Europe: Economic Paradise Or Fortress?

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It's hard to believe that only 50 years ago, Europe lay in ruins, shattered by the most horrible war the world had ever seen. And yet, from the horrors of bloodshed, an era of peace and prosperity has dawned that the region has never before seen.

The rewards of this peace have been increased cooperation and unity, leading to unheralded economic prosperity. Today, the European Union is the world's largest trading entity, with more nations eager to join. And it is this trend toward increased integration that holds the promise not only of regional tranquillity in Europe but prosperity on a global scale — if Europe shows a willingness to cooperate with its global trading partners.

The process of European integration has been slow but steady. I often wonder what factors helped the Europeans overcome the legacies of a violent past. Are there some ingredients in this union that are peculiar to Europe? Perhaps the heritage of a Greco-Roman civilization, the common beliefs and the will to defend shared values, helped nurture and cement the pact.

Certainly during the Cold War, the common perception of a threat from communism united Western Europe. Now in the post-Cold War era, it is the motivation and the determination of Europe to defend its interests as an important actor on the international scene.

Perhaps, then, the success of the EU teaches us that no monumental achievement is possible without patience and perseverance. As Robert Schuman put it in 1950, "Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan." It has taken the EU almost 25 years to attain maturity.

This is no small achievement, considering the difficult road traversed.

Bottlenecks, prejudices, suspicions and national pride were obstacles in the path of unity. But they were obstacles that could be overcome.

Of particular interest to those of us outside Europe is the process of political integration and the development of a joint position on security issues. At this point, however, the region has yet to achieve a level of synchronization in foreign policy where the decisions on critical issues are taken with the swiftness that they merit.

One glaring example of European indecisiveness, for instance, is Bosnia-Herzegovina. Too many precious lives were lost and principles of international law sacrificed in the search for consensus.

A greater success has been Europe's economic integration. The EU's trade with Asia, for example, has received a tremendous boost. Between 1990 and 1994, European imports from the Asian trading bloc, ASEAN, rose by almost 80 percent. European imports from Asia between 1984 and 1994 increased 139 percent, while Asian imports of European goods rose by 110 percent during the same period.

The recent summit-level meetings attended by Japan, South Korea, China, the EU and ASEAN countries, was a good omen for Asia-Europe cooperation.

Despite the increase in trade, however, mutual suspicions still run deep in relations between European and developing countries.

Europeans tend to see developing economies as condoning human-rights abuses and environmental pollution to undercut competitors abroad. The developing countries, on the other hand, view the EU as a "fortress Europe." Some believe that the European Union's decision to invoke the "Social Clause" is merely protectionism cloaked in the attractive slogans of fighting drug trafficking, promoting good governance, preventing terrorism and nuclear proliferation, and protecting intellectual property rights.

In the case of Pakistan, the unfortunate murder of Igbal Masih last year prompted the European Parliament to pass a resolution on child labor. The resolution quoted an international agency's figures on child labor in Pakistan that were later denied by that very organization.

These are issues that need dialogue and discussion between Europe and the developing world, especially Asia.

The same patience and perseverance that went into building the European Union is needed now to build an understanding between Asia and Europe. I believe both continents are ready to make that commitment as we leave this century's troubled history behind and chart a course toward global prosperity.

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