European Union

Paper Masters believe in helping students be the best they can be. Our topic suggestions, like the one you see here on European Union, help point you in the right direction with your research paper. We suggest starting out your paper discussing the history of the EU member states as well as the economic benefits of the European Union.

When the Maastricht treaty was signed in 1991, there was great optimism about the potential of a European Union. Among its full member states were Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. These members established a single market in 1993, as well as a common currency and eventually a central bank.

The question is, will a truly integrated Europe one day emerge? The outcome depends, in large part, on the actions of France, Germany and Britain.

As recently as November 22, 2000, the member states of the European Union met to begin "first stage" discussions about the details of a unified defense and the economic considerations implied by this defense.

In light of history, the fact that such a meeting took place at all represents a significant achievement. As recently as 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed unlikely that political and economic cooperation between France, Germany and Britain would ever take place.

With more than a dozen new democracies throughout Eastern and Central Europe lining up to become members of the EU, it has become more challenging to create a plan for the future. France, Germany and Britain continue to bicker about how the various decision-making processes and national institutions should be adapted to include as many as 30 countries over the next decade. It is a daunting task.

In particular, the clashing visions between Paris and Berlin have created tension over how to best reform the EU before participating in continued expansion.