The European and African unions are continental unions whose aim is to bring together countries in their continents so as to enhance development, economic integration, and political stability among many other objectives. The unions strive to unite sovereign countries which have different backgrounds in religion, politics, language and culture hence making it difficult to unite them. However, both unions have been able to make an impact and have been able to get members in their specific regions of operation. Their impact can now be felt globally and they are proving to provide substantial competition to the United States of America. The following essay will look at the challenges facing the unions, compare the unions then analyze their impact

The challenges facing the European Union are energy crisis, demography, globalization and climate change (Wuermeling 35). The ongoing oil crisis has posed a big challenge to the European Union whose members depend heavily on oil due to their high levels of industrialization. This is threatening the economic stability of the union because energy plays a big role on its economy. There is massive migration of people to the European Union member states which creates. This has led to a high population of foreigners in the member countries.

This is a threat to the future of the natives since the birth rate in Europe is among the lowest in the world hence leading to low populations. The low population has led to a crisis in labor since the industries are not able to get local labor hence creating opportunities for foreigners who stream into the continent. Climatic changes which are brought about mainly by environmental degradation by the industries in the member countries of European Union. Therefore the European Union is faced with the challenge of countering climatic changes. The other main challenge of the European Union is maintaining a stable economy on the region. Due to the harsh economic conditions on the globe, the EU is faced with the challenge of shielding its members

On the other hand, the African union has its share of challenges. One major challenge is maintaining peace and security in the continent (Mohammed 85). Civil war and violence affects some of the African countries to a large extent. Some of the wars have been there for a long time for example Sudan and Somalia. Bringing peace and mediating over the opposing sides hence becomes one of the major challenges of the African Union. Poverty affects the African continent to a large extent. Alleviating poverty therefore becomes a major challenge to the African union. hunger and drought are also major problems facing the people in Africa. The African union has the responsibility of reducing their extent and if possible eliminating these problems. Diseases pose another major challenge to the African union (Gawanas 105). The continent is affected by malaria, HIV/ AIDS, cholera and many other diseases which thrive in the climatic conditions of

Africa. Therefore, the AU is faced with the challenge of curbing the problem. Bad governance is a major problem facing many nations in Africa. This bad governance has given rise to corruption and mismanagement of resources which have submerged the continent into the problems it is facing today. The African Union therefore has a major role of ensuring that good governance

The unions have made an impact on the globe. Their activities have led to better trade relations between the member countries in the organizations. This has led to enhanced trade hence economic improvement in the respective countries due to increased revenue. The European Union has adopted the Euro; a common currency used in the member countries and has risen to the top currencies of the world threatening the dollar and the sterling pound. The

African union has been able to bring peace and security in conflict stricken countries in Africa. The AU has also been able to instigate good governance by monitoring elections and sanctioning countries with bad governance. The union has formed a military unit comprising of troops from member countries which maintain peace and order during the times of conflict.

Both organizations have opportunities to improve the lifestyle of their member countries. The African continent is endowed with many natural resources which have not been utilized or are being used by a few section of the society. If the African union is able to foresee the proper utilization of resources in their member countries by putting up policies and measures that ensure accountability and good governance, it will have achieved its other objectives in the process.

The African continent has a large population which is a ready market for goods and services produced and offered by African countries. By the African union installing good immigration and trade policies in the country, it can bring about a major economic development. On the other hand, the European Union members have been renowned for producing industrial products for example machines and cars. However, the countries are facing stiff competition from the Asian countries. This has led low production and stalling of some industries in Europe. Ensuring that the conducive environment for effective production in the member countries is available can bring about a great opportunity for Europe to redeem itself as the industrial continent.

In conclusion, the unions have played a big role in the political, economic and social spheres in their respective countries. They have not attained all their objectives but are striving to reach their goals. However, the EU has made more progress than the AU. This is because of the strict policies that the EU has laid down which they ensure that the member countries abide by. The AU should borrow a leaf from the EU and go forward to attaining its goals.