The UKs Place In The World Flashcards
What is the European union
The EU was set up as an economic organisation has grown to have political, social and environmental links. Britain joined in 1973
What does the EU do
Promotes economic and social progress
Give European countries a voice on the international scene
Introduces EU citizenship
Develops an area of freedom, security and justice
Maintain and establishes EU regulations
How does the EU work
Through the: European commission Council of ministers European Parliament European Council Court of auditors European Court of Justice
What is the European commission
It’s proposes new regulations/laws/policy. These are discussed by the ministers and Parliament.
Takes care of Administration
What is the Council of ministers
Main decision making body
Made up of one minister from each member state
Discuses proposals from the European commission
What does the European Parliament do
Discuss proposals from the European commission
Enforce EU regulation
Can call for new policies and change existing ones
What is the European Council
The Prime Minister and President of each member states
Only meet twice a year
Provides leadership for new policy ideas
What does the Court of auditors do
Checks the EU money has been spent properly
What does the European Court of Justice do
Decides whether European regulations have been broken
People come there if they feel they’ve been treated unfairly
What are the trade benefits of being in the EU
All EU states belong to one economic market. This means a business in Britain can sell it’s goods without having to pay customs duty. Therefore Britain trades more products the EU countries than other parts of the world.
There is also lots of competition in the EU, which make prices lower
What is the euro
Is the name of the single currency used by group of countries in the EU. The euro was set up on January 1, 1999
Does Britain use the euro
No
What are the arguments for the euro
It makes money and trade more straightforward
Money doesn’t have to be converted - no bank charges for changing money
Ensures a business that there will be no change in price it receives for products sold in other EU countries
What are the arguments against the EU
It’s reduces the country’s control over its own economy
It takes away some of the country’s tradition
How does being in the EU affect the citizens
You get 4 special rights:
Freedom to move and live in any EU country
The right to vote and stand in EU Parliament elections
Where ever you are in the world any EU country will help you
If you feel an EU ruling isn’t fair, the right to appeal to an ombudsman
What is the Commonwealth
An association of 54 countries. Most of the countries are, or used to be, ruled by Britain e.g. Canada, Singapore, Jamaica
The total number of people in the Commonwealth is 1.7 billion - 30% of world population
All the countries have similar systems of law, education and public administration
What does the Commonwealth do
Advance democracy - help its members have fair elections.
Help sustainable development.
Help people to work so they can look after themselves
Hold programs which aim to look after the environment
Hold conferences to discuss major issues
Try to help themselves in many ways e.g. trying to overcome poverty and trying to train people for work
What is the United Nations
An international organisation which tries to encourage peace, cooperation and friendship between countries. It tries to solve international problems
How many countries are in the UN
189 including Britain
Can any country join the UN
Any country can apply to join. If a country wants to be a member of the UN, it must agree to follow the rules in the UN charter
What are the aims of the UN charter
To maintain international peace and security
To develop friendly relations among nations
To cooperate in solving international problems
To promote human rights
To be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations
Does the UN make world laws
No, as it is not a world governments. It tries to solve problems that occur between countries, and makes policies that affect all. All the member countries can vote on how to solve the problems.
What work does the UN do
Peacekeeping, refugees, development and trade, humanitarian action and human rights
What is peacekeeping through the UN
This is done through the UN Security Council. The Security Council…
Can investigate any international disputes
Can recommend ways of ending disputes/conflicts
Is responsible for sending in a peacekeeping forces
How does the UN work with refugees
The United Nations High Commission for refugees (UNHCR) helps refugees around the world. It’s helped refugees in Europe, after World War II, in Africa during the 1950s and Afghanistan in 2002.
How does the UN help development and trade
The UN tries to help developing countries grow and trade fairly with the rest of the world. It tries to help standards of living in all countries
How does the UN work with Humanitarian action and human rights
They help people who have difficulties. For example, it looks after child soldiers in Africa
What international organisations does Britain belong to
The European union (EU)
The Commonwealth of Nations
The United Nations (UN)
Why was the EU set up `
The EU was set up in 1945, after World War II. The countries of Europe wanted to make sure that war never happened again. By joining together more closely, war would be less likely.
What is an example of when the UN sent peacekeeping forces
The UN sent peacekeeping forces to Kosovo in 1999 where it dealt with law and order, health and education and ensuring the safe return of refugees to their home
Who is the UN Security Council made up of
Five permanent members, including Britain, and 15 non permanent members, who change every two years
How many people have the UNCHR helped
Over 50 million
What is customs duty
A tax on goods brought from other countries.
What are MEPs
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) each selected by each member state
There are 751 MEPs. The UK has 73 MEPs
