The European Union (EU) is a economic and political block formed by European countries. Currently, 28 countries are part of the European Union and the bloc's headquarters are in Brussels, capital of Belgium.
These countries are coming together to participate in one of the largest integration and political and economic development projects in the world.
How did the European Union come about?
The roots of the current European Union are in the now extinct European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and European Economic Community (EEC). These groups united with Benelux, a small economic bloc formed by Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, originating the European Common Market (MCE), with the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
The European Common Market was an association of countries to create an economic zone without tariffs and taxes and with freedom of movement between countries. Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands and Luxembourg were part of the MCE.
The creation of the EU happened with the signing of the
Maastricht Treaty in 1992. The European Union was initially formed by the same countries that formed the European Common Market.After that, in 2009, all the principles that govern the European bloc were revised with the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon.
Which are the member countries of the European Union?
Currently, the European Union is officially made up of 28 countries.
- Germany
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Netherlands
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Poland
- Portugal
- United Kingdom (in the process of leaving the EU, already decided by the referendum vote in favor of the Brexit)
- Czech republic
- Romania
- Sweden
See also the meaning of Brexit.
Albania, Serbia, Turkey, Macedonia and Montenegro are in the process of negotiating to join the EU.
European Union flag
The official flag of the European Union is made up of twelve gold stars that form a circle on a blue background. Contrary to what many people think, the number of stars on the flag is not related with the number of Member States that make up the European bloc.
In some cultures the number twelve represents perfection and completeness. Based on this idea, the stars on the European Union flag represent the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the European peoples.
Characteristics and objectives of the European Union
Among some of the main features from the EU are:
- free movement of persons through the Member States (belonging to the “Schengen area”),
- free movement of goods between Member States,
- political integration,
- adoption of a single currency, the Euro.
However, it is noteworthy that not all countries that make up the European Union have adopted the Euro as their official currency.
Countries that have adopted the euro form the call eurozone or eurozone. The countries that use the currency are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal.
the main goals of the EU are:
- help member countries in their economic development,
- give more political and economic equality to Europe,
- improve the economic and working conditions of European citizens,
- reduce economic and social inequalities between all regions that make up the bloc,
- ensure that a peaceful and harmonious environment remains throughout Europe.
know more about economic blocks.
European Union Treaties
Throughout the existence of the EU, several Treaties were created that regulate the functioning and objectives that must be achieved by the countries participating in the bloc. The Treaties also define how decisions are made and how the member countries must relate to each other.
To be valid documents must be approved by all member countries.
These are the main European Union Treaties:
- Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty): was signed in 1992 to create the bloc and define the forms of cooperation between EU member countries,
- Lisbon Treaty: was signed in 2007 and created measures to make the EU more democratic and better able to act on global problems,
- Treaty of Nice: was signed in 2001 and changed the formation of the Commission and the voting system of the Council of the European Union,
- Amsterdam Treaty: the document was signed in 1997 and amended old treaties to improve decision-making and to make it easier for other countries to join the EU,
- Treaties of Rome: were signed in 1957 and created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).
How is the European Union formed?
To guarantee its functioning, the European Union is composed of several institutions such as: Parliament European Union, European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Central Bank and Court of Justice of the Union European.
Each of these bodies has specific functions and representatives from all Member States. Look:
European Parliament
The Parliament has existed since 1952 and has its headquarters in Strasbourg, France and Brussels, Belgium.
It is a body with functions legislative (making European Union laws and deciding on international treaties) and budget (make and control block budgets). The Parliament also supervises other bodies, the European Central Bank's monetary policy and approves the Union budget, among other activities.
It is made up of 751 deputies who are elected in proportion to the population of each country.
European Commission
The Commission has existed since 1958 and is located in Brussels, Belgium. It is formed by a team of Commissioners, with one representative from each country in the bloc.
The Commission's role is to propose new laws, monitor the application of existing laws and put into practice the decisions of the Parliament and the Council. The Commission also controls the expenditure and budget of the European Union.
Council of the European Union
The Council was created in 1958 and has its headquarters in Brussels, it is formed by the government ministers of the countries that are part of the European Union. Each country holds the presidency of the Council for 6 months.
In the Council, government ministers meet to debate and define the bloc's policies and to discuss and vote on the laws of the European Union. The main functions of the Council are linked to foreign policy, security issues and signing of international agreements.
European central bank
The European Central Bank (ECB) is located in Frankfurt, Germany and was created in 1998.
The role of the ECB is to ensure that the euro is a stable and secure currency, in addition to taking care of issues relating to the economic policies of the European Union. The Central Bank should be able to guarantee that prices are stable and that the economy of the countries in the bloc is growing.
The ECB is also responsible for giving authorization for countries that are part of the eurozone to produce euro banknotes.
Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court (TJUE) has existed since 1952 and is located in Luxembourg. It is made up of a judge from each country that is part of the European Union and 11 other lawyers-general.
The ECJ takes care of the application of the laws and rules of European law to ensure that they are applied uniformly in all member countries.
Among the main functions of the Court are: to apply the laws and make the uniform interpretation of a law when it is applied in different ways in more than one country or when there are conflicts in the application.
The Court can also apply penalties when individuals or companies are harmed by EU acts. Another function is to overturn laws that are contrary to the rules of operation of the European Union or that violate fundamental rights.
See also the meaning of Euro symbol.