Germany and the European Union (EU)

Presented by:Brandon Brazeel

David CrispKarin MadridAshley Neff

German History

Often divided and occupied with ever changing territories

117 AD Germany split: Roman Empire and Germania Magna

Four large tribes Saxons, Bavarians, Swabians and Francnians

Tribes transformed from nomadic people to settlers building village and cities

German History

936 AD King Otto I to 1806 Franz IIKingdom of Germany, Italy and all Roman Catholics

First political union Multitude of sovereign kingdoms To coordinate defense against Hungarians

Federalist government competition lead to growing prosperity, immigration, cities

Milestones

15th century Marin Luther created modern German language and protestant church

18th century French Emperor Napoleon created map of 16 states

1870-1918 Kaiser Bismarck and Wilhelm 1918-1932 Republic 1932-1945 Hitler 1949-1990 West and East Germany

Cultural Differences

More diverse culture with a variety of dialects, foods, holiday traditions: e.g. Bavarian Oktoberfest vs. wine

festivals Vacation time:

U.S. students get 3 months and employees get 2 weeks

German students & employees get 6 weeks

Understanding the EU Europe, after World War II, was seeking a way to

escape nationalism Accomplished by integrating the European

countries First attempt to integrate Europe was the

European Coal and Steel Community Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg,

Netherlands and West Germany The European Economic Community (EEC) was

created in 1957 when these six countries signed the Treaties of Rome

Understanding the EU The European flag was created in 1986 The Maastricht Treaty was established in 1993.

Led to the creation of the European Union (EU). EU today

27 member states 500 million citizens Generates an estimates 30% share of the

nominal gross world product

Understanding the EU

Created a single market through a set of standardized laws which all member states must follow Allows the free movement of people, goods,

services and capital between the member states

Ensures common policies on trade 16 of member states have adopted a

common currency called the Euro

Understanding the EU

EU’s member states cover an area of 1,707,642 square miles

The EU has the second-longest coastline and the fifth-longest border in the world

The EU’s territories include climates from Arctic to tropical Majority of the population lives in areas with a

Mediterranean climate, a temperate climate or a warm climate.

Immigration Concerns Home to millions of “guest” workers who came in the

1970’s to work, but never became German citizens 1 in 5 Germans is a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant

Only France has more Muslims New immigration law passed in 2007 requiring

applicants to: Be able to speak and write German well Prove that they are employable Show that they have not used the German

welfare system

Immigration Concerns Allows fewer formalities and more options for a

highly-skilled, third-country national to enter Germany for work

Citizens of EU member states can usually live in and work in Germany without any regulations as to how long

The rise of terrorism has enhanced security measures allowing for prejudice acts :

Police inquiries, like asking for identification, for immigrants from Muslim and African countries

While it is a problem, it is also a necessity

Conducting Business Social market economy Economy is heavily export-oriented

Exports make up one-third of the nation’s output

Economic and commercial policies are being governed by the EU

Work week is Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Usually work an average of 37.5 hours per week Annual leave ranging between 20 and 30

working days (6 weeks)

Conducting Business Unions are large and have a lot of power Corporate taxes are charged in relation to their size and

nature Charged on the profits of the business Capital gains taxes charged on the transfer of

property Assessed income tax Local business tax

Good working conditions Highly educated workforce focuses on productivity

and efficiency Salaries quite high, relative to the rest of the EU

Language

95% of the population speak German as their first language

13.3% of all Europeans speak German European Commission recognizes three

working languages English German French Creates ease of trade within the EU

Internet & PC Usage

4th Worldwide in Internet & PC Usage 61% of population uses internet (51M) 63M personal computers in use 5.2% of world’s PCs

IT Landscape

Shortage of skilled IT workers Lagging in IT innovation Early Adopters of RFID in retail and

logistics

IT Outsourcing

43.4% of firms outsource some or all IT Compared with 77.1% in U.S. 32.6% outsourced entire IT function 44.2% outsourced data centers 25.6% outsourced network functions

German Companies

SAP (Systems, Applications, & Products in Data Processing Enterprise Software Applications Over 44,000 employees Annual revenues of $16.3 billion Customers in 120 countries

German Companies

Deutsche Telekom Telecommunications Services T-Mobile 260,000 employees Annual revenues of $61.7 billion

German Companies

Siemens Group Electronics and Electrical Engineering Smart Grids 430,000 employees Annual revenues of $111.7 billion