The minor European Union Polices

When I started the minor. It was very interesting for me. Because I had totally different educational background. In this minor most of the students are from the same line of study either from international businesses study or from business related courses. So it was for me like a new world to discover. In the beginning it seemed to me very fascinating . Especially the first four weeks. We received all sorts of information about, how the hole system of the European Union and the system of governance worked. Also how the European union legislations are made. We had lectures in economy in order to help us to understand the economical issues related to the European union integration policies.

The diversity in the study EUP, make it to me very interesting. The EUP course consist mostly of group meeting, lectures from many visitors and projects. In the project we have to work in group to achieve certain task, that is given to us be our tutor Mr. Joost Frencken. Every group’ tutor has a meeting every week with group. Most of the tasks are related to the topic or the subject of the week. Like decision making, European regional projects, EU subsidies and the problem of public procurement. During this project, we get many lectures and training sessions from visitors. Most of the invited visitor lecturers are working in EU. They are directly involved with the topics of our project.

During EUP course we have to take a few exams. Two multiple choice midterm exams. One of them is the progress test. We take it in the middle of the first period of our course. It count for 10 percent of the total degree of the minor. The other one is the TG participation test. It is at the middle of the second period and count for 15 percent of the total degree. TG is obliges in order to be able to participate in the Oral exam.

In the end of the first period. We have to do the written exam. This exam covers all the topics that we had investigated during the first period. It counts for about 25 percent. In the end of the minor course, we have to take an oral exam, that counts for the biggest part of the minor EUP grad. It count almost 50 percent of the total grad of the EUP minor.

The grades are divided by 25 percent for midterm exams, 25 percent written exam and 50 percent oral exam. For the tasks that have been executed during the minor course. They are given a separate grad. They are divided between group projects 60 percents and the paper topic that is individually executed as homework about 40 percent of the total grad.

One week before the first midterm exam. Our tutor Mr Frencken posted to us an old midterm exam as an example to help us to prepare for the actual exam. This exam cover the material we had in the first four weeks of the minor. These subjects are European decision making process, European regional polices, EU subsidies and the problem of public procurement and convergence and divergence, also we had some subject from the European law book “Unlocking EU law” like subsidiary principle and antidiscrimination law cases. But the midterm exam we did, was not exactly the same as the example posted to us on blackboard. It was supposed to be multiple choice. But surprisingly half the exam came an open questions.

Two weeks later we had a written exam. We had a very short time to prepare for it. We have been informed by our teacher Mr. Franken. That it will be an open questions exam, and it will be mostly from, what we had received during the lessons. We studied the subjects and the questions that had been handled during these lessons. We focused on the notes, that we made during the lessons. But unfortunately nearly all the questions came more generally. It was more like a shock to me as like other student. Very few student past the exam. Most students had very low grads.

In the beginning of the second period. We had focused on different type of topics. Which are more related to finance like mergers and acquisitions, hostile take-overs. We handled different cases related to this subject. It was very difficult subject to me. Because I had no background information about it. I had to struggle and worked very hard in order to stay at the same level as my colleagues. With all the effort I spend on this subjects. I managed to stay at the same level as my colleagues. The last exam I had. It was the TG participation test. The questions of this test were multiple choices most of these questions were focused on the mergers cases between large cooperation’s in the EU. and the legal aspects about it.

The last exam that we still has to take before the end of this minor. Is the oral exam for all the information had given to us in the minor course. It will be an interview for a half an hour. The questions that will be asked in this interview, is mostly about the paper topic subjects. That we have wrote during the minor.

My opinion about the minor. The minor is very interesting for me. Especially I come form a totally different study field, in which I have to sit the whole time with the computer, trying to programme a level-less conveyers or factory machines and my teachers has just to give me a tasks without asking me about my own opinion, with this minor I can discuss everything. I have done with my colleagues and my teachers. Also I have all the time direct interact with them.

The Nabucco pipeline

For my paper topic subject. I choose to write about the Nabucco pipeline because of it’s important to Europe. The mean reason for it is Europe want to diversifying the current natural gas suppliers and delivery routes for Europe. As we all know that Russia is the biggest gas supplier to Europe about more than of 40 percent of European natural gas consumption, comes form Russia. After the last problem between Russia and the Ukraine. It became very clear to Europe. That they are too much dependent on Russia. Therefore it is very important to diversify it’s gas supply.

To do that first, it needs to make another pipeline route to another world natural gas suppliers. Here it will comes clear the important of a project like the Nabucco pipelines to Europe. The Nabucco pipeline stretches from Erzurum in Turkey via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to Baumgarten an der March in Austria. It will cover a distance of over 3,300 kilometers long. And in turkey it will be connected with the Tabriz–Erzurum pipeline and with the South Caucasus Pipeline, connecting Nabucco Pipeline with the planned Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline. This pipelines will have to be laid 46 kilometers in Austria, 390 kilometers in Hungary, 460 kilometers in Romania, 400 kilometers in Bulgaria and 2,000 kilometers throw Turkey. It could be connected to other major pipelines with its suppliers.

In the nearby future there is a plan to connect the Nabucco pipeline with the Persian- Arab golf-region through Iraq into turkey. As we all know with the increase on energy demand these days, gas en oil is running out, with no good alternative. Then the countries, which are consider a major suppliers of gas en oil. They will be in a shortage to cover all the demand for oil. The scare of dramatic effect of the oil shortage. Push many countries in the world to fight and struggle to ensure their energy supply for the future. The present map of the biggest gas and oil (G&O) suppliers will change in the future. For example the biggest gas and oil supplier in the world like Saudi Arabia will run out of reserve oil and it will draw in the next decades. It is estimated that their oil and gas field will run out in year 2025, nearly the same applies for other bigger O&G suppliers like Russia, Iran and the gulf of Mexico. While the other O&G reserves are discovered in other part of the world like Iraq, Sudan, Algeria and black sea. Its estimated that a country like Iraq will produce at least about 6 million barrels and 18 million cubic meter of natural gas a year.

2012

Last time that I went to the cinema, to see the film 2012। This film is directed by Roland Emmerich। The film stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Amanda Peet। The film starts with an Indian geologist and during his work. He notices a hug changes in the temperature of the core of the earth. Therefore, he contacts an American geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Who has a close working’s relationship to the white house. After a further research, he discovers. That this heating up is caused by a bombardment of the earth surface by a solar flare. This will be a cause for a major disasters.

He informs the white house about this. The American president decide to inform the world leaders to take an action. They decide to build up a special ships secretly in China. It is made to survive this disaster. These ships can only carry a limited amount of people, so they are mostly a politicians and very rich people (important people).

The main hero of the film (John Cusack) is a unsuccessful writer. Who works as a care driver for a very rich Russian business man. He went with his children to on a vacation a nearby mountain camping area. There he meet an hippy activist. Who knows about the plan and have a map for the ship’s place. After this trip, while he escort the children of the rich Russian business man to a nearby airport. He hears from them. They are going to a ship and that everybody else will die. At the same time there is a shock of a heavy Earthquake. He run to save his ex-wife and children. He went through a dangerous adventures. While he was trying to save his children. It end with them on the board of one of the surviving ships. Finally after the disaster past. The new face of the earth appears and the survivors decided to rebuild human civilization.
My own opinion about the film. I think the film’s writer wants mostly to point out. What could happen if such a disaster occurs and how governments will react to it. But most issue concerns normal people like us. What is the criteria, the government is going to use in order to select people intended to let them survive.