concludes with recommendations for the EU in light of recent developments in international trade.

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HISTORY OF EUROPEAN EUNION
As we know over half a century ago, the European Union begun its journey through
various treaties and expansion. The original purpose of setting up the European Union is to end
the frequent wars and unite European countries by promoting economic, political, social and
military growth, which ended in the Second World War.
In 1951, the European coal and steel community (ECSC) was created by the treaty of
Paris with the intention of rising collaborations in Europe to assured long lasting peace. There
were six members of ECSC at that time including Netherlands, France, Belgium, Luxembourg,
West Germany and Italy. It longs back to 1957 where the European Economic Community
(EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) was established by the treaty
of Rome with the aim of creating a common market to ensure free movement of trade,
commerce, people and money. Followed by 1968, custom duties were detached for moving of
goods between EEC countries. They likewise joint the first policy based on food production and
trade to ensure that there is no shortage for foods between their countries. Besides the EEC,
EURATOM was created to indorse the peaceful use of nuclear power in Europe.
By the mid-60’s, the creation of The European Communities (EC) was an important stage
towards the EU, as the EC leaders believed that they could improve the communities by merging
all the three communities into one, headed by one council, assembly and commission. As the EC
continue growing, its leaders successfully on their establishment of single market as specified in
the Single European Act (SEA), since they seek to improve the free trade of goods and services
to help the EC to generate jobs and prosperity. These single market leads to better productivity,
rivalry and decrease in prices.

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May 1968 was famous for the student riots that happened in Paris and this made the many
changes in the general public and the society. This period after that came to be referred to like
’68.
The United Kingdom and Denmark joined the European Union in the year 1973 together
with Ireland hence making the member states to be nine. The 1973 energy crisis was caused by
the brutal Arab Israel war that happened in October 1973 (Pépin, 2014, p. 67).The war caused
economic problems in the European countries. The last dictatorial government was in Spain and
was headed by General Franco in the year 1975. The European Parliament amplified its effect in
the European Union matters in the year 1979 whereby it enabled all citizens to elect their leaders
directly. In the 1970s, there was an intensified fight against corruption. The EU adopted a policy
to protect the environment and introduced the system of ‘the polluter pays.’
Solidarność became the household names together with its chairman Lech Walesa
following the strikes of Gdansk shipyard in 1980. Greece became the 10th member of the EU in
1981while Spain, and Portugal later joined five years later (Vauchez, 2015, p. 23). The single
European act was signed in the year 1986. The treaty helped in the provision of a six-year
program which sorted out the problem of the free flow of free trade across the member states.
The Berlin barrier was heaved down in 1989, and this opened the border between East and West
Germany, and this led to the reunification of Germany in the year 1990.
Following the collapse of communication across Europe, Europeans were now closer
neighbors and in the year 1993; a single market was created. In that decade, two treaties were
also signed and these included ‘Maastricht’ Treaty and Amsterdam in 1999. In the year 1995, the
EU added three more members which included Sweden, Finland, and Australia. With the support
of EU, many students could learn outside their countries using the EU passport.

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As of late, the euro is a new currency for most of the European countries. During the decade of
2000-2009, many countries joined the European Union.11 September 2001 terror attack became
synonymous as New York was bombed. The EU countries vowed to work closer to fight
terrorism. The political war between West and East Europe was declared over, and then after that
many states continued to join the EU. There was the treaty of Lisbon that was ratified by all EU
member countries before the agreement entered into force in the year 2009 (Baldwin . &
Wyplosz, 2014, p. 168).
The decade that started in 2010 to date hit Europe very hard. The EU helps many
countries through the banking Union. The European Union was awarded the Nobel peace prize
in the year 2012. Climate change has still been very high, and hence leaders have agreed to
implement policies to reduce harmful emissions. The European elections were held in 2014, and
more Europeans were elected in the European parliament. Religious differences have come up in
the Middle East as of late, and the EU is faced with the problem of restoring peace in these
countries (Dinan, 2014, p. 147).
Trade policy
The EU is a traditions association, working a solitary, uniform exchange and duty approach. As a
major aspect of this, the European Commission speaks to the EU Member States at WTO
gatherings and in transactions for respective exchange bargains.
In spite of the fact that the rise of globalized creation binds has had a tendency to fortify
the case for multilateral exchange transactions, the moderately restricted advancement made as
of late in this area (the moderate advancement on the Doha Development Agenda) has driven the
EU to receive an even minded methodology. While proceeding to effectively partake in the

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WTO, the EU has additionally arranged various reciprocal tariff policy, which cover an
expansive scope of issues, including: exchange products and enterprises, licensed innovation,
speculation, government acquirement, access to vitality and crude materials, ecological security,
working conditions, or administrative collaboration.
Far reaching transactions have occurred, among others, with China, Japan, Singapore,
South Korea and the United States, with shifting degrees of progress; a Comprehensive
Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada was marked in October 2016. In
July 2017, the EU and Japan achieved an assertion on a fundamental level on the primary
components of an EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. This will be the most essential
respective tariff policy at any point closed by the EU.
Trade goods and services comprise crucial contribution in the increase in the sustainable
jobs and also the creation of jobs. At least 30,000 million works in the EU depends entirely on
exports that happen in the exterior of EU. The future global growth has shown that almost 90%
will take place outside the borders of Europe.EU will then need to prioritize trade in its agenda.
One of the exclusive competences of EU is trade policy. The EU legislates on the matters of
trade and also gives a conclusion on international trade agreements (Dinan, 2014, p. 145).
The EU takes a greater position in running the global trade when it acts together in a global stage
instead of separate strategies to trade. Trade agreements is one of the methods used by the EU to
manage trade with the third countries (Baldwin . & Wyplosz, 2014, p. 167).
The EU is a conventions affiliation, working alone, uniform trade and tariff policy. As a
noteworthy part of this, the European Commission addresses the EU Member States at WTO
social affairs and in exchanges for separate trade deals.

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Regardless of the way that the ascent of globalized creation ties has tended to strengthen
the case for multilateral tariff policy, the reasonably confined headway made starting late around
there (the direct progression on the Doha Development Agenda) has driven the EU to get an even
disapproved of system. While continuing to successfully share in the WTO, the EU has also
orchestrated different complementary tariff policy, which cover a sweeping extent of issues,
including: trade items and undertakings, authorized advancement, theory, government obtaining,
access to cooperativeness and unrefined materials, biological security, working conditions, or
managerial coordinated effort.
Expansive exchanges have happened, among others, with China, Japan, Singapore, South
Korea and the United States, with moving degrees of advancement; a Comprehensive Economic
and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada was set apart in October 2016. In July 2017,
the EU and Japan accomplished an assention on a key level on the essential segments of an EU-
Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. This will be the most fundamental particular tariff
policy anytime shut by the EU
Far reaching transactions have occurred, among others, with China, Japan, Singapore,
South Korea and the United States, with shifting degrees of progress; a Comprehensive
Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada was marked in October 2016. In
July 2017, the EU and Japan achieved an assertion on a fundamental level on the primary
components of an EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. This will be the most essential
respective exchange assertion at any point closed by the EU..
There was the abolition of tariffs on decades ago. However, many trade barriers still
remain and are called technical trade barriers which include health and safety among others.

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European economic integration was launched in 1960 aimed at abolishing the internal tariffs.in
the recent past, the EU introduced the European with a single currency called European currency.
These costs and technical vacancy us free.to be precise, there were many single markets that was
in its way of trade integration (Dinan, 2014, p. 146)
Recommendations
Following the proposal made by the USA president to take measures and exempt Canada
and Australia, there will be short-term benefits in the USA, but the economy will be armed in the
long run. It is advisable for the EU to make sure that it counters this move by agreeing with the
other member states to cut transactions with the countries exempted by the USA on tariffs. This
will make the USA change its stand on tariffs. There was the observation on the cost of market in
USA and results showed that the firms were suffering from barriers to trade. The costs that are
associated with the Euro and technical barriers are in the Euro area.
References
Baldwin ., R. E. & Wyplosz, C., 2014. The economics of European integration. Berkshire:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Dinan, D., 2014. Europe recast: a history of European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Pépin, L., 2014. The History of EU Cooperation in the Field of Education and Training: how
lifelong learning became a strategic objective.. European Journal of Education, 24(5), pp. 47-67.

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Vauchez, A. J., 2015. 'Integration-Through-Law': Contribution to a Socio-History of EU Political
Commonsense. Oxford: Oxford University press.