# European Union **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438 "2003-09-24T01:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ata66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@ata66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ata66)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/1 "2003-09-24T01:04:46Z")
besides making a currency for most of Europe, what else is the european union trying to accomplish or is dealing with? Also, what countries are avoiding the union and what are the reasons for it?t thanks ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/2 "2003-09-24T01:11:20Z")
It’s regulating every sodding thing, like the length of our sausages, the exact amount of yolk in our eggs, the particular shade of red on our tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/3 "2003-09-24T01:22:59Z")
The long term goal is to bring the European states into a single political and economic entity in order to increase their power on a global stage. It’s a long, complicated process that has been going on in one form or another since the end of WW2. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/4 "2003-09-24T01:25:21Z")
Heh heh, you said “length of our sausages.” ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/5 "2003-09-24T01:26:32Z")
That’s far too big a question to answer in such a limited format. For starters check out “The EU at a glance” at the EU’s official [web site](http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm#). Pay special attention to the links the page provides for the non-member nations for reasons why various countries are not members. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/6 "2003-09-24T01:28:33Z")
One of the most important elements of the EU was to element preferential trade restrictions between members. Specifically it was supposed to eliminate inequality in agricultural subsidies, support for quasi governmental corporations, etc. It was also supposed to limit specific government economic policies to keep the EU uniform. At the risk of sounding political, I would suggest that the agricultural subsidy issue has been a resounding failure as most of the subsidies have been retained, the economic controls have no teeth as France is in flagrant violation on it’s public debt level, and the ongoing bail out of Alsthom shows that it will be very difficult to persuade countries to not support important industries. I think essentially all eligible countries want to be in the EU but each has it’s own sore points that could cause a bit of pain. That’s why the currency and few other points are optional but others are mandatory. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-union/203438/7 "2003-09-24T01:30:17Z")
“…eliminate preferential trade restrictions…” Grrrr… Why can’t we edit our posts?