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John's page The European Union has several very important purposes and objectives that make it the key to Europe's recent success. Its first reason is to make a strong bond in all means of goverment, military, and economy between the many members as to cease the constant warfare between these countries. When it was originally created, it served as a way that these now weakend countries (since the results of World War II) could unite against the superpowers of the world. IN a very summerized view, the E.U. was created to better secure the nations that joined it, to create a stable, strong, and united goverment and economy. The E.U. benifits Europeans in several main ways. First of all it creates a secure enviroment for any citizen growing within one of the member's borders. Seacondly, it is a prospurous life with economic benifits for its citizens and provides them with the knowledge that peace and prosparity are the main goals for the EU. Thirdly, it allows the citizens to have a free market economey and a democratic goverment instead of communist. The euro is a currency found in 16 of the 27 countries in the European Union. It was first introduced to 12 of the member countries in 2002 and now currently in 2009 has 16. The purpose of the euro is to futher unite countries by giving them all the same currency, making trade and traveling between these countries easy and simple.
 * 1. Why was the European Uninon created?**
 * In between the years 1870 to 1945, France and Germany had fought eachother three times.
 * World War II set a perfect example of the severity and reality of what was happening to the whole of Europe, more conflicts like this could inflict hundreds of millions of casualties.
 * The move towards unity and intergration in Europe was seen as en escape route from the extreme forms of nationalisim taring appart the continent.
 * It was apparrent that Europe would have to create some sort of accomidation between France and Germany to cease the bloodshed.
 * Many European leaders concluded that the only way that the many neighboring (yet tense) countries could have lasting peace was by uniting them politically and economically.
 * The main reason, however, that the leaders thought of this was because of their obvious economic and military weakness after World War II.
 * The head leaders concluded that they must unite in order to not become vulnrable to the two world superpowers at the time, the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
 * The final and one of the most commonly thought of in the general population was the thought of a free and more prosperous continent in all means, goverment, economically, and military.
 * 2. Give a thourough history of the E.U.**
 * In 1946, Winston Churchill gave a speech at Zurich University, it was considered the first step towards a European Unity.
 * In 1950, French Foriegn Minister Jean Monnet proposed intergrating the steel and coal industries of what was then Western Europe.
 * As a result of Monnet's idea, in 1951, the ECSC or the European Coal and Steel Community was set up with six members, Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands, all decisions about the coal and steel industries in these countries where made by a "High Authority", Jean Monnet was its first president.
 * The community bacame so successful that in 1957, the six countries decided to combine other parts of their economies, these where the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community, in addition, the founding countries started removing trade barriers between their countries creating a common market.
 * In 1967, the three communities, the ECSC, the EURATOM, and the EEC making a single Commision, a single council of ministers, and the European parliment.
 * Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, in 1973, resulting in nine members of the unity.
 * In 1979, the first direct elections where held, allowing citizens of the member countries to vote for the canidate of their choice.
 * During the 1980's, Greece, Portugal, and Spain joined the union.
 * In 1992, more co-operation between the countries in a inter-govermental operation created what is now know as the European Union.
 * In 1995 Austria, Sweden, and Findland joined the newly formed E.U.
 * The Euro became the national currency in 12 of the member countries in 2002.
 * The E.U. saw its biggest enlargement today when in 2004 Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary joined the Union.
 * Currnetly 16 countries use the euro as their national currency.
 * 3.What is the purpose of the E.U?**
 * 4. How does the Eropean Union benifit Europeans?**
 * 5 . ** **What is the Euro and what was its history and purpose?**

Links: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ee.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union http://www.historiasiglo20.org/europe/anteceden2.htm http://www.delchn.ec.europa.eu/eugu_basi1_hist1.htm http://europa.eu/abc/history/index_en.htm http://www.oilempire.us/graphics/Euro_banknotes.jpg