Malta is part of the European Union. Which countries are part of the European Union
The countries of the European Union did not immediately count the number in which they are represented today. The union expanded gradually thanks to common goals and worldviews.
European Union countries - sounds proud
Europe, as a geographical location, has concentrated quite a lot of countries, or rather, all the countries of the European Union, which differ from other states in their individual high development in absolutely all directions. At the moment, the countries of the European Union 2016 are 28 independent states with their own diverse focus. Back in 1992, the EU countries determined for themselves main goals, which should positively affect not only the growth rate of each EU country in 2016, but also other countries in the world.
Full list of EU countries 2016:
Austria | Italy | Slovakia |
Belgium | Cyprus | Slovenia |
Bulgaria | Latvia | Finland |
Great Britain | Lithuania | France |
Hungary | Luxembourg | Croatia |
Germany | Malta | Czech |
Greece | Netherlands | Sweden |
Denmark | Poland | Estonia |
Ireland | Portugal | |
Spain | Romania |
Based on which countries are members of the European Union, you can roughly formulate the main positions of this union. But you should not confuse the countries of the European Union and the Schengen zone, although most states can be found in both. For example, having a Schengen visa, it is impossible to cross the border of such EU countries as: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Great Britain, Romania and Ireland. A Schengen countries Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, in turn, are not members of the European Union in 2016.
Why there was a goal to unite the countries of the European Union 2016
The idea of creating a list of EU countries in 2014 arose immediately after the end of World War II. The countries of the European Union were supposed to be exclusively capitalist in nature. The countries belonging to the European Union began to unite looking at the created NATO, the Soviet Union and the Council of Europe.
At first, the EU countries pursued a purely economic goal and declared themselves a coal and metallurgical association in 1951 in Luxembourg. But already 1957 presented the countries of the European Union as states nuclear powered. It was 1957 that became the primary reason for the creation of the modern European Union.
Since 1951, today's countries of the European Union 2014 have been “growing up” gradually. With the entry of each state, the union became stronger and stronger. As a result, the countries of the European Union began to play a significant role in foreign relations in 2013; they began to adopt common laws and regulations. The countries of the European Union, the list of which is presented above, have become powerful political and economic association with its own unique strategy and views on current events in the world.
1973 is the time when Great Britain decided to join the European Union, followed by Denmark and Ireland.
1981 was the year Greece rejoined the union.
1986 became a landmark year for countries such as Portugal and Spain.
1995 was the year of the unification of the former European Union with Sweden, Austria and Finland.
2004 - the accession of Malta and Cyprus, as well as those countries that were in the past socialist camps and former Soviet republics: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia.
Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, followed by Croatia in 2013.
Now knowing for sure what countries are in the European Union today, we can say that the population here is 500 million people. Of the existing 28 states, 17 of them have entered the Eurozone, where the euro is considered the formal sole currency.
EU COUNTRIES. LIST OF EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES 2016.
On this page you can find out the full list of EU countries included in 2017.
The initial goal of creating the European Union was to connect the coal and steel resources of just two European countries - Germany and France. In 1950, it was impossible to even imagine that after a certain time the European Union would become a unique international entity, uniting 28 European states and combining the characteristics of an international organization and a sovereign power. The article describes which countries are members of the European Union, how many full EU members and candidates for accession there are currently.
What is the European Union
The organization received legal justification much later. The existence of an international union was secured by the Maastricht Agreement in 1992, which entered into force in November of the following year.
Objectives of the Maastricht Treaty:
- Creation of an international association with identical economic, political and monetary directions in development;
- Creation of a single market by creating conditions for the unhindered movement of production products, services, and other goods;
- Regulation of issues related to environmental protection and protection;
- Reduced crime rates.
The main consequences of concluding an agreement:
- introduction of a single European citizenship;
- abolition of the passport control regime on the territory of countries that are part of the EU, provided for by the Schengen Agreement;
Although legally the EU combines the properties of an international entity and an independent state, in fact it does not belong to either one or the other.
How many EU member countries in 2017
Today, the European Union includes 28 countries, as well as a number of autonomous regions subordinate to the main EU members (Aland Islands, Azores, etc.). In 2013, the last accession to the European Union took place, after which Croatia also became a member of the EU.
The following states have membership of the European Union:
- Croatia;
- Netherlands;
- Romania;
- France;
- Bulgaria;
- Luxembourg;
- Italy;
- Cyprus;
- Germany;
- Estonia;
- Belgium;
- Latvia;
- Great Britain;
- Spain;
- Austria;
- Lithuania;
- Ireland;
- Poland;
- Greece;
- Slovenia;
- Denmark;
- Slovakia;
- Sweden;
- Malta;
- Finland;
- Portugal;
- Hungary;
- Czech Republic.
The accession to the EU of the countries included in this list took place in several stages. At the first stage in 1957, the formation included 6 European states, in 1973 - three countries, including Great Britain, in 1981 only Greece became a member of the union, in 1986 - the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic, in 1995 - three more powers (Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Austria, Finland). The year 2004 turned out to be particularly fruitful, when 10 European countries received EU membership, including Hungary, Cyprus and other economically developed countries. The latest enlargements, which increased the number of EU members to 28, were carried out in 2007 (Romania, Republic of Bulgaria) and 2013.
Quite often Russians have a question: “Is Montenegro a member of the European Union or not?”, since the country’s currency is the euro. No, at the moment the state is at the stage of negotiations on the issue of entry.
On the other hand, there are a number of countries that are members of the EU, but the currency used on their territory is not the euro (Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania, etc.) The reason is that these states are not part of the euro area.
What are the requirements for candidates for entry?
To become a member of the organization, you must meet the requirements, a list of which is displayed in the relevant regulatory act, called the “Copenhagen criteria”. The etymology of the document is dictated by the place where it was signed. The document was adopted in the city of Copenhagen (Denmark) in 1993 during a meeting of the European Council.
List of main criteria that the candidate must meet:
- application of the principles of democracy on the territory of the country;
- the person and his rights must come first, that is, the state must adhere to the principles of the rule of law and humanism;
- economic development and increasing its competitiveness;
- compliance of the country's political course with the goals and objectives of the entire European Union.
Candidates for EU membership are usually subject to careful vetting and a decision is made accordingly. In case of a negative answer, the country that received a negative answer is provided with a list of reasons on the basis of which such a decision was made. Non-compliance with the Copenhagen criteria that is identified during the candidate screening process must be corrected as quickly as possible in order to be eligible for future EU membership.
Official declared candidates for EU membership
Today, the following associate members of the EU have the status of candidates for accession to the European Union:
- Turkish Republic;
- Republic of Albania;
- Montenegro;
- Republic of Macedonia;
- Republic of Serbia.
Legal status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Kosovo – potential candidates.
Serbia applied for membership in December 2009, Türkiye in 1987. It should be noted that if Montenegro, which signed an association agreement in 2010, becomes a member of the EU, for Russians this could result in the introduction of a visa regime and, possibly, the closure of the borders of the Balkan state.
Despite the desire of most countries to become members of an international organization, there are also those who show a desire to leave it. A colorful example would be England (Great Britain), which announced the possibility of exiting in January of this year. The British desire is due to a number of reasons, including the Greek debt crisis, a decrease in the level of competitiveness of products from EU countries on the world market and other circumstances. The UK plans to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union in 2017.
The process of leaving the EU is regulated by the clauses of the Lisbon Treaty, which is in force and has been in force since December 2009.
Today, most European powers are united into a single community called the Eurozone. On their territory there is a single commodity market, a visa-free regime, and a common currency (euro) has been introduced. To understand which countries are currently part of the European Union and what its development trends are, it is necessary to turn to history.
Currently the EU includes (the year of accession is indicated in brackets):
- Austria (1995)
- Belgium (1957)
- Bulgaria (2007)
- UK (1973)
- Hungary (2004)
- Germany (1957)
- Greece (1981)
- Denmark (1973)
- Ireland (1973)
- Spain (1986)
- Italy (1957)
- Cyprus (2004)
- Latvia (2004)
- Lithuania (2004)
- Luxembourg (1957)
- Malta (2004)
- Netherlands (1957)
- Poland (2004)
- Slovakia (2004)
- Slovenia (2004)
- Portugal (1986)
- Romania (2007)
- Finland (1995)
- France (1957)
- Croatia (2013)
- Czech Republic (2004)
- Sweden (1995)
- Estonia (2004)
Map of the European Union for 2019. Click to enlarge.
Historical facts
For the first time, proposals for European integration were voiced back in the 19th century (1867) at the Paris Conference. But due to deep and fundamental contradictions between the powers, it took almost 100 years for the matter to reach practical implementation. During this time, European states had to go through many local and 2 world wars. Only after the end of the Second World War, these ideas began to be discussed again and gradually put into practice. This is explained by the fact that the EU member countries realized that the rapid and effective restoration of national economies, as well as their further development, can only be carried out by pooling resources and efforts. This is clearly evidenced by the chronology of the development of the European Community.
The start of the creation of a new association was the proposal of R. Schumann (head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) about its organization in the field of use and production of steel and coal, combining the natural reserves of Germany and France. This happened on 05/09/1950. In 1951, a document on the creation of the ECSC was signed in the capital of France. In addition to the above-mentioned powers, it was signed by: Luxenburg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy.
At the beginning of 1957, the powers that are part of the ECSC signed two more treaties establishing the European EuroAtom communities, as well as the EEC. Three years later the EFTA Association was also created.
1963 - The foundation of associated relations between the community itself and Africa is laid. This allowed the 18 republics of the continent to fully enjoy for 5 years all the benefits of cooperation with the EEC (financial, technical, trade).
1964 - creation of a single agricultural market. At the same time, FEOGA began its activities to support the agricultural sector.
1968 - the end of the formation of the Customs Union.
Beginning of 1973 - the list of EU countries is replenished: Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland.
1975 - The EU and 46 countries from different parts of the globe sign a convention on trade cooperation, called the Lo Mei Convention.
1979 - introduction of EMU.
1981 - Greece joins the EU.
1986 - Spain and Portugal join.
In 1990, the Schengen Agreement was adopted.
1992 - signing of the Maastricht Treaty.
November 1, 1993 - official renaming to the European Union.
1995 - entry of Sweden, Finland, Austria.
1999 - introduction of the non-cash euro.
2002 - the euro is introduced for cash payments.
2004 - another EU expansion: Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland.
2007 - Romania and Bulgaria joined.
2013 - Croatia becomes the 28th EU member.
The development process of the Eurozone has not been and is not going smoothly all the time. For example, at the end of 1985, Greenland, which had previously joined Denmark, left it, but after gaining independence, the citizens of the state made the appropriate decision. In 2016, a referendum was held in the UK, in which the majority of the population (almost 52%) voted to terminate membership. At the time of writing, the British were in the early stages of leaving the union.
Today on the map of the Eurozone you can see states and islands that are not geographically part of Europe. This is explained by the fact that they were automatically annexed along with the other states to which they belong.
As the current situation in the world shows, countries that are members of the European Union today have different views on their membership in it and general development prospects, especially in light of recent events related to the UK’s decision.
Entry Criteria
European countries that are not members of the European Union, but wish to become members, must take into account that there are certain criteria that they must meet. You can find out more detailed information about them from a special document called the “Copenhagen Criteria”. Important attention here is paid to:
- principles of democracy;
- human rights;
- development of economic competitiveness.
All important political decisions taken by EU member states must be agreed upon.
To join this community, each applicant is tested for compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria. Based on the results of the check, a decision is made about the power’s readiness to add to this list or to wait a little longer.
If the decision is negative, then a list of parameters and criteria must be drawn up that should be brought back to normal within a specified time frame. Compliance with the instructions is constantly monitored. After bringing the parameters back to normal, another study is carried out and then a conclusion is drawn whether the power is ready or not for membership.
The euro is considered the common currency in the Eurozone, but not all EU members adopted it on their territory in 2019. Of the 9 countries, Denmark and Great Britain have a special status, Sweden also does not recognize the euro as its national currency, but may change this attitude in the near future, and 6 more powers are just preparing for introduction.
Contenders
If you look at which countries are members of the European Union, and who is currently a candidate to join its ranks, then one can well expect an expansion of the association; to date, 5 candidates have been officially announced: Albania, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Among the potential ones we can highlight Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are also contenders among states located on other continents that previously signed an association agreement: Chile, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, South Africa and others.
Economic activity and its basic principles
Current economic activity on the territory of the European Union as a whole consists of the economies of individual states that are part of the association. But despite this, each country on the international market is an independent unit. The total GDP consists of the contributed shares of each participating power. gives the right to live and work throughout the commonwealth.
The largest percentage of income over the past years has been brought by countries such as Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Italy and France. The main strategic resources are oil products, gas, and coal. In terms of petroleum product reserves, the EU ranks 14th in the world.
Another significant source of income is tourism. This is facilitated by a visa-free regime, vibrant trade relations and a single currency.
By analyzing which states are members of the European Union and who is a candidate for membership, one can make various forecasts. But in any case, the integration of economies will continue in the near future and most likely powers located on other continents will be involved.
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- part of the Eurasian continent, washed by two oceans at once - the Arctic and the Atlantic.
The area of the EU is approximately 10 million square meters. The population accounts for approximately 10% of the total population of the planet, which is approximately 740 million people.
General information
How many parts are there in Europe:
- Northern Europe;
- Southern Europe;
- Eastern Europe;
- Central Europe.
Depending on existing opinions, European countries can be classified as one part of it or another.
The highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus, whose height reaches 5642 m. The lowest point is the Caspian Sea, whose height is currently approximately 27 m.
The main territory is dominated by flat terrain, and only 17% of all Europe is mountainous. The climate of most of Europe is temperate. But in the north of the territory there are glaciers, and in the Caspian lowland there is desert.
Europe is the region with the greatest cultural diversity, despite its small territory.
Eastern Europe
The European part of Eurasia, located within the borders of central and eastern Europe, is usually referred to as Eastern Europe. This territory is home to a larger number of people than other European regions, and occupies about 2/3 of Europe.
The bulk of the population are people of Slavic appearance. Due to political actions, the territory is constantly subject to change.
So, in Soviet times, the countries of the USSR were included in Eastern Europe, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, some countries separated and began to be considered foreign.
The climate here is drier and less warm. However, the soils of this part of Europe are much more fertile than those of Western Europe. Eastern Europe has the largest amount of black soil in the world.
Eastern Europe is the closest part of the Old World to Russia in spirit and territory. The plane flight will not take more than two hours. You can even go on vacation to nearby countries while driving your own car.
The familiar climate and native language will be a pleasant bonus for those who decide to spend their holidays in Eastern European countries.
Western Europe is the territory in which all Western European countries are located. Typically, this includes countries that are connected to each other along cultural and geographical principles, and that were able to escape Soviet influence during the Cold War.
The climate in Western European countries is generally temperate, with mild winters and warm summers.
Western Europe is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Urbanization here is at 80%. The largest agglomerations here are London and Paris.
Western Europe is considered the most popular for tourism. About 65% of tourists flock here. In this area you can see everything: from sandy beaches to mountain landscapes. The mosaic nature of the landscapes is striking in its beauty.
The large flow of tourists has led to the formation of special tourist zones that specialize in providing tourism services to guests.
This article may be of interest:
Everyone will be able to indicate on the map exactly where Europe is located. However, setting clear boundaries turns out to be not so easy.
The geographical boundaries of Europe on the northern, western and southern sides are the coastline of the seas of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the Atlantic Ocean. These are the Baltic, Northern, Irish, Mediterranean, Black, Marmara and Azov seas.
The eastern border is usually drawn along the slope of the Ural Mountains to the Caspian Sea. Some sources also include the territories of the Caucasus as Europe.
List of countries in Europe
The number of European countries is quite extensive.
If listed in alphabetical order, the list would be as follows:
- Austria;
- Albania;
- Andorra.
- Belarus;
- Belgium;
- Bulgaria;
- Bosnia.
- Vatican;
- Great Britain;
- Hungary.
- Germany;
- Holland;
- Greece.
- Denmark.
- Ireland;
- Spain;
- Italy;
- Iceland.
- Latvia;
- Lithuania;
- Liechtenstein;
- Luxembourg.
- Macedonia;
- Malta;
- Moldova;
- Monaco.
- Norway.
- Poland;
- Portugal.
- Russia;
- Romania.
- San Morino;
- Serbia;
- Slovakia;
- Slovenia.
- Ukraine.
- Finland;
- France.
- Croatia.
- Montenegro;
- Czech Republic.
- Switzerland;
- Sweden.
- Estonia.
This is a complete list of states that are European.
Number of European countries
The number of states included in Europe today is 50 . But based on the political and economic situations occurring in the world, it cannot be said that this list will not change.
We can take as an example the Soviet Union, which at one time collapsed into 15 independent states, while the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, for example, on the contrary, united into a single whole, and today are called Germany.
These days, a difficult political situation is taking place in Spain. The Catalan part is trying to separate itself into a state independent from Spain and be called Catalonia.
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National symbols
The national symbols of countries are their flags and coats of arms. As a rule, the basis of coats of arms includes animalistic symbols. The image of a horse symbolizes speed and movement.
All European countries are familiar with the myths about the sun god, who traveled on his horse-drawn carriage. But, for example, the elephant expresses reliability and strength. It is his image that can be found on the coat of arms of the city of Coventry in Great Britain.
The state symbols of England are the oldest of all European countries. The coat of arms, which is now official in Great Britain, originated in the 19th century.
It looks like a shield, in the upper left and lower right corners of which there are three gold-colored leopards on a red background, in the upper right - a fiery lion, located on a gold-colored background - the Scottish coat of arms, and, finally, in the lower left - a harp of gold on blue field – Irish symbols.
This shield is held by a golden lion with a crown in its mane and a snow-white unicorn.
The symbolism of the Scandinavian countries reveals the history of the countries of the European North. The coat of arms of Denmark has been formed over several centuries. It is a shield with a crown on top, and inside the shield there are four blue leopards in a row from top to bottom.
It is divided by a red and white cross, in the center of which is its coat of arms.
Until the 13th century, the state coat of arms of Sweden depicted three leopards in crowns standing on a field one behind the other, which was very reminiscent of the coat of arms of Denmark.
Only at the beginning of the 14th century did it appear coat of arms depicting three golden crowns, which later became a state symbol.
Primordial coat of arms of Iceland was presented in the form of a white falcon, but in 1944 a new symbolism was chosen: a shield held by a bull, a dragon, an eagle and an old man.
Main The symbol of Albania is a black eagle with two heads, which is the Albanian coat of arms.
The symbol of Bulgaria is the golden lion, located on a red shield, which is a symbol of masculinity.
Polish coat of arms appears in the shape of a white eagle, whose head is adorned with a gilded crown.
Symbol of Serbia was created during the period of unification of the lands of Serbia. It depicts an eagle with two heads and a crown.
Macedonia became independent only in the second half of the 20th century, so before this period, symbolism was represented only by territorial symbols. Now The coat of arms of Macedonia features a golden crowned lion.
However, Russia’s entry into Europe is considered controversial, because most of it is located in Asia, and only about 22% is in Europe.
Next on the list of the largest European countries by territory is worth mentioning Ukraine. It occupies an area of almost 604 thousand square meters. The population of Ukraine is about 42 million people.
France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Norway, Poland and Italy present a list of the 10 largest European countries. However, in terms of the number of inhabitants of these countries, after Russia comes Germany, whose number of inhabitants is about 81 million people .
The population of France is in third place in terms of size. Within its boundaries there are about 66 million people .
The largest cities in Europe are London, with its population of 7 million people, Berlin - 3.5 million people, followed by Madrid, Rome, Kyiv and Paris with a population of 3 million.
Which countries are part of the European Union?
The Union of Europe was organized during the collapse of the USSR. The EU represents states united together for economic reasons and political views. Most of these countries use one type of currency - the euro.
The Union is an international entity that includes the characteristics of a country and the characteristics of an international community, but in fact they are neither one nor the other.
In some cases, decisions are made by supranational institutions, and in others through negotiations between countries that are members of the European Union.
At the very beginning of its emergence, the European Union consisted of only six countries– Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. Today, thanks to joining the agreement, the number of countries within the European Union has increased to twenty-eight.
States renounce their sovereignty and in return receive protection in various institutions of the union, which act for the common interests of all participants.
The Lisbon Treaty included rules for secession from the European Union. During the entire period of action, only Greenland left the European Union - in the late 1900s.
Currently, five countries are vying for the opportunity to leave the Union. These are Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Montenegro.
List of EU countries:
- Austria;
- Belgium;
- Bulgaria;
- Hungary;
- Great Britain;
- Greece;
- Germany;
- Denmark;
- Italy;
- Ireland;
- Spain;
- Republic of Cyprus;
- Luxembourg;
- Latvia;
- Lithuania;
- Malta;
- Netherlands;
- Portugal;
- Poland;
- Romania;
- Slovenia;
- Slovakia;
- France;
- Finland;
- Croatia;
- Czech Republic;
- Sweden;
- Estonia.
(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 maintaining 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.