The EU grew out of economic and political necessity. Indeed, while still licking the wounds made by a half-century of intense warfare, six Western European nations put aside their differences to work toward safeguarding their own nations and their region against further bloodshed. At the same time, their numerous agreements and treaties over the past decades have encouraged economic growth in the region and made the EU an important international player. Though the EU has its critics like any other organization, its results of an economically prosperous Europe free of large scale warfare for over 60 years speak for themselves.