‘PATENT FOR THE UNION’
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
The Union of countries is the only patent of European countries. The name ‘European Union’ appeared in the beginning of the 90s of the last century, when the Treaty from Maastricht, defining a cooperation among a dozen countries of our continent, was finalized. When nearly six years ago, the Lisbon Treaty was implemented, it gave the EU legal character. Political and economic cooperation of 28 European countries now, is still arriving. The formula is open. It has been observed by other countries of the world for years, which create the union together, or are thinking about joining it. In the 60s the Caribbean Association of Free Trade (CARIFTA) was established, which resulted in creating the international organization CARICOM. Formally, also the South-American Union (UNASUR) was established, comprising 12 countries of South America. In 2010 the Community of Latin America Countries and the Caribbean was established (CELAC) comprising 33 countries situated to the south of the USA. African countries are following this way. 26 of them create the Sphere of Free Trade, even intending to introduce the common African currency. It is years since the African Union (UA) has been functioning, and which established the Pan African Parliament. Countries located on the Pacific islands do not want to be worse. They have been organizing meetings with representatives of the European Commission, Council and MPs for the European Parliament for years, but also within delegation for the Common Parliamentary Meeting AKP-EU, that is, countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and the European Union. The common 29th inter-parliamentary session has just ended, which had been organized on Fidżi far away from Europe. Many countries, especially the African ones, hope for the Pan-Union cooperation. Similarly as Poles used to, they hope for EU grants and loans. This mechanism, called blending in English, has already been elaborated. We will finance it together. But will advantages be equal for everybody? The Union gives and demands. It demands respecting human rights, education for everybody, climate protection, acceptation of rights of sexual minorities which are unacceptable for many countries, but, first of all, which is not mentioned at all, opening markets. The European are particularly interested in the African market, not only in the trade aspect, but also in the aspect of using natural resources from there. However, first it is necessary to invest. According to estimations of the World Bank, the annual help to Africa in infrastructure should be 48 milliard dollars. It is really a lot. However, politicians and businessmen hope for high profits and not only the ones resulting from interesting exotic travels. Observing the situation closely, I do not perceive the EU policy of sentiments in this chapter, similarly as during the process of developing it by such countries as, for example, Poland.
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„Niedziela” 26/2015