It began as a dream in the 1950s to dissuade European countries from ever again contemplating war against each other. The European Coal and Steel Community of 1952 grew into the European Economic Community and, after the Maastricht treaty of 1991, the European Union. Whatever the label, the vision has always been to create a single, borderless economic area with common standards and without barriers. Given the persistence of patriotism at the national rather than the European level, it is amazing how far the project has come. Most remarkable is the single currency, the euro, which since 2002 has al-lowedpeople to travel throughout 12 countries using the same notes and coins. For companies too-such as online shops, travel agents and mail-order firms-a big obstacle to operating in the euro zone was thus removed.
展开▼
