Poland joins the European Union. Objective reasons for holding a referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union
Against the backdrop of the collapse of the largest association in Eurasia - the USSR, 28 European powers organized their own unification - European Union. What it is today is known, perhaps, to all more or less literate people. However, there are a number of subtleties in the relations of the countries within it, as well as in the relations of this association with the Russian Federation.
How was the European Union formed?
The European Union combines the characteristics of a state and an international organization. However, in fact, he is neither one nor the other. Legally, it is not enshrined as a subject of international law, but actually takes part in international relations.
The population is more than five hundred million people. The official languages are the languages of all member states. In addition, the EU has its own flag and anthem, which are signs of statehood. Throughout the territory of the association there is a single currency - the euro.
The EU was not formed in a day. Attempts to combine production from different countries began in 1952. The association that we know today exists since 1992. At the same time, the list of its participants has only expanded to this day.
Here is the complete list of states (28 countries) that are members of the European Union for 2019 (in alphabetical order):
Date of entry |
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Republic of Austria |
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Bulgaria |
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Great Britain |
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Germany |
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Ireland |
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Republic of Cyprus |
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Luxembourg |
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Netherlands |
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Portugal |
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Slovenia |
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Slovakia |
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Finland |
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Croatia |
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The complexity of the existence of this association is largely due to the inability of states to observe only their own interests in economic and political terms. All participating countries are obliged to act on the agreement, and any of them can impose a ban on a particular proposal.
Despite the fact that the European Union has its main base in Brussels, the official capital of the European Union has not been determined. All 28 participating countries take turns presiding over a six-month period.
Who left the European Union?
To date there are no countries that have left the European Union. However, the UK first announced this intention after many years of cooperation in 2016. The exit process is lengthy and requires resolving many issues.
Short for the name of Great Britain ( Br itain) and the English word " exit" - output, a name appeared such as the name of the process, such as Brexit (Brexit). Officially, England can be considered to have left the organization after ratifying the withdrawal agreement.
Political scientists predict imminent exit from the European Union and some other states:
- Sweden . Due to the fact that it is the prototype of Great Britain in the Scandinavian world and does not agree with some EU decisions. In addition, a single currency was never established on its territory;
- Denmark . Since in 2015 a referendum was held there on the integration of the legal settlement. However, the people voted against the majority, which indicates an unwillingness to rejoin the organization for precautionary reasons;
- Greece , whose economy is not in the best position, and therefore many member countries are in favor of its exclusion from membership;
- Netherlands , because many residents, according to the results of a survey, would like to leave the ranks of the union following Great Britain;
- Hungary does not agree with the EU policy towards refugees and is ready to decide in a referendum the issue of subordination to it in this direction;
- France , namely, the majority of its population considers the EU to be the culprit for many of its problems, which allows us to talk about Euroscepticism in the ranks of the French and their desire to leave the union.
Why is Switzerland not part of the European Union?
In 1992, Switzerland, like other countries, submitted its application to join the then emerging new global political union. However, a little later a referendum was held on the issue of accession, the result of which was the division of citizens’ opinions almost equally.
However, Swiss citizens those who expressed their negative opinion turned out to be slightly more. In 2016, Switzerland formalized its refusal to join and withdrawal of its application.
The organization of the European Union is such that:
- Any country can block the adoption of certain decisions;
- All members pay contributions to the EU, and the situation is that small powers, such as Poland, get much more from coexistence than large developed economies;
- States such as Greece, which can be considered “under-integrated,” exist only at the expense of the European Union;
- In addition, there are a number of countries that are not included in the composition, but conduct payments in Euros or vice versa, which are part of the Single European Space, but are not part of the EU.
All this makes the EU a huge structure with many problems and unresolved issues.
Switzerland, geographically located in the center of Europe, is not interested in the union because:
- Has its own stable, developed economy;
- Own stable currency.
The only direction in which they are ready to cooperate is politics. However, this is not enough to join a structure that is so unstable today.
How to obtain EU citizenship?
EU citizenship gives you the right to freely move throughout its territory, as well as live in any of the countries that are part of it and conduct commercial activities. In order to receive such opportunities, you must become a citizen of any of the participating countries. There are 28 in total as of 2018.
Accordingly, in order to acquire EU citizenship, it is necessary to fulfill the conditions for obtaining it in the relevant country. Most often this is:
- Official residence in the territory of the state for a certain amount of time. Each state has its own deadlines. Therefore, if in Belgium three years are enough for this, then in France the period is calculated in a decade;
- Find ethnic roots in your family. That is, if your grandparents or grandparents were citizens of the chosen state, then you can safely submit documents;
- Marriage with a citizen of an EU state gives the right to obtain her citizenship after some time of residence on its territory. These terms also vary;
- The birth of children on the territory of an EU state automatically entitles the newborn to be a citizen of the country of birth.
Thus, when studying the issue of obtaining EU citizenship, it is necessary to be guided by the legislation of a particular country.
- First you need to go there, live there for a while;
- Then get a residence visa;
- If the relevant circumstances described above arise, you can apply for an EU passport.
What can you import into Russia from the European Union?
The rules for importing certain products into Russia are regulated by the Customs Code and other bills. As for the European Union, in connection with recent events and sanctions imposed on Russia, they are taking the following restrictions:
- Products of plant and animal origin are allowed weighing no more than five kilograms. In order to introduce a larger quantity, you need to obtain a special permit from Rosselkhoznadzor;
- Seeds and products for planting use are allowed to be imported only with a special permit;
- Products are allowed for import only in original packaging;
- Alcohol must be imported no more than three liters free of charge, from three to five liters, having previously paid a duty;
- The cost of all baggage should not exceed 1,500 euros for one trip by land and 10,000 euros for air transport.
As for product names, there is no need to worry. The Russian Federation's response measures do not apply to individuals. That is a traveler can purchase any product from the list of sanctions for personal use or consumption, or as a gift. The main thing is that its quantity does not exceed the norms described above.
In addition, when traveling to a certain country, you should study its customs relations with the Russian Federation, since individual rules may apply between us. All necessary information is contained on the Rosselkhoznadzor website.
Thus, the political and economic merger of European countries that was formed in the early nineties is called the European Union. It is obvious that this association is a huge structure that has an influence on the global economic and political situation. However, not all countries located in the single European space are seeking membership in this organization, and some even declare their readiness to leave it.
Video: how and why did the European Union come into being?
In this video, historian Maxim Sholokhov will tell you why there was a need to unite these countries into a coalition, and why their economy could do without the European Union:
Romania is an important European country. It plays a significant role in the economy, regional politics, and also in culture. Its popularity among tourists is constantly growing, they are discovering a new destination. At the same time, not everyone yet knows whether Romania is part of the European Union or not, and in general they are not very well informed about its life.
Information about the European Union
First of all, a few words about what this international organization is. So, the European Union is a regional integration association. Private countries act on the basis of a number of treaties and fundamental acts that regulate a variety of aspects of the union’s activities:
- Foreign policy and defense.
- Economy.
- Education.
- Labor market, opportunity to work in the EU.
- Cooperation on environmental issues.
- Cultural programs.
- Problems of refugees and migration.
The European Parliament and other organizations act as authorities. Thus, EU member countries voluntarily renounce part of their sovereignty in favor of pan-European government institutions that are supranational. Periodically, elections are held in all countries, the task of which is to form common authorities.
EU Member States
The list of EU member countries changes over the years. The following members are included from time to time. Today the participants are:
List of participating states | |
Finland | Sweden |
Hungary | Spain |
Lithuania | Netherlands |
Belgium | Estonia |
Czech | Poland |
Slovakia | Bulgaria |
France | Germany |
Slovenia | Denmark |
Cyprus | Romania |
Austria | Malta |
Latvia | Croatia |
Luxembourg | Ireland |
Portugal | Greece |
Italy |
Attention! The UK is soon due to leave the EU, whose residents voted for such a decision in a national referendum.
One should also distinguish between the European Union, on the one hand, and the Schengen Agreement and the Eurozone, on the other.
The so-called “Schengen” is an agreement on cross-border and visa cooperation signed by a number of European countries. One of the important advantages is the ability to freely cross borders throughout the Schengen area. The Eurozone is a special economic union that involves monetary integration of member countries. Today it includes 19 countries, but the list is gradually expanding. However, not all EU members participate in the Schengen Agreement or the European Economic Area. An example is Poland: a country of the European Union and part of Schengen, which, however, has not introduced the euro as a currency for payments. The Polish national currency is the zloty.
On a note! In addition to actual participants, the European Union also has candidates for accession: Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey, Montenegro.
Romania in the European Union
Since the country signed the corresponding agreement and went through the procedure of joining the EU, today Romania is part of this international integration association. She joined him at the same time as Bulgaria, in January 2007.
However, it has still not become a member of the Schengen Agreement, nor has it introduced the euro as a settlement currency. This was the result of the fact that Romania has significant problems, both in the economic sphere and in the fight against corruption, abuses of officials, and a high crime rate by the standards of more developed European countries (for example, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, etc.). Joining these organizations is constantly being postponed because the country is not yet ready for this. The Romanian Leu is used as the national currency. By the way, until a certain time, the possibility of working in other EU states was closed to Romanians.
The national currency is the leu.
Regarding visas and border crossings, although the country is not a member of the Schengen Agreement, it recognizes Schengen visas. So, if you have any multiple visa from the Schengen countries in your passport, you can enter Romania. In any case, as of the beginning of 2018. In addition, you can open a national Romanian visa.
Many European states are united in the so-called European Union. This name is well known, but not everyone knows what it means and what countries it includes.
Moreover, it is often confused with the Schengen zone and the Eurozone - and this is far from the same thing. These are fundamentally different concepts that need to be separated especially by those who are going to visit Europe as a tourist or by invitation. Let's go in order.
What is the European Union?
This is a special international entity that combines characteristics inherent both to a state and an international organization.
This means that all countries that are part of this association are completely independent, but uniform standardized rules apply on their territory.
Standardized are medical care, education, the judicial and pension systems, as well as a set of laws that apply throughout the EU in exactly the same way.
Which countries are part of the European Union?
Currently, the list of EU countries includes 28 states. This list is constantly growing with new members. EU members are:
- Since 1957: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France
- Since 1973: Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland,
- Since 1981: Greece
- Since 1986: Spain, Portugal
- Since 1995: Austria, Finland, Sweden
- Since 2004: Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia
- Since 2007: Bulgaria, Romania
- Since 2013: Croatia
The most recent addition to the list is Croatia. But perhaps in the future new members will join this association. There are already five most likely candidates to join the EU. These are Iceland, Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Montenegro.
What is the difference between the EU, Eurozone and Schengen?
Many people believe that joining the EU means automatic entry into the Schengen area. This is not entirely true.
In practice, the list of Schengen countries does not coincide with the list of EU countries. Some countries are part of the Schengen area, but are not part of the EU, or, conversely, are part of the EU, but are not part of Schengen.
And the situation is similar in the Eurozone and the European Union. It's also not the same thing. Many countries that are part of the EU (more specifically, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Sweden) have reserved the right to use national currencies. Just like some countries that adopt the Euro have nothing to do with the EU. It is important to take into account such nuances to avoid possible confusion.
Which states are part of the European Union, which are in Schengen, and which are in the euro area? An interesting situation has developed in Europe: there is integration, but each country is trying to assemble its own construction kit according to its choice. That's why there are several collective farms here. The most advanced option is when the state is simultaneously a member of the European Union, the Schengen area and the eurozone.
We need to clarify a little what gives the state entry into a particular community.
The list of EU countries today is quite impressive (table below). Today the European Union (until June 2011, the Western European Union) is, simply put, a semblance of the former USSR. It was formed back in 1948 as a counterweight to the USSR. There was a second compelling reason: preventing the revival of an independent Germany after the Second World War. And now Germany has been given the honorable right to be the locomotive of the economy of the entire European Union, so as not to get rich, but this is a topic for a separate difficult conversation.
Of course, there are still many differences with the Soviet Union. For example, the lack of a single currency. But there is also a lot in common: there is practically a federal structure based on common legislation, there is a common treasury from which you can draw. Single central bank (ECB), single customs area. Centralization as a command-administrative government - limits are lowered from above on the area under crops, for example.
This is how they are trying to increase the profitability of agricultural producers. As a result of this policy, the Czech Republic almost lost its vegetables, and in return increased the volume of rapeseed cultivation. And then subsidies for rapeseed, the oil from which it became fashionable to add to diesel fuel, began to decline. Now in the Czech Republic and neighboring countries you won’t find mayonnaise with sunflower oil as before.
Most successfully, these countries managed to develop a common foreign policy. In this area, perhaps, there is the least disagreement. Who to execute and who to pardon is decided very unanimously in Brussels. Although, in recent years this mechanism has begun to slip. The economic crisis has cooled the belligerence of European governments, or rather, made them less decisive and friendly. And sanctions against the Russian Federation were adopted amid the groans of some members, for whom the loss of eastern markets threatens economic degradation.
EU executive bodies are European Commission, headed by a chairman, and European Council, consisting of heads of member states. Legislation is regulated by the European Parliament, in turn with its President, and the Council of the European Union.
Look, here is the Central Committee of the CPSU, and the Politburo, and the Supreme Council, and party congresses, and the General Secretary, and the chairman of the presidium! True, parliament is organized on a multi-party basis.
And here Constitution The European Union does not have one yet. Partly because of the complexity of its political structure, which was not understood first by the people of the Netherlands and France, and later by Ireland and the Czech Republic. Currently, the members of the union have managed to adopt the so-called Lisbon Treaty. This document is intended to simplify the procedures and bureaucratic structure of the organization and subsequently adopt a unified Constitution
EU fiscal structure
Customs borders between EU countries are conditional. Internal customs points as such have been abolished, but state customs offices have switched to a mobile version of the service. In the Czech Republic, on the main transit routes you can often see customs service minibuses monitoring passing vehicles.
Movement EU citizens within the community are free, but labor markets are regulated by separate provisions, requiring, for example, obtaining a work permit.
All VAT (value added tax) payers in the European Union are combined into a single electronic database. In the Czech Republic, to find out whether a company or entrepreneur is a VAT payer, you can go online to the electronic register of VAT payers of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. The information is open. To obtain it, it is enough to enter the TIN of the business entity.
EU members determine many things for themselves, for example, tax rates. Thus, VAT rates in European Union countries are regulated only at the minimum level of the basic (base) rate. Investigations, legal proceedings, codes may differ significantly in different states of the community.
The amount of deductions from the wage fund is not regulated at all within the union. Therefore, social payments and contributions to health insurance funds vary significantly across EU countries.
Schengen Union - many countries, one visa
Some European countries at one time wished to establish a community based on the Schengen Agreement on a common external border. What can I say, a very convenient structure, which citizens of the states of the former USSR, with the exception of the Baltic states, can only envy. Today you can drive several thousand kilometers along European roads without encountering border guards.
Is it true, mobile control remains, it works. This should be remembered by those foreigners who receive in their passports not a Schengen visa, but, for example, a national visa type “D”. With such a visa, you can travel outside the state only if you have additional visas from those states that are intended for travel.
Euro area
The Czech Republic is included in the EU list and Schengen is part of this triumvirate, but is not included in the eurozone for the reason that citizens do not want to introduce the euro in the Czech Republic. And after the fall of 2008 they no longer really want to. So neighboring Poland, too, due to the economic crisis, sharply slowed down its elegant train, just at that moment running towards the euro at full speed. Somehow they immediately became tired of it.
To make it convenient for my reader, and often for me when writing notes, let us have this table at hand.
Table 1. EU countries, Schengen area and Eurocurrency area for 2015
State | European Union | Eurozone | Schengen | NATO | |
1 | Austria | + | + | + | |
2 | Belgium | + | + | + | + |
3 | Bulgaria | + | + | ||
4 | Great Britain | + | + | ||
5 | Hungary | + | + | + | |
6 | Germany | + | + | + | + |
7 | Holland | + | + | + | + |
8 | Greece | + | + | + | + |
9 | Denmark | + | + | + | |
10 | Ireland | + | + | ||
11 | Iceland | + | + | ||
12 | Spain | + | + | + | + |
13 | Italy | + | + | + | + |
14 | Cyprus | + | + | ||
15 | Latvia | + | + | + | + |
16 | Lithuania | + | + | + | + |
17 | Liechtenstein | + | |||
18 | Luxembourg | + | + | + | + |
19 | Malta | + | + | + | |
20 | Norway | + | + | ||
21 | Poland | + | + | + | |
22 | Portugal | + | + | + | + |
23 | Romania | + | + | ||
24 | Slovakia | + | + | + | + |
25 | Slovenia | + | + | + | + |
26 | Finland | + | + | + | |
27 | France | + | + | + | + |
28 | Croatia | + | |||
29 | Czech | + | + | + | |
30 | Switzerland | + | |||
31 | Sweden | + | + | ||
32 | Estonia | + | + | + | + |
www.site |
Third states
Czech laws regulating immigration to the Czech Republic often use the term "third state nationals" With the sign posted above, it is now much easier to figure out who is who. All states that are not on the plate are within the meaning of Law 326/1999 Sb. “On the stay of foreigners on the territory of the Czech Republic”, are just called third. The exception in the table is Liechtenstein, which is also “third”.
Table 2. History of the development of the eurozone
Year of entry | State |
1999 | Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland, France |
2001 | Greece |
2007 | Slovenia |
2008 | Malta, Cyprus |
2009 | Slovakia |
2011 | Estonia |
2014 | Latvia |
2015 | Lithuania |
States and territories using the euro without authorization | Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco, Kosovo, San Marino, Montenegro |
Association Agreement with the European Union
There is also an extensive list of non-EU states with which the European Union has signed association agreements on a bilateral basis. A textbook example of this type of relationship is Turkey, which has been eager to join the EU since 1963, when the Association Agreement between Turkey and the European Union was signed. It developed three stages, the implementation of which would allow Turkey to join the EU.
Each such agreement is a long, painstaking work of hundreds of people from different sides. It’s no wonder, the EU was not established for charitable activities. Currently, the leaders of the union are concerned about two things: where to put their goods in order to ease deflation, and how to protect their labor market from the influx of newcomers, and the crisis only spurs the solution of these problems.
Looking at the list of states associated with the European Union, you understand that if a country like Turkey has not been accepted as a full member of the EU for so many years, then many others will not be able to do so for decades. Last year, Turkish politicians, in particular Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, spoke in the spirit that, they say, everything is clear, they’ll wait a little longer, and that’s it for this project...
The list is not exhaustive of this type of agreement. There are also such types of contractual relations as an agreement on a customs union, on free trade (regular and expanded), and neighborhood policy.
Table 3. Associated members of the European Union
Year of agreement | State |
1963 | Türkiye |
1998 | Tunisia |
2000 | Israel, Morocco, Mexico, South Africa |
2002 | Jordan |
2003 | Chile |
2004 | Egypt |
2005 | Algeria |
2006 | Lebanon |
2008 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2009 | Albania |
2010 | Montenegro |
2011 | Serbia |
2013 | Georgia, Canada, Central American Common Market (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador) |
2014 | Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine |
European Union and the common market
Today the European Union is a kind of liberal federal entity that has made it possible to unite approximately 500 million people into a single market. Despite the fact that not all states wished to enter the single currency zone, one way or another they are firmly tied to the euro.
The presence of such a huge consumer market makes it possible for the economies of EU countries to benefit, especially industrialized ones that have a high share of technological goods in industrial production (Germany, France).
At one time, the USSR carried out almost lightning-fast industrialization, won a difficult war, and then reaped the laurels of the past for a long time after the failed Khrushchev reforms. This also happened because the Soviet Union in a short time created its own grandiose common market, which included not only its republics, but also the Warsaw Pact countries. Commodity flows within such a large and populous territory were gigantic, and the industry of these countries produced most of the items themselves. In modern terminology, a return to such an economic model is called import substitution.
Labor markets within the European Union are divided like the Warsaw Pact. But statistics show that, unlike the former USSR, now the leading EU countries are striving to obtain maximum benefits for themselves. For example, to close a number of industries in newcomer states, to reduce plantations of agricultural crops that were so common among newcomers. Buy up existing enterprises, banks, telecom operators, transport.
If the Czech Republic or Poland were able to negotiate preferences for themselves and preserve industry and energy, then the accession to the EU, for example, of Bulgaria, the Baltic and Mediterranean states, weakened their economies and undermined labor markets. Numerous streams of citizens of these states rush abroad in search of work, and at this time their enterprises either go bankrupt or gradually become the property of citizens of wealthier states.
I am curious to what extent are EU politicians able to continue to evaluate the experience of the Soviet past, without paying attention to the ideological background of that state structure? So far they have been doing a good job of scaring the average person with the Soviet communist dictatorship, while at the same time copying, to one degree or another, the structure of the collapsed socialist camp.
Finland is an economically developed country in Northern Europe, bordering Russia, Sweden and Norway. Finland has a high standard of living, so many foreigners flock here. Potential tourists and migrants are often looking for an answer to the question of whether Finland is part of the European Union.
Let's consider what unions and associations this northern European state belongs to. First, let's find out what the European Union is and what countries are included in it. The European Union is an organization consisting of independent states that have developed common political and economic rules for themselves and have a common currency - the euro. Also, many European countries are part of the Schengen zone. How are these associations different?
Finland's membership in the European Union and Schengen
The European Union was legally established in 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, giving rise to a large common market that is very convenient for its members. Finland joined the European Union back in 1995. Now citizens of this state can move freely throughout Europe. Until 2002, the national currency of Finland was the Finnish mark. Now the country's single currency is the euro. After World War II, the economy and industry of this state developed greatly, especially the timber industry, steel production and tourism.
Finland is also a member of the Schengen area. The Schengen Union was concluded in the spring of 1995 with the aim of unifying the borders between European states. The Schengen Agreement has significantly simplified movement between participating countries. There is no passport control at the borders between these countries. Citizens of countries outside the Schengen area only need to open one general Schengen visa to visit several countries.
The internal market, free of visas and duties, has made trading in the euro area easier for Finnish companies. The Prime Minister of Finland is a permanent member of the European Council of the EU. Finland has great influence in the European Union; it is represented in the European Parliament by 13 deputies. Finns can travel and work freely in all countries of the European Union and the Schengen area.
EU member states, potential members for accession
Today the European Union includes 28 member countries, home to more than 500 million inhabitants. Of these, 19 states entered the Eurozone with a single currency - the euro. The first countries joined this association back in 1973. The last addition was in 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. Below is a list of participating countries as of 2018:
- Germany;
- Finland;
- Poland;
- Portugal;
- Spain;
- Slovenia;
- Slovakia;
- Croatia;
- Denmark;
- Bulgaria;
- Romania;
- Sweden;
- Norway;
- Greece;
- Malta;
- Croatia;
- Cyprus;
- Italy;
- Austria;
- France;
- Holland;
- Ireland;
- Estonia;
- Latvia;
- Lithuania;
- Luxembourg;
- Belgium.
Today, 26 countries are members of the Schengen area. There are a number of candidate countries for membership in the European Union - Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. The Schengen Union and the European Union should not be confused. These are different associations, they have different functions, they have different composition. 4 countries that are part of the Schengen area are not members of the European Union.
Interesting! There is also a candidate to leave the EU! This is Great Britain, which, after the famous referendum, is going to leave this association. A process called “Brexit” has now been launched, as a result of which Great Britain may soon leave the European Union.
As we can see, this state is simultaneously a member of several public associations. Finland is an important and significant member of the EU. Finns are proud that they can influence European affairs. Unlike neighboring Scandinavian countries, Finland is not a member of NATO. In all military relations it remains neutral. Finland, although a small country, is capable of influencing internationally.