Economic and Monetary Union of Europe

 The main reason for creating a European Market was the growing
international competitiveness. In the mid of the eighties the European countries
recognized that in the long run the national economies alone won't be able to
compete against countries like the US, Japan and the new industrial centers in
East Asia. The biggest advantage of the European integration is the unique
chance of causing significannot
 economic growth in the member countries by
abolishing all kinds of barriers e.g. customs controls, trade restrictions,
liberation of the movement of capital, tax harmonization, and by the opening of
the financial market, a common trade policy, a common service market, common
legal protection of companies and so on.

 The two countries who support the European integration most (at least
their governments) are Germany and France. One reason therefore might be that
both countries have a dramatic increase in unemployment rate within the past few
years. In Baden-Württemberg for example, the area where I am from, the
unemployment rate has gone up from about 4% in 1992 to around 9% nowadays. Most
likely Mr. Chirac's and Mr. Kohl's only solution concerning the unemployment is
a fully integrated economy which for sure would create new jobs in Europe.

        The German population, however, is scared that a United Europe would
create new jobs only in low wage countries like e.g. Portugal. Many think that a
European market with no barriers would would even cause "job hollowing out" of
Germany. Moreover the German population likes the strength of the D-Mark and is
worried that a single European c ...