What is included in the European Union. The history of the creation of the European Union and the list of countries included in it. EU Eastern Bloc expansions

Since the fifties of the twentieth century, the European Union has existed, uniting today 28 countries of Western and Central Europe. The process of its expansion continues, but there are those who are dissatisfied with the common policy and economic problems.

Map of the European Union showing all its member states

Most of the states of Europe are economically and politically united in a union called "European". Within this zone, there is a visa-free space, a single market, and a common currency is used. In 2020, this association includes 28 European countries, including regions subordinate to them, but located autonomously.

List of European Union countries

Britain is currently planning to leave the European Union (Brexit). The first prerequisites for this began back in 2015-2016, when it was proposed to hold a referendum on this issue.

In 2016, the referendum itself was held and a little more than half of the population voted for leaving the European Union - 51.9%. At first it was planned that the UK would leave the EU at the end of March 2019, but after discussions in Parliament, the exit was postponed to the end of April 2019.

Well, then there was a summit in Brussels and the exit of Britain from the EU was postponed until October 2019. Travelers who are planning to go to England should keep an eye on this information.

History of the EU

Initially, the creation of the union was considered only from an economic point of view and was aimed at connecting the coal and steel industries of the two countries - and. This was stated by the head of the French Foreign Ministry back in 1950. In those years, it was difficult to imagine how many states would later join the union.

In 1957, the European Union was formed, which included such developed states as Germany, and. It is positioned as a special international association, including the features of both an interstate organization and a single state.

The population of the EU countries, having independence, follows the general rules regarding all spheres of life, domestic and international politics, education, health care, social services.

Map of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, members of the European Union

Since March 1957, this association has included and. In 1973 the Kingdom of Denmark joined the EU. In 1981, she joined the union, and in 1986 - and.

In 1995, three countries became members of the EU at once - and Sweden. Nine years later, ten more countries joined the single zone -, and. Not only is the process of expansion going on in the European Union, so, in 1985, the EU left after gaining independence, joining it automatically in 1973 as part of, since its population expressed a desire to leave the association.

Together with some states of Europe, the EU also included a number of territories located outside the mainland, but related to them politically.

Detailed map of Denmark showing all cities and islands

For example, along with France, Reunion, Saint-Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mayotte and French Guiana also joined the association. At the expense of Spain, the organization was enriched by the provinces of Melilla and Ceuta. Together with Portugal, the Azores and Madeira joined the union.

On the contrary, those that are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but having greater political freedom, did not support the idea of ​​joining a single zone and are not part of the EU, despite Denmark itself being a member of it.

Also, the accession of the GDR to the European Union occurred automatically with the unification of both Germany, since the Federal Republic of Germany at that time was already part of it. The last of the countries to join the association - (in 2013), became the twenty-eighth EU member state. At the time of 2020, the situation did not change either in the direction of increasing the zone or in the direction of decreasing it.

Criteria for joining the European Union

Not all states are suitable for joining the EU. How many and what criteria exist can be found in the relevant document. In 1993, the experience of the existence of the association was summarized and uniform criteria were developed that are used when considering the issue of the entry of the next state into the association.

At the place of adoption, the list of requirements is called the Copenhagen Criteria. Topping the list is the presence of the principles of democracy. The main attention is paid to freedom and respect for the rights of each person, which follows from the concept of the rule of law.

Much attention is paid to the development of the competitiveness of the economy of a potential member of the Eurozone, and the general political course of the state should follow from the goals and standards of the European Union.
EU member states before making any significant political decision are obliged to coordinate it with other states, as this decision may affect their public life.

Each European state that wants to add to the list of countries that have joined the association is carefully checked for compliance with the "Copenhagen" criteria. Based on the results of the survey, a decision is made on the country's readiness to join the Eurozone, in case of a negative decision, a list is drawn up, according to which it is necessary to bring the deviating parameters back to normal.

After that, regular monitoring of compliance with the requirements is carried out, based on the results of which a conclusion is made about the readiness of the country to join the EU.

In addition to the general political course, there is a visa-free regime for crossing state borders in the common space, and they use a single currency - the euro.

This is what the money of the European Union looks like - the euro

For 2020, 19 countries out of 28 that are members of the European Union supported and accepted the circulation of the euro on the territory of their state, recognizing it as the state currency.

It is worth noting that not in all EU countries the national currency is the euro:

• Bulgaria - Bulgarian lev.
• Croatia - Croatian kuna.
• Czech Republic - Czech crown.
• Denmark - Danish krone.
• Hungary - forint.
• Poland - Polish zloty.
• Romania - Romanian leu.
• Sweden - Swedish krona.

When planning trips to these countries, you should take care to buy local currency, as the exchange rate in tourist places can be very high.

European Union - regional integration of European states

History of creation, member countries of the union, rights, goals, objectives and policies of the European Union

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The European Union is, the definition

European Union is economic and political unification of 28 European states aimed at their regional integration. Legally, this union was secured by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993, on the principles of the European Communities. The EU unites five hundred million inhabitants.

European Union is a unique international entity: it combines the characteristics of an international organization and a state, but formally it is neither one nor the other. The Union is not a subject of international public law, but it has the authority to participate in international relations and plays an important role in them.

European Union is association of European states participating in the process of European integration.

With the help of a standardized system of laws in force in all countries of the union, a common market was created guaranteeing the free movement of people, goods, capital and services, including the abolition of passport control within the Schengen area, which includes both member countries and other European states . The union adopts laws (directives, legislative acts and regulations) in the field of justice and home affairs, and also develops a common policy in the field of trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Seventeen countries of the union introduced a single currency, the euro, into circulation, forming the eurozone.

As a subject of international public law, the Union has the authority to participate in international relations and conclude international treaties. A common foreign and security policy has been formed, providing for a coordinated foreign and defense policy. Permanent diplomatic missions of the EU have been established around the world, there are representations in the United Nations, the WTO, the G8 and the Group of Twenty. EU delegations are led by EU ambassadors. In certain areas, decisions are made by independent supranational institutions, while in others they are carried out through negotiations between member states. The most important EU institutions are the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.

Member States of the European Union

EU includes 28 countries: Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia , Cyprus (except for the northern part of the island), Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia.

Special and Dependent Territories of EU Member States

Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Great Britain) entering the European Union through the UK's membership under the Act of Accession 1972: Channel Islands: Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney is part of the Crown Dependency of Guernsey, Sark is part of the Crown Dependency Guernsey, Herm is part of the Crown Dependency of Guernsey, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Special Territories outside of Europe, members of the European Union: Azores, Guadeloupe, Canary Islands, Madeira, Martinique, Melilla, Reunion, Ceuta, French Guiana

Also, according to Article 182 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, EU member states associate with the EU lands and territories outside Europe that maintain special relations with: Denmark - Greenland, France - New Caledonia, St. Pierre and Miquelon, French Polynesia, Mayotte, Wallis and Futuna, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, the Netherlands - Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, the United Kingdom - Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Falkland Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Requirements for candidates to join the EU

To join the European Union, a candidate country must meet the Copenhagen criteria. The Copenhagen criteria are the criteria for countries to join the European Union, which were adopted in June 1993 at a meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen and confirmed in December 1995 at a meeting of the European Council in Madrid. The criteria require that the state observes democratic principles, the principles of freedom and respect for human rights, as well as the rule of law (art. 6, art. 49 of the Treaty on the European Union). Also, the country must have a competitive market economy, and must recognize the common rules and standards of the EU, including commitment to the goals of political, economic and monetary union.

History of the development of the European Union

The predecessors of the EU were: 1951-1957 - European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC); 1957-1967 - European Economic Community (EEC); 1967-1992 - European Communities (EEC, Euratom, ECSC); since November 1993 – European Union. The name "European Communities" is often used to refer to all stages of the development of the EU. The ideas of pan-Europeanism, which had been put forward for a long time 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: the Council of Europe, NATO, the Western European Union.

The first step towards the creation of a modern European Union was taken in 1951: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy signed an 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 entered into force in July 1952. In order to deepen economic integration, the same six states in 1957 established the European Economic Community (EEC, Common Market) (EEC - European Economic Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom, Euratom - European Atomic Energy Community). The most important and broadest 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 took place 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.

On the territory of Europe, the Western Roman Empire, the Frankish State, and the Holy Roman Empire were single state entities comparable in size to the European Union. During the last millennium, Europe has been fragmented. European thinkers tried to come up with a way to unite Europe. The idea of ​​creating the United States of Europe originally arose after the American Revolution.

This idea received new life after the Second World War, when Winston Churchill announced the need for its implementation, calling on September 19, 1946 in his speech at the University of Zurich to create a "United States of Europe", similar to the United States of America. As a result, in 1949 the Council of Europe was created - an organization that still exists (Russia is also a member). The Council of Europe, however, was (and remains) something like the regional equivalent of the UN, focusing its activities on the problems of ensuring human rights in European countries. .

First stage of European integration

In 1951, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy created the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC - European Coal and Steel Community), the purpose of which was to combine European resources for the production of steel and coal, which, according to its founders, should have been prevent another war in Europe. Great Britain refused to participate in this organization for reasons of national sovereignty. In order to deepen economic integration, the same six states in 1957 established the European Economic Community (EEC, Common Market) (EEC - European Economic Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom - European Atomic Energy Community). The EEC was created primarily as a customs union of six states, designed to ensure the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people.

Euratom was supposed to contribute to the unification of the peaceful nuclear resources of these states. The most important of these three European communities was the European Economic Community, so that later (in the 1990s) it became known simply as the European Community (EC - European Community). The EEC was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, which entered into force on January 1, 1958. In 1959, the members of the EEC created the European Parliament - a representative consultative, and later a legislative body. The process of development and transformation of these European communities into the modern European Union took place through structural simultaneous evolution and institutional transformation into a more cohesive block of states with the transfer of an increasing number of management functions to the supranational level (the so-called process of European integration, or grooves Union of States), on the one hand, and the increase in the membership of the European Communities (and later the European Union) from 6 to 27 States ( extensions union of states).

The second stage of European integration

In January 1960, Great Britain and a number of other countries that were not members of the EEC formed an alternative organization, the European Free Trade Association. Great Britain, however, soon realized that the EEC was a much more effective association, and decided to join the EEC. Its example was followed by Ireland and Denmark, whose economy was heavily dependent on trade with Britain. Norway made a similar decision. The first attempt in 1961-1963, however, ended in failure due to the fact that the French President de Gaulle vetoed the decision on the entry of new members into the EEC. The result of the accession negotiations in 1966-1967 was similar. In 1967, three European communities (the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community) united to form the European Community.

The matter moved forward only after General Charles de Gaulle was replaced by Georges Pompidou in 1969. After several years of negotiations and adaptation of legislation, Great Britain joined the EU on January 1, 1973. In 1972, referenda on EU accession were held in Ireland, Denmark and Norway. The population of Ireland (83.1%) and Denmark (63.3%) supported accession to the EU, but in Norway this proposal did not receive a majority (46.5%). Israel also received an offer to join in 1973. However, due to the Yom Kippur War, negotiations were interrupted. And in 1975, instead of membership in the EEC, Israel signed an agreement on associative cooperation (membership). Greece applied to join the EU in June 1975 and became a member of the community on January 1, 1981. In 1979, the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held. In 1985, Greenland received internal self-government and left the EU after a referendum. Portugal and Spain applied in 1977 and became EU members on January 1, 1986. In February 1986, the Single European Act was signed in Luxembourg.

The third stage of European integration

In 1992, all states that are members of the European Community signed the Treaty establishing the European Union - the Maastricht Treaty. The Maastricht Treaty established three pillars of the EU (pillars):1. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU),2. Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),3. General policy in the field of internal affairs and justice. In 1994, referendums were held in Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden on joining the EU. The majority of Norwegians again vote against. Austria, Finland (with the Aland Islands) and Sweden become EU members on January 1, 1995. Only Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein remain members of the European Free Trade Association. Members of the European Community signed the Treaty of Amsterdam (entered into force in 1999). The main changes under the Amsterdam Treaty concerned: the common foreign and security policy of the CFSP, the creation of a "space of freedom, security and law and order", coordination in the field of justice, the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

Fourth stage of European integration

October 9, 2002 The European Commission recommended 10 candidate states for EU accession in 2004: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta. The population of these 10 countries was about 75 million; their combined GDP at PPP (note: Purchasing Power Parity) is approximately $840 billion, roughly equal to that of Spain. This enlargement of the EU can be called one of the most ambitious EU projects to date. The need for such a step was dictated by the desire to draw a line under the disunity of Europe, which had lasted since the end of the Second World War, and firmly tie the countries of Eastern Europe to the West in order to prevent them from falling back to communist methods of rule. Cyprus was included in this list because Greece insisted on it, which otherwise threatened to veto the entire plan as a whole.

At the conclusion of negotiations between the "old" and future "new" EU members, a positive final decision was announced on December 13, 2002. The European Parliament approved the decision on April 9, 2003. On April 16, 2003, the Accession Treaty was signed in Athens by 15 "old" and 10 "new" EU members (). In 2003, referendums were held in nine states (with the exception of Cyprus), and then the signed Treaty was ratified by parliaments. May 1, 2004 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta became members of the European Union. After accession to the EU of ten new countries, the level of economic development of which is noticeably lower than the average European one, the leaders of the European Union found themselves in a position where the main burden of budgetary spending on the social sphere, subsidies to agriculture, etc. falls right on them. At the same time, these countries do not want to increase the share of contributions to the all-Union budget in excess of the level of 1% of GDP determined by EU documents.

The second problem is that after the enlargement of the European Union, the principle of making the most important decisions by consensus turned out to be less effective. In referendums in France and the Netherlands in 2005, the draft of a single EU Constitution was rejected, and the entire European Union still lives on a number of fundamental agreements. On January 1, 2007, the next enlargement of the European Union took place - the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into it. The European Union has previously warned these countries that Romania and Bulgaria still have a lot to do in the area of ​​fighting corruption and reforming legislation. In these matters, Romania, according to European officials, lagged behind, retaining the remnants of socialism in the structure of the economy and not meeting EU standards.

EU

On December 17, 2005, Macedonia was granted official EU candidate status. On February 21, 2005, the European Union signed an action plan with Ukraine. This was probably the result of the fact that forces came to power in Ukraine whose foreign policy strategy is aimed at joining the European Union. At the same time, according to the EU leadership, it is not worth talking about Ukraine's full membership in the European Union, since the new government needs to do a lot to prove that there is a full-fledged democracy in Ukraine that meets world standards, and to carry out political, economic and social reforms.

Candidates for membership of the union and "refuseniks"

Not all European countries intend to participate in the European integration process. Twice in national referendums (1972 and 1994) the population of Norway rejected the proposal to join the EU. Iceland is not part of the EU. Switzerland's application is in a frozen state, the entry of which was stopped by a referendum. This country, however, joined the Schengen Agreement on January 1, 2007. The small states of Europe - Andorra, the Vatican, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino are not members of the EU. They are not part of the EU having an autonomous status within Denmark Greenland (withdrew after a referendum 1985) and the Faroe Islands, the Finnish autonomy of the Åland Islands and the British Overseas Territory - Gibraltar participate in the EU to a limited and not full extent, other dependent territories of Great Britain - Maine, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the EU at all.

In Denmark, the people voted in the referendum on joining the European Union (on the signing of the Maastricht Treaty) only after the government promised not to switch to the single currency Euro, so Danish kroner is still in circulation in Denmark.

The deadline for the start of accession negotiations with Croatia has been determined, the official status of Macedonian candidate for EU membership has been granted, which practically guarantees the entry of these EU countries. A number of documents related to Turkey and Ukraine have also been signed, but the specific prospects for these states to join the EU are not yet clear.

The new leadership of Georgia has also repeatedly announced its intention to join the EU, but no specific documents that would provide at least the start of a negotiation process on this issue have yet to be signed and, most likely, will not be signed until it is settled. conflict with the unrecognized states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Moldova has a similar problem with progress towards European integration - the leadership of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic does not support Moldova's desire to join the European Union. At present, the prospects for Moldova's accession to the EU are very vague.

It should be noted that the EU has experience in accepting Cyprus, which also does not have full control over the territory officially recognized by it. However, the entry of Cyprus into the EU took place after a referendum held simultaneously in both parts of the island, and while the majority of the population of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus voted for the reintegration of the island into a single state, the unification process was blocked precisely by the Greek side, which eventually entered into The EU alone. The prospects for accession to the European Union of such states of the Balkan Peninsula as Albania and Bosnia are unclear due to their low level of economic development and unstable political situation. This can be said even more about Serbia, whose province of Kosovo is currently under the international protectorate of NATO and the UN. Montenegro, which left the union with Serbia as a result of a referendum, openly declared its desire for European integration and the question of the timing and procedure for the entry of this republic into the EU is now the subject of negotiations.

Of the other states, wholly or partly located in Europe, did not conduct any negotiations and did not make any attempts to start the process of European integration: Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan. Since 1993, Azerbaijan has declared its interest in relations with the EU and started planning relations him in various fields. In 1996, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan G.Aliyev signed the “Partnership and Cooperation Agreement” and established official ties. Russia, through the mouths of officials, has repeatedly announced its unwillingness to fully join the European Union, proposing instead to implement the concept of "four common spaces", accompanied by "road maps" and facilitating the cross-border movement of citizens, economic integration and cooperation in a number of other areas. The only exception was the statement made at the end of November 2005 by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he "would be happy if Russia received an invitation to join the EU." However, this statement was accompanied by a proviso that he himself would not apply for admission to the EU.

An important point is that Russia and Belarus, which signed the agreement on the creation of the Union, could not, in principle, begin any actions for independent accession to the EU without terminating this agreement. From countries outside the European Continent, they have repeatedly declared their European integration intentions the African states of Morocco and Cape Verde (the former Cape Verde Islands) - the latter, with the political support of its former mother country - Portugal, in March 2005 began official attempts to apply for entry.

Rumors are regularly circulated about the possible start of movement towards the full entry into the EU of Tunisia, Algeria and Israel, but so far such a prospect should be considered illusory. So far, these countries, as well as Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian National Authority and the aforementioned Morocco, have been offered participation in the “partner-neighbors” program as a compromise measure, which implies obtaining the status of associate members of the EU in some distant future.

The enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU) through the entry of new member states. The process began with the Inner Six (the 6 founding countries of the EU) who organized the European Coal and Steel Community (the forerunner of the EU) in 1951. Since then, 27 states have gained EU membership, including Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. The EU is currently reviewing membership applications from several states. Sometimes the expansion of the EU is also called European integration. However, the term is also used when it comes to increased cooperation between EU member states, as national governments allow the gradual centralization of power within European institutions. In order to join the European Union, an applicant state must satisfy the political and economic conditions commonly known as the Copenhagen Criteria (drafted after the "Copenhagen Meeting" in June 1993.).

These conditions are the stability and democracy of the existing government in the country, its respect for the rule of law, as well as the availability of appropriate freedoms and institutions. Under the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state, as well as the European Parliament, must agree on any expansion. Due to the terms that were adopted in the last EU treaty, the "Nice Treaty" (in 2001) - the EU is protected from further enlargement beyond the 27 members, as it is believed that the decision-making processes in the EU would not be able to cope with a large number of members. The Lisbon Treaty would have transformed these processes and would have made it possible to circumvent the limit of 27 member countries, although the possibility of ratifying such a treaty is doubtful.

EU founding members

The European Coal and Steel Community was proposed by Robert Schuman in his declaration of 9 May 1950 and brought about the unification of the French and West German coal and steel industries. The "Benelux countries" - Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - have joined this project and have already achieved some degree of integration with each other. These countries were joined by Italy, and they all signed the Treaty of Paris on July 23, 1952. These six countries, dubbed the Inner Six (as opposed to the Outer Seven, which formed the European Free Trade Association and were suspicious of integration), went even further. In 1967, they signed a treaty in Rome that laid the foundation for two communities, collectively known as the "European Communities" after the merger of their leadership.

The community lost some territories during the era of decolonization; Algeria, until then an integral part of France, and therefore of the community, gained independence on July 5, 1962 and withdrew from its composition. Up until the 1970s there were no expansions; Britain, which had previously refused to join the community, changed its policy after the Suez crisis and applied for membership in the community. However, French President Charles de Gaulle vetoed British membership, fearing his "American influence".

The first enlargements of the European Union

As soon as de Gaulle left his post, the opportunity to join the Community opened up again. Along with the UK, Denmark, Ireland and Norway applied and received approval, however the Norwegian government lost the national referendum on Community membership and therefore did not join the Community on 1 January 1973 on an equal basis with other countries. Gibraltar - a British overseas territory - was joined to the Community with Great Britain.

In 1970, democracy was restored in Greece, Spain and Portugal. Greece (in 1981), followed by both Iberian countries (in 1986), were admitted to the community. In 1985, Greenland, having received autonomy from Denmark, immediately exercised its right to withdraw from the European Community. Morocco and Turkey applied in 1987, Morocco was rejected because it was not considered a European state. Turkey's application was accepted for consideration, but only in 2000 Turkey received candidate status, and only in 2004 did official negotiations begin on Turkey's accession to the Community.

European Union after the Cold War

In 1989-1990, the Cold War ended, on October 3, 1990, East and West Germany were reunited. Consequently, East Germany became part of a community within a united Germany. In 1993, the European Community became the European Union by virtue of the Maastricht Treaty of 1993. Some of the states of the European Free Trade Association, which bordered the old Eastern Bloc even before the end of the Cold War, have applied to join the Community.

In 1995 Sweden, Finland and Austria were admitted to the EU. This became the 4th enlargement of the EU. The Norwegian government failed at that time the second national membership referendum. The end of the Cold War and the "Westernization" of Eastern Europe have left the EU in need of agreeing on standards for future new members to assess their compliance. According to the Copenhagen criteria, it was decided that the country should be a democracy, have a free market and be willing to accept all EU law already agreed before.

EU Eastern Bloc expansions

8 of these countries (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and the Mediterranean island states of Malta and Cyprus entered the union on May 1, 2004. It was the largest expansion in terms of people and territory, although the smallest in terms of GDP (gross domestic product). The lesser development of these countries has made some member countries uneasy, resulting in the adoption of some employment and travel restrictions on citizens of the new member countries. Migration, which would have taken place anyway, gave rise to many political clichés (such as "Polish plumber"), despite the proven benefits of migrants to the economies of these countries. According to the official website of the European Commission, the signatures of Bulgaria and Romania in the accession treaty mark the end of the fifth enlargement of the EU.

Criteria for joining the EU

To date, the accession process is accompanied by a number of formal steps, starting with the pre-accession agreement and ending with the ratification of the final accession agreement. These steps are overseen by the European Commission (Directorate General for Enlargement), but the actual negotiations are between member states and the candidate country. In theory, any European country can join the EU. The Council of the EU consults with the Commission and the European Parliament and decides on the start of accession negotiations. The Council shall only reject or approve an application unanimously. To receive approval of the application, the country must meet the following criteria: must be a "European state"; must comply with the principles of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law.

Membership requires the following: Compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria recognized by the Council in 1993:

stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect and protection of minorities; the existence of a functional market economy, as well as the ability to cope with competitive pressures and market prices within the Union; the ability to accept the obligations of membership, including commitment to the political, economic and monetary goals of the union.

In December 1995, the Madrid Council of Europe revised the membership criteria to include conditions for the integration of the Member State through the appropriate regulation of its administrative structures: while it is important that Union law be reflected in national law, it is important that the revised national law be implemented effectively through appropriate administrative and judicial structures.

EU accession process

Before a country applies for membership, it usually must sign an associate membership agreement to help prepare the country for candidate and possibly member status. Many countries do not even meet the criteria necessary to start negotiations before they start to apply, so they need many years to prepare for the process. The Associate Membership Agreement helps prepare for this first step.

In the case of the Western Balkans, the special process, the Stabilization and Associative Process, exist in order not to conflict with the circumstances. When a country formally requests membership, the Council asks the Commission for its views on the country's readiness to start negotiations. The Council may accept or reject the opinion of the Commission.

The Council rejected the Commission's opinion only once, in the case of Greece, when the Commission dissuaded the Council from opening negotiations. If the council decides to open negotiations, the verification process begins. This is a process during which the EU and the candidate country examine their laws and those of the EU, identifying differences. The Council then recommends that negotiations begin on the "chapters" of the law when it decides that there are enough common ground for constructive negotiations. The negotiation usually consists of the candidate state trying to convince the EU that its laws and administration are sufficiently developed to comply with European law, which can be implemented as deemed appropriate by the member states.

On December 17, 2005, Macedonia was granted official EU candidate status. A date has been set for the start of accession negotiations with Croatia. A number of documents related to Turkey, Moldova and Ukraine have also been signed, but the specific prospects for these states to join the EU are not yet clear. Iceland, Croatia and Serbia may join the EU in 2010-2011 On April 28, 2008, Albania filed a formal application for EU membership, according to EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oli Renn. Norway held two referenda on EU accession, in 1972 and 1994. At the first referendum, the main fears were connected with the restriction of independence, at the second - with agriculture. In December 2011, an agreement was signed with Croatia on accession to the EU. In July 2013 Croatia became a member of the European Union. In 2009 Iceland applied to join the EU. On June 13, 2013, an official statement was made about the withdrawal of the application for accession to the European Union.

Key events in the history of deepening EU integration

1951 - Treaty of Paris and the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) 1957 - Treaty of Rome and the creation of the European Economic Communities (usually used in the singular) (EEC) and Euratom 1965 - merger agreement, which resulted in the creation of a single Council and a single Commission for the three European Communities ECSC, EEC and Euratom 1973 - first expansion of the EEC (Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain joined) 1979 - first popular elections to the European Parliament 1981 - second expansion of the EEC (Greece joined) 1985 - signing of the Schengen Agreement 1986 - Single European Act - the first significant change in the founding treaties of the EU.

1992 - Maastricht Treaty and the creation of the European Union on the basis of the Communities 1999 - the introduction of a single European currency - the euro (in cash since 2002) 2004 - the signing of the EU Constitution (did not enter into force) 2007 - the signing of the Reform Treaty in Lisbon 2007 - the leaders of France, Italy and Spain announced the creation of a new organization - the Union for the Mediterranean in 2007 - the second wave of the fifth expansion (the accession of Bulgaria and Romania). The 50th anniversary of the creation of the EEC is celebrated.2013 - the sixth expansion (Croatia joined)

Currently, the three most common attributes of membership in the European Union (actual membership in the EU, the Schengen area and the euro area) are not inclusive, but overlapping categories: Great Britain and Ireland signed the Schengen Agreement on a limited membership basis. The UK also did not consider it necessary to join the euro zone. Denmark and Sweden also decided to keep their national currencies in referendums. Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are not members of the EU, but are part of the Schengen zone. Montenegro and the partially recognized state of Kosovo Albanians are not members of the EU , nor members of the Schengen Agreement, however, the euro is the official means of payment in these countries.

Economy of the European Union

The economy of the European Union, according to the IMF, produces GDP, calculated at PPP, in excess of €12,256.48 trillion ($16,523.78 trillion in 2009). The EU economy is a single market and is represented in the WTO as a single organization. This is more than 21% of world production. This puts the economy of the Union in first place in the world in terms of nominal GDP and second in terms of GDP at PPP. In addition, the Union is the largest exporter and largest importer of goods and services, as well as the most important trading partner of several large countries, such as China and India. 500 in 2010) is located in the EU. The unemployment rate in April 2010 was 9.7%, while the level of investment was 18.4% of GDP, inflation - 1.5%, the state budget deficit - -0 .2%. The level of per capita income varies from state to state and ranges from $7,000 to $78,000. In the WTO, the EU economy is presented as a single organization.

After the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, the EU economy showed moderate GDP growth in 2010 and 2011, but the debts of countries increased in 2011, which became one of the main problems of the bloc. Despite joint economic structural adjustment programs with the IMF in Greece, Ireland and Portugal, as well as the consolidation of measures in many other EU member states, significant risks to the economic growth of countries remain at the moment, including high credit dependence of the population, an aging population. up to $ 600 billion. This fund finances the EU member states most affected by the crisis. In addition, 25 of the 27 EU member states (except the UK and the Czech Republic) have announced their intention to cut public spending and adopt an austerity program. September 2012, the European Central Bank developed an incentive program for countries that legally proved the introduction of an emergency economy regime in the country.

Currency of the European Union

The official currency of the European Union is the euro, which is used in all documents and acts. The Stability and Growth Pact sets out tax criteria to maintain stability and economic convergence. The euro is also the most common currency in the EU, already used in 17 member states known as the eurozone.

All other Member States, with the exception of Denmark and the United Kingdom, which have special waivers, have committed themselves to adopting the euro once they have met the transition requirements. Sweden, although it refused, announced its possible accession to the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, which is a preliminary step towards entry. The remaining states intend to join the euro through their accession agreements. Thus, the euro is the single currency for more than 320 million Europeans. In December 2006, there were 610 billion euros in cash circulation, making this currency the holder of the highest total value of cash circulating in the world, ahead of the US dollar in this indicator.

European Union budget

The functioning of the EU in 2007 was supported by a budget of €116 billion, and €862 billion for the period 2007-2013, which is about 1% of the EU's GDP. For comparison, the expenditure of the UK alone in 2004 was estimated at about €759 billion and France, about €801 billion. In 1960, the budget of the then EEC was only 0.03% of GDP.

Below is a table showing, respectively, GDP (PPP) and GDP (PPP) per capita in the European Union, and for each of the 28 Member States separately, sorted by GDP (PPP) per capita. This can be used for a rough comparison of living standards between member states, Luxembourg has the highest and Bulgaria has the lowest. Eurostat, based in Luxembourg, is the official statistical office of the European Communities, producing annual GDP data for member states, as well as for the EU as a whole, which are regularly updated to support European fiscal and economic policy frameworks.

Economy of the Member States of the European Union

Economic efficiency varies from state to state. The Stability and Growth Pact governs fiscal policy with the European Union. It applies to all member states, with specific rules that apply to eurozone members stipulating that each state's budget deficit must not exceed 3% of GDP and public debt must not exceed 60% of GDP. However, many major players are projecting their future budget deficits well over 3%, and eurozone countries as a whole are in debt in excess of 60%. % .The share of the EU in the world's gross product (GDP) is stable at about one-fifth. GDP growth, strong in the new member states, has now fallen due to sluggish growth in France, Italy and Portugal.

Thirteen new member states from Central and Eastern Europe have a higher average growth rate than their Western European counterparts. In particular, the Baltic countries have achieved rapid GDP growth, in Latvia it is up to 11%, which is at the level of the world leader China, whose average rate is 9% over the past 25 years. The reasons for this massive growth are the government's stable monetary policy, export-oriented policy, trade, low fixed tax rate, and the use of relatively cheap labor. Over the last year (2008), Romania had the largest GDP growth among all EU states.

The current map of GDP growth in the EU is most contrasting across regions where strong economies are stagnating while growth is robust in new member states.

In general, the influence of the EU27 on the increase in the gross world product is reduced due to the emergence of economic powers such as China, India and Brazil. In the medium to long term, the EU will look for ways to increase GDP growth in central European countries such as France, Germany and Italy and stabilize growth in the new countries of Central and Eastern Europe to ensure sustainable economic prosperity.

EU energy policy

The European Union has large reserves of coal, oil and natural gas. According to 2010 data, the domestic gross energy consumption of the 28 member countries amounted to 1.759 billion tons of oil equivalent. About 47.7% of the energy consumed was produced in the participating countries, while 52.3% was imported, while nuclear energy is considered primary in the calculations, despite the fact that only 3% of the uranium used is mined in the European Union. The degree of dependence of the Union on the import of oil and oil products is 84.6%, natural gas - 64.3%. According to EIA (US Energy Information Administration) forecasts, domestic gas production in European countries will decrease by 0.9% per year, which by 2035 will amount to 60 billion m3. Demand for gas will grow by 0.5% per year, the annual growth of gas imports to the EU countries in the long term will be 1.6%. To reduce dependence on natural gas pipeline supplies, a special role as a diversification tool is assigned to liquefied natural gas.

Since its inception, the European Union has had legislative power in the field of energy policy; this has its roots in the European Coal and Steel Community. The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive energy policy was approved at the meeting of the European Council in October 2005, and the first draft of the new policy was published in January 2007. The main objectives of the common energy policy are: changing the structure of energy consumption in favor of renewable sources, increasing energy efficiency, reducing emissions greenhouse gases, the creation of a single energy market and the promotion of competition on it.

There are six oil producers in the countries of the European Union, mainly in the oil fields of the North Sea. The United Kingdom is by far the largest producer, however Denmark, Germany, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands also produce oil. Considered as a whole, which is not accepted in the oil markets, the European Union is the 7th largest oil producer in the world, producing 3.424.000 (2001) barrels per day. However, it is also the 2nd largest consumer of oil, consuming far more than it can produce at 14,590,000 (2001) barrels per day.

All EU countries have committed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol, and the European Union is one of its most active supporters. The European Commission published proposals for the first comprehensive EU energy policy dated January 10, 2007.

Trade policy of the European Union

The European Union is the world's largest exporter () and the second largest importer. Internal trade between member states is facilitated by the removal of barriers such as tariffs and border controls. In the eurozone, trade is also helped by having a single currency among most members. The European Union Association Agreement is doing something similar for a wider range of countries, partly as a so-called soft approach ("carrot instead of stick"), to influence policy in those countries.

The European Union represents the interests of all its members within the framework of the World Trade Organization, and acts on behalf of the member states in resolving any disputes.

EU agriculture

The agricultural sector is supported by subsidies from the European Union under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This currently represents 40% of total EU spending, guaranteeing minimum prices for farmers in the EU. This has been criticized as protectionist, hindering trade and hurting developing countries. One of the biggest opponents is the UK, the bloc's second largest economy, which has repeatedly refused to give the annual UK rebate unless significant reforms are made to the CAP. France, the bloc's third largest economy, is the most ardent supporter of the CAP. The Common Agricultural Policy is the oldest of the programs of the European Economic Community, its cornerstone. The policy aims to increase agricultural productivity, ensure the stability of the food supply, ensure a decent standard of living for the agricultural population, stabilize markets, as well as ensuring reasonable prices for products. Until recently, it was carried out through subsidies and market intervention. In the 1970s and 1980s, about two-thirds of the budget of the European Community was allocated to agricultural policy, for 2007-2013 the share of this expenditure item decreased to 34%

European Union Tourism

The European Union is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from outside the EU as well as citizens traveling within it. Domestic tourism is more convenient for citizens of some EU Member States that are part of the Schengen Agreement and the Eurozone.

All citizens of the European Union have the right to travel to any member country, without the need for a visa. Looking at individual countries, France is the world leader in attracting foreign tourists, followed by Spain, Italy and the UK in 2nd, 5th and 6th respectively. If we consider the EU as a whole, then the number of foreign tourists is less, since the majority of travelers are domestic tourists from other member countries.

European Union companies

The countries of the European Union are home to many of the world's largest multinational companies, as well as home to their headquarters. They also include companies that rank first in the world in their industry, such as Allianz, which is the world's largest financial services provider; Airbus, which makes about half of the world's jet airliners; Air France-KLM, which is the world's largest airline in terms of total operating income; Amorim, leader in cork processing; ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company; the Danone group, which ranks first in the dairy market; Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest beer producer; L "Oreal Group, a leading cosmetics manufacturer; LVMH, the largest luxury goods conglomerate; Nokia Corporation, which is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones; Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world's largest energy corporations; and Stora Enso, which is the largest in the world's largest pulp and paper manufacturer in terms of production capacity.The EU also has some of the largest companies in the financial sector, notably HSBC - and Grupo Santander are the largest companies in terms of market capitalization.

Today, one of the most widely used methods for measuring income inequality is the Gini coefficient. It is a measure of income inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. On this scale, 0 represents perfect equality for everyone having the same income and 1 represents absolute inequality with one person, all income. According to the UN, the Gini coefficient varies across countries from 0.247 in Denmark to 0.743 in Namibia. Most post-industrial countries have a Gini coefficient ranging from 0.25 to 0.40.

Comparing the richest regions in the EU can be a difficult task. This is because NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 regions are heterogeneous, some of them are very large, such as NUTS-1 Hesse (21100 km²), or NUTS-1 Ile-de-France (12011 km²), while while other NUTS regions are much smaller, such as NUTS-1 Hamburg (755 km²), or NUTS-1 Greater London (1580 km²). An extreme example is Finland, which is divided for historical reasons into the mainland with 5.3 million inhabitants and the Åland Islands with a population of 26,700, about the size of a small Finnish town.

One problem with this data is that in some areas, including Greater London, there is a large amount of Pendulum migration entering the region, thus artificially increasing the numbers. This entails an increase in GDP without changing the number of people living in the area, increasing GDP per capita. Similar problems can be caused by a large number of tourists visiting the area. This data is used to identify regions that are supported by organizations such as the European Regional Development Fund. It was decided to delimit the nomenclature of territorial units for statistical purposes (NUTS) of regions, in an arbitrary way (i.e. e. not based on objective criteria and not uniform for the whole of Europe), which was accepted at the pan-European level.

The top 10 NUTS-1 and NUTS-2 regions with the highest GDP per capita are among the first fifteen countries in the bloc: and none of the 12 new member countries that joined in May 2004 and January 2007. NUTS provisions establish a minimum a population of 3 million, and a maximum size of 7 million for an average NUTS-1 region, and a minimum of 800,000 and a maximum of 3 million for a NUTS-2 region. This definition, however, is not recognized by Eurostat. For example, the Île-de-France region, with a population of 11.6 million, is considered a NUTS-2 region, while Bremen, with only 664,000 inhabitants, is considered a NUTS-1 region. Economically weak NUTS-2 regions.

The fifteen regions with the lowest ranking in 2004 were Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, with the lowest rates recorded in Nord-Est in Romania (25% of the average), followed by Severozapaden, Yuzhen central and Severen central in Bulgaria (all 25 -28%). Among the 68 regions below 75% of the average, fifteen were in Poland, seven each in Romania and the Czech Republic, six in Bulgaria, Greece and Hungary, five in Italy, four in France (all overseas departments) and Portugal, three in Slovakia , one in Spain and the rest in the countries of Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Organizational structure of the EU

The temple structure, as a way to visualize the existing specifics of the delimitation of the competences of the EU and the member states, appeared in the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union. The temple structure is "supported" by three "pillars": The first pillar of the "European Communities" combines the predecessors of the EU: 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 cases."

With the help of "pillars" in the treaties, policy areas that fall within the competence of the EU are delimited. In addition, the pillars provide a visual representation of the role of EU member state governments and EU institutions in the decision-making process. Within the framework of the first pillar, the role of the EU institutions is decisive. Decisions here are made by the “community method”. The Community has jurisdiction over matters relating, inter alia, to the common market, the customs union, the single currency (with some of the members retaining their own currency), the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy, certain issues of migration and refugees, 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 Nice Treaty (2001), some issues of migration and refugees, as well as issues of ensuring gender equality in the workplace, were transferred from the second to the first pillar. Consequently, on these issues, the role of the EU institutions in relation to the EU member states has increased. Today, membership in the European Union, the European Community and the Euratom is one, all states joining the Union become members of the Communities. According to the Lisbon Treaty of 2007, this complex system will be abolished , a single status of the European Union as a subject of international law will be established.

European institutions of the EU

What follows is a description of the main bodies or institutions of the EU. It must be borne in mind that the traditional division of states into legislative, executive and judicial bodies is not typical for the EU. If the EU Court can be safely considered a judicial body, then the legislative functions belong simultaneously to the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the European Parliament, and the executive - to the Commission and the Council.

The highest political body of the EU, consisting of the heads of state and government of the member countries and their deputies - the ministers of foreign affairs. The President of the European Commission is also a member of the European Council. The creation of the European Council was based on the idea of ​​the French President Charles de Gaulle to hold informal summits of the leaders of the states of the European Union, which was intended to prevent the decrease in the role of nation states within the framework of an integration entity. Informal summits have been held since 1961; in 1974, at the summit in Paris, this practice was formalized at the suggestion of Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, who at that time was the President of France.

The Council determines the main strategic directions for the development of the EU. The development of a general line of political integration is the main mission of the European Council. Along with the Council of Ministers, the European Council has the political function of amending the fundamental treaties of European integration. Its meetings are held at least twice a year - either in Brussels or in the presiding state under the chairmanship of a representative of the member state currently heading the Council of the European Union. The meetings last two days. Council decisions are binding on the states that support them. Within the framework of the European Council, the so-called “ceremonial” leadership is carried out, when the presence of politicians of the highest level gives the decision taken both significance and high legitimacy. Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, that is, since December 2009, the European Council has officially entered the structure of EU institutions. The provisions of the agreement established a new position of President of the European Council, who takes part in all meetings of the heads of state and government of the EU member states. The European Council should be distinguished from the Council of the EU and from the Council of Europe.

The Council of the European Union (officially the Council, usually informally referred to as the Council of Ministers) is, along with the European Parliament, one of the Union's two legislative bodies and one of its seven institutions. The Council consists of 28 ministers of the governments of the member countries in a composition that depends on the range of issues under discussion. At the same time, despite the different composition, the Council is considered a single body. In addition to legislative powers, the Council also has some executive functions in the area of ​​common foreign and security policy.

The Council is composed of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the European Union. However, the practice of convening the Council in the composition of other, sectoral ministers has been developed: economy and finance, justice and internal affairs, agriculture, etc. The decisions of the Council have the same force, regardless of the specific composition that made the decision. The presidency of the Council of Ministers is exercised by the EU Member States in the manner unanimously determined by the Council (usually the rotation takes place on the principle of big - small state, founder - new member, etc.). The rotation takes place every six months. In the early days of the European Community, most decisions of the Council required a unanimous decision. Gradually, the method of making decisions by a qualified majority of votes is gaining more and more use. At the same time, each state has a certain number of votes, depending on its population and economic potential.

Numerous working groups on specific issues operate under the auspices of the Council. Their task is to prepare decisions of the Council and to supervise the European Commission in case certain Council powers are delegated to it. Since the Paris Treaty, there has been a trend of selective delegation of powers from nation states (directly or through the Council of Ministers) to the European Commission. The signing of new "package" agreements added new competencies to the European Union, which entailed the delegation of large executive powers to the European Commission. However, the European Commission is not free to implement policies; in certain areas, national governments have tools to control its activities. Another trend is the strengthening of the role of the European Parliament. It should be noted that despite the evolution made by the European Parliament from a purely advisory body to an institution that has received the right to joint decision and even approval, the powers of the European Parliament are still very limited. Therefore, the balance of power in the system of EU institutions is still in favor of the Council of Ministers. Delegation of powers from the European Council is highly selective and does not jeopardize the significance of the Council of Ministers.

The European Commission is the highest executive body of the European Union. Consists of 27 members, one from each Member State. When exercising their powers, they are independent, act only in the interests of the EU, and are not entitled to engage in any other activity. Member states have no right to influence the members of the European Commission. The European Commission is formed every 5 years as follows. The Council of the EU, at the level of Heads of State and/or Government, proposes the candidature of the President of the European Commission, which is approved by the European Parliament. Further, the Council of the EU, together with the candidate for the presidency of the Commission, form the proposed composition of the European Commission, taking into account the wishes of the Member States. The composition of the "cabinet" must be approved by the European Parliament and finally approved by the Council of the EU. Each member of the Commission is responsible for a specific area of ​​EU policy and heads the relevant unit (the so-called General Directorate).

The Commission plays a central role in ensuring the day-to-day activities of the EU towards the implementation of the fundamental Treaties. It comes up with legislative initiatives, and after approval controls their implementation. In case of violation of EU legislation, the Commission has the right to resort to sanctions, including appeal to the European Court of Justice. The Commission has significant autonomy in various policy areas, including agricultural, trade, competition, transport, regional, etc. The Commission has an executive apparatus, as well as manages the budget and various funds and programs of the European Union (such as the Tacis program) .The main working languages ​​of the Commission are English, French and German. The headquarters of the European Commission is located in Brussels.

European Parliament EU

The European Parliament is an assembly of 732 deputies (as amended by the Nice Treaty), directly elected by the citizens of the EU member states for a term of five years. The President of the European Parliament is elected for two and a half years. Members of the European Parliament are united not on a national basis, but in accordance with their political orientation. The main role of the European Parliament is the approval of the EU budget. In addition, almost any decision of the Council of the EU requires either the approval of the Parliament, or at least a request for its opinion. Parliament controls the work of the Commission and has the right to dissolve it (which, however, he never used). The approval of the Parliament is also required when admitting new members to the Union, as well as when concluding agreements on associate membership and trade agreements with third countries.

The last elections to the European Parliament were held in 2009. The European Parliament holds plenary sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels. The European Parliament was established in 1957. Initially, members were appointed by the parliaments of the EU member states. Since 1979 elected by the population. Parliamentary elections are held every 5 years. MEPs are divided into party factions, which represent international party associations. Chairman - Buzek Jerzy. The European Parliament is one of the five governing bodies of the European Union. It directly represents the population of the European Union. Since the founding of the Parliament in 1952, its powers have been continuously expanded, especially as a result of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and, most recently, the Treaty of Nice in 2001. However, the competence of the European Parliament is still narrower than that of the national legislatures of most states.

The European Parliament sits in Strasbourg, other seats are Brussels and Luxembourg. On 20 July 2004 the European Parliament was elected for a sixth term. At first, 732 parliamentarians sat in it, and after the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union on January 15, 2007, there were 785 of them. The chairman of the second half-period is Hans Gert Pottering. Currently, 7 factions are represented in the parliament, as well as a number of non-partisan delegates. In their home states, parliamentarians are members of about 160 different parties that have coalesced into factions on the pan-European political arena. Starting from the seventh electoral period 2009-2014. The European Parliament must again consist of 736 delegates (according to art. 190 EC Treaty); The Lisbon Treaty establishes the number of parliamentarians at the level of 750 people, including the chairman. The principles of organization and work of the body are contained in the Regulations of the European Parliament.

History of the European Parliament

From September 10 to 13, 1952, the first meeting of the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) was held, consisting of 78 representatives who were chosen from among the national parliaments. This assembly had only advisory powers, but also had the right to dismiss the highest executive bodies of the ECSC. In 1957, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community were founded as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. The Parliamentary Assembly, which at that time consisted of 142 representatives, belonged to all these three communities. Despite the fact that the assembly did not receive any new powers, nevertheless, it began to call itself the European Parliament - a name that was recognized by independent states. When the European Union received its budget in 1971, the European Parliament began to participate in its planning - in all its aspects, except for the planning of expenditures for the common agricultural policy, which, at that time, accounted for about 90% of the costs. This apparent senselessness of parliament even led to the fact that in the 70s there was a joke: “Send your old grandfather to sit in the European Parliament” (“Hast du einen Opa, schick ihn nach Europa”).

Since the 1980s, the situation has gradually begun to change. The first direct parliamentary elections in 1976 were not yet associated with the expansion of its powers, but already in 1986, after the signing of the Single Pan-European Act, the parliament began to take part in the legislative process and could now officially make proposals to change bills, although the last word still remained for the European Council. This condition was abolished as a result of the next step to expand the competences of the European Parliament - the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which equalized the rights of the European Parliament and the European Council. Although Parliament still could not put forward bills against the will of the European Council, this was a great achievement, since now no important decision could be made without the participation of Parliament. In addition, the parliament received the right to form the Investigative Committee, which significantly expanded its supervisory functions.

As a result of the reforms of Amsterdam 1997 and Nice 2001, parliament began to play a greater role in the political sphere of Europe. In some important areas, such as the common European agricultural policy, or the joint work of the police and the judiciary, the European Parliament still does not have full powers. However, together with the European Council, it has a strong position in legislation. The European Parliament has three main tasks: legislation, budgeting and control of the European Commission . The European Parliament shares legislative functions with the EU Council, which also makes laws (directives, orders, decisions). Since the signing of the Treaty in Nice, in most political areas, the so-called principle of joint decisions (art. 251 of the EU-Treaty) has been in force, according to which the European Parliament and the Council of Europe have equal powers, and each bill submitted by the Commission must be considered in 2x readings. Disagreements must be resolved during the 3rd reading.

In general, this system resembles the division of legislative power in Germany between the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. However, the European Parliament, unlike the Bundestag, does not have the right to initiate, in other words, it cannot introduce its own bills. Only the European Commission has this right in the pan-European political arena. The European Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty do not provide for the expansion of initiative powers for Parliament, although the Lisbon Treaty does allow, in exceptional cases, a situation where a group of EU member states submits bills for consideration.

In addition to the system of mutual lawmaking, there are also two more forms of legal regulation (agrarian policy and antimonopoly competition), where the parliament has less voting rights. This circumstance after the Treaty of Nice extends only to one political sphere, and after the Treaty of Lisbon it should disappear altogether.

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU jointly form the Budget Commission, which forms the EU budget (for example, in 2006 it amounted to about € 113 billion).

Significant restrictions on budgetary policy are imposed by the so-called "Compulsory expenditures" (that is, expenditures associated with a joint agricultural policy), which amount to almost 40% of the total European budget. The powers of the Parliament in the direction of "Compulsory Expenses" are severely limited. The Lisbon Treaty should abolish the distinction between "mandatory" and "non-mandatory" spending and give the European Parliament the same budgetary rights as the EU Council

Parliament also exercises control over the activities of the European Commission. The Plenum of the Parliament must approve the composition of the Commission. Parliament has the right to accept or reject the Commission only in its entirety, and not its individual members. The Parliament does not appoint the Chairman of the Commission (unlike the rules in force in most national parliaments of the EU member states), he can only accept or reject a candidate proposed by the Council of Europe. In addition, the Parliament may, through a 2/3 majority, move a vote of no confidence in the Commission than cause its resignation.

This right was used by the European Parliament, for example, in 2004, when the Commission of Free Cities opposed the contested candidacy of Rocco Butiglione for the post of Justice Commissioner. Then the Social Democratic, Liberal and Green factions threatened to dissolve the Commission, after which Franco Frattini was appointed instead of Butglione as Commissioner of Justice. The Parliament can also exercise control over the Council of Europe and the European Commission by establishing a committee of inquiry. This right especially affects those areas of politics where the executive functions of these institutions are great, and where the legislative powers of the Parliament are significantly limited.

Court of Justice of the European Union

The European Court of Justice (officially called the Court of Justice of the European Communities) meets in Luxembourg and is the highest judicial body of the EU. The court regulates disputes between member states; between Member States and the European Union itself; between EU institutions; between the EU and natural or legal persons, including members of its organs (a Civil Service Tribunal was recently created for this function). The Court gives opinions on international agreements; it also issues preliminary (prejudicial) rulings on requests from national courts for the interpretation of the founding treaties and EU regulations. Decisions of the EU Court of Justice are binding on the territory of the EU. As a general rule, the jurisdiction of the EU Court of Justice extends to the areas of competence of the EU.

The Court of Auditors was established in 1975 to audit the EU budget and its institutions. Compound. The Chamber is composed of representatives of the member states (one from each member state). They are appointed by the Council by unanimous decision for a term of six years and are completely independent in the performance of their duties. Functions: 1. verifies the income and expenditure accounts of the EU and all its institutions and bodies that have access to EU funds; 2. monitors the quality of financial management; 3. draw up a report on its work after the end of each financial year, as well as submit to the European Parliament and the Council conclusions or comments on individual issues; 5. helps the European Parliament to control the implementation of the EU budget. Headquarters - Luxembourg.

European Central Bank

The European Central Bank was formed in 1998 from the banks of 11 EU countries that are members of the eurozone (Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg). Greece, which introduced the euro on January 1, 2001, became the twelfth country in the euro area. The European Central Bank (eng. EuropeanCentralBank) is the central bank of the European Union and the euro area. Formed on June 1, 1998. The headquarters is located in the German city of Frankfurt am Main. Its staff includes representatives of all EU member states. The bank is completely independent from other EU bodies.

The main functions of the bank: development and implementation of the monetary policy of the euro area; maintenance and management of official exchange reserves of the countries of the euro area; issue of euro banknotes; setting basic interest rates.; maintaining price stability in the euro area, that is, ensuring that inflation does not exceed 2%. The European Central Bank is the "heir" of the European Monetary Institute (EMI), which played a leading role in preparing for the introduction of the euro in 1999. The European system of central banks from the ECB and national central banks: National Bank of Belgium (Banque Nationale de Belgique), Governor Guy Quaden; Bundesbank, Governor Axel A. Weber; Bank of Greece, Governor Nicholas C. Garganas; Bank of Spain, Governor Miguel Fernández Ordóñez; Bank of France (Banque de France), Governor Christian Noyer; Monetary Institute of Luxembourg.

All key issues related to the activities of the European Central Bank, such as the discount rate, accounting for bills and others, are decided by the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors of the Bank. The Board of Directors consists of six people, including the Chairman of the ECB and the Deputy Chairman of the ECB. Nominations are proposed by the Governing Council, approved by the European Parliament and the heads of state of the euro area.

The Board of Governors is made up of members of the Directorate of the ECB and governors of the national central banks. Traditionally, four out of six seats are occupied by representatives of the four major central banks: France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Only members of the Board of Governors who are present in person or take part in a teleconference have the right to vote. A member of the Board of Governors may appoint a replacement if he is unable to attend meetings for an extended period of time.

The voting requires the presence of 2/3 of the members of the Council, however, an emergency meeting of the ECB may be held, for which there is no set threshold for attendance. Decisions are made by a simple majority, in case of equality of votes, the vote of the Chairman has more weight. Decisions on the capital of the ECB, distribution of profits, etc. are also decided by voting, the weight of votes is proportional to the shares of national banks in the authorized capital of the ECB. In accordance with Art. 8 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the European System of Central Banks was founded - a supranational financial regulatory body that brings together the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of all 27 EU member countries. The administration of the ESCB is carried out by the governing bodies of the ECB.

Created in accordance with the Treaty, on the basis of capital provided by member countries. The EIB is endowed with the functions of a commercial bank, operates on international financial markets, provides loans to government agencies of member countries.

EU Economic and Social Committee and other units

The Economic and Social Committee is an advisory body of the EU. Formed in accordance with the Treaty of Rome. Compound. Consists of 344 members, called councillors.

Functions. Advise the Council and the Commission on EU social and economic policy issues. Represents various sectors of the economy and social groups (employers, employees and free 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 membership of the Committee will not exceed 350 people.

Location of the meetings. The Committee meets once a month in Brussels.

The Committee of the Regions is an advisory body that ensures the 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. It consists of 344 members representing regional and local authorities, but completely independent in the performance of their duties. The number of members per country is the same as in the Economic and Social Committee. Candidates are approved by the Council by unanimous decision on the proposals of the Member States for a period of 4 years. The Committee elects a Chairman and other officers from among its members for a period of 2 years.

Functions. Advise the Council and the Commission and give opinions on all issues affecting the interests of the regions. Venue of the sessions. Plenary sessions are held in Brussels 5 times a year. Also EU institutions are the Institute of the European Ombudsman, which 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 impact. As well as 15 specialized agencies and bodies, the European monitoring center against racism and xenophobia, Europol, Eurojust.

European Union law

A feature of the European Union, which distinguishes it from other international organizations, is the existence of its own law, which directly regulates the relations not only of the member states, but also of their citizens and legal entities. EU law consists of the so-called primary, secondary and tertiary (judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Communities). Primary law - EU founding treaties; agreements amending them (revision agreements); accession treaties for new member states. Secondary law - acts issued by EU bodies. Decisions of the EU Court of Justice and other judicial bodies of the Union are widely used as case law.

EU law has direct effect on the territory of the EU countries and takes precedence over the national legislation of the states.

EU law is divided into institutional law (the rules governing the creation and functioning of EU institutions and bodies) and substantive law (the rules governing the process of implementing the goals of the EU and the EU communities). The substantive law of the EU, as well as 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 subdivided into the law of European communities, Schengen law, etc. The main achievement of EU law can be considered the institution of four freedoms: freedom of movement of persons, freedom of movement of capital, freedom of movement of goods and freedom to provide services in these countries.

EU languages

23 languages ​​are officially used equally in European institutions: English, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Greek, Danish, Irish, Spanish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, German, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Finnish, French, Czech , Swedish, Estonian. At the working level, English and French are usually used.

The official languages ​​of the European Union are the languages ​​that are official in the activities of the European Union (EU). All decisions taken by official EU bodies are translated into all official languages, and EU citizens have the right to apply to EU bodies and receive a response to their requests in any of the official languages.

At high-level events, measures are taken to translate participants' speeches into all official languages ​​(if necessary). Simultaneous translation into all official languages, in particular, is always carried out at sessions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Despite the declared equality of all languages ​​of the Union, with the expansion of the EU's borders, "European bilingualism" is increasingly observed, when, in fact, in the work of instances (with the exception of official events) mainly English, French and, to a lesser extent, German (the three working languages ​​of the Commission) are used, with other languages ​​being used as appropriate. In connection with the expansion of the EU and the entry into it of countries where French is less common, the positions of English and German have strengthened. In any case, all final normative documents are translated into other official languages.

In 2005, about 800 million euros were spent to pay for the work of translators. Back in 2004, this amount amounted to 540 million euros. The European Union stimulates the spread of multilingualism among the inhabitants of the participating countries. This is done not only to ensure mutual understanding, but also to develop a tolerant and respectful attitude towards linguistic and cultural diversity in the EU. Measures to promote multilingualism include the annual European Day of Languages, accessible language courses, the promotion of learning more than one foreign language and learning languages ​​in adulthood.

Russian is the native language of more than 1.3 million people in the Baltic countries, as well as a small part of the German population. The older generation of the population of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania mostly understands Russian and speaks it, since in the USSR it was compulsory for studying at schools and universities. Also, Russian is understood by many older people in Eastern European countries, where it is not native to the population.

The debt crisis of the European Union and measures to overcome it

The European debt crisis or the sovereign debt crisis in a number of European countries is a debt crisis that in 2010 first engulfed the peripheral countries of the European Union (Greece, Ireland), and then engulfed almost the entire euro area. The source of the crisis is called the crisis of the government bond market in Greece in the fall of 2009. For some eurozone countries, it has become difficult or impossible to refinance public debt without the help of intermediaries.

Since the end of 2009, due to the growth in public and private sector debt around the world and the simultaneous downgrade of the credit ratings of several EU countries, investors began to fear the development of a debt crisis. In different countries, different reasons led to the development of the debt crisis: somewhere the crisis was caused by the provision of emergency government assistance to companies in the banking sector that were on the verge of bankruptcy due to the growth of market bubbles, or government attempts to stimulate the economy after market bubbles burst . In Greece, the increase in public debt was driven by wastefully high wages for civil servants and large pension payments for 347 days. The development of the crisis was also facilitated by the structure of the eurozone (monetary rather than fiscal union), which also had a negative impact on the ability of European leaders to respond to the development of the crisis: eurozone member countries have a single currency, but there is no single tax and pension legislation.

It is noteworthy that due to the fact that European banks own a significant share of government bonds of countries, doubts about the solvency of individual countries lead to doubts about the solvency of their banking sector and vice versa. Starting in 2010, investor fears began to intensify. On May 9, 2010, the finance ministers of the leading European countries responded to the change in the investment environment by creating the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) with resources of 750 billion euros to ensure financial stability in Europe through the implementation of a number of anti-crisis measures. In October 2011 and February 2012, eurozone leaders agreed on measures to prevent economic collapse, including an agreement to write off 53.5% of the debt obligations of the Greek government owned by private creditors by banks, an increase in the volume of funds from the European Financial Stability Facility to about € 1 trillion, as well as an increase in the level of capitalization of European banks up to 9%.

Also, in order to increase investor confidence, representatives of the EU leaders signed an agreement on fiscal stability (en: European Fiscal Compact), under which the government of each country assumed obligations to amend the constitution to make a balanced budget mandatory. At that time as the volume of government bond issuance increased significantly in only a few eurozone countries, the growth of government debt began to be perceived as a common problem for all countries of the European Union as a whole. However, the European currency remains stable. The three countries most affected by the crisis (Greece, Ireland and Portugal) account for 6 percent of the eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP). In June 2012, Spain's debt crisis came to the fore among the eurozone's economic problems. This led to a sharp increase in the rate of return on Spanish government bonds and significantly limited the country's access to capital markets, which led to the need for financial assistance to Spanish banks and a number of other measures.

On May 9, 2010, the finance ministers of the leading European countries responded to the change in the investment environment by creating the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) with resources of 750 billion euros to ensure financial stability in Europe through the implementation of a number of anti-crisis measures. In October 2011 and February 2012, eurozone leaders agreed on measures to prevent economic collapse, including an agreement to write off 53.5% of the debt obligations of the Greek government owned by private creditors by banks, an increase in the volume of funds from the European Financial Stability Facility to about € 1 trillion, as well as an increase in the level of capitalization of European banks up to 9%. Also, in order to increase investor confidence, representatives of the EU leaders signed an agreement on fiscal stability (en: European Fiscal Compact), under which the government of each country assumed obligations to amend the constitution on the obligation of a balanced budget.

While the issuance of government bonds has increased significantly in only a few eurozone countries, the growth of government debt has become perceived as a common problem for all countries of the European Union as a whole. However, the European currency remains stable. The three countries most affected by the crisis (Greece, Ireland and Portugal) account for 6 percent of the eurozone's gross domestic product (GDP). In June 2012, Spain's debt crisis came to the fore among the eurozone's economic problems. This led to a sharp increase in the rate of return on Spanish government bonds and significantly limited the country's access to capital markets, which led to the need for financial assistance to Spanish banks and a number of other measures.

Sources for the article "European Union"

images.yandex.ua - Yandex pictures

en.wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia wikipedia

youtube - video hosting

osvita.eu - European Union Information Agency

eulaw.edu.ru - Official website of the European Union

referatwork.ru - European Union law

euobserver.com - News site specializing in the European Union

euractiv.com - EU policy news

jazyki.ru - EU Language Portal

On this page you can find out the full list of EU countries included in the composition for 2017.

The initial purpose of the creation of the European Union was to connect the coal and steel resources of just two European countries - Germany and France. In 1950, one could not even imagine that after a certain time the European Union would become a unique international formation that united 28 European states and combined the features of an international organization and a sovereign power. The article describes which countries are members of the European Union, how many full members of the EU and candidates for membership are currently.

The organization received legal justification much later. The existence of the 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:

1. Creation of an international association with identical economic, political and monetary directions in development;
2. Creation of a single market by creating conditions for the unhindered movement of production products, services, and other goods;
3. Regulation of issues related to the protection and protection of the environment;
4. Decreased crime rate.

The main consequences of the conclusion of the contract:

• the introduction of a single European citizenship;
• the abolition of the passport control regime on the territory of the 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 states 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 entry into the European Union was made, after which Croatia also became a member of the EU.

The following countries are members of the European Union:

1. Croatia;
2. Netherlands;
3. Romania;
4. France;
5. Bulgaria;
6. Luxembourg;
7. Italy;
8. Cyprus;
9. Germany;
10. Estonia;
11. Belgium;
12. Latvia;
13. United Kingdom;
14. Spain;
15. Austria;
16. Lithuania;
17. Ireland;
18. Poland;
19. Greece;
20. Slovenia;
21. Denmark;
22. Slovakia;
23. Sweden;
24. Malta;
25. Finland;
26. Portugal;
27. Hungary;
28. 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, 6 European states became part of the formation, 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 especially fruitful, when 10 European countries, including Hungary, Cyprus and other economically developed countries, received EU membership. The last enlargements, which brought the number of EU members to 28, were carried out in 2007 (Romania, Republic of Bulgaria) and 2013.

Quite often, Russians have a question: "Does Montenegro enter 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 to join

To become a member of the organization, you must meet the requirements, the list of which is displayed in the relevant regulatory legal act, called the "Copenhagen criteria". The etymology of the document is dictated by the place of its signing. The document was adopted in the city of Copenhagen (Denmark) in 1993 during a meeting of the European Council.

List of the main criteria that the candidate must meet:

• application of the principles of democracy on the territory of the country;
• a person and his rights should be in the first place, that is, the state should adhere to the principles of the rule of law and humanism;
• development of the economy and increase of 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 subjected to scrutiny, resulting in a decision being made. In case of a negative answer, the country that received a negative answer is provided with a list of the reasons on the basis of which such a decision was made. Non-compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, which are identified during the verification of the candidate, must be eliminated as soon as possible in order to be eligible for EU membership in the future.

Official declared candidates for EU membership

Today, the following associate members of the EU are in the status of candidates for accession to the European Union:

• Turkish Republic;
• Republic of Albania;
• Montenegro;
• Republic of Macedonia;
• Republic of Serbia.

The legal status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosovo are potential candidates.

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 non-EU states wish to be included in its list, 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 receives 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 to join 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.

Today, most of the European powers are united in a single community, called the "Eurozone". On their territory there are: a single commodity market, a visa-free regime, a common currency (euro) has been introduced. To understand which countries are currently part of the European Union, and what are the trends in its development, it is necessary to turn to history.

Now the EU includes (in brackets the year of entry is indicated):

• 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 2020. 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 because of the deep and fundamental contradictions between the powers, the matter came to practical implementation almost 100 years later. 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 implemented. It is explained by the fact that the EU member states realized that the rapid and effective recovery of national economies, as well as their further development, can be carried out only 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. Schuman (head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France) on its organization in the field of the use and production of steel and coal, combining the natural resources of Germany and France. This happened on May 9, 1950. In 1951, a document on the creation of the ECSC was signed in the capital of France. In addition to the aforementioned 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 agreements on the establishment of the European communities of EuroAtom, as well as the EEC. After 3 years, the EFTA association was also created.

1963 - The foundation is laid for an associated relationship between the community itself and Africa. This allowed 18 republics of the continent to fully enjoy for 5 years all the advantages 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 - completion of the formation of the Customs Union.

Early 1973 - the list of EU countries is replenished: Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland.

1975 - The EU and 46 states from different parts of the globe sign a convention in the field of trade cooperation, called Lo-Mei.

1979 - introduction of the EMU.

1981 - Greece joins the EU.

1986 - Spain and Portugal join the squad.

In 1990 - the adoption of the Schengen agreement.

1992 - signing of the Maastricht Treaty.

11/01/1993 - official renaming to the European Union.

1995 - the entry of Sweden, Finland, Austria.

1999 - introduction of the cashless euro.

2002 - The euro is introduced for cash payments.

2004 - the next expansion of the EU: Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland.

2007 - Romania and Bulgaria joined.

2013 - Croatia becomes the 28th member of the EU.

The process of development of the Eurozone has not always been and is proceeding smoothly. For example, at the end of 1985, Greenland left it, which had previously joined Denmark, but after gaining independence, the citizens of the state made an appropriate decision. In 2016, a referendum was held in the UK, in which the majority of the population (almost 52%) voted in favor of terminating 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 together with other states to which they belong.

As the current situation in the world shows, the countries that are members of the European Union today have different views on their membership in it and on general development prospects, especially in the light of recent events related to the decision of the UK.

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 is paid here:

• principles of democracy;
• human rights;
• development of the competitiveness of the economy.

All important political decisions taken by EU Member States are subject to mandatory coordination.

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 readiness of the state to add to this list or to wait.

If the decision is negative, then a list of parameters and criteria must be drawn up, which should be brought back to normal within the prescribed period. Compliance with the regulations is constantly monitored. After bringing the parameters back to normal, another study is carried out and then a summary is made whether the power is ready for membership or not.

The euro is considered the single currency in the Eurozone, but not all EU members for 2020 have adopted it on their territory. Of the 9 countries, Denmark and the UK have a special status, Sweden also does not recognize the euro as its state currency, but may change this attitude in the near future, and another 6 powers are just getting ready for introduction.

Applicants

If you look at which countries are members of the European Union, and who is currently a candidate for replenishing its ranks, then it is quite possible to expect an expansion of the association, today 5 applicants have been officially announced: Albania, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Among the potential ones, Bosnia and Herzegovina can be singled out. There are applicants among the 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

The 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 in the international market is an independent unit. The total GDP is made up 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, was brought by such countries as Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Italy and France. The main strategic resources are oil products, gas and coal. In terms of reserves of petroleum products, the EU ranks 14th in the world.

Another significant source of income is tourism activities. This is facilitated by a visa-free regime, lively trade relations and a single currency.

Analyzing which states are members of the European Union and who is a contender for entry, one can make various forecasts. But in any case, the integration of economies in the near future will continue and most likely more powers located on other continents will be involved.

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