Nobel Peace Prize Goes to European Union!
October 12, 2012
The European Union (EU), an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries, won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. In a decision that aroused some criticism, the Nobel Committee praised what it said was the EU’s “most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights.” The committee noted that “The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest.” But, the award announcement said, “The stabilizing part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.” The EU also won praise for its efforts to maintain economic and political stability in former Communist countries in eastern Europe after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1989.
A conservative British politician and party leader in the European Parliament was quoted by Reuters news agency as calling the decision “out of touch.” “The Nobel committee is a little late for an April fool’s joke,” he said. A Russian human rights activist called the decision “laughable.”
The European Union (EU), which promotes economic and political cooperation among its members, consists of 27 members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (World Book map)
The EU was formally created in the early 1990′s. Greater cooperation between the Eurpean states began after World War II (1939-1945) with trade agreements. Over time, expanded cooperation on economic issues led to the creation of the European Community (EC). In 1993, the EC members extended their cooperation into the areas of law enforcement and military and foreign policy. In 1999, 11 EU nations adopted a common currency, the euro. The euro is currently used by 17 of the 27 European Union member nations.
Additional World Book articles:
- Monnet, Jean
- Schuman, Robert
- Europe (1950) (a Back in Time article)
- Europe (1953) (a Back in Time article)
- European Union: The Euro (a Special Report)
- Crisis in the Eurozone (a Special Report)
