The European Union is an economic and political union created by the Treaty of Maastricht which was signed in February 1992 and came into force in late 1993. Now, the EU has more than 500 million citizens and 27 member countries. The EU generates around 30% of the worlds Gross World Product.
In the years after World War Two, there were moves towards integration in Europe as an escape from the extreme nationalisation which tore Europe apart during the first part of the twentieth century.
A number of treaties were signed which gave standardised laws to a small number of countries such as the Merger Treaty in 1967.
The EU was officially created by the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. And then in 1995 Austria, Sweden and Finland joined the treaty.
As of 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria became the latest countries in the EU. As of January 2008, the European Union had three official candidate countries to join the treaty: Croatia, the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.
The EU has developed a system of standardised laws which apply in all member states. These laws indclude the guarantee of freedom of movement of people, goods and currency within the EU for member states. Twenty-one EU member states are also members of NATO
Governance of the EU
The EU is described as being separated into three "pillars". The activities within the EU are regulated by a number of bodies and institutions. These bodies carry out the tasks set out by the EU's constitution.
The EU is directed by the European Council which is made up of one representative per member state. The council is headed a presidency which rotates every six months. During this time, a member country takes it turn to chain meetings of the council and help make executive decisions and often make a drive on a particular policy such as economic reform.
Military and Defence in the EU
Each member state is responsible for their own defence, although the majority are also member of NATO. In 1999, following the war in Kosovo, the European Council decided that it should be able to have the ability to respond to an international crisis with a credible, coalition force made up of parts of its members military forces.
There is a great disparity between EU economies with Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) ranging from $7000 to $69,000. It is possible to travel from one of the EU to the other (excluding the UK) without a passport. This has been made possible by the Schengen Agreement. The EU has established co-operation between, police forces, judiciary systems and border forces to try to enforce a fair justice system throughout the whole of the EU.
 |
