European Union1 European flag Image File history File links European_flag. ... European flag, ratio 2:3 Proportions of the European flag The European flag consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. ... Motto: In varietate concordia (Latin: Unity in diversity) Anthem: Ode to Joy (orchestral) Capital Brussels Parliament Strasbourg (official seat), Brussels (executive), Luxembourg City (administrative) Official languages2 Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish Working languages2 English, French, German Government supranational confederation Executive - European Council - Council of the EU - Commission (Presidencies) Wolfgang Schüssel Austria José Manuel Durão Barroso Legislature - Council of the EU - EU Parliament (Presidencies) Austria Josep Borrell Fontelles Judiciary - Court of Justice - CFI (Presidencies) Vassilios Skouris Bo Vesterdorf Formation As EEC  - Signed  - Enforced As EU  - Signed  - Enforced The Council of Europe (COE) has developed a series of European symbols for the continent of Europe, and these have since been shared with the European Union (EU). ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... To Joy (An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy rather than To Joy) is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet and historian Friedrich Schiller, and known especially for its musical setting by Beethoven in the fourth and final movement of... World map indicating EU countries. ... Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium, the French community of Belgium, the Flemish community and of the European Union. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Alsace Département Bas-Rhin (67) Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Area 78. ... Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium, the French community of Belgium, the Flemish community and of the European Union. ... The Old town, seen from the ground Luxembourg City, population 82,268 (2002), is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in a country, state, or other territory. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A working language is a language that is given a unique legal status in a company, society, state or other organization as its primal mean of communication. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in international organizations, where power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of the member states. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... Wolfgang Schüssel Wolfgang Schüssel (born on June 7, 1945 in Vienna, Austria) is a Christian Democratic Austrian politician. ... This article needs to be updated. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... Josep Borrell Fontelles (born April 24, 1947 in La Pobla de Segur), is a Spanish Member of the European Parliament. ... The judiciary, also referred to as the judicature, consists of the system of courts of law for the administration of justice and to its principals, the justices, judges and magistrates among other types of adjudicators. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ... The Court of First Instance, created in 1988, is a court of the European Union. ... Possible meanings: Energy Efficiency Centre Energy Efficiency in Construction Engineering Education Centre Eurocontrol Experimental Centre European Economic Community, former name of the now-called European Community European Egg Consortium Extended Error Correction, see RAM parity This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational... Sign can denote any of the following: Within a writing system, a sign is a basic unit. ... Coming into force refers to the date on which a legislation, or part of legislation, becomes a law or reglament. ... Treaty of Rome  - 25 March 1957  - 1 January 1958 Maastricht Treaty  - 7 February 1992  - 1 November 1993 The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony Signatures in the Treaty The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993, under the Delors Commission. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Cite error 4; Invalid call; no input specified 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Area  - Total Ranked 7th3 3,976,372 km² Population  - Total (2005)  - Density Ranked 3rd3 459,500,000 115.6 people/km² GDP (2005)  - Total (PPP)  - Per capita (PPP) Ranked 1st3 $12,329,110 $26,900 Currencies Euro (EUR or €)4 Other currencies: British pound (GBP or £), Cyprus pound (CYP or C£), Czech koruna (CZK or Kč), Danish krone (DKK or kr), Estonian kroon (EEK or kr), Hungarian forint (HUF or Ft), Latvian lat (LVL or Ls), Lithuanian litas (LTL or Lt), Maltese lira (MTL or Lm), Polish złoty (PLN or zł), Slovak koruna (SKK or Sk), Slovene tolar (SIT), Swedish krona (SEK or kr)-1... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different surface areas, here is a list of areas between 1 million km² and 10 million km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, estimated for the year 2005. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... These are two lists of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... The euro (symbol: €; banking code: EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, collectively known as the Eurozone. ... ISO 4217 is an international standard describing three letter codes to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... For details of notes and coins, see British coinage and British banknotes. ... The Cyprus Pound, also known unofficially as the Cyprus Lira (from Greek Λίρα, pl. ... The Koruna (English translation Crown) is the currency used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. ... The Danish krone is the currency used in Denmark and the Danish dependency of Greenland. ... The Kroon is the official currency of Estonia. ... The Forint, or HUF (Hungarian forint) is the official currency of Hungary. ... The lat (in Latvian: lats, plural lati, the ISO 4217 currency code: LVL) is the official currency of Latvia. ... The Litas (LTL or Lt, Lithuanian plural form Litai) is the official currency of Lithuania. ... The Maltese lira, known in the Maltese language as the Lira Maltija, is the currency of Malta. ... ZÅ‚oty (literally meaning golden, plural: zÅ‚ote or zÅ‚otych, depending on the number) is the Polish currency unit. ... This article deals with the currency of modern Slovakia. ... The tolar has been the currency of Slovenia since October 1991. ... This article is about the Swedish unit of currency. ... Time zone UTC 0 to +25 Internet TLD .eu Calling codes All current members have calling codes begin with +3 or +46 Note 1: See other official names Note 2: See Languages of the European Union; member states may have other official languages Note 3: if counted as a single unit Note 4: Used by Eurozone members and EU institutions Note 5: +1 to +3 during DST; French overseas départements, UTC -4 to +4 Note 6: Earlier plans for a EU-wide +3 prefix have been abandoned. The European Telephony Numbering Space, +388 3 is somewhat similar Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time or Z, is an atomic realization of Universal Time (UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name; that is, the letters which follow the final dot of any URL. For example, in the domain name wikipedia. ... // At a glance In depth Zone 1 – North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ... This is a list of the names of the European Union in its 21 official languages: Evropská unie (Czech) Den Europæiske Union (Danish) Europese Unie (Dutch) European Union (English) Euroopa Liit (Estonian) Euroopan unioni (Finnish) Union Européenne (French) Europäische Union (German) Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση (Eurōpaïké ÉnōsÄ“; Greek... The languages of the European Union are languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. ... The Euro area (also called Euro zone or Eurosystem) is the subset of European Union member states which have adopted the euro, creating a currency union. ... Daylight saving time (also called DST) is the North American term for a system intended to save daylight (the British observe summer time, and likewise the Europeans). ... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ... In the interest in forming a trans-Europe numbering plan as an option (or future movement) for anyone needing multi-national European telephone presence, the ITU allocated country calling code +388 as a subdivided, catch-all container for such services. ... edit

The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. Two new member states will join in 2007 - Romania and Bulgaria. The European Union was established under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). However, many aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor relationships, dating back to 1951. Intergovernmentalism is a theory of decision-making in international organizations, where power is possessed by the member-states and decisions are made by unanimity. ... Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in international organizations, where power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of the member states. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... EU member states and candidates in 2004 There have been 25 European Union member states since 10 states joined on 1 May 2004. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993, under the Delors Commission. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from health and economic policy to foreign affairs and defence. However, the extent of its powers differs greatly between areas. Depending on the area in question, the EU may therefore resemble: Economics (from the Greek οίκος [oikos], house, and νομος [nomos], rule, hence household management) is a social science that studies the production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services. ... Foreign Affairs is an American journal of international relations. ... The words defense or defence can refer to any of the following: For defense of a doctoral dissertation see thesis committee For the military term see defense (military) Civil defense measures and emergency preparedness In politics, defense may be a euphemism for war For legal defense see defense (legal) For...

• a federation (for example, on monetary affairs, agricultural, trade and environmental policy, economic and social policy)
• a confederation (for example, on home affairs)
• an international organisation (for example, in foreign affairs)

A key activity of the EU is the establishment and administration of a common single market, consisting of a customs union, a single currency (adopted by 12 of the 25 member states), a Common Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, and a Common Fisheries Policy. A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... An international organization (also called intergovernmental organization) is an organization of international scope or character. ... A single market, also referred to as a Common Market, is a customs union with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of all the factors of production (goods, services, capital and labour). ... A customs union is a free trade area with a Common External Tariff. ... The euro (symbol: €; banking code: EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, collectively known as the Eurozone. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ... The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the fisheries policy of the European Union. ...

The most important EU institutions are the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ...

Status

The members of the European Union have transferred to it considerable sovereignty, more than that of any other non-sovereign regional organisation. As has been mentioned, in certain areas the EU begins to take on the character of a federation or confederation. However, in legal terms, member states remain the masters of the Treaties, which means that the Union does not have the power to transfer additional powers from states onto itself without their agreement through further international treaties. Further, in many areas member states have given up relatively little national sovereignty, particularly in key areas of national interest such as foreign relations and defence. This unique structure means the European Union is perhaps best seen as a sui generis entity. Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people or oneself. ... For the political science journal, see: International Organization An international organization (also called intergovernmental organization) is an organization of international scope or character. ... A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... Pronunciation SOO-eye jen-ER-ihs Sui generis is a (post) Latin expression, literally meaning of its own kind/genus or unique in its characteristics. ...

On 29 October 2004, European heads of government and state signed the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. This has been ratified by 13 member states and is currently awaiting ratification by the other states. However, this process faltered on May 29, 2005 when the majority of French voters rejected the constitution in a referendum by 54.7%. The French rejection was followed three days later by a Dutch one on June 1 when in the Netherlands 61.6% of voters refused the constitution as well. October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 63 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Hancocks signature is one of the most prominent on the United States Declaration of Independence. ... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... On 29 May 2005 a referendum was held in France to decide whether the country should ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ...

The current and future status of the European Union therefore continues to be subject of political controversy, with widely differing views both within and between member states. For example, in the United Kingdom one poll suggested that around 50% of the population are indifferent to the European Union. However, other countries are more in favour of European integration — soon after the Netherlands and the French voted "no" on the constitution, the tiny principality of Luxembourg voted "yes."

Current issues

Major issues currently facing the European Union cover its membership, structure, procedures and policies; they include the adoption, abandonment or adjustment of the new constitutional treaty, the Union's enlargement to the south and east (see below), resolving the Union's problematic fiscal and democratic accountability, revision of the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact, and the future budget and the Common Agricultural Policy. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... The term democratic deficit is usually used to refer to organizations which are democratic to some extent, but are not as democratic as they could be. ... The Stability and Growth Pact is an agreement by European Union member states related to their conduct of fiscal policy, to facilitate and maintain Economic and Monetary Union. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ...

At the December 2005 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which is a semi-annual meeting of EU member states' heads of state and government, EU member states decided on how it should allocate the EU budget for the next seven years (2007-2013). Also, the "Financial Perspective" was defined as EU members agreed to fix the common budget to 1.045% of the European GDP. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to review the British rebate, negotiated by Margaret Thatcher in 1984, despite a promise to the contrary made to the UK Parliament. French President Jacques Chirac declared that this increase in budget will permit Europe to "finance common policies" such as the Common Agricultural Policy or the Research and Technological Development Policy. However, France's demand to lower the VAT in catering was refused. December 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → 31 December 2005 (Saturday) 25-year-old Scottish human rights worker Kate Burton and her parents are freed unharmed in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian gunmen who kidnapped them two days earlier. ... An Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) is the formal procedure for negotiating amendments to the founding treaties of the European Union. ... The financial perspective (sometimes financial framework) of the European Union is a seven-year framework for its spending. ... The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ... The UK rebate is a rebate on the UKs contribution to the EU budget paid back to the UK government by the European Union. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... â–¶ (help· info), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ... The European Research Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) is the current (2002-2006) European Union (EU) Framework Programme set up for funding European research and technological development. ... Value added tax (VAT) is a sales tax levied on the sale of goods and services. ...

Issues controversial during upcoming budget debates were the British rebate, France's benefits from the Common Agricultural Policy, Germany and the Netherlands' large contributions to the EU budget, and reform of the European Regional Development Funds. Many commentators have envisaged these debates to yield a major split between governments such as France and Germany, who call for a broader budget and a more federal union, and governments such as that of the UK, who demand a slimmer budget with more funding transferred to science and research (and whose watchword is modernisation). The UK rebate is a rebate on the UKs contribution to the EU budget paid back to the UK government by the European Union. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ... European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Scope As part of its task to promote regional development, the ERDF contributes towards financing the following measures: Productive investment to create and safeguard sustainable jobs; Investment in infrastructure which contributes, in regions covered by Objective 1, to development, structural adjustment and creation and maintenance... Modernization is the process of changing the conditions of a society, an organisation or another group of people in ways that change the privileges of that group according to modern technology or modern knowledge. ...

Origins and history

Signing ceremony of the Treaty of Rome, 1957

Main articles: History of the European Union, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]

Attempts to unite the disparate nations of Europe precede the modern nation states; they have occurred repeatedly throughout the history of Europe. Three thousand years ago, Europe was dominated by the Celts, and then conquered and ruled by the Mediterranean centred Roman Empire. These early unions were created by force. The Frankish empire of Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire united large areas under a loose administration for hundreds of years. More recently the 1800s customs union under Napoleon and the 1940s conquests of Germany had only transitory existence. Download high resolution version (2693x1748, 1095 KB)TreatyRomesigning This material is offered free of charge for EU-related information and education purposes. ... Download high resolution version (2693x1748, 1095 KB)TreatyRomesigning This material is offered free of charge for EU-related information and education purposes. ... This is the history of the European Union. ... A nation-state is a specific form of state (a political entity), which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation (a cultural entity), and which derives its legitimacy from that function. ... This article is about the European people. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine... The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations. ... Charlemagne (742 or 747–28 January 814) (also Charles the Great; from Latin, Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus) was the king of the Franks from 768 to 814 and king of the Lombards from 774 to 781. ... The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (German: Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation ▶(?), Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicae, see names and designations of the empire) was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ... A customs union is a free trade area with a Common External Tariff. ... Napoleon I of France, by Jacques-Louis David Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, and the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804, then as Emperor of the...

Given Europe's collections of languages and cultures, these attempts usually involved military subjugation of unwilling nations, leading to instability, others have lasted thousands of years and large spells of peace and economical and technological progress as in the Roman Empire's Pax Romana. One of the first proposals for peaceful unification through cooperation and equality of membership was made by the pacifist Victor Hugo in 1851. Following the catastrophes of the First World War and the Second World War, the impetus for the founding of (what was later to become) the European Union greatly increased, driven by the determination to rebuild Europe and to eliminate the possibility of another war. This sentiment eventually led to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community by (West) Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries. This was accomplished by the Treaty of Paris, signed in April, 1951, and taking effect in July, 1952. Occupation may refer to: the principal activity (job or calling) that earns money for a person (see profession, business) the periods of time following a nations territory invasion by controlling enemy troops (see belligerent occupation) any activity that occupies an important portion of a persons attention (see fan... Pax Romana, Latin for the Roman peace, is the long period of relative peace experienced by states within the Roman Empire. ... Pacifism is opposition to war. ... Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) is recognized as one of the most influential French Romantic writers of the 19th century. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Entente Powers Central Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties > 5 million military deaths > 3 million military deaths World War I, also known as the First World War and (before 1939) the Great War, the War of the Nations and the War to End All Wars, was a... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as... Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states, thus preventing another European war. ... Benelux Benelux Benelux is the region of Europe comprising Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. ... The Treaty of Paris, signed on April 18, 1951 between Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which subsequently became part of the European Union. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a [[leap year starting on Tueday] (link will take you to calendar). ...

The first full customs union was originally known as the European Economic Community (informally called the Common Market in the UK), established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and implemented on 1 January 1958. This later changed to the European Community which is now the "first pillar" of the European Union. The EU has evolved from a trade body into an economic and political partnership. For more details, please see History of the European Union. As president of the Convention on the Future of Europe, the former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing proposed to change the name of the European Union to United Europe but it was not adopted. The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony Signatures in the Treaty The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is the history of the European Union. ... The European Convention, sometimes known as the Convention on the Future of Europe, was a body established by the European Council in December 2001 as a result of the Laeken Declaration. ...

Member states and enlargement

Main articles: European Union member states, and Enlargement of the European Union, and European Union Membership criteria, and [[]], and [[]]

The European Union has 25 member states, an area of 3,892,685 km² and approximately 460 million EU citizens as of December 2004. If it were a country, it would be the seventh largest in the world by area and the third largest by population after China and India. EU member states and candidates in 2004 There have been 25 European Union member states since 10 states joined on 1 May 2004. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, estimated for the year 2005. ...

The European Union has land borders with 20 nations and sea borders with 31.

Further information: Countries bordering the European Union This is a list of countries bordering the European Union and its predecessor the European Community both at its current geographical extent and after all previous rounds of enlargement. ...

Since its inception with six countries, nineteen further states have joined in successive waves of enlargement: Based on existing Europe map. ...

Note: 1952 (MCMLII) was a [[leap year starting on Tueday] (link will take you to calendar). ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... National motto: none Official languages German Capital East Berlin Largest city East Berlin Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 106th 108,333 km² Negligible Creation -Unified 7 October 1949 3 October 1990 Currency East German mark Time zone  â€“ in summer CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) National anthem Auferstanden aus Ruinen Internet... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Greenland, which was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979, left the European Community in 1985, following a referendum.
• Romania and Bulgaria will join EU on 1 January 2007

Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... This article is about the year. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Overseas territories

Several overseas territories and dependencies have close associations with particular EU member states, for example Greenland, the Isle of Man, the Azores and Madeira. Location Motto of the autonomous region: Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos (Portuguese: To die free rather than to be subjugated in peace) Official language Portuguese Capitals Ponta Delgada (Presidency of the autonomous government), Angra do Heroísmo (Supreme Court), Horta (Legislative Assembly) Other towns Praia da Vitória... For other uses of the word, see Madeira (disambiguation) Madeira Islands location. ...

Further information: Special member state territories and their relations with the EU Two parts of the treaty of the European Community deal with special relationships: Article 299 which sets out the territories to which the treaty applies, supplemented by the accession treaties; and Articles 182-188 and Annex II on association with the non-European countries and territories which have special relations...

Future enlargement and close relationships

Main articles: Enlargement of the EU, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]

• Romania and Bulgaria are scheduled to become members on 1 January 2007, provided that they meet the conditions for membership and that the Treaty of Accession for the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania is ratified by parliaments of member states. The treaty was signed by representatives of the EU Member States at the Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg on 25 April 2005. As of 2005, member state parliaments are taking forward its ratification.

Further information: Accession of Bulgaria to the European Union States colour-shaded according to entry (darkest being earliest) The European Union originally consisted of six member states. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... The Accession of Bulgaria to the European Union is currently scheduled to take place on January 1, 2007. ...

Further information: Accession of Romania to the European Union Dark green: current members; light green: acceding countries; orange: states in negotiations The Accession of Romania to the European Union is currently scheduled to take place on January 1, 2007. ...

• Turkey is an official candidate to join the European Union. Turkish European ambitions date back to 1963 Ankara Agreements. Turkey started preliminary negotiations on 3 October 2005. However, analysts believe 2015 is the earliest date the country can join the union due to the plethora of economic and social reforms it has to complete. Since it has been granted official candidate status, Turkey has implemented permanent policies on human rights, abolished the death penalty, granted cultural rights to its large Kurdish minority, and taken positive steps to solve the Cyprus question. However, due to its religious and cultural differences, Turkey faces strong opposition from governments of some member states, including France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Slovenia.

Further information: Accession of Turkey to the European Union October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in Leap years). ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cyprus Dispute refers to the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots over Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. ... Turkeys formal application to join the European Community—the organisation that has since developed into the European Union—was made on April 14, 1987. ...

• Croatia is an official candidate country to join. It is expected to join by 2010. The arrest of Ante Gotovina in December 2005 means the accession process is unlikely to be hampered by issues with the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague and will depend only on Croatia's fullfilment of EU requirements. See also: Croatian accession to the European Union.

• Macedonia has been given official candidate status as of December 2005.

• The EFTA states of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are members of the European Economic Area which allows them to participate in most aspects of the EU single market without joining the EU. Switzerland, the fourth EFTA state, rejected EEA membership in a referendum; however, it has established close ties to the EU by means of bilateral treaties.

Ante Gotovina Ante Gotovina (born October 12, 1955) is a former major-general of the Croatian Army who served in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. ... The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is a body of the United Nations established to prosecute war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. ... The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... member states The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established on May 3, 1960 as an alternative for European states that were not allowed or did not wish to join the European Community (now the European Union). ... Map of the EEA countries. ... The European Union has a number of relationships with nations that are not formally part of the Union. ...

Context—rationale for enlargement and future prospects

Supporters of the European Union argue that the growth of the EU is a force for peace and democracy. They argue that the wars which were a periodic feature of the history of Western Europe have ceased since the formation of the European Economic Community (which later became the EU) in the 1950s. They also claim that in the early 1970s, Greece, Portugal and Spain were all dictatorships, but the desire of the business communities in these three countries to be in the EU created a strong impetus for democracy there. Others argue that peace in Europe since World War II is more due to other causes, such as the need for a unified response to the threat from the Soviet Union, a need for reconstruction after World War II, and a collective temporary tiring of waging war, and that the dictatorships cited came to an end for totally different reasons. The concept of peace ranks among the most controversial in our time. ... Dictatorship, in contemporary usage, refers to absolute rule by a leadership (usually one dictator) unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as...

In more recent times, the European Union has been extending its influence to the east. It has accepted several new members that were previously behind the Iron Curtain, and has plans to accept several more in the medium-term. It is hoped that in a similar fashion to the entry of Spain, Portugal and Greece in the 1980s, membership for these states will help cement economic and political stability. In the summer of 1989, the foreign ministers of Austria and Hungary, Alois Mock and Gyula Horn, ceremonially cut through the border defences separating their countries. ...

As the EU continues to enlarge eastward, the candidate countries' accessions tend to grow more controversial. As discussed, the EU has finished accession talks with Bulgaria and Romania, and set an entry date for the two countries in 2007. However, the rejection of the EU Constitution by France and the Netherlands, and the EU's slow economic growth, have cast some doubt on whether the EU will be ready to accept new members after 2007, when Romania and Bulgaria are set to join EU (in early 2005 they signed the Accession Treaty). A further point of contention for EU members is the accession of Turkey. Accession preliminary talks between Turkey and the EU began in early October 2005. Turkey's Government, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has enacted many legal reforms to meet the EU's entry requirements. However, some member states, especially Austria [1] repudiate Turkey joining the EU, and the possible economic, immigration and cultural implications that may bring. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan (born February 26, 1954) became prime minister of Turkey on March 14, 2003. ...

Institutions and legal framework

EU institutions

The functioning of the European Union is supported by several institutions:

• The European Parliament (732 members 750 max.)
• The Council of the European Union (or 'Council of Ministers') (25 members)
• The European Commission (25 members)
• The European Court of Justice (incorporating the Court of First Instance) (25 judges (& 25 judges of CFI))
• The European Court of Auditors (25 members)
• The European Council (25 members) - whose unique role is perhaps better described as that of a "quasi-institution"

There are several financial bodies: The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ... The Court of First Instance, created in 1988, is a court of the European Union. ... The European Court of Auditors is one of five institutions of the European Union. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ...

• European Central Bank (which alongside the national Central Banks, composes the European System of Central Banks)
• European Investment Bank (including the European Investment Fund)

There are also several advisory committees to the institutions: The European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany is the central bank of the eurozone, in charge of monetary policy for the 12 countries that use the euro currency. ... The European System of Central Banks (ESCB) is composed of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks (NCBs) of all 25 EU Member States. ... The European Investment Bank (the Banque Européenne dInvestissement) is the European Unions financing institution and was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957) to provide loan finance for capital investment furthering European Union policy objectives, in particular regional development, Trans-European Networks of transport, telecommunications and energy... The European Investment Fund, established in 1994, is a European Union agency for the provision of finance to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). ...

• Committee of the Regions, advising on regional issues
• Economic and Social Committee, advising on economic and social policy (principally relations between workers and employers)
• Political and Security Committee, established in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, monitoring and advising on international issues of global security.

There are also a great number of bodies, usually set up by secondary legislation, which exist to implement particular policies. These are the agencies of the European Union. Examples are the European Environment Agency, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market. The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an institution of the European Union created by the Treaty of Maastricht. ... The European Unions Economic and Social Committee is the consultative assembly of European social and economic partners. This phrase refers mainly to representatives of business, employers and trade unions. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... Delegated legislation (sometimes referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is law made by ministers under powers given to them by parliamentary acts (primary legislation) in order to implement and administer the requirements of the acts. ... The agencies of the European Union are bodies which are distinct from the European Unions institutions, in that they have not been created by the treaties but rather by acts of secondary legislation, in order to accomplish a very specific task. ... European Environment Agency (EEA), agency of the European Union devoted to establishing a monitoring network for the monitoring of the European environment. ... European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union which has been given specific regulatory and executive tasks in the field of aviation safety. ... The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs), or OHIM (Spanish: OAMI or Oficina de Armonizacion del Mercado Interior, German: HABM or Harmonisierungsamt für den Binnenmarkt, French: OHMI or Office de lHarmonisation dans le Marché Intérieur, Italian: UAMI or Ufficio per lArmonizzazione...

Lastly, the European Ombudsman investigates complaints of maladministration by EU institutions. The European Ombudsman (or sometimes Euro-Ombudsman) is an ombudsman for the European Union. ...

Location of EU institutions

The EU has no official capital and its institutions are divided between several cities:

• Brussels, Belgium - Considered the de facto capital of the EU
  • Seat of the European Commission and the Council of the European Union
  • Venue for the European Parliament's committee meetings and mini-sessions
  • Host city for all European Council summits (since 2004)

• Strasbourg, France
  • Seat of the European Parliament and venue of its twelve week-long plenary sessions each year
  • Also the location of two key European organisations — the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights — which are different from the EU and have a wider membership than the EU

• Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
  • Seat of the European Court of Justice and the Secretariat of the European Parliament
  • Seat of the European Investment Bank

• Frankfurt, Germany
  • Seat of the European Central Bank

• The Hague, The Netherlands
  • Seat of EUROPOL (the European Police Office)

Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (French: Bruxelles, Dutch: Brussel, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium, the French community of Belgium, the Flemish community and of the European Union. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Alsace Département Bas-Rhin (67) Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Area 78. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ... European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights, often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints from Council of Europe member states. ... The Old town, seen from the ground Luxembourg City, population 82,268 (2002), is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ... The secretariat of the European Parliament is the administrative body of the European Parliament. ... The European Investment Bank (the Banque Européenne dInvestissement) is the European Unions financing institution and was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957) to provide loan finance for capital investment furthering European Union policy objectives, in particular regional development, Trans-European Networks of transport, telecommunications and energy... Frankfurt am Main [ˈfraŋkfʊrt] is the largest city in the German state of Hessen and the fifth largest city of Germany. ... The European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany is the central bank of the eurozone, in charge of monetary policy for the 12 countries that use the euro currency. ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, or officially s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Europol (the name is a contraction of European Police Office) is the European Unions criminal intelligence agency. ...

Legal framework

Founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community

European Union law comprises a large number of overlapping legal and institutional structures. This is a result of its being defined by successive international treaties, with each new treaty amending and supplementing earlier ones. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to consolidate and simplify the treaties, culminating with the final draft of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. If this proposed treaty is adopted, it will replace the set of overlapping treaties that form the current constitution of the EU with a single text. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (541x717, 66 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (541x717, 66 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states, thus preventing another European war. ... The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

The earliest EU treaty was the Treaty of Paris of 1951 (took effect in 1952) which established the European Coal and Steel Community between an original group of six European countries. This treaty has since expired, its functions taken up by subsequent treaties. On the other hand, the Treaty of Rome of 1957 is still in effect, though much amended since then, most notably by the Maastricht treaty of 1992, which first established the European Union under that name. The most recent amendments to the Treaty of Rome were agreed as part of the Treaty of Accession of the 10 new member states, which entered into force on 1 May 2004. The Treaty of Paris, signed on April 18, 1951 between Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which subsequently became part of the European Union. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a [[leap year starting on Tueday] (link will take you to calendar). ... Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states, thus preventing another European war. ... The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony Signatures in the Treaty The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993, under the Delors Commission. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Treaty of Accession 2003 was the agreement between the European Union and ten countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia), concerning these countries accession into the EU. At the same time it changed a number of points which were originally laid down in the... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The EU member states have recently agreed to the text of a new constitutional treaty that, if ratified by the member states, would have become the first official constitution of the EU, replacing all previous treaties with a single document. Although accepted by many countries, this document was rejected in a French referendum with a 55% majority on May 29 and in the Dutch referendum with a 62% majority on June 1. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ...

If the Constitutional Treaty fails to be ratified by all member states, then it might be necessary to reopen negotiations on it. Most politicians and officials agree that the current pre-Constitution structures are inefficient in the medium term for a union of 25 (and growing) member states. Senior politicians in some member states (notably France) have suggested that if only a few countries fail to ratify the Treaty, then the rest of the Union should proceed without them, possibly creating an "Avant Garde" or Inner Union of more committed member states to proceed with "an ever-deeper, ever-wider union".

The treaties of the European Union are effectively its constitutional law, making up the EUs primary legislation. ... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

The role of the European Community within the Union

European Communities: European Community plus Euratom The European Atomic Energy Community, or EURATOM, is an international organisation composed of the members of the European Union. ...

The term European Communities refers collectively to two entities -- the European Economic Community (now called the European Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (also known as Euratom) -- each founded pursuant to a separate treaty in the 1950s. A third entity, the European Coal and Steel Community, was also part of the European Communities, but ceased to exist in 2003 upon the expiration of its founding treaty. Since 1967, the European Communities have shared common institutions, specifically the Council, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Court of Justice. In 1992, the European Economic Community, which of the three original communities had the broadest scope, was renamed the "European Community" by the Treaty of Maastricht. The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

European Union: European Communities plus CFSP and PJCC

The European Communities are one of the three pillars of the European Union, being both the most important pillar and the only one to operate primarily through supranational institutions. The other two "pillars" – Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters – are looser intergovernmental groupings. Confusingly, these latter two concepts are increasingly administered by the Community (as they are built up from mere concepts to actual practice). The Treaty of Maastricht which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas, called pillars. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters is the third of the three pillars of the European Union, focusing on co-operation in law enforcement and combating racism. ...

Effect of Constitutional Treaty

If it is ratified, the proposed new Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe would abolish the three-pillar structure and, with it, the distinction between the European Union and the European Community, bringing all the Community's activities under the auspices of the European Union and transferring the Community's legal personality to the Union. There is, however, one qualification: it appears that Euratom would remain a distinct entity governed by a separate treaty. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

Evolution of the structures of the European Union.

European Union - EU treaties, structure, history 1952 1958 1967 1993 1999 2003 ? EC - European Community... E U R O P E A N   U N I O N   ( E U ) European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) European Economic Community (EEC) European Community (EC) Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community) ...European Communities: ECSC, EEC (EC, 1993), Euratom Justice & Home Affairs   Police & Judicial Co-operation in Criminal matters (PJCC) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Treaty of Paris Treaties of Rome Merger Treaty Treaty of Maastricht Treaty of Amsterdam Treaty of Nice European Constitution "THREE PILLARS" - European Communities (EC, Euratom), Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal matters (PJCC)

History of the structures of the EU. Created by User:Aris Katsaris. ... The treaties of the European Union are effectively its constitutional law, making up the EUs primary legislation. ... The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. ... This is the history of the European Union. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a [[leap year starting on Tueday] (link will take you to calendar). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cite error 4; Invalid call; no input specified 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states, thus preventing another European war. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The European Atomic Energy Community, or EURATOM, is an international organisation composed of the members of the European Union. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters is the third of the three pillars of the European Union, focusing on co-operation in law enforcement and combating racism. ... Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters is the third of the three pillars of the European Union, focusing on co-operation in law enforcement and combating racism. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... The Treaty of Paris, signed on April 18, 1951 between Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which subsequently became part of the European Union. ... The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony Signatures in the Treaty The Treaty of Rome refers to the treaty which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on March 25, 1957. ... The Merger Treaty, signed in Brussels on 8 April 1965 and in force since 1 July 1967, first gathered together the organisational structures of the then three European Communities (European Coal and Steel Community, European Economic Community and Euratom). ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993, under the Delors Commission. ... Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty, was signed on... Nice Treaty The Treaty of Nice is a treaty adopted in Nice by the European Council to amend the two founding treaties of the European Union: the Treaty on European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, which introduced the Euro and the 3-pillar structure of the EU; the Treaty of Rome... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... The Treaty of Maastricht which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas, called pillars. ...

Intergovernmentalism and supranationalism

A basic tension exists within the European Union between intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. Intergovernmentalism is a method of decision-making in international organisations where power is possessed by the member states and decisions are made by unanimity. Independent appointees of the governments or elected representatives have solely advisory or implementational functions. Intergovernmentalism is used by most international organisations today. Intergovernmentalism is a theory of decision-making in international organizations, where power is possessed by the member-states and decisions are made by unanimity. ... Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in international organizations, where power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of the member states. ...

An alternative method of decision-making in international organisations is supranationalism. In supranationalism power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of the member states. Member state governments still have power, but they must share this power with other actors. Furthermore, decisions are made by majority votes, hence it is possible for a member-state to be forced by the other member-states to implement a decision against its will.

Some forces in European Union politics favour the intergovernmental approach, while others favour the supranational path. Supporters of supranationalism argue that it allows integration to proceed at a faster pace than would otherwise be possible. Where decisions must be made by governments acting unanimously, decisions can take years to make, if they are ever made. Supporters of intergovernmentalism argue that supra-nationalism is a threat to national sovereignty, and to democracy, claiming that only national governments can possess the necessary democratic legitimacy. Intergovernmentalism is being favoured by more Eurosceptic nations such as the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden; while more integrationist nations such as the Benelux countries, France, Germany, and Italy have tended to prefer the supranational approach. Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a wish to preserve national sovereignty. ... Benelux Benelux Benelux is the region of Europe comprising Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. ...

The European Union attempts to strike a balance between the two approaches. This balance however is complex, resulting in the often labyrinthine complexity of its decision-making procedures.

Starting in March 2002, a Convention on the Future of Europe again looked at this balance, among other things, and proposed changes. These changes were discussed at an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in May 2004 and led to the Constitutional Treaty discussed above. The European Convention, sometimes known as the Convention on the Future of Europe, was a body established by the European Council in December 2001 as a result of the Laeken Declaration. ... An Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) is the formal procedure for negotiating amendments to the founding treaties of the European Union. ...

Supranationalism is closely related to the inter-governmentalist vs. neofunctionalist debate. This is a debate concerning why the process of integration has taken place at all. Intergovernmentalists argue that the process of EU integration is a result of tough bargaining between states. Neofunctionalism, on the other hand, argues that the supranational institutions themselves have been a driving force behind integration. For further information on this see the page on Neofunctionalism. Neofunctionalism is a theory of regional integration, building on the work of David Mitrany. ...

Main policies

As the changing name of the European Union (from European Economic Community to European Community to European Union) suggests, it has evolved over time from a primarily economic union to an increasingly political one. This trend is highlighted by the increasing number of policy areas that fall within EU competence: political power has tended to shift upwards from the member states to the EU.

This picture of increasing centralisation is counter-balanced by two points.

First, some member states have a domestic tradition of strong regional government. This has led to an increased focus on regional policy and the European regions. A Committee of the Regions was established as part of the Treaty of Maastricht. In European politics, a region is the layer of government directly below the national level. ... The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an institution of the European Union created by the Treaty of Maastricht. ... The Maastricht treaty (formally, the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht between the members of the European Community and entered into force on 1 November 1993. ...

Second, EU policy areas cover a number of different forms of co-operation.

• Autonomous decision making: member states have granted the European Commission power to issue decisions in certain areas such as competition law, State Aid control and liberalisation.
• Harmonisation: member state laws are harmonised through the EU legislative process, which involves the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union. As a result of this European Union Law is increasingly present in the systems of the member states.
• Co-operation: member states, meeting as the Council of the European Union agree to co-operate and co-ordinate their domestic policies.

The tension between EU and national (or sub-national) competence is an enduring one in the development of the European Union. (See also Intergovernmentalism vs. supranationalism (above), Euroscepticism.) The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... Competition law is one of the areas of authority of the European Union. ... A subsidy is generally a monetary grant given by government in support of an activity regarded as being in the public interest. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... Here are exposed the main legislative procedures in the European Community, with the main difference between them being how the European Parliament interacts with the Council of the European Union. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. ... Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a desire to preserve national sovereignty. ...

All prospective members must enact legislation in order to bring them into line with the common European legal framework, known as the Acquis Communautaire. (See also European Free Trade Association (EFTA), European Economic Area (EEA) and Single European Sky.) See table of states participating in some of the initiatives. The French term acquis (or sometimes acquis communautaire) is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated so far. ... member states The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established on May 3, 1960 as an alternative for European states that were not allowed or did not wish to join the European Community (now the European Union). ... Map of the EEA countries. ... As of 2001, air traffic management in the European Union is undertaken by member states, co-operating through EUROCONTROL, an intergovernmental organisation that includes both the EU member states and most other European states as well. ... The following table lists the independent European states, and their memberships in selected organizations and treaties, and their use of the euro (€). 1 The United Nations is a world-wide organization with members from all continents, not only from Europe. ...

Single market

Many of the policies of the EU relate in one way or another to the development and maintenance of an effective single market. Significant efforts have been made to create harmonised standards – which are designed to bring economic benefits through creating larger, more efficient markets. A single market, also referred to as a Common Market, is a customs union with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of all the factors of production (goods, services, capital and labour). ...

The power of the single market reaches beyond the EU borders, because to sell within the EU, it is beneficial to conform to its standards. Once a non-member country's factories, farmers and merchants conform to EU standards, much of the cost of joining the union has already been sunk. At that point, harmonising domestic laws in order to become a full member is relatively painless, and may create more wealth through eliminating the customs costs.

The single market has both internal and external aspects:

Internal policies

• Free trade of goods and services among member states (an aim further extended to three of the four EFTA states by the European Economic Area, EEA)
• A common EU competition law controlling anti-competitive activities of companies (through antitrust law and merger control) and member states (through the State Aids regime).
• The Schengen treaty allowed removal of internal border controls and harmonisation of external controls between its member states. This excludes the UK and Ireland, which have derogations, but includes the non-EU members Iceland and Norway. Switzerland also voted via referendum in 2005 to become part of the Schengen zone.
• Freedom for citizens of its member states to live and work anywhere within the EU with their spouses and children, provided they can support themselves (also extended to the other EEA states).
• Free movement of capital between member states (and other EEA states).
• Harmonisation of government regulations, corporations law and trademark registrations.
• A single currency, the Euro (excluding the UK, and Denmark, which have derogations). Sweden, although not having a specific opt-out clause, has not joined the ERM II, voluntarily excluding itself from the monetary union.
• A large amount of environmental policy co-ordination throughout the Union.
• A Common Agricultural Policy and a Common Fisheries Policy.
• Common system of indirect taxation, the VAT, as well as common customs duties and excises on various products.
• Funding for the development of disadvantaged regions (structural and cohesion funds).

Image File history File links Euro_banknotes. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established on May 3, 1960 as an alternative for European states that were not allowed or did not wish to join the European Community (now the European Union). ... Map of the EEA countries. ... Competition law is one of the areas of authority of the European Union. ... Schengen Treaty members are in dark blue, while signatories (where it is not yet implemented) are in light blue. ... Financial capital, or economic capital, is any liquid medium or mechanism that represents wealth, or other styles of capital. ... A trademark (Commonwealth English: trade mark) is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... The euro (symbol: €; banking code: EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, collectively known as the Eurozone. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ... The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the fisheries policy of the European Union. ... vat can be a type of barrel used for storage. ...

External policies

• A common external customs tariff, and a common position in international trade negotiations.
• Funding for programmes in candidate countries and other Eastern European countries, as well as aid to many developing countries, through its Phare and Tacis programmes.
• The establishment of a single market European Energy Community by means of the Energy Community South East Europe Treaty.

Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange) and other former communist regimes (light orange). ... The Energy Community South East Europe Treaty (ECSEE) signed in Athens, Greece on 25 October 2005. ...

Co-operation and harmonisation in other areas

• Freedom for citizens of the EU to vote in local government and European Parliament elections in any member state.
• Co-operation in criminal matters, including sharing of intelligence (through EUROPOL and the Schengen Information System), agreement on common definition of criminal offences and expedited extradition procedures.
• A common foreign policy as a future objective, however this has some way to go before being realised. The divisions between the member states (in the letter of eight) and then-future members (in the Vilnius letter) during the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq highlights just how far off this objective could be before it becomes a reality.
• A common security policy as an objective, including the creation of a 60,000-member European Rapid Reaction Force for peacekeeping purposes, an EU military staff and an EU satellite centre (for intelligence purposes).
• Common policy on asylum and immigration.
• Common funding of research and technological development, through four-year Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The Sixth Framework Programme is running from 2002 to 2006.

The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... Intelligence (abbreviated or ) is the process and the result of gathering information and analyzing it to answer questions or obtain advance warnings needed to plan for the future. ... Europol (the name is a contraction of European Police Office) is the European Unions criminal intelligence agency. ... Schengen Information System, also known as SIS, is an information system used in a number of European countries that provides data on persons or objects, as recorded by the participant countries. ... A crime in a broad sense is an act that violates a political or moral law of any one person or social grouping. ... Extradition is a formal process by which a criminal suspect held by one government is handed over to another government for trial or, if the suspect has already been tried and found guilty, to serve his or her sentence. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... The letter of the eight was signed on 30 January 2003, by the prime ministers for five of then fifteen members of the European Union in addition to three high representatives, including Václav Havel, for the Central European countries that were to enter the union in 2004. ... The Vilnius letter was a declaration of support for the United States aim of régime change in Iraq by means of an invasion. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Australia, other nations Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 300. ... The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is considered a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar of the European Union (EU). ... The European Union Rapid Reaction Force is a transnational military force managed by the European Union itself rather than any of its member states. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... The European Research Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) is the current (2002-2006) European Union (EU) Framework Programme set up for funding European research and technological development. ...

Economy

Population and GDP per capita of EU member states and candidates.

Main articles: Economy of the European Union, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]

If considered a single unit, the European Union has the largest economy in the world with a 2004 GDP of 11,723,816 million USD equivalent PPPs. The EU economy is expected to grow further over the next decade as more countries join the union - especially considering that the new States are usually poorer than the EU average, and hence the expected fast GDP growth will help achieve the dynamic of the united Europe. However, It is estimated that the Eurozone will only grow around 0.3 per cent (Q2 2005) 1, while other industrialised nations such as the United States is estimated to grow three times as much at around 3.2%(Q2 2005).The European Council published on 17 November 2005 that the economy of the European Union will have grown approximately 1.5% in 2005. The eurozone however, will have grown 1.3% in 2005. The Council is hopeful that the European Union will grow further in 2006 and in 2007 (2.1% 2006 2.4% 2007). Germany, the most important country for the EU, will grow about: 0.8% 2005, 1.2% 2006 and 1.6% 2007. After an extremely slow growth, it seems that the EU will grow again the next couple of years. 2 Download high resolution version (1000x728, 37 KB)European Union, showing member states and candidates, population and GDP per capita. ... Download high resolution version (1000x728, 37 KB)European Union, showing member states and candidates, population and GDP per capita. ... The European Union has the largest economy in the world, ahead of that of the United States of America with a 2005 GDP of 12,865,602 vs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The European Union has the largest economy in the world, ahead of that of the United States of America with a 2005 GDP of 12,865,602 vs. ... Industrialization (or industrialisation) or an industrial revolution (in general, with lowercase letters) is a process of social and economic change whereby a human society is transformed from a pre-industrial to an industrial state. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

EU member states have agreed a programme called Agenda 2010 which aims at making "the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy" by 2010. The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, is an action and development plan for the European Union. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Standard of living

Below is a table and three graphs showing, respectively, the GDP (PPP), the GDP (PPP) per capita and the GDP (nominal) per capita for the European Union and for each of its 25 member states. This can be used as a rough gauge to the relative standards of living among member states. The two future members Bulgaria and Romania (set for 1 January 2007) are also included in the table, as are the official candidates and officialy recognised potential candidates. The data set is for the year 2006 and graphs are for the year 2004. All 2006 data are projections. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ...

GDP (PPP) per capita 2006 showing countries above and below EU average

GDP (PPP), 2004

GDP (PPP) per capita, 2004

Member States	GDP (PPP) millions of int. dollars	GDP (PPP) per capita int. dollars	GDP (nominal) per capita int. dollars
European Union	12,918,581	28,114	29,291
Luxembourg	32,475	70,044	74,436
Republic of Ireland	175,140	42,082	50,252
Denmark	195,581	36,083	46,734
Austria	279,281	34,256	38,006
Belgium	338,130	32,469	35,310
Finland	168,348	32,154	36,753
Netherlands	522,853	31,990	38,321
United Kingdom	1,910,818	31,529	36,494
Germany	2,609,916	31,472	33,405
Sweden	279,733	30,751	38,776
Italy	1,769,919	30,468	29,666
France	1,889,713	30,152	33,894
Spain	1,081,332	26,009	28,012
Slovenia	46,089	23,102	19,812
Greece	247,425	22,542	20,593
Cyprus	17,772	21,740	21,834
Malta	8,273	20,793	13,923
Czech Republic	210,163	20,578	12,422
Portugal	213,331	20,260	16,664
Hungary	172,241	17,733	11,927
Estonia	23,875	17,672	10,252
Slovakia	93,432	17,266	9,252
Lithuania	53,434	15,657	8,006
Poland	546,543	14,329	7,942
Latvia	32,698	14,155	7,629
Acceding Countries	GDP (PPP) millions of int. dollars	GDP (PPP) per capita int. dollars	GDP (nominal) per capita int. dollars
Bulgaria	76,705	9,976	3,662
Romania	196,263	8,873	4,054
Candidate Countries	GDP (PPP) millions of int. dollars	GDP (PPP) per capita int. dollars	GDP (nominal) per capita int. dollars
Croatia	59,334	13,185	8,832
Turkey	611,572	8,393	5,115
Republic of Macedonia	17,140	8,293	2,509
Potential Candidate Countries	GDP (PPP) millions of int. dollars	GDP (PPP) per capita int. dollars	GDP (nominal) per capita int. dollars
Bosnia and Herzegovina	24,333	6,160	2,587
Albania	20,481	5,707	2,635
Serbia and Montenegro	46,393	5,549	3,488

Source: CIA World Factbook [2]
All other figures, source: IMF web site (2006 GDP PPP, 2006 per capita GDP PPP, 2006 per capita GDP, current prices). Done by myself File links The following pages link to this file: European Union Categories: GFDL images | Maps of Europe ... Done by myself File links The following pages link to this file: European Union Categories: GFDL images | Maps of Europe ... Download high resolution version (955x653, 19 KB)Author: Cantus, 2004. ... Download high resolution version (955x653, 19 KB)Author: Cantus, 2004. ... Download high resolution version (955x653, 19 KB)Source. ... Download high resolution version (955x653, 19 KB)Source. ... The international dollar is a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has in the United States at a given point in time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Luxembourg. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovenia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cyprus. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Estonia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovakia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Latvia. ... The international dollar is a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has in the United States at a given point in time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bulgaria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... The international dollar is a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has in the United States at a given point in time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Macedonia. ... Official languages Macedonian Capital Skopje President Branko Crvenkovski Prime Minister Vlado Bučkovski Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water Ranked 146th  25,333 km²  1. ... The international dollar is a hypothetical unit of currency that has the same purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has in the United States at a given point in time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Albania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Serbia_and_Montenegro. ... World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... The logo of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ...

Comparison with other Regional blocs

See also

Lists

• Category:European Union (hierarchical list of all EU articles)
• European Union Statistics
• Largest cities of the European Union by population
• List of extinct animals of Europe
• List of European Union-related topics

The European Union has 25 member states as of 1 May 2004. ... This list includes the most up-to-date official census figures or census estimates with regards to the population of the largest cities in the European Union. ... The list of extinct animals in Europe features the animals that have become extinct in the European Union (EU) and the rest of the European continent. ... European Union. ...

Other

• Council of Europe
• Citizenship of the European Union
• Economy of Europe
• Economy of the European Union
• Pro-European and Euroscepticism
• Transatlantic relations
• United States of Europe
• Value-added tax
• Latin Monetary Union (1865-1927)
• Międzymorze
• European Union legislative procedure

The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ... The Maastricht Treaty introduced the concept of citizenship of the European Union. ... The economy of Europe is comprised of more than 665 million people in 48 different states. ... The European Union has the largest economy in the world, ahead of that of the United States of America with a 2005 GDP of 12,865,602 vs. ... Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the European Union (EU) and/or further European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies. ... Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a wish to preserve national sovereignty. ... Transatlantic relations refers to the relations between countries on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically between the United States, Canada and countries in Europe. ... The United States of Europe is a name occasionally given to one version of the possible future unification of Europe as a national and sovereign federation of states similar in formation to the United States of America. ... Value added tax (VAT) is a sales tax levied on the sale of goods and services. ... The Latin Monetary Union (1865-1927) was a 19th century attempt to unify several European currencies into a single currency that could be used in all the member states, at a time when most national currencies were still made out of gold and silver. ... Międzymorze (Myen-dzih-MOH-zheh): name for Józef Piłsudskis proposed federation of Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. ... Here are exposed the main legislative procedures in the European Community, with the main difference between them being how the European Parliament interacts with the Council of the European Union. ...

Partial bibliography

• The Economist Guide to the European Union (Profile Books 2005) ISBN 1861979304
• Europe Recast: A History of European Union by Desmond Dinan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) ISBN 0333987349
• Understanding the European Union 2nd ed by John McCormick (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 033394867X
• The Institutions of the European Union edited by John Peterson, Michael Shackleton (Oxford University Press, 2002) ISBN 0198700520
• The Government and Politics of the European Union by Neill Nugent (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 0333984617
• The European Union: A Very Short Introduction by John Pinder (Oxford, 2001) ISBN
• The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the end of American Supremacy by T.R. Reid (Penguin Press, 2004) ISBN 1594200335
• This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair by Hugo Young (Macmillan, 1998) ISBN 0333579925
• The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream by Jeremy Rifkin (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004) ISBN 1585423459
• The Great Deception: The Secret History of the European Union by Christopher Booker, Richard North (Continuum International Publishing Group - Academi, 2003) ISBN 0826471056

Hugo John Smelter Young (October 13, 1938 - September 22, 2003) was a British journalist and columnist and The Guardians senior political commentator. ...

External links and references

European Union Portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

European Union

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

European Union

Image File history File links Portal. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Image File history File links i would like to see some quotations by or about goebbels. ... Wikiquote logo Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ...

The European Union On-Line

Official EU website, europa.eu, in the official languages. Some subpages: The languages of the European Union are languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. ...

• European Commission - Maps of Europe
• Press conferences and speech audio (MP3 and RealAudio).
• EUR-LEX - EU law and proposed legislation
• Green Paper on a numbering policy for telecommunications (+3 country call code proposal)
• EU Policy on China

MPEG Audio Layer-3, or more commonly refered to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format invented and standardized in 1991 by a team of engineers working in the framework of the ISO/IEC MPEG audio committee under the chairmanship of Professor Hans Musmann (University... RealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks. ...

Presidency of the European Union

Other sites

• Works by The European Union at Project Gutenberg
• Democracy in Europe
• BBC News: Inside Europe guide to the changing face of the EU
• café babel European current affaires online magazine, published in six languages
• Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) - Research Institute focusing on the EU
• CIA World Factbook entry
• Dadalos, International UNESCO Education Server for Civic, Peace and Human Rights Education: Basic Course on the EU
• EU versus USA - Study comparing GDP and growth (available in PDF)
• EU in the USA - EU delegation to the US
• EU News - European Union News
• European Law Monitor - Monitors and tracks EU proposals
• European Voice - Independent Weekly Newspaper on EU Affairs
• EU Observer - News website focusing on the EU
• EUFPC European Foreign Policy Council - Interdisciplinary Think-tank and Network
• EurActiv.com Independent media portal dedicated to EU affairs
• Euronews - Multilingual public TV news channel run by ITN
• Guardian Unlimited Special Report: European Union guide and ongoing news
• LookSmart - European Union directory category
• Mapsofworld.com - World Map of European Union Countries
• OECD's EU country page and OECD's Economic Survey of the EU
• Open Directory Project - European Union directory category
• S.C. European Society - Oxford University (1950s) World's oldest?
• Yahoo - European Union directory category

Project Gutenberg (often abbreviated as PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ... Founded in 1995, the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) is a prestigious research institute at the University of Bonn. ... ITN may refer to: Independent Television News In the news, a section on the Main Page of English Wikipedia This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

European Union history

• The Messina Declaration 1955 final document of The Conference of Messina 1 to 3 June 1955 - birth of the European Union
• European NAvigator - Thousands of multimedia documents on the history of Europe

	European Union and candidates for enlargement
Austria | Belgium | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Ireland | Italy | Latvia | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Malta | Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | United Kingdom
Acceding countries joining on January 1, 2007: Bulgaria | Romania / Other recognised candidate countries: Croatia | Macedonia | Turkey

June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links European_flag. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... Image File history File links European_flag. ... Motto: Pravda vítÄ›zí (Czech for Truth prevails) Anthem: Kde domov můj Capital Prague Largest city Prague Official language(s) Czech Government President Prime Minister Republic Václav Klaus Jiří Paroubek Formation Independence  â€¢ Regained  â€¢ Dismemberment 9th century October 28, 1918 January 1, 1993 Area  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Water (%)   78,866... For an explanation of terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology) Motto: Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Anthem: God Save the Queen4 Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English de facto 5 Government Monarch Prime... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...