With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting.
Find out what Europe does for you
in our 60 SECONDS podcasts.
As a citizen of Europe, you are naturally interested in what results the EU has delivered for you, your family, your business, and your well-being. This series of 60 SECONDS podcasts is designed to answer the question you probably asked: what has the EU done for me?
The EU doesn’t just debate public policy and decide laws in a vacuum, but actually listens to citizens, whether through open consultation, or through Members of the European Parliament representing their electorate, and delivers on its promises. These quick podcasts provide an outline of the issues that affect you, and the changes and innovations the EU has brought about.
In a post-crisis world, we are all conscious of threats to our well-being as EU citizens, whether to our livelihood, our security, or our rights. The EU stands firm to protect your rights and help your national government prevent discrimination against you on the grounds of your age, gender or ethnicity. The European Union’s fundamental values of respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law are not empty assurances, but are defended in ways that affect your life directly. Equality is important to all of us, and the EU fights on your side.
The EU provides a framework for national governments to raise the level of education and training for young people. Caring for the older generation is a growing concern, and here too, the European Union is active in helping national governments to care for older people, and protects the rights of people who are less mobile than others. Whatever your age, if you’re in poor health, the EU is probably funding research to help find a cure.
What you do, if you work either in or outside the home, contributes to the economic well-being of your community, your country and ultimately Europe, whether you’re a teacher, a small farmer, a freelancer or even a beekeeper. So, while you contribute to Europe, what does Europe do for you? Our short podcasts highlight European Union action to promote and encourage economic activity, to get you to and from work, and to ensure the quality of the goods you produce or buy, which circulate in the biggest market in the world. Consumer organisations and trade unions that protect your rights do so within a framework that’s built and maintained by the EU. When things go wrong, the EU is there to help too. If you lose your job due to globalisation, or if your region is hit by a natural disaster, the EU provides funding and programmes to help communities get back on track.
How you spend your time outside work, or indeed if you are not working, is also important to you. You may be a student, involved in a youth organisation, or help out at an NGO providing humanitarian care for the homeless. The European Union encourages and assists these activities. Whether you enjoy a weekend city trip, spend time on social media or playing video games, or are concerned about animal welfare; Europe acts to ensure that your rights are respected by airline operators, that your personal data is protected, and that your pets can travel with you. If you’re simply planning to cook a good meal this weekend, the EU has made laws that help make that food the best value for money, safer, and more varied. And if you want to hit the great outdoors, the EU is working on protecting the nature around us and the future health of the planet.
If you find these short podcasts interesting, or if you learned something new about what the EU does for you, why not share with your colleagues, your friends and your family?
