Ten challenges for the EU
The EU may have pulled through the crisis. Experts predict the eurozone economy will grow by around one percent. With the worst now over, the bloc has to deal with a series of challenges. Here's a look at 10 of them.
Under construction
The European Union is constantly changing. Construction sites are - by nature - noisy and create dirt, but most of all they bring work. The builder carries the financial responsibility, the construction workers carry out the requests and the bystanders have to live with it all.
Europeans have a choice
During the ongoing crisis, rejection and skepticism have been the common response to the EU. This will be felt at the European elections this weekend - nationalist and euro-skeptic parties are predicted to gain many seats. But EU parliamentarians from all over the spectrum have campaigned heavily, even in TV debates.
European surprise?
The euroskeptic parties have fought hard for every vote. Whether it's the British UKIP, the National Front in France or the Alternative for Germany, they are all calling for "less Europe." But that's where the similitarities end: Can they manage to form a stable, pan-European alliance?
Crisis management
Billions of euros in bailouts have stabilized the faltering eurozone. Through financial aid and radical reforms, Ireland, Spain and Portugal have managed to leave the euro rescue fund. For other countries, strict austerity measures and financial reforms are still to come. And France is facing a prolonged recession.
Miracle cure for the crisis?
Successful crisis management starts with identifying the root causes. Ailing banks should not drive entire states into economic ruin. And citizens should not have to bail out the banks with their tax money. The future banking union will allow the EU to intervene early and prevent important financial institutions from going bankrupt.
Prospects for job seekers
For the more than 26 million jobless in the EU, there could be improvement on the horizon. During the crisis, austerity plans and international monitors were criticized for not helping unemployed Europeans find work. Help from Brussels is now in sight: EU programs will assist young people in crisis-stricken countries find jobs.
More competitiveness
If the EU wants to hold its own with global competition, the bloc must strengthen its economy. To that effect, the Commission counts on an open domestic market and free trade agreements with third countries. At the same time, every member state must deal with its own problems to become more competitive.
Data protection 2.0
In April, the European Court of Justice declared invalid a directive that allowed EU phone companies and email providers to store telephone and Internet records for up to two years, saying the directive violated the respect for private life and protection of personal data. But as a consequence of the NSA spying affair, data protection remains a hot issue.
Migration policies
The EU's refugee and asylum policies are under fire, ever since an October 2013 accident that saw some 360 African migrants drown in the Mediterranean on their way to European shores. The bloc plans to improve cooperation with the countries of origin and transit states, and it is looking to procure more development aid and more efficient return policies.
EU integration
Over the past decade the EU has expanded to include 28 member states. And there is no end to applicants for accession. Just last year Croatia joined the EU. Serbia could be the next member. But as the bloc expands east, tensions rise with Russia - the best example being the current Ukraine crisis. And talks with Turkey show there may be an end to just how many countries the EU can integrate.