Greece and the continued uncertain status of Cyprus remain major obstacles to
Turkish ascension. Another challenge lies in the realm of legal and social policy.
There is considerable variation across the EU countries regarding legal codes
and social standards, and it remains unclear how the organization will reconcile
these differences, or even if the establishment of a uniform legal code is desirable.
In some European countries, laws governing so-called “victimless crimes,” like
drug use and prostitution, are quite liberal even by Western standards. For exam-
ple, in the Netherlands and Germany prostitution is legal, and in a number of EU
countries the limited use of certain drugs for personal use is tolerated, if not tech-
nically legal. Yet in other EU members, such activities are illegal. Standards and
laws governing environmental degradation also vary widely in many cases. For
the time being, laws regulating these activities remain within the jurisdiction of
individual member states; but as integration proceeds, it may become necessary
to codify across the EU region laws dealing with social behavior.
Although the EU currently stands as the supreme example of a supranational
polity, it is quite possible that other organizations will attempt to replicate, to one
degree or another, many of the achievements of Europeans. The advantages of a
regional bloc of states all using a single, centrally backed currency have become
obvious with the advent of the euro, which now vies with the dollar as an
international currency. The newly formed Union of South American Nations
(UNASUR) clearly aspires to emulate many of the aspects of the EU, and although
a monetary union has not been explicitly articulated as a goal as of 2010, the
member states of UNASUR appear committed to dismantling many of the barriers
that impede the movement of people, goods, and capital across the South American
region. There is potential for several such organizations emerging, and political and
economic cooperation on the supranational level may be a trend of the future.Sustainable Development
A philosophy and set of behaviors that strive to find methods of maintaining cur-
rent quality of life while simultaneously minimizing the degradation of environ-
mental and social systems to perpetuate these systems for future generations.
The term “sustainable development” is sometimes generally associated with the
stewardship ofnatural resourcesand preservation of wildlife habitats. Certainly
wise and judicious use of energy and other products, and maintaining a balanced
approach to the exploitation of ecosystems, is one of the core goals of the philoso-
phy, but the concept is considerably broader than just these objectives and extends
beyond just environmental concerns. Indeed sustainable development is a holistic332 Sustainable Development