[MUSIC] One of the aims of this course is to debunk some common myths and provide some useful information so that you can understand why the European Union matters. Let's go together through some of these myths. For example, it is often said that the EU tends to overregulate, adopting useless standards. Thus, you may wonder why the EU has regulated banana's shape. Let's take a quiz together. To facilitate trade, to protect European citizens' health, to protect its own industry of bananas, or because the European citizens tend to dislike bendy bananas. The EU's step in that particular field, not because it loves regulation, but because international trade needs standards. A commission regulation aimed, therefore, at establishing some commercial standards for international trade purposes, like quality and size. Before that, individual government had their own standards and it was very difficult for bananas to cross European borders. Moreover, the European standards have been drafted following extensive consultations with the relevant industry. As epitomized by the banana myth, what you hear about Europe is generally confusing and often wrong. Here comes another example of a European myth. It is often said that the European Union is too costly and overstaffed, but the truth is that the city of Paris employs more than double of the European Commission staff. As you can see in this image, there are 500 million inhabitants in Europe, and only 23,000 staff working for the European Commission, as compared to the city of Paris, which, in turn, employs 50,000 civil servants that take care of a bit more than 2 million citizens. You must also know that the EU budget is 1% of the European gross domestic product, whereas the total member states budget accounts for, on average, 45% of the European Union GDP. Another particular hard-to-fight myth is the one which says, that Europe is ruled by unelected bureaucrats, and citizens would not have a say whatsoever. This is simply not true. The truth is that decisions are adopted by elected representatives accountable to citizens. As we will see together, the European Commission proposes law that are then examined by the European Parliament and the national government sitting in the council, where they are amended until everyone is happy with them. Only after this process is completed, these propositions are turned into laws. Therefore, the governments and the European members of the parliament elected by the people have a say at every single stage of the legislative process, including those who are skeptical, very skeptical, about the European union. Finally, I often heard that the EU project is perceived as elitist. Being under the control of those moral groups of people, who, by virtue of their wealth and education, and often both of them, enjoy a disproportionate level of influence in their society. The truth is that the EU is not more elitist than any national system, and its own elitism derives rather from the nation state than by the European Union itself. If you want to know more about the Euro Myths, you can Google these words. Let's now take a quiz together. Which of the following statements is true? The European Union may intervene in any policy area, most decisions are made by the European Commission, the European Parliament rarely influences decisions, or none of the above. And the answer is none of the above.