Name:
European Union, European Union, EU, EU
Flag/Coat of Arms:
Status:
regional economic and political union of states
Structural units:
The European Commission (CEC, Commission of the European Communities) is the highest executive body of the European Union. It also has derivative legislative powers. The Chairman of the CES is also a member of the Council of Heads of Industrial States.
Activities The task of the European Commission is to coordinate the work of executive authorities of all EU countries, develop recommendations for the activities of the European Parliament, introduce legislative initiatives in order to bring the national legislation of EU member states into line with pan-European standards, monitor compliance by all 25 countries with common European standards, as well as rights and human freedoms, conducting systematic consultations with all national governments to develop a unified economic (industrial, agricultural, fiscal, social, customs, currency, monetary, etc.), military, foreign, cultural policy.
The European Commission primarily contacts the EU affairs ministers in each of the governments of the 25 member states.
All decisions of the European Commission are of an advisory nature only; all controversial issues are settled at the level of national governments.
Official languages:
English, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Greek, Danish, Irish, Spanish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, German, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Finnish, French, Czech, Swedish, Estonian
Participating countries:
Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania
Story:
On the territory of Europe, the unified state formations, comparable in size to the European Union, were the Western Roman Empire, the Frankish state, and the Holy Roman Empire. Over the course of the last millennium, Europe has been fragmented. European thinkers tried to come up with a way to unite Europe. The idea of creating the United States of Europe initially arose after the American Revolution.
This idea received new life after World War II, when the need for its implementation was announced by Winston Churchill, who on September 19, 1946, in his speech at the University of Zurich, called for the creation of a “United States of Europe” similar to the United States of America. As a result, the Council of Europe was created in 1949 - an organization that still exists (Russia is also a member). The Council of Europe, however, was (and remains) something of a regional equivalent of the UN, focusing its activities on human rights issues in European countries.
1952-58 - European Coal and Steel Community.
In 1951, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, and Italy created the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC - European Coal and Steel Community), the purpose of which was to unite European resources for the production of steel and coal, which, according to its creators, should prevent another war in Europe. Great Britain refused to participate in this organization for reasons of national sovereignty.
In order to deepen economic integration, the same six states in 1957 established the European Economic Community (EEC, Common Market) (EEC - European Economic Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom - European Atomic Energy Community). The EEC was created primarily as a customs union of six states, designed to ensure the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people. Euratom was supposed to contribute to the pooling of the peaceful nuclear resources of these states. The most important of these three European communities was the European Economic Community, so that later (in the 1990s) it became known simply as the European Community (EC - European Community). The EEC was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, which came into force on January 1, 1958. In 1959, members of the EEC created the European Parliament, a representative consultative and later legislative body.
The process of development and transformation of these European communities into the modern European Union took place through simultaneous structural evolution and institutional transformation into a more cohesive bloc of states with the transfer of an increasing number of management functions to the supranational level (the so-called process of European integration, or deepening the union of states), on the one hand, and increasing the number of members of the European Communities (and later the European Union) from 6 to 25 states (enlargement of the union of states).
In January 1960, Great Britain and a number of other countries that were not members of the EEC formed an alternative organization - the European Free Trade Association. Great Britain, however, soon realized that the EEC was a much more effective union and decided to join the EEC. Its example was followed by Ireland and Denmark, whose economies were significantly dependent on trade with Great Britain. Norway made a similar decision.
1973 - 9 member countries. Great Britain, Denmark (with Greenland, but without the Faroe Islands) and Ireland join. Greenland left the organization in 1985.
The first attempt in 1961-1963, however, ended in failure due to the fact that French President de Gaulle vetoed the decision to allow new members to join the EEC. The result of the accession negotiations in 1966-1967 was similar.
In 1967, three European communities (the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community) merged to form the European Community.
Things moved forward only after General Charles de Gaulle was replaced by Georges Pompidou in 1969. After several years of negotiations and adaptation of legislation, Great Britain joined the EU on January 1, 1973. In 1972, referendums on EU membership were held in Ireland, Denmark and Norway. The population of Ireland (83.1%) and Denmark (63.3%) supported joining the EU, but in Norway this proposal did not receive a majority (46.5%).
1981 - 10 member states. Greece enters.
1985 - Greenland leaves the EEC. 1986 - 12 member states. Spain and Portugal enter.
In 1979, the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held.
In 1985, Greenland gained internal self-government and left the EU after a referendum.
Portugal and Spain applied in 1977 and became EU members on January 1, 1986. In February 1986, the Single European Act was signed in Luxembourg.
In 1992, all states belonging to the European Community signed the Treaty establishing the European Union.
1990 - German reunification. 1995 - 15 member states. Austria, Finland and Sweden are joining.
In 1994, referendums on joining the EU were held in Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The majority of Norwegians again vote against.
Only Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein remain members of the European Free Trade Association.
2004 - 25 member states (EU-25). In 2004, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta became members of the EU.
On October 9, 2002, the European Commission recommended 10 candidate states for accession to the EU in 2004: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta. The population of these 10 countries was about 75 million; their combined GDP at PPP is approximately US$840 billion, roughly equal to the GDP of Spain.
This EU enlargement can be called one of the most ambitious EU projects to date. The need for such a step was dictated by the desire to draw a line under the disunity of Europe that had lasted since the end of World War II, and to firmly tie the countries of Eastern Europe to the West in order to prevent them from rolling back to communist methods of government. Cyprus was included in this list because Greece insisted on it, which otherwise threatened to veto the entire plan.
At the end of negotiations between the "old" and future "new" EU members, the final positive decision was announced on December 13, 2002. The European Parliament approved the decision on April 9, 2003.
On April 16, 2003, in Athens, the 15 “old” and 10 “new” EU members signed the Accession Treaty (). In 2003, referendums were held in nine states (with the exception of Cyprus), and then the signed Treaty was ratified by parliaments.
On May 1, 2004, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta became members of the European Union.
After the accession of ten new countries to the EU, the level of economic development of which is noticeably lower than the European average, the leaders of the European Union found themselves in a position where the main burden of budget expenditures on the social sphere, subsidies to agriculture, etc. falls on them. At the same time, these countries do not want to increase the share of contributions to the all-Union budget beyond the level of 1% of GDP determined by EU documents.
The second problem is that after the expansion of the European Union, the hitherto principle of making the most important decisions by consensus turned out to be virtually non-functional. In the current situation, if in any of the 25 countries a referendum or parliamentary vote on the draft EU Constitution fails, then the entire European Union may be left without a fundamental law.
On January 1, 2007, the next expansion of the European Union took place - the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into it. The EU has previously warned these countries that Romania and Bulgaria still have a lot to do in the fight against corruption and reform of legislation. In these matters, Romania, according to European officials, lagged behind, retaining vestiges of socialism in the structure of the economy and not meeting EU standards.
On December 17, 2005, official EU candidate status was granted to Macedonia.
On February 21, 2005, the European Union signed an action plan with Ukraine. This was probably the result of the fact that forces came to power in Ukraine whose foreign policy strategy was aimed at joining the European Union. At the same time, according to the EU leadership, it is not worth talking about Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union yet, since the new government needs to do a lot to prove that there is a full-fledged democracy in Ukraine that meets European standards, and to carry out political, economic and social reforms.
Notes:
Not all European countries intend to participate in the European integration process. Twice in national referendums (1972 and 1994) the population of Norway rejected the proposal to join the EU. The next referendum on joining the EU will take place in this country no earlier than 2007.
Iceland is not part of the EU.
In accordance with its Constitution, Switzerland is neutral and does not belong to any blocs, which, however, joined the Schengen Agreement on January 1, 2007.
Small European states - Andorra, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino are not members of the EU.
The history of the formation of the European Union began in 1951 with the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which included six countries (Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Germany). Within countries, all tariff and quantitative restrictions on trade in these goods were lifted.
March 25, 1957 The Treaty of Rome was signed to create European Economic Community(EEC) on the basis of the ECSC and the European Atomic Energy Community.
In 1967, three European communities (the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community) merged to form the European Community.
On June 14, 1985, the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of goods, capital and citizens was signed - an agreement providing for the abolition of customs barriers within the European Union while simultaneously tightening controls at the external borders of the EU (came into force on March 26, 1995).
On February 7, 1992, the Treaty establishing the European Union was signed in Maastricht (Netherlands) (came into force on November 1, 1993). The agreement completed the work of previous years to regulate the monetary and political systems of European countries.
In order to achieve the highest form of economic integration between EU states, the euro was created - the single EU monetary unit. The euro was introduced in non-cash form on the territory of EU member states on January 1, 1999, and cash banknotes on January 1, 2002. The euro replaced the ECU, the conventional unit of account of the European Community, which was a basket of currencies of all EU member states.
The EU is responsible for issues relating to, inter alia, the common market, the customs union, the single currency (with some members maintaining their own currency), the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy.
The organization includes 27 European countries: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia. On January 1, 2007, Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the European Union.
European Union institutions:
The highest political body of the European Union is European Council. As a meeting of heads of state at the highest level, the Council effectively determines the tasks of the Union and its relations with member states. The sessions are presided over by the president or prime minister of the country holding the rotating presidency of the EU's governing bodies for six months.
The highest executive body of the European Union is European Commission (CEC, Commission of the European Communities). The European Commission consists of 27 members, one from each member state. The Commission plays a major role in ensuring the day-to-day activities of the EU. Each commissioner, like a minister of the national government, is responsible for a specific area of work.
European Parliament is an assembly of 786 deputies directly elected by citizens of EU member states for a term of five years. Deputies unite in accordance with their political orientation.
The EU's highest judicial body is European Court(official name - Court of Justice of the European Communities). The court consists of 27 judges (one from each member state) and nine advocates general. The Court regulates disagreements between member states, between member states and the European Union itself, between EU institutions, and issues opinions on international agreements.
They were expressed at the Paris Conference of 1867. However, these integration ideas did not receive practical implementation: the contradictions between countries were so deep that before realizing the need for cooperation, European countries went through two world wars and several local wars.
Integration trends in Europe re-emerged immediately after the end of World War II, when leading European countries realized that the restoration and development of national economies is possible only by combining efforts and resources. An idea of the half-century path of European countries towards integration is best given by the chronology of events.
Timeline of the development of the European Union
May 9, 1950 - French Foreign Minister R. Schumann made a proposal to create a single European organization for the production and consumption of coal and steel, combining the strategic potentials of France and Germany;
April 18, 1951 - the agreement establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was signed in Paris. The agreement was signed by France and Germany. Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg;
March 25, 1957 - in Rome, the ECSC member countries signed agreements establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EurAtom);
January 4, 1960 - The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was formed, which included Austria and Denmark. Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK;
July 9, 1961 - an agreement on associate membership of Greece in the EEC was signed - the first such document in the history of the Community;
July 20, 1963 - The Yaounde Convention is signed, an agreement that laid the foundations for associated ties between the EEC and Africa. Thanks to this convention, 18 African countries were able to benefit from trade, technical and financial cooperation with the Community for five years;
July 1, 1964 - the EEC creates the common agricultural market of the EEC, the start of the activities of the European Fund for the Support of Agriculture (FEOA);
July 1, 1968 - the creation of the Customs Union was completed ahead of schedule. All customs tariffs previously levied between member states have been abolished, and the formation of a common system of customs duties at the external borders of the EEC has been completed;
October 1970 - a commission of experts on financial and monetary issues headed by Prime Minister of Luxembourg P. Werner presented a plan for further unification of economic policy and the creation of a monetary union - the so-called Werner plan. The plan called for a full economic and monetary union with a single currency by 1980;
April 24, 1972 - introduction of the “currency snake” as a reaction to the instability of the global foreign exchange market. It was envisaged that the exchange rates of the countries participating in the “collective floating” would change within the established limits of deviations from the average central rate;
21 January 1974 - The Council of Ministers of the PS launches a program of social action aimed at achieving full and optimal employment in the Community and improving working conditions;
December 9-10, 1974 - at a meeting of heads of state and/or government in Paris, the procedure for electing members of the European Parliament (by universal, direct and secret vote) was determined;
28 February 1975 - The European Community and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries sign the Convention of Lomé (Lome, Togo), intended to replace the Jaounde Convention and providing for cooperation in the field of trade;
March 9-10, 1979 - at the session of the European Council in Paris, a decision was made to introduce the European Monetary System (EMS). EMU includes:
- (ECU),
- currency exchange and information mechanism,
- credit conditions,
- transfer mechanism;
8 December 1984 - 10 Community countries and 65 ACP partners sign the third Lomsya Convention. For the first time, the idea of respect for human rights was explicitly expressed;
September 9, 1985 - intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, the purpose of which was to revise the Treaties of Rome and formalize political cooperation between member countries;
December 2-4, 1985 - session of the European Council in Luxembourg. A single European act has been adopted to improve
January 1, 1986 - Spain and Portugal become members of the European Community. The number of member countries increases to twelve;
February 1-13, 1988 - extraordinary session of the European Council in Brussels. Member states come to agreement on financial reform, adopting the so-called Delopa Package I, as well as spending restrictions on the common agricultural policy;
December 8-12, 1989 - session of the European Council in Strasbourg. A decision was made to convene an Intergovernmental Conference on the problems of forming an economic and monetary union at the end of 1990;
15 December 1989 - 12 Community member states and 69 ACP countries sign the Fourth Lomé Convention;
December 18, 1989 - the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the European Community and the USSR was signed;
May 29, 1990 - The Agreement on the establishment of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was signed in Paris to support reforms in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe;
June 19, 1990 - France, Germany. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have signed the Schengen Agreement on the elimination of border controls at the internal borders of the Community;
December 14, 1990 - an intergovernmental conference on the creation of a political union, as well as an economic and monetary union, opens in Rome;
December 16, 1991 - association agreements were signed between the Community and Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia;
February 7, 1992 - the Treaty on the European Union (Maastricht Treaty) was signed in Maastricht (Netherlands), providing for the creation of an economic, monetary and political union of member states of the European Community;
2 May 1992 - The Community and EFTA signed the Agreement establishing the European Economic Area. EFTA, the European Free Trade Association, unites Western European countries that are not members of the EU: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Essentially, this is the inclusion of the EFTA countries in internal European integration;
January 1, 1993 - the program for building a single internal market of the EU is completed. At the internal borders of the Community, all restrictions on the movement of goods, services, people and capital have been lifted;
November 1, 1993 - The Maastricht Agreements came into force. The Community is officially renamed the European Union;
June 24, 1994 - on the island. Corfu (Greece) a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was concluded between the PS and Russia. The objectives of the Agreement include the creation of conditions for the formation in the future of a free trade zone, covering essentially all trade between them, conditions for freedom of establishment of companies and movement of capital;
July 1, 1995 - The Schengen Agreement on the elimination of border controls at internal EU borders comes into force. Its participants were Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal. Later they were joined by Italy, Austria, Greece and Finland;
March 26, 1996 - The Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) of the European Union member countries opened in Turin (Italy). The purpose of the conference is to make decisions regarding the revision of the fundamental EU treaties and to develop a new strategy in connection with the creation of the Economic and Monetary Union and the upcoming enlargement of the EU;
December 13-14, 1996 - session of the European Council in Dublin (Ireland). Discussion of the text of a new treaty on the European Union, which ended with the signing of the Stability Pact, which marked a new important step towards the transition to a single currency from January 1, 1999;
June 1997 - meeting of members of the European Council in Amsterdam (Netherlands). The emergence of a new draft EU treaty designed to reform EU institutions in light of the coming enlargement;
December 1, 1997 - the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Russian Federation and the EU came into force;
December 12-13, 1997 - at a meeting in Luxembourg, the final decision was made to admit 12 new members to the EU (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Malta and Cyprus). Türkiye is recognized as the official 13th candidate for EU membership. Accession negotiations with the “first wave” countries (Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Cyprus) began in April 1998;
May 2, 1998 - the session of the European Council approved the list of countries that, from January 1, 1999, will join the economic and monetary union and introduce a single currency - the euro;
January 1, 1999 - EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland and France) introduce a single currency - the euro. The euro begins to be used in non-cash circulation to implement the EU's common monetary policy, place new issues of government securities, service banking operations and settlements;
January 1, 2002 - introduction of the cash euro. Replacing national cash with euro cash. The process of creating the European Economic Union has been completed.
The first steps of monetary integration in Europe were taken back in the 1950s of the 20th century. The creation of the European Common Market accelerated this process.
In 1958-1968 The Customs Union was formed:
- Customs duties and restrictions in mutual trade have been abolished;
- uniform customs tariffs have been introduced for the import of goods from third countries.
By 1967, a common agricultural market had emerged. A special regime for regulating agricultural prices has been introduced. The Agrarian Fund of the European Union was created. The Customs Union was complemented by elements of interstate coordination of economic and monetary policies. Many restrictions on the movement of capital and labor were lifted.
However, integration in the field of trade required convergence in the sphere of government regulation of the economy. There is an urgent need to create supranational coordinating mechanisms. At the end of 1970, the countries of the European Union adopted a program for the gradual creation of an economic and monetary union by 1980.
Werner's plan(Prime Minister of Luxembourg) envisaged three stages.
Stage 1: 1971-1973 — coordination and subsequent unification of budgetary, credit and monetary policies, liberalization of capital movements and the creation of the European Monetary Cooperation Fund. It was envisaged to narrow the limits of fluctuations (±1.2% and then to zero) of exchange rates, to introduce full mutual convertibility of currencies;
2nd stage: 1974-1979 — creation of supranational bodies with rights in the field of financial, monetary and exchange rate policy;
3rd stage: the introduction of a single currency in 1980 and the creation of a European federal monetary system. It was planned to harmonize the activities of banks and banking legislation. The goals were set to establish a common center for solving monetary and financial problems and to unite the central banks of the EEC along the lines of the US Federal Reserve System to harmonize monetary and exchange rate policies.
In April 1973, EU countries managed to create the European Monetary Cooperation Fund and the European Unit of Account (EUR). The process of monetary integration developed in the following directions:
- intergovernmental consultations to coordinate monetary and economic policy;
- joint floating of exchange rates of the EEC (European “currency snake”);
- conducting foreign exchange interventions not only in dollars, but also in European currencies (since 1972) to reduce dependence on the dollar;
- the formation of a system of interstate mutual loans to cover temporary deficits in balances of payments and carry out settlements between banks;
- creation of the EEC budget, which is largely used for monetary and financial regulation of the agricultural Common Market;
- the introduction of a system of compensatory currency payments and fees - taxes and subsidies in the form of a premium or discount to the single price of agricultural goods, which before the introduction of the ECU were established in agricultural units of account equal to the dollar and converted into national currencies at a special rate;
- establishment of interstate monetary institutions: European Investment Bank, European Development Fund, European Monetary Cooperation Fund, etc.
However, significant structural differences in the economies of the participating countries, psychological and economic unpreparedness for the transfer of sovereign rights to supranational bodies regulating monetary and financial relations, economic (primarily energy) and currency crises of the 70-80s of the 20th century. were not allowed to fully implement Werner's plan. His ideas were largely realized later.
The long stagnation of EU integration lasted from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. The “European currency snake” regime turned out to be insufficiently effective, since it was not fully supported by the coordination of the monetary and economic policies of the EU countries. In order not to spend foreign exchange reserves, some countries periodically exited the “currency snake”. Since the mid-70s, only Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and periodically France participated in the joint floating of exchange rates; the rest preferred individual floating of their currencies (Great Britain, Ireland, Italy and periodically France).
By the end of the 70s, the search for ways to create an economic and monetary union intensified. In October 1977, the European Union Commission proposed the creation of a European body to issue a collective currency and partially control the economies of the EEC member countries. These principles of monetary integration formed the basis of the Franco-German project in 1978. A session of the European Council was held in Paris on March 9-10, 1979, at which a decision was made to create the European Monetary System (EMS), the main objectives of which are:
- establishing relative monetary stability within the EU;
- the need to become a core element of the growth strategy in conditions of stability;
- strengthening the interconnection of economic development processes and giving new impetus to the European integration process;
- providing a stabilizing effect on international economic and monetary relations.
The idea of creating a community of European states appeared after the Second World War. Officially, the countries of the European Union united in 1992, when the Union was legally established. Gradually, the list of EU member countries expanded, and now it already includes 28 states. You can see which countries are currently members of the European Union in the list below.
What is the European Union (EU)
The European powers that have joined this community have state sovereignty and independence, each of them has its own language, its own governing bodies, both local and central. Nevertheless, they have a lot in common. There are certain criteria that they must meet; they must coordinate all important political decisions with each other.
States wishing to join this oasis of prosperity must prove their commitment to the main principles of the Union and European values:
- Democracy.
- Protection of human rights.
- Principles of free trade in a market economy.
The EU has its own governing bodies: the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, the European Commission, as well as a special audit community that controls the budget of the European Union.
With the help of common laws, the countries that are now members of the EU have effectively created a single market. Many of them use a single monetary currency - the euro. In addition, most of the participating countries are also part of the Schengen zone, which allows their citizens to travel virtually unhindered throughout the European Union.
Countries belonging to the European Union (EU)
Today the EU includes the following countries:
- Austria.
- Bulgaria.
- Belgium.
- Great Britain.
- Germany.
- Hungary.
- Greece.
- Italy.
- Spain.
- Denmark.
- Ireland.
- Lithuania.
- Latvia.
- Republic of Cyprus.
- Malta.
- Netherlands.
- Luxembourg.
- Slovenia.
- Slovakia.
- Poland.
- Finland.
- France.
- Portugal.
- Romania.
- Croatia.
- Sweden.
- Czech Republic.
- Estonia.
These are the countries included in the EU list for 2020. In addition, there are several more countries aspiring to join the community: Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Turkey and Albania.
There is a special map of the European Union on which you can clearly see its geography:
The economic activities of the EU countries have much in common. The economy of each state is independent, but they all contribute certain shares that make up the total GDP.
In addition, the EU pursues a customs union policy. This means that its members can trade with other members without any quantitative restrictions and without paying duties. In relation to powers that are not members of the community, a single customs tariff applies.
Since the founding of the EU, not a single member state has yet left it. The only exception was Greenland, a Danish autonomy with fairly broad powers, which left the Union in 1985, outraged by the reduction in fishing quotas. Finally, a sensational event was the referendum in Great Britain held in June 2016, in which the majority of the population voted for the country to leave the Union. This indicates that considerable problems are brewing in this influential community.
(from January 1)
Council of the European Union
(from May 8)
- General
4,892,685 km²
- Total ()
- Density
499.673.325
116.4 people/km²
- Total ()
- GDP/person
$17.08·10¹²
$ 39,900
Signed
Entered into force
February 7
Nov. 1
(from +1 to +3 during Summer Time)
(with overseas departments of France,
UTC from −4 to +4)
European Union (European Union, EU) - an association of 27 European states that signed Treaty of European Union(Treaty of Maastricht). The EU is a unique international entity: it combines the characteristics of an international organization and a state, but is formally neither one nor the other. The Union is not a subject of public international law, but has the authority to participate in international relations and plays a major role in them.
Special and dependent territories of EU Member States
EU territory on the world map European Union External regions Non-European states and territories
Special territories outside Europe that are part of the European Union:
Also, according to Article 182 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ( Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), Member States of the European Union associate with the European Union lands and territories outside Europe that maintain special relations with:
France -
Netherlands -
United Kingdom -
Requirements for applicants to join the EU
To join the European Union, a candidate country must meet the Copenhagen criteria. Copenhagen criteria- criteria for countries to join the European Union, which were adopted in June 1993 at the European Council meeting in Copenhagen and confirmed in December 1995 at the European Council meeting in Madrid. The criteria require that the state respect democratic principles, principles of freedom and respect for human rights, as well as the principle of the rule of law (Article 6, Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union). The country must also have a competitive market economy, and must recognize common EU rules and standards, including commitment to the goals of political, economic and monetary union.
Story
Logo of the Czech presidency in the first half of 2009
The ideas of pan-Europeanism, which had long been put forward by thinkers throughout the history of Europe, sounded with particular force after the Second World War. In the post-war period, a number of organizations appeared on the continent: Council of Europe, NATO, Western European Union.
The first step towards the creation of a modern European Union was taken in: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy signed the agreement establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC, ECSC - European Coal and Steel Community), the purpose of which was to pool European resources for the production of steel and coal, this agreement came into force in July 1952.
In order to deepen economic integration, the same six states established (EEC, Common Market) ( EEC - European Economic Community) and (Euratom, Euratom - European Atomic Energy Community). The most important and broadest in scope of these three European communities was the EEC, so in 1993 it was officially renamed the European Community ( EC - European Community).
The process of development and transformation of these European communities into the modern European Union occurred through, firstly, the transfer of an increasing number of management functions to the supranational level and, secondly, an increase in the number of integration participants.
History of EU enlargement
| Year | A country | General quantity members |
|---|---|---|
| March 25, 1957 | Belgium, Germany 1, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France² | 6 |
| January 1, 1973 | UK*, Denmark³, Ireland | 9 |
| January 1, 1981 | Greece | 10 |
| January 1, 1986 | , | 12 |
| January 1, 1995 | , Finland , Sweden | 15 |
| May 1, 2004 | Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia | 25 |
| January 1, 2007 | Bulgaria, Romania | 27 |
Notes
² Including the overseas departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion and French Guiana. Algeria left France (and the EU) on July 5, 1962. Saint Pierre and Miquelon was an overseas department (and part of the EU) from until 1983. Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, which seceded from Guadeloupe on 22 February 2007, will return to the EU after the Treaty of Lisbon comes into force.
° In 1973, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) joined the EU, along with the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Gibraltar
Norway
- The first pillar, the European Communities, combines the EU's predecessors: the European Community (formerly the European Economic Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). The third organization, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), ceased to exist in 2002 in accordance with the Paris Treaty that established it.
- The second pillar is called the “common foreign and security policy” (CFSP).
- The third pillar is “police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.”
With the help of “pillars” the treaties delimit policy areas within the competence of the EU. In addition, the pillars provide a clear picture of the role of EU Member State governments and EU institutions in the decision-making process. Within the first pillar, the role of EU institutions is decisive. Decisions here are made by the “community method”. The Community is responsible for issues relating to, inter alia, the common market, the customs union, the single currency (with some members retaining their own currency), the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy, certain migration and refugee issues, as well as the cohesion policy. ). In the second and third pillars, the role of EU institutions is minimal and decisions are made by EU member states. This method of decision making is called intergovernmental. As a result of the Treaty of Nice (2001), some migration and refugee issues, as well as gender equality in the workplace, were moved from the second to the first pillar. Consequently, on these issues, the role of EU institutions vis-à-vis EU member states has increased.
Today, membership in the European Union, the European Community and Euratom is united; all states that join the Union become members of the Communities.
Chamber of Auditors
The Court of Auditors was created in 1975 to audit the budget of the EU and its institutions. Compound. The Chamber is composed of representatives of member states (one from each member state). They are appointed by the Council by unanimous vote for a six-year term and are completely independent in the performance of their duties.
- checks the income and expenditure reports of the EU and all its institutions and bodies with access to EU funds;
- monitors the quality of financial management;
- after the end of each financial year, draws up a report on its work, and also submits conclusions or comments on individual issues to the European Parliament and the Council;
- helps the European Parliament monitor the implementation of the EU budget.
Headquarters - Luxembourg.
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank was formed in 1998 from banks of 11 EU countries belonging to the Eurozone (Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg). Greece, which adopted the euro on January 1, 2001, became the twelfth country in the euro zone.
In accordance with Art. 8 of the Treaty establishing the European Community was founded European System of Central Banks- a supranational financial regulatory body that unites the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of all 27 EU member countries. The ESCB is governed by the governing bodies of the ECB.
European Investment Bank
Created in accordance with the Treaty, on the basis of capital provided by member countries. The EIB has the functions of a commercial bank, operates in international financial markets, and provides loans to government agencies of its member countries.
Economic and Social Committee
(Economic and Social Committee) is an EU advisory body. Formed in accordance with the Treaty of Rome.
Compound. Consists of 344 members called councillors.
Functions. Advises the Council and Commission on EU socio-economic policy issues. Represents various sectors of the economy and social groups (employers, employees and liberal professions employed in industry, agriculture, the service sector, as well as representatives of public organizations).
Members of the Committee are appointed by the Council by unanimous decision for a period of 4 years. The Committee elects a Chairman from among its members for a term of 2 years. After the admission of new states to the EU, the size of the Committee will not exceed 350 people (see Table 2).
Venue of meetings. The committee meets once a month in Brussels.
Committee of the Regions
(Committee of the Regions).
The Committee of the Regions is a consultative body providing representation of regional and local administrations in the work of the EU. The Committee was established in accordance with the Maastricht Treaty and has been operating since March 1994.
Consists of 344 members representing regional and local authorities, but completely independent in the performance of their duties. The number of members from each country is the same as in the Economic and Social Committee. Candidates are approved by the Council by unanimous decision based on proposals from member states for a period of 4 years. The Committee elects a Chairman and other officers from among its members for a term of 2 years.
Functions. Consults the Council and the Commission and gives opinions on all issues affecting the interests of the regions.
Location of the sessions. Plenary sessions are held in Brussels 5 times a year.
European Ombudsman Institute
The European Ombudsman Institute deals with complaints from citizens regarding the mismanagement of any EU institution or body. The decisions of this body are not binding, but have significant social and political influence.
15 specialized agencies and bodies
European Monitoring Center for Combating Racism and Xenophobia, Europol, Eurojust.
EU law
A feature of the European Union that distinguishes it from other international organizations is the presence of its own law, which directly regulates the relations of not only member states, but also their citizens and legal entities.
EU law consists of the so-called primary, secondary and tertiary (decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Communities). Primary law - EU founding treaties; contracts amending them (revision contracts); accession agreements for new member states. Secondary law - acts issued by EU bodies. The decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union and other judicial bodies of the Union are widely used as case law.
EU law has direct effect on the territory of EU countries and takes precedence over the national legislation of states.
EU law is divided into institutional law (rules regulating the procedure for the creation and functioning of EU institutions and bodies) and substantive law (rules regulating the process of implementing the goals of the EU and EU Communities). The substantive law of the EU, like the law of individual countries, can be divided into branches: EU customs law, EU environmental law, EU transport law, EU tax law, etc. Taking into account the structure of the EU (“three pillars”), EU law is also divided into European law communities, Schengen law, etc.
Languages of the European Union
In European institutions, 23 languages are officially used equally.
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