Great Britain within the European Union. Which countries are in the European Union. The debt crisis of the European Union and measures to overcome it

60 years have passed from the year of creation. However, a year earlier, Great Britain presented a "surprise": a national referendum revealed the desire of the British to withdraw from this interethnic organization. On March 29, 2019, the Kingdom of Great Britain will become the first and so far the only country in history to leave the European Union. What countries are in the European Union? What are its prospects?

Which countries are in the European Union? List

By compiling such a table, we, I think, have answered the question of how many countries and which ones are included in the European Union.

"Non-European" European Union

But the European Union also includes those not located within Europe, the following overseas territories of the EU countries that have a special status are:

Despite these precedents, the EU does not include the equivalent territories of Great Britain, Holland and Denmark.

eurosceptics

However, this is not surprising. After all, even not everyone aspires to become its members. Northerners-Scandinavians treat him coldly. For example, Sweden and Denmark did not completely switch to the euro, retaining their national currencies. What Scandinavian country is not part of the European Union? There are even two of them - Norway and Iceland. Norway was not satisfied with the restrictions imposed by the entry conditions, although the country applied for participation three times. Today, Norway is part of other European agreements like the Schengen one, but no more. For Iceland, this is not a relevant issue at all. Especially after the negotiations that have already taken place.

The eternally neutral Switzerland is also not a member of the European Union. The government was thinking about joining, but the population in the 1992 referendum clearly said: "No!". Belarus and Russia are Euroskeptics and do not look to the West.

The dwarf Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Liechtenstein do not consider the prospects of becoming "unified Europeans". But, however, does not prevent those who wish to connect. These are the Balkan countries.

"School" of the European Union

Here is a list of countries that have an association agreement with here - candidates for joining it. But the association is much broader than Europe.

These are the countries that are included in the "school" of the European Union. After all, in order to become a member, you need to meet the requirements put forward, that is, in fact, to undergo training and pass "exams".

Three graduates

Today Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo are passing it. In Tirana and Skopje, they are still frozen at the stage of the middle "classes": they have the status of candidates. Belgrade, Podgorica and Ankara are on the "release": they are negotiating with Brussels (the capital of the European Union). Moreover, the Turkish "repeated" has been doing this for almost ten years (since 1999), but it is constantly failing in the "exams". In Sarajevo and Pristina - "junior students". The former have just applied for membership, while the latter have so far only verbally announced their intentions.

Changes are also possible in the opposite direction. For example, there is talk of an "anti-European Union" referendum in Holland.

So perhaps the answer to the question "which countries are part of the European Union?" in a few decades it will sound completely different. The composition may change.

Which countries were the first to join the European Union?

The history of the creation of this national association goes back to 1951, when Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland and Italy established the European Coal and Steel Community, designed to improve the development of these

In 1957, these same countries decided to expand the "platform" to the EEC (European Economic Community). Now cooperation concerned not only metallurgy and coal mining and everything else. Then the answer to the question of which countries are members of the European Union was short. In the 60s, trade duties between the member countries of the Union were removed. And then there were: 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2007, 2013. During these years, other countries joined the European Union. The European Union worked to its fullest in the period from 1995 to 1999, when the "Schengen zone" became not a project, but a reality, when a new common European currency, the euro, was put into circulation, when supranational political authorities began to work.

Should the European Union be?

Unfortunately, recent developments in the world economy and politics have added weighty grams to the scales of Eurosceptics. The global financial crisis, poorly controlled migration of the population from the war-torn and unrest-ridden Libya and Syria to the EU countries, the chronic lagging behind the northerners of the economy and social institutions of the southerners, which cannot be overcome in any way, the default in Greece, the difficulties of the newcomers to the European Union, hoping for their rapid economic growth , and not stagnation, or, in general, degradation. They added problems and sanctions against Russia, because significant volumes of entire sectors of the economy of the EU countries were oriented to the east.

The Europeans also fear the statement of US President Donald Trump about a possible revision of relations within the NATO military bloc. Create your own army? For what money? Who will command her?

Nietzsche knows

Now the EU is in crisis, and this is good for him. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" - German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used to say. Today is a challenge for the European Union, if it survives it, it will become much stronger than it was before.

Should the European Union be? Time will tell, but it's unlikely to collapse overnight. Its backbone - the same six founding countries - have done and are doing everything so that the European Union lives and develops.

The Schengen area is a group of 26 European countries that have decided to remove immigration and passport controls at common borders. The Schengen Agreement was signed on June 14, 1985. And on April 5, 2010, the new Schengen Code came into force. Within this zone, citizens have equal international rights of movement, i.e. they have the right to move freely throughout almost all of Europe. So, is the Kingdom of Sweden included in the Schengen or not?

Has Sweden signed the Schengen Agreement?

The Kingdom joined the Schengen Agreement on December 19, 1996. And although Sweden has been a Schengen member for 20 years, there is a special border control in the ports in the west and south of the state, as well as on the Øresund bridge. However, special control at the borders with other countries of the Schengen zone has been introduced not only in this state, but also in such countries as Denmark, Germany, Austria and Norway.

Visa application

To travel to Sweden, citizens of Russia and the CIS need to apply for a visa. Its type depends on the purpose of stay in the country. So, the most common type is the Schengen visa C. The national visa D opens up more opportunities in Sweden and can become the basis for obtaining a residence permit in this country.

List of other member countries of the Schengen area

Is Sweden a member of the European Union (EU)

The European Union has existed since the 1950s. Answering the question of whether Sweden is a member of the European Union, it should be said that today the European Union unites 28 countries of Central and Western Europe and the process of its expansion continues. Sweden is also a member of the EU.

The clear benefits of EU membership include:

• economic stability;
• accessibility, close interconnection of curricula;
• high level of social protection of citizens;
• high quality of locally produced goods;
• high level of medicine, etc.

Sweden joined the European Union on January 1, 1995. With the help of common laws, the EU countries have actually created a single market. Many of them use a single monetary currency - the euro.

However, Sweden does not use the euro as its currency and does not yet plan to replace the Swedish krona with it. The country is known worldwide for its record low use of cash by the population. countries introduces its own electronic currency called e-krona. Thus, Sweden seeks to move away from cash payments.

Sweden in the EU occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of the level and quality of life. This is one of the most highly developed and environmentally friendly European countries. The high standard of living in the Kingdom is primarily characterized by high social guarantees and insurance. A trip here for the purpose of tourism, or permanent residence will open up new horizons, and the country itself conquers its guests with beauty and originality.

Compare EU countries: Video

Europe has become a pioneer on the path of integration development. It was the first among the regions of the world, on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation, to form a single economic space - the European Union.

The European Union officially unites 28 states. List of countries that are members of the EU today:

In contact with

Which countries are in the European Union

In addition to EU member states, it includes satellite territories of the main states (Aland Islands - Finland, Azores - Portugal, etc.).

Some European countries have signed special agreements with the EU and participate in its activities in certain areas. Partnership relations have been established with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein. They put into effect in their territories the Schengen Agreement. Thanks to this, the citizens of these states move freely around Europe. In turn, residents of EU countries can freely visit Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The treaty between the EU and the Swiss Confederation operates in a similar way.

EU Candidates

1. Turkey - since 1987
2. Macedonia - since 2004
3. Montenegro - since 2008
4. Albania - since 2009
5. Serbia - since 2009

Possible candidate for enrollment the integration entity is Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo. Associative relations in 2014 were fixed with a number of states of Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia (Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia). In the future, they will be able to apply for membership.

However, in 2014, the leaders of the European Union spoke out against holding integration processes in the near future. Until 2019, there is no provision for building up European partnership.

Of the candidate countries, Macedonia and Albania have real chances for admission to the European integration group. Turkey's request has already been rejected several times due to non-fulfillment of a number of necessary requirements. In addition, it has significant differences in geolocation, ethnocultural and civilizational relations with other EU members. Satisfaction of the applications of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo, is not possible due to their uncertain international status and the existence of disputed territorial issues with other states.

At various times, countries geographically very remote from the Old World declared their desire to join the single European space: Chile, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Mexico, and South Africa. However, their declarative appeals have no real grounds.

Requirements for joining the European Union

To join the integration union, the applicant country must meet certain requirements. They were first presented in 1993, in the capital of Denmark - Copenhagen. The so-called Copenhagen criteria include:

• Following the principles of democratic development.
• Compliance with legal and humanitarian norms.
• Real economic growth.

Compliance with these requirements is comprehensively studied, an overall assessment is made, and recommendations are given. If a candidate country has not been able to comply with the requirements within the prescribed period, its enrollment is postponed.

History of integration processes in Europe

For the first time the idea of ​​the possibility of integration within Europe was expressed in Paris at a conference in 1867. The actual implementation of the project began almost a century later. The impetus for the formation of a new international association was R. Schuman's initiative to consolidate the efforts of France and Germany in the field of coal and steel production. To this end, in 1951, the creation of the European Coal and Steel Organization was announced. In the future, it served as the foundation for the development of the European Union.

ECSC members are: France, Germany, Benelux, Italy. In 1957, they concluded an agreement on the work of the EEC (European Economic Community) and Euroatom. In 1993, the EEC was modified into the EU.

For 60 years (from 1957 to 2018.) The European Union has undergone a significant transformation: the number of member countries increased by almost 5 times; geographically, the EU covered most of Europe.

The accession of new countries to the integration grouping was called "waves". The following “waves” are distinguished in the history of EU enlargement:

1st (1973) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Kingdom of Denmark

2nd (1081) - Hellenic Republic

3rd (1986) - Kingdom of Spain and Portuguese Republic

4th (1995) - Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Austria, Finland

5th (2004) - Hungary, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Malta, Republic of Poland, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonian Republic

6th (2007) - Romania, Republic of Bulgaria

7th (2013) - Republic of Croatia

The list displays the join order countries to the EU zone (formerly EEC).

How the Eurozone works

The modern design of the European Union is based on an agreement developed in 1992 in the Dutch city of Maastricht. Its main parameters are:

• formation of an international association with common guidelines in the field of economics, politics and currency relations;
• development of a common market for goods and services, ensured by the unhindered movement of products of production;
• coordination of joint efforts in the environmental field;
• joint fight against crime.

The agreement entered into force on 1 November. Its real consequences were the establishment of a single currency for countries - the euro and the creation of visa-free travel (Schengen area).

Withdrawal from the EU

Along with the desire of many countries join the EU, there are supporters of disintegration. In 2009, an agreement was initialed in Lisbon that regulates, among other things, the procedure for secession from the European Union. The procedure provides for holding a national referendum. If more than half of the citizens vote for secession from the EU, a special mechanism begins to operate.

exercised the right to secession Great Britain. In the summer of 2016, the kingdom held a plebiscite known as Brexit. More than 30 million citizens of the United Kingdom took part in it. Almost 52% of the poll participants were in favor of leaving the EU. Most of the "Euro-skeptics" live in England and Wales, while the inhabitants of Northern Ireland and Scotland are among the supporters of European integration who do not want to be cut off from the rest of Europe. The final exit of Britain is declared for 2019.

The current situation cannot be assessed unequivocally.. On the one hand, there will be a dangerous precedent. It can be used by other countries that are members of the EU and are dissatisfied with the policy pursued within the framework of a single Europe. On the other hand, the consolidation of the member countries will intensify, aimed at strengthening relations within the EU.

Good day, dear readers! Ruslan welcomes you, and today I will tell you which countries are included in the European Union. We will also look at the history of its creation, development trends, and what it means in general.

I think this is a rather interesting topic, because we are all interested in politics, we go on vacation to different countries, and quite often we hear about the European Union on TV, in the media.

The states that are part of it are independent, have their own state language, local and central governments, but they have a lot in common.

They meet certain criteria, which are called "Copenhagen", the main of which are democracy, protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as adherence to the principle of free trade in a market economy.

All important policy decisions must be coordinated by the EU Member States. There are also common governing bodies - the European Parliament, the court, the European Commission, the audit community that controls the budget of the European Union, and the common currency - the euro.

Basically, all countries that are members of the EU are also members of the Schengen zone, which means that border crossings within the European Union are unimpeded.

How did it all start?

In order to understand in more detail what are the trends in the development of the EU and which powers are included in it, let's turn to history.

The first proposals for such integration were made at the Paris Conference in 1867, but due to the then great contradictions between the countries, these ideas were postponed for a long time, and only after the Second World War they were returned to them.

In the post-war period, only united efforts and resources could restore the affected economies of states.

In 1951, in Paris, France, Germany, Luxenburg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy signed the first treaty, the ECSC, thus pooling natural resources.

In 1957, the same states signed agreements on the founding of the European communities of EuroAtom and the EEC.

In 1960, the EFTA association was created.

In 1963, the foundation was laid for the community's relationship with Africa in terms of finance, technology, and trade.

In 1964, a single agricultural market was created and the organization FEOGA, supporting the agricultural sector.

In 1968, the formation of the Customs Union was completed, and in 1973, Great Britain, Denmark and Ireland entered the list of EU countries.

In 1975, the Lo Mei Convention on Trade Cooperation was signed between the EU and 46 countries around the world.

Then, in 1981, Greece joined the European Union, and in 1986, Spain and Portugal.

In 1990 the Schengen Agreement was adopted, in 1992 the Maastricht Treaty was signed.

Officially, the union began to be called the "European Union" in 1993.

Sweden, Finland and Austria joined in 1995.

The non-cash euro was introduced in 1999, and cash payments on it - in 2002.

The EU expanded significantly in 2004, after the accession of Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Then, in 2007, Romania and Bulgaria joined, and in 2013, Croatia, which became 28 countries included in the EU.

However, not everything is as smooth in the development of the European Union as it might seem. Greenland left the EU in 1985 after gaining independence.

And more recently, in 2016, 52% of the UK population voted in a referendum to leave the union, in connection with which early parliamentary elections will be held in the country on June 8, 2017, after which specific negotiations will begin within a month on England's withdrawal from the Union. European Union.

If you look at the map of the Eurozone, you will notice that it also includes territories (mostly islands) that are not part of Europe, but are part of the EU member states.

It should be noted that now there is an ambiguous situation in the world, many countries of the union have different views on the prospects for its development, especially after the decision of England.

Who claims to be included in the EU?

If powers that are not part of the European Union wish to be included in its list, then they must comply with the "Copenhagen criteria". They undergo a special check, based on the results of which a decision is made on joining the EU.

At the moment there are 5 official contenders - Montenegro, Macedonia, Turkey, Serbia and Albania.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a potential contender.

The Association Agreement was previously signed by countries located on other continents - Egypt, Jordan, Chile, Israel, Mexico and others - all of them are also contenders.

Eastern partners of the European Union are Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Moldova and Georgia.

Basic principles of economic activity of countries

The activity of the European Union consists of the economies of its member countries, which are independent elements in international trade.

The undoubted advantage of the EU for citizens of any of its members is that they have the right to live and work in any country within the Union. For example, it is much easier for Germans to move to France than for us.

Spain, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy bring the largest part of the EU's income. The strategic resources include gas, oil and coal, in terms of the reserves of which the European Union occupies 14th place in the world, which, you see, when taking into account its territory, is not so much.

The European Union brings large incomes from tourism, which is facilitated by a single currency, the absence of visas, and the expansion of trade and partnerships between states.

Now various forecasts are being made about how many more countries will join the EU, but according to experts, states from other continents will join the integration of economies the fastest.

Attention! Attention check:

1. How many countries are in the EU in total?
2. Which country is leaving the EU?
3. Which EU country is not listed below?

Write in the comments.

Thus, we have examined with you the history of the emergence and development of the European Union, the list of participating countries, as well as what it implies and what advantages it gives.

This is where our article ends.

I want to wish you a good day! See you soon!

Sincerely, Ruslan Miftakhov.

Do you know how many countries use the euro? And which EU member states still retained their national currencies?

Only 19 of the 28 EU countries use the euro as their currency Photo: exclusives.webjet.co.nz

In this article Editorial PaySpace Magazine recalls which EU countries continue to use their national currencies, and which have switched to the euro. We are sure that this information will be useful for you, including when planning trips to Europe.

EU member states that have not adopted the euro

Some of the countries of the European Union not only continue to use their national currencies as the main currency, but also do not plan to switch to the euro. Going to these countries, it will be useful for a tourist to know what their national currencies look like.

Swedish krona
Croatian kuna
Romanian leu
Hungarian forint
Czech crown
Polish zloty
Danish krone
Bulgarian Lev
Lb

These countries are primarily Great Britain(currency - pound sterling), Denmark(currency - Danish krone) and Sweden(currency - Swedish krona).

When signing the Treaty on European Union, Great Britain and Denmark in a special protocol stipulated their right not to move to the third stage of the EU Economic and Monetary Union, which provides for the introduction of a single currency. In Sweden and Denmark, referendums were held, in which the majority of residents spoke out against the adoption of the euro. And in 2013, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said that the introduction of the euro in Sweden is not planned.

It should be noted that Denmark and Sweden have a very high level of non-cash payments. Traveling to these countries, it is better for a tourist to take a bank card with him. With it, he can pay almost everywhere. We wrote more about this in the materials and.

Since 2002, the exchange rate of the lev, the national currency Bulgaria, pegged to the euro. That is, it has been set at a certain level and maintained for all these years. Such a peg is needed to stabilize the local currency, increase its reliability and, in some cases, for the subsequent transition of the country to the euro.

According to recent studies, 74% of the population of Bulgaria strongly support the Bulgarian lev, and only 9% support the transition to the single EU currency. The country also refused to establish a specific deadline for the transition to the euro. However, recently the President of Bulgaria announced the introduction of the euro as a strategic task.

One of the largest economies in Eastern Europe is Poland. This country also still uses its own currency, called the Polish zloty. Poland's transition to the single EU currency is being delayed, as more than 70% of the country's inhabitants oppose the idea.

Hungary(the national currency forint) is not yet ready to join the eurozone, according to the European Commission. This, as well as some other member states of the European Union, currently do not fully comply with all the prescribed criteria that are necessary for the transition to the euro.

Romania(the national currency is the Romanian leu), in which there is a very large proportion of Euro-optimists among the population, was supposed to switch to the euro on January 1, 2019. However, at the end of 2018, the government that the transition will be possible only in 2024. On plans for the transition to a single European currency and Croatia(the official currency is the Croatian kuna).

Eurozone countries

Since the introduction of the euro in 1999, this currency has replaced national money in 19 of the 28 EU countries.

EU countries that use the euro Photo: fd.n

• Austria- from January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Austrian schilling;
• Belgium- from January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Belgian franc;
• Germany- from January 1, 1999, the old currency is the German mark;
• Greece- since January 1, 2001, the old currency is the Greek drachma;
• Ireland- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Irish pound;
• Spain- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Spanish peseta;
• Italy- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Italian lira;
• Cyprus- from January 1, 2008, the old currency is the Cypriot pound;
• Latvia- from January 1, 2014, the old currency is Latvian lats;
• Lithuania- from January 1, 2015, the old currency is the Lithuanian litas;
• Luxembourg- from January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Luxembourg franc;
• Malta- from January 1, 2008, the old currency is the Maltese lira;
• Netherlands- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Dutch guilder;
• Portugal- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Portuguese escudo;
• Slovakia- from January 1, 2009, the old currency is the Slovak krone;
• Slovenia- from January 1, 2007, the old currency is the Slovenian tolar;
• Finland- since January 1, 1999, the old currency is the Finnish mark;
• France- from January 1, 1999, the old currency is the French franc;
• Estonia- from January 1, 2011, the old currency is the Estonian kroon.

European countries that use and do not use the euro. Photo: Wikipedia

The euro is also the national currency of nine other countries, seven of which are located in Europe. For example, Montenegro, which is not part of the European Union and does not have its own currency, officially uses the euro. And Norway and Switzerland, which are also not members of the EU, use their own currencies (krone and franc).

All countries that are part of the European Union have the right to join the Eurozone. The condition for this is the fulfillment of the convergence criteria set by the Treaty on European Union. They are also known as the Maastricht criteria. The EU Council decides on the conformity of the country's macroeconomic indicators with the convergence criteria, after which this decision is approved by the European Council. For the new members of the European Union, joining the euro area is a natural step towards full integration into the EU.