ly 56% of East Germany's 16 million population was employed prior to reunification. East German government which employed 2.2 million has now been reduced to 1.2 million. Manufacturing employment dropped from 3.2 million to approximately between 800,000 and 1.4 million. These are grim statistics, however, this produces an opportunity to devise new methods of retraining and experiment with part-time employment projects. The second problem facing Germany is the enormous expense of upgrading the shabby infrastructure which is in the east. The infrastructure includes roads, railroads, telecommunications, public service, public educational systems and the postal service. This gives Germany the chance to integrate technology and new organizational systems which will bring the east to or even surpass existing standards located in the west. Thirdly, is the environmental problems which are located in the east after decades of neglect. The deplorable conditions of the east are going to prove to be quite a challenge both in practice and economically. East German officials disclosed that its industry has the highest sulphur dioxide per capita producer in the world, 5.2 million tons a year. There also exists over 15,000 identified toxic waste dumps. Approximately 70% of existing East German industry fails to meet the West German environmental laws. Despite the severity of these very expensive dilemmas, reunification needed to take place for the benefit both Germany and Europe. Now with the added 16 million people, the increase of physical size Germany, the situation in Eastern Europe and the existence of the European Union there has never been a better time for Europe. Possessing the resources, economies, population and production of practically the entire continent of Europe, the E.U. is in a very strong position globally. The European Union is the organization which has been absent in the past to act ...
