The Union has also been a bearer of prosperity, because it is an effective mechanism for lagging members to surmount long-standing barriers to development. Ireland and Greece, once the two poorest countries of Europe have surged economically, with Greece coming close to the European average and Ireland having already taken its place among the richest.
欧盟已经成为了繁荣富裕的传达者，因为它是帮助落后成员国克服发展过程中长期障碍的一个有效机制。爱尔兰和希腊，这两个曾经欧洲最为贫穷的国家，现在经济却已经急速增长。希腊已经接近于欧洲的平均水平，并且爱尔兰也已经在最富有国家中占有一席之地。