ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AT THE END

Despite its relative success in building a common market for European goods, services, and capital, the EU faces many difficult challenges in the coming years. Concerns include the growing bureaucracy necessary to govern the EU, divergence on foreign policy with some states taking a more pro-U.S. approach to international affairs, and increasing cultural and social diversity. Many of the challenges confronting the EU are economic. The financial meltdown in some member states and its effect across the continent is only one of many challenges confronting the EU. These concerns also raise the issue of the extent to which the interests of citizens of member states are best served by the present state of integration and possible closer integration in the future. Citizens of wealthier states have justifiable concerns about subsidizing poorer states and the fact that these wealthier states receive less money from the EU than they contribute. Smaller states worry that they will be overpowered in the EU's institutions by larger, more populous states. Less developed states may also be concerned about dominance of important areas such as media and technological innovation by more developed states such as France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. States with liberal social policies may be concerned that such policies will come under attack by states with more conservative social views. Conversely, more conservative states may be concerned that socially liberal policies will be imposed on them. Citizens of all member states worry about the surrender of sovereignty to "Eurocrats" in Brussels and resultant loss of concern about local issues. In particular, the EU has been criticized in the past for a "democratic deficit." This deficit arises from the fact that the EU's institutions (other than the Parliament) are not directly elected by European citizens. Furthermore, the operations of these institutions are so complex as to be inaccessible to ordinary citizens. The Treaty of Lisbon was, in part, an effort to address these concerns primarily through the expansion of the role of the Parliament in the BU's governance structure. Utilitarianism focuses on whether a given action adds to the overall utility of the community. Ethical conduct is that which is likely to produce the greatest overall good not just for the decider but for all persons who will be affected by the decision. Based on the above-referenced concerns, is the current state of integration in Europe consistent with principles of utilitarianism? Is greater integration, which may occur in the future, consistent with the greatest overall good of European citizens? Is the success of greater economic integration an adequate measure of the utilitarian nature of the EU? Who should determine the course of future integration in the EU-its citizens or the institutions? What local concerns and individual well being of European citizens are sacrificed as a result of the current state of integration? What local concerns and individual well being of European citizens will be sacrificed as a result of greater future integration? Are such individual and national sacrifices worth the price of greater European prosperity and global influence? Why or why not