European union

DEVELOPMENT

1. THE EUROPEAN UNION (UE)

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the European Economic Community.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of lawswhich apply in all member states, ensuring the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. It maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development.

Sixteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro, constituting the Eurozone. The EU has developed a limited role in foreign policy, having representation at the WTO, G8, G20 and at the UN. Itenacts legislation in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport controls by the Schengen agreement between 22 EU and 3 non-EU states.

2. History

The 1957 Rome Treaty created the European Economic Community.
After the end of the Second World War, moves towards European integration were seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastatedthe continent.

The originators and supporters of the Community include Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, Paul Henri Spaak and Alcide de Gasperi. The founding members of the Community were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.

In 1957, these six countries signed the Treaties of Rome which extended the earlier cooperation within the European Coal and Steel Communityand created the European Economic Community, (EEC) establishing a customs union and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for cooperation in developing nuclear energy.

In 1967 the Merger Treaty created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities (EC), although commonly just as the European Community.[23]
In1973 the Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Greece joined in 1981, and Spain and Portugal in 1986.In 1985 the Schengen Agreement led the way toward the creation of open borders without passport controls between most member states and some non-member states.

In 1986 the European flag began to be used by the Community and the Single European Act was signed.In 1990, after the fall of the Iron Curtain (Berlin Wall), the former East Germany became part of the Community as part of a newly united Germany.

With enlargement toward Eastern and Central Europe on the agenda, the Copenhagen criteria for candidate members to join the European Union were agreed.

The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1November 1993,and in 1995 Austria, Sweden and Finland joined the newly established EU.

3. Member states

The European Union is composed of 27 sovereign Member States:

1.
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Cyprus
6. The Czech Republic
7. Denmark
8. Estonia
9. Finland
10. France
11.Germany
12. Greece
13. Hungary
14. Ireland
15. Italy
16. Latvia
17. Lithuania
18. Luxembourg
19. Malta
20. The Netherlands
21. Poland
22. Portugal
23. Romania
24. Slovakia
25. Slovenia
26. Spain
27. Sweden
28. The United Kingdom.

To join the EUa country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 Copenhagen European Council. These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country's fulfilment of the criteria is the responsibility of the...