   #copyright

European Union

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Politics and government

   European Union^1


                         Flag of the European Union
                                    Flag

   Motto
   In varietate concordia  ( Latin)
   "United in diversity"
   Anthem
   Ode to Joy  (orchestral)
   Location of the European Union
   Comission seat Brussels
   50°54′N, 4°32′E
   Official languages
   23

   Bulgarian
   Czech
   Danish
   Dutch
   English
   Estonian
   Finnish
   French
   German
   Greek
   Hungarian
   Irish
   Italian
   Latvian
   Lithuanian
   Maltese
   Polish
   Portuguese
   Romanian
   Slovak
   Slovenian
   Spanish
   Swedish
   Member states
   27

   Austria
   Belgium
   Bulgaria
   Cyprus
   Czech Republic
   Denmark
   Estonia
   Finland
   France
   Germany
   Greece
   Hungary
   Ireland
   Italy
   Latvia
   Lithuania
   Luxembourg
   Malta
   Netherlands
   Poland
   Portugal
   Romania
   Slovakia
   Slovenia
   Spain
   Sweden
   United Kingdom
   Government Intergovernmentalism, Supranationalism
    -  Commission José Manuel Barroso
    -  Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering
    -  Council Frank-Walter Steinmeier
    -  European Council Germany
   Formation
    -  Treaty of Rome 25 March 1957
    -  Maastricht Treaty 7 February 1992
   Area
    -  Total 4,324,782 km² ( 7th^2)
   1,669,807  sq mi
    -  Water ( %) 3,08
   Population
    -  2007 estimate 494,070,000 ( 3rd^2)
    -  Density 112 /km² ( 77th^2)
   289 /sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2006 ( IMF) estimate
    -  Total $13,881 billion ( 1st^2)
    -  Per capita $28,213 ( 14th^2)
   GDP (nominal) 2006 ( IMF) estimate
    -  Total $14,527 billion ( 1st^2)
    -  Per capita $29,526 ( 13th^2)
   Currency
   15

   Euro (€) ( EUR)
     __________________________________________________________________

   Hungarian forint
   Czech koruna
   Slovak koruna
   Swedish krona
   Danish krone
   Estonian kroon
   Latvian lats
   Romanian leu
   Bulgarian lev
   Maltese lira
   Lithuanian litas
   British pound
   Cypriot pound
   Polish złoty
   Time zone ( UTC0 to +2)
    -  Summer ( DST)  ( UTC+1 to +3)
   Internet TLD .eu
   ^1 See the name in other official EU languages.
   ^2 If considered as a single entity.

   The European Union (EU) is a supranational and intergovernmental union
   of twenty-seven states. It was established in 1992 by the Treaty on
   European Union (The Maastricht Treaty), and is the de facto successor
   to the six-member European Economic Community founded in 1957. Since
   then new accessions have raised its number of member states, and
   competences have expanded. The EU is the current stage of a continuing
   open-ended process of European integration.

   The EU is the largest economic and political entity in the world, with
   494 million people and a combined nominal GDP of €11.6 (US$14.5)
   trillion in 2006. The Union is a single market with a common trade
   policy, a Common Agricultural/ Fisheries Policy, and a Regional policy
   to assist underdeveloped regions. It introduced a single currency, the
   euro, adopted by 13 member states. The EU initiated a limited Common
   Foreign and Security Policy, and a limited Police and Judicial
   Co-operation in Criminal Matters.

   Important EU institutions and bodies include the European Commission,
   the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European
   Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, and the European
   Parliament. Citizens of EU member states are also EU citizens: they
   directly elect the European Parliament, once every five years. They can
   live, travel, work, and invest in other member states (with some
   restrictions on new member states). Passport control and customs checks
   at most internal borders were abolished by the Schengen Agreement.

History

   Robert Schuman
   Robert Schuman

   The EU has evolved from a western European trade body into the
   supranational and intergovernmental body that it is today. After the
   Second World War, an impetus grew in western Europe for institutional
   forms of cooperation (through social, political and economic
   integration) between states, driven by the determination to rebuild
   Europe and eliminate the possibility of another war between Germany and
   France. Eastern Europe, on the other hand, was largely within the
   Soviet sphere of influence, and only in the 1990s did the EU see
   central and eastern European states as potential members.

   In 1946 Winston Churchill called for a " United States of Europe"
   (though without the inclusion of the UK). On 9 May 1950 the French
   foreign minister Robert Schuman presented Jean Monnet's proposal for
   the joint management of France's and West Germany's coal and steel
   industries. The proposal, known as the " Schuman Declaration",
   envisaged the scheme as "the first concrete step towards a European
   federation". It is considered to be the beginning of the creation of
   what is now the European Union, and led to the formation of the
   European Coal and Steel Community by West Germany, France, Italy and
   the Benelux countries. This was accomplished by the Treaty of Paris,
   signed in 1951.
   The founding nations signing the Treaty of Rome in 1957
   The founding nations signing the Treaty of Rome in 1957

   The first full customs union - the European Economic Community - was
   established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and implemented on 1st
   January 1958. This later changed to the European Community, which is
   now the "first pillar" of the European Union created by the Maastricht
   treaty.

   On 29 October 2004, EU member state heads of government and state
   signed the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. This was
   later ratified by 17 member states. However, in most cases ratification
   was based on parliamentary action, rather than popular vote, and the
   process faltered on 29 May 2005 when French voters rejected the
   constitution 55% to 45%. The French rejection was followed three days
   later by a Dutch one, in which 62% of voters rejected the constitution
   as well.

Geography

   22 member countries are influenced by extensive coastlines and oceanic
   climate, (Mediterranean, Greece)
   22 member countries are influenced by extensive coastlines and oceanic
   climate, (Mediterranean, Greece)

   The territory of the European Union is formed by the territory of its
   twenty-seven member states, and expands with the accession of new
   members. It covers an area of 4,422,773 square kilometres (1,707,642
   sq mi). Extending northeast to Finland, northwest to Ireland, southeast
   to Cyprus and southwest to Portugal, it represents the seventh largest
   territory in the world by area. It is estimated that the coastline of
   the European Union is over 150,000 km long.

   The EU is not coterminous with Europe: significant parts of the
   continent (e.g. Switzerland, Norway, European Russia) are outside of
   the EU. The member states of the EU have land borders with 21 other
   nations. Several overseas territories and dependencies of various
   member states are also formally part of the EU (e.g. the Azores,
   Madeira, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe or the Canary Islands)
   while in other cases territories associated with member states are not
   part of the EU (e.g. Greenland, the Faroe Islands, most territories
   associated to the United Kingdom, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles or
   New Caledonia).

   Including overseas territories of member states, the EU includes most
   types of climate from Arctic to tropical. Meteorological averages for
   the EU as a whole are therefore not meaningful. The majority of the
   population live in areas with a Mediterranean climate (southern
   Europe), a temperate maritime climate (western Europe), or a warm
   summer continental or hemiboreal climate (in eastern member states).

Member states

   The EU describes itself as "a family of democratic European countries".
   On 23 July 1952 six founding members formed the European Coal and Steel
   Community (ECSC), which was transformed into the European Community,
   later renamed the European Union, in waves of accession:

        Member states
        Candidates
   Austria
   Poland
   Belgium
   Bulgaria
   Croatia
   Cyprus
   Czech
     Rep.
   Denmark
   Estonia
   Finland
   France
   Germany
   Greece
   Hungary
   Ireland
   Italy
   Latvia
   Lithuania
   Lux.
   FYROM
   Malta
   Neth.
   Portugal
   Romania
   Slovakia
   Slo.
   Spain
   Sweden
   Turkey

                                   United
                                   Kingdom


   Year History of European Union membership Total
   1957 Flag of Belgium  Belgium
   Flag of France  France
   Flag of West Germany   West Germany^a Flag of Italy  Italy
   Flag of Luxembourg  Luxembourg
   Flag of Netherlands  Netherlands 6
   1973 Flag of Denmark  Denmark^b
   Flag of Republic of Ireland  Republic of Ireland Flag of United Kingdom
    United Kingdom 9
   1981 Flag of Greece  Greece 10
   1986 Flag of Portugal  Portugal Flag of Spain  Spain 12
   1995 Flag of Austria  Austria
   Flag of Finland  Finland Flag of Sweden  Sweden 15
   2004 Flag of Cyprus  Cyprus
   Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic
   Flag of Estonia  Estonia
   Flag of Hungary  Hungary
   Flag of Latvia  Latvia Flag of Lithuania  Lithuania
   Flag of Malta  Malta
   Flag of Poland  Poland
   Flag of Slovakia  Slovakia
   Flag of Slovenia  Slovenia 25
   2007 Flag of Bulgaria  Bulgaria Flag of Romania  Romania 27

   ^a On 3 October 1990, the constituent Länder of the former East Germany
   acceded to the former West Germany, automatically becoming part of the
   EU.
   ^b In 1985, following a referendum, Greenland, which was granted home
   rule by Denmark in 1979, left the European Community.

   Note that certain areas of the member countries are not part of the EU,
   like the Channel Islands, or the Faroe Islands. Areas that are far from
   Continental Europe on the other hand may be part of the EU: for
   instance, the Azores, and Madeira islands (Portugal), are represented
   by that country in EU affairs. Also the various French overseas
   departments are considered part of France, which is why areas as far
   from Europe as Martinique and French Guiana use the Euro.

Politics

   The presidency of the European Council is currently held by Germany
   (Angela Merkel, Chancellor)
   The presidency of the European Council is currently held by Germany (
   Angela Merkel, Chancellor)

   Supporters of the European Union argue that the growth of the EU is a
   force for peace, democracy, and prosperity for its member states.
   However, the causal factors of war and peace are a controversial
   theoretical issue. Others contend that peace in Europe since World War
   II is the product of other causes, such as the moderating influence of
   the United States and the Soviet Union within their respective power
   blocs, and the mutual external threat for the other bloc/alliance, the
   need for reconstruction after World War II, and a collective temporary
   tiring of waging war, and that the dictatorships cited came to an end
   for entirely different reasons.

   The nature and future direction of the European Union itself is a key
   issue in European politics and a significant issue in the national
   politics of the member states. General issues include whether or not to
   belong to the EU, the impact of the EU on the member states,
   sovereignty issues, economic harmonisation issues, what the EU is
   becoming and should become (i.e. a single country in itself or a club
   of individual countries), the ultimate size of the Union, limits on new
   accession, the pace of new accessions, expansion in membership versus
   internal integration, a future as a political union versus a future as
   a free trade zone, the geographical limits of "Europe" for membership
   purposes, and the values and historical-cultural identity of the Union.
   Internal structure, procedures and policies are themselves subject to
   constant political debate. Specific issues at present include the
   status and future of the constitutional treaty; enlargement on the
   Balkans and Turkish accession; problems of financial probity and
   democratic accountability; relative economic viability; revision of the
   rules of the Stability and Growth Pact; and the Common Agricultural
   Policy.
   The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso
   The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso

   The Financial Perspective for 2007–2013 was defined in 2005 when EU
   members agreed to fix the common budget to 1.045% of the European GDP.
   UK Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to review the British rebate,
   negotiated by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. French President Jacques
   Chirac declared this increase in the budget will permit Europe to
   "finance common policies" such as the Common Agricultural Policy or the
   Research and Technological Development Policy. France's demand to lower
   the VAT in catering was refused. Controversial issues during budget
   debates include the British rebate, France's benefits from the Common
   Agricultural Policy, Germany and the Netherlands' large contributions
   to the EU budget, reform of the European Regional Development Funds,
   and the question of whether the European Parliament should continue to
   meet once a month in Strasbourg.

   The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly
   referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty
   intended to create a constitution for the European Union. The
   constitution was rejected by France and the Netherlands, where
   referenda were held causing other countries to postpone or halt their
   ratification procedures. The constitution now has an uncertain future.
   As of February 2007, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia,
   Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania,
   Slovenia and Spain have ratified the constitutional treaty. Finland,
   Germany and Slovakia have completed parliamentary procedures required
   for ratification. Spain and Luxembourg held referenda, thus in those
   member states the constitution was ratified by popular vote.

   The 'pillar' structure created by the Treaty of Maastricht moved the
   older policies and activities into the 'first pillar, labeled the
   'European Communities'. The more controversial new policy areas -
   foreign policy, security and defence, asylum and immigration, and
   judicial co-operation - were moved into two new 'pillars'.

European Economic Community

   The Euro is adopted by 13 countries and is used by 315 million people
   The Euro is adopted by 13 countries and is used by 315 million people

   A prominent policy goal of the European Union is the development and
   maintenance of an effective single market. Significant efforts have
   been made to create harmonised standards claimed by their proponents to
   bring economic benefits through creating larger, more efficient
   markets. Since the Treaty of Rome, policies have implemented free trade
   of goods and services among member states, and continue to do so. This
   policy goal was further extended to three of the four EFTA states by
   the European Economic Area, EEA. Common EU competition law restricts
   anti-competitive activities of companies (through antitrust law and
   merger control) and member states (through the State Aids regime). The
   EU promotes free movement of capital between member states (and other
   EEA states). The members have a common system of indirect taxation, the
   VAT, as well as common customs duties and excises on various products.
   From 2007-2013 new member states expect investments financed with EU
   Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds, (new motorway near Poznań, Poland)
   From 2007-2013 new member states expect investments financed with EU
   Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds, (new motorway near Poznań, Poland)

   They have a Common Agricultural Policy (with the Common Fisheries
   Policy) and the structural and cohesion funds, which improve
   infrastructure and assist disadvantaged regions. Together they are
   known as the cohesion policies. The EU also has funds for emergency
   financial aid, for instance after natural disasters. The funding
   extends to programmes in candidate countries and other Eastern European
   countries, as well as aid to many developing countries, through
   programmes such as Phare, TACIS, ISPA. The EU also funds research and
   technological development, through four-year Framework Programmes for
   Research and Technological Development.

   In a more political sense, the EU attempts to create - with much
   controversy - a sense of European citizenship and European political
   life. That includes freedom for citizens of the EU to vote and to stand
   as candidates in local government and European Parliament elections in
   any member state. The European Parliament is now attempting to create
   pan-European political parties, and almost all members have joined at
   least a federation of national political parties.

Common Foreign & Security Policy

   Javier Solana, the High Representative for the CFSP (l.) and United
   States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
   Javier Solana, the High Representative for the CFSP (l.) and United
   States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

   Defence and security are traditionally matters of national sovereignty.
   EU policies in this area were established as the second of the three
   pillars in the Maastricht treaty of 1992. The Common Foreign and
   Security Policy or CFSP were further defined and broadened in the
   Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. It superseded the European Political
   Cooperation. The CFSP acknowledges NATO being responsible for
   territorial defence of Europe and "peace-making". In 1999 the European
   Council took over responsibilities for the implementation of
   peace-keeping missions ( EUFOR in Bosnia Herzegovina, Congo) and
   policing of treaties. The supervision is coordinated by the High
   Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier
   Solana.

   The European Security and defence Policy is an element of the CFSP and
   stipulated the framing for policies that could deal with humanitarian
   and rescue tasks, and tasks of combat forces. It includes the creation
   of a 60,000-member European Rapid Reaction Force for peacekeeping
   purposes, an EU military staff, a European Defence Agency and an EU
   satellite centre (for intelligence purposes).

Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters

   The third of the three pillars of the European Union is focusing on
   cooperation in criminal matters, including sharing of intelligence
   (through Europol and the Schengen Information System), agreement on
   common definition of criminal offences and expedited extradition
   procedures. It is the EU instrument of law enforcement and combating
   racism.

   It was created as the Justice and Home Affairs pillar in the Treaty of
   Maastricht; subsequently the Treaty of Amsterdam transferred the areas
   of illegal immigration, visas, asylum, and judicial co-operation to the
   integrated first ( European Community) pillar. The term Justice and
   Home Affairs now covers these integrated fields as well as the
   intergovernmental third pillar.

International relations

   Peter Mandelson, Commissioner of Trade, represents the bloc in the WTO
   Peter Mandelson, Commissioner of Trade, represents the bloc in the WTO

   The foreign relations of the European Union are primarily a domain of
   the member-states, although the Union as a whole is beginning to
   exercise some influence through its Common Foreign and Security Policy
   (CFSP). External representation is handled by the High Representative
   for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European
   Commissioner for External Relations. The Commission is gaining greater
   representation in bodies such as the United Nations and G8.

   Policy is agreed on an inter-governmental basis however the general
   effect of the Union is also felt through Enlargement; the attraction of
   membership is taken as a major factor contributing to reform and
   stabilisation of the former Communist countries in Eastern Europe. The
   Union and its member states also contribute €43 billion in humanitarian
   aid; making it the largest humanitarian aid provider in the world.
   These factors influencing other countries are generally referred to as
   "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power".
   The Commission President (Prodi, lower right) at a G8 meeting in 2001
   The Commission President (Prodi, lower right) at a G8 meeting in 2001

   On the world stage the Union is gaining greater influence and ability
   to speak as a bloc. All 27 member states are represented in the World
   Trade Organization (WTO) through its Trade Commissioner, Peter
   Mandelson. The latest WTO negotiation round has currently stalled,
   partly due to European refusal to curtail the agricultural subsidies
   unless other developed countries would also stop subsidising their
   agricultural producers.

   Europe has had a long history with the United States, being
   particularly close during the Cold War. The US initially supported the
   development of the European Community and ensured the defence of the
   continent through NATO. However recently there has been friction
   between the United States and the modern European Union, for example
   over the Iraq war. Some individual member state governments have backed
   the USA over the war revealing weaknesses in forming a coherent foreign
   policy.

Enlargement

   EU enlargement 1952–2007
   EU enlargement 1952–2007

   It all started with the six countries of the European Coal and Steel
   Community in 1952. Today there are 27 European Union member states.
   There have been six enlargements, with the largest occurring on 1st May
   2004, when 10 states joined, and the most recent occurring on 1st
   January 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania joined. In order to join the
   European Union, a state needs to fulfill the economic and political
   conditions generally known as the Copenhagen criteria (named after the
   Copenhagen summit held in June 1993). These basically require a
   secular, democratic government, rule of law, and corresponding freedoms
   and institutions. According to the EU Treaty, any enlargement must be
   agreed to by every current member state as well as the European
   Parliament.

   The European Union is more pro-expansion on small nation states such as
   Georgia and Moldova to join the EU rather than larger nations such as
   Russia or Turkey, this is because smaller nations can be developed much
   more quickly than larger ones.

   Turkey is an official candidate to join the European Union. Turkish
   European ambitions date back to the 1962 Ankara Agreements, and Turkey
   started preliminary membership negotiations on 3 October 2005. However,
   analysts believe 2015 is the earliest date the country can join the
   union because of the large number of economic and social reforms it has
   to complete, and because the 2007– 13 budget does not take into account
   any of the considerable costs Turkey's accession will involve. Because
   of occupation of 1/3 of the Cyprus and Turkey's geographic setting many
   argue that Turkey must not be accepted to E.U. (only 3% of its
   territory lies in Europe). However, the Copenhagen criteria do not
   impose strict geographic conditions as EU member Cyprus is
   geographically an island in the Middle East. Lately, there have been
   reports on growing divisions between the EU and the Turkish
   government,, including discontent on the Turkish side, which feels it
   is capitulating to EU demands without receiving anything in return for
   its efforts.
   After EU institutional reforms and proposed modernisation, Croatia is
   likely to become the next EU member state.
   After EU institutional reforms and proposed modernisation, Croatia is
   likely to become the next EU member state.

   Croatia is an official candidate country to join the EU and started
   accession negotiations in 2005. In June 2006, the EU officials
   projected that the accession of Croatia would likely happen in 2009.
   The closure of negotiations for all chapters of the acquis
   communautaire is expected towards the end of 2008, with the signing of
   the Accession treaty and membership occurring in January or May 2009.

   The Republic of Macedonia became an official candidate in December
   2005.. Issues to be resolved include the controversy with Greece over
   use of the name Macedonia, and the country's poor relations with
   Bulgaria. Greece has clearly stated that it will veto the Republic's
   accession unless the name dispute is resolved.

   Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia are officially
   recognized as potential candidates. Norway and Switzerland, however,
   rejected applying for membership in separate referendums. Iceland is
   also touted as potential applicant but is opposed to the Common
   Fisheries Policy.

Institutions and bodies

   The European Union is governed by a number of institutions, these
   primarily being the Commission, Council and Parliament.

   The European Commission acts as an executive or civil service of sorts.
   It is currently composed of one member from each state (currently 27)
   and is responsible for drafting all proposed law, a duty on which it
   maintains a monopoly in order to co-ordinate European Law. It also
   controls some agencies and the day-to-day running of the Union. Its
   president is nominated by the European Council then elected by the
   Parliament.

   The Council of the European Union (aka the Council of Ministers) forms
   one half of the Union's legislative branch (the other being the
   Parliament). It is composed of the national ministers responsible for
   the area of EU law being addressed, for example a law regarding
   agriculture would go to a Council composed of national agriculture
   ministers. This body should not be confused with the European Council
   below or the non-EU body, the Council of Europe. The body's presidency
   rotates between the member states every 6 months, though the current
   president member state co-operates with the previous and future
   president member state, to provide continuity.

   The European Parliament is the only Union body composed of officials
   directly elected by the citizens of the EU member states. Every 5 years
   citizens in all member states vote across a few days for 785 " MEPs"
   who form the second half of the Union's legislative branch. Its members
   sit according to political groups rather than nationality and its
   president is elected by its members.
   The European Central Bank in Frankfurt
   The European Central Bank in Frankfurt

   The European Central Bank is controlling the monetary policy within the
   Eurozone, consisting of 13 member states. The ECB was established in
   1998 and its headquarters is located in Frankfurt, Germany.

   The Judicial branch of the Union consists primarily of the European
   Court of Justice composed of one judge nominated by each member-state
   with the president elected from among those nominees. Below the Court
   of Justice there is a lower court called the Court of First Instance
   created to lift some of the work load of the Court of Justice. There is
   also the European Court of Auditors which monitors the Union's
   accounts.

   Another major body, though not an official institution, is the European
   Council, composed of the heads of government (along with the President
   of the European Commission) meeting 4 times a year. It shares its
   presidency with that of the Council of the European Union. There are
   also the two advisory committees; the Committee of the Regions and the
   Economic and Social Committee.

   There is no official European capital, with institutions spread across
   a number of cities. However, Brussels is often considered the de facto
   capital as it hosts most of the primary institutions, including the
   Commission and the Council. The Parliament also has its second seat in
   the city. Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament,
   meeting there for twelve week-long plenary sessions each year.
   Luxembourg City plays host to the Secretariat of the European
   Parliament as well as the European Court of Justice, the Court of First
   Instance and the European Court of Auditors. See also: Location of
   European Union institutions

Law

   In 2004, the constitutional treaty was signed in Rome by
   representatives of all EU member states. Subsequently, it was ratified
   by 15 member states, and rejected in French and Dutch referenda.
   In 2004, the constitutional treaty was signed in Rome by
   representatives of all EU member states. Subsequently, it was ratified
   by 15 member states, and rejected in French and Dutch referenda.

   European Union law is the first and only example of a supranational
   legal framework. According to the European Court of Justice, in one of
   its earliest cases, it constitutes "a new legal order of international
   law". Sovereign nation states, by becoming EU members, pool their
   authority for the mutual social and economic benefit of their peoples.
   The principle of subsidiarity means that laws are passed at the
   regional level where they are more effective when member states take
   action by themselves, while EU law is supreme in its own fields.

   The two main treaties which form the basis of EU law are the Treaty of
   the European Community, or the Treaty of Rome from 1957, and the Treaty
   of the European Union, or the Maastricht treaty of 1992. The Treaty of
   Rome is the so called 'first pillar' of the EU. The "European
   Community" refers to the competence of the EU to act in the social and
   economic arena. The Maastricht treaty formed the new European Union,
   and added two further "pillars". These are a common foreign and
   security policy and justice and home affairs. In both these fields a
   consensus among member states is needed to act.
   The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg
   The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg

   EU law covers a range as broad as many member states themselves. Where
   a conflict arises between EU law and the law of a member state, EU law
   takes precedence, so that the law of a member state must be disapplied.
   Both the provisions of the Treaties, and EU regulations are said to
   have " direct effect" horizontally. This means private citizens can
   rely on the rights granted to them (and the duties created for them)
   against one another. For instance, an air hostess may sue her aeroplane
   company employer for sexual discrimination. The other main legal
   instrument of the EU, "directives", have direct effect, but only
   "vertically". Private citizens may not sue one another on the basis of
   an EU directive, since these are meant to be addressed to the member
   state. Directives allow some choice for member states in the way they
   translate a directive into national law. Once this has happened
   citizens may rely on the law that has been implemented. They may only
   sue the government "vertically" for failing to implement a directive
   correctly. An example of a directive is the Product liability
   Directive, which makes companies liable for death and any other
   injuries that occur.

Economy

   GDP (PPP) per capita year 2006      >$30,000      >$25,000
   >$20,000      >$15,000      >$10,000
   GDP (PPP) per capita year 2006
        >$30,000      >$25,000      >$20,000      >$15,000      >$10,000

   Taken as a single entity, the European Union has the largest economy in
   the world, with an estimated nominal GDP of €11.6 ($15.8) trillion
   Commuter effects distort GDP figures for urban areas with large
   commuting flows, but even when measured at a scale where such
   distortion does not apply (e.g. Ostösterreich compared to Romania
   Nord-Est), there is still a 5-to-1 difference between average western
   European levels and the poorest regions of new member states.
   172 companies of the Fortune Global 500 have their seats in EU
   countries - Nokia headquarter, Espoo, Finland.
   172 companies of the Fortune Global 500 have their seats in EU
   countries - Nokia headquarter, Espoo, Finland.

   Differences between member states are also significant. GDP per capita
   is often 10% to 25% higher than the EU average in the "older" western
   member states, but only comprises one-third to two-thirds of the EU
   average in most eastern member states, as well as in potential
   membership candidates such as Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and
   Turkey. By comparison, United States GDP per capita is 35% higher than
   the EU average: Japanese GDP per capita is approximately 15% higher.

   The European Union is the largest exporter in the world and the second
   largest importer. Internal trade between the member states is aided by
   the removal of barriers to trade such as tariffs and border controls.
   In the eurozone, trade is aided by adoption of an uniform currency. The
   European Union Association Agreement extends such similar economic
   policies to a much larger range of countries, partly as a so-called
   soft approach ('a carrot instead of a stick') to influence the politics
   in those countries.

Infrastructure

   Wind turbines in Denmark
   Wind turbines in Denmark

   The EU has a policy to improve cross-border infrastructure, see
   Trans-European Networks. The European Union has legislated in the area
   of energy policy for many years, and evolved out of the European Coal
   and Steel Community. The concept of introducing a mandatory and
   comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the
   European Council on October 27, 2005 in London.

   The EU currently imports 82% of its oil and 57% of its gas, making it
   the world's leading importer of these fuels.

   The EU has enacted a series of directives concerning wastewater
   treatment, drinking water and water resources management that have a
   profound impact on water and sanitation infrastructure investments in
   EU member countries (see EU water policy). In particular the wastewater
   directive is considered by the European Commission the most cost
   intensive European legislation in the environmental sector.

   The EU directives related to waste management, such as the Landfill
   Directive and Waste Incineration Directive have also had a significant
   effect on practices in its member states. These relate to the improved
   use of resources by improving waste treatment according to the waste
   hierarchy, reducing landfilling of biodegradable waste and increasing
   recycling rates.

   Member states have legally bound the EU to use 20 percent renewable
   energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20 percent from
   1990 levels, by 2020. Within the same year, one-tenth of all cars and
   trucks in EU 27 shall be running on biofuels made from plants. This is
   considered to be one of the most ambitious moves among world powers to
   fight global warming.

Demographics

   The population of the European Union is that of its member states, and
   changes with each accession (or, more rarely, secession). Each change
   in membership also affects demographic averages such as life expectancy
   and fertility rate. The total population of all member countries is
   approximately 494 million inhabitants as of January 2007. Expected
   short-term accessions (Croatia) will not substantially increase this
   figure. Growth in the short term is coming from net migration, since
   deaths outnumbered births in 2006. At 1.52, the EU has one of the
   lowest fertility rates in the world, well below the level required for
   replacement. After 2025, this negative natural increase will probably
   exceed net immigration, and (discounting new accessions) population is
   expected to decline gradually.

Largest cities

   The European Union is home to more global cities than any other region
   in the world. Over 16 cities with populations over one million
   inhabitants, counted in its city proper. However, different countries
   deal differently with large cities. The Greek city Athens, for example,
   has about 4 million inhabitants, however it has been divided into many
   municipalities making the city proper of Athens one of the smaller
   European capitals with about 800.000 inhabitants. Densely populated
   regions that have no single core but have emerged from the connection
   of several cites and are now encompassing large metropolitan areas are
   Rhine-Ruhr having approximately 10.5 million inhabitants (Cologne,
   Dortmund, Düsseldorf et al.), Randstad approx. 7 million (Amsterdam,
   Rotterdam, The Hague et al.), Frankfurt Rhine Main Area approx. 4
   million (Frankfurt, Wiesbaden et al.) and the Upper Silesian Industry
   Area approx. 3.5 million. ( Katowice, Sosnowiec et al.).
   City proper
   (2005)
              mill. Urban area
                    (2005)
                              mill.    LUZ
                                    (2001)
                                              mill.
   London     7.5   Paris     10.1  London    11.6
   Berlin     3.4   London    8.5   Paris     11.0
   Madrid     3.1   Madrid    5.5   Madrid    5.6
   Rome       2.5   Ruhr      5.3   Ruhr      5.4   Barcelona Berlin London
   Paris      2.2   Barcelona 4.5   Berlin    4.9
   Bucharest  1.9   Milan     3.8   Barcelona 4.8
   Hamburg    1.8   Berlin    3.7   Milan     3.9
   Warsaw     1.7   Rotterdam 3.3   Athens    3.9
   Budapest   1.7   Athens    3.2   Rome      3.7
   Vienna     1.7   Naples    2.9   Hamburg   3.1    Madrid   Milan  Paris

Languages

   The Latin alphabet is used in all but three of the twenty-seven member
   states, the exceptions being Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
   The Latin alphabet is used in all but three of the twenty-seven member
   states, the exceptions being Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria.

   The European Union has 23 official and working languages: Bulgarian,
   Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German,
   Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish,
   Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish and Swedish. German is
   the most widely spoken mother tongue followed by English, French, and
   Italian. English is by far the most spoken foreign language. French and
   German follow next. 56% of EU citizens are able to hold a conversation
   in one language apart from their mother tongue. All EU official
   languages belong to the Indo-European language family, except Estonian,
   Finnish, and Hungarian, which belong to the Finno-Ugric language
   family, and except Maltese, which is a Semitic language. All EU
   official languages are written in the Latin alphabet, except Bulgarian,
   written in Cyrillic, and Greek, written in Greek alphabet.

   The EU provides interpretation, translation and publication services in
   its official languages, but only legislation and important documents
   are produced in all 23 official languages; other documents are
   translated only into the languages needed. For internal purposes the EU
   institutions make their own language arrangements. The European
   Commission, for example, conducts its internal business in English,
   French and German, and goes fully multilingual only for public
   information and communication purposes. The European Parliament, on the
   other hand, has members who need working documents in their own
   languages, so its document flow is fully multilingual from the outset.
   In the EU, language policy is the responsibility of member states, but
   EU institutions, based on the "principle of subsidiarity", promote the
   teaching and dissemination of the languages of the member states,
   through a number of programmes, most prominently Lifelong learning
   Programme 2007-2013.
   Translation booths in the EU Parliament are on the front-side walls.
   Translation booths in the EU Parliament are on the front-side walls.

   There are about 150 regional and minority languages, spoken by up to 50
   million people. Catalan, Galician, and Basque, though not official
   languages, can be used in the communication of the citizens with the
   Council of the European Union, the Commission, the Economic and Social
   Committee, the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman, as well
   as in the workings of the Committee of the Regions. Though regional and
   minorities languages can benefit from EU programmes, protection of
   linguistic rights is a matter for the member states.

   A wide variety of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by
   immigrant communities in EU countries. Turkish, Maghreb Arabic,
   Russian, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi and Balkan languages are spoken in many
   parts of the EU. Many older immigrant communities are bilingual in the
   local language and in that of their community. Migrant languages are
   not given formal status or recognition in the EU or in the EU countries
   and they are not covered by EU language teaching programmes.

Religion

   Predominant religious heritage in European countries      Protestantism
        Roman Catholicism      Orthodox Christianity
   Predominant religious heritage in European countries
   Protestantism       Roman Catholicism      Orthodox Christianity

   The EU is an officially secular institution, hence neither God, nor
   Christianity was mentioned in its proposed constitution, in spite of
   pressure from the churches. Most of the Member States are secular
   states, although a small minority are not (the United Kingdom, Denmark,
   Greece and Finland) and others have references to Christianity in their
   own constitutions while officially remaining secular (e.g. the Irish
   Republic). Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised the Pope
   that she will use her influence during Germany's EU presidency to try
   to include a reference to Christianity and God in a revived
   constitution. However, this has provoked opposition, not the least in
   the German press.

   A significant religious diversity exists among the populations of EU
   member states, reflecting their diverse history and culture. Nowadays,
   religion is on the decline in Europe, to an effect that not all
   populations have religious majorities. In the Czech Republic and
   Estonia, for example, a majority has no religious affiliation. The most
   common belief in the EU is Christianity, which can be roughly divided
   into Roman Catholicism, a wide range of Protestant churches and Eastern
   Orthodoxy. The Christian churches have historically wielded much power
   in Europe. As a reaction during the enlightenment, secularism was
   developed as a political system, allowing for a rise in atheism and
   agnosticism.

   Judaism has had a long history in Europe—there were Jewish communities
   in parts of Europe prior to the rise of the Roman Empire. Over the
   millennia, there has been a great deal of discrimination against Jews,
   varying over time and from place to place; sometimes the persecution
   resulted in a number of expulsions from various countries, and there
   have been several genocide attempts.

   The recent influx of immigrants to the EU nations has brought in
   various religions of their native homelands, including Islam, Buddhism,
   Hinduism, the Baha'i faith and Sikhism.

Education and science

   Lund University main building, built in 1882, Sweden
   Lund University main building, built in 1882, Sweden

   The European Commission initiated the ERASMUS programme for higher
   education. It was established in 1987 and forms a major part of the EU
   Socrates II programme. Its name is an abbreviation of "European Region
   Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students" and has been
   styled after the life of Desiderius Erasmus. It was incorporated into
   the Socrates programme when that programme was established in 1995. The
   Socrates programme ended in 1999 and was replaced with the Socrates II
   programme in 2000. Other educational programmes include Leonardo
   (secondary schools), Grundtvig (adult learning) and Arion (teaching
   decision-makers).

   The stated aim of ERASMUS is to encourage and support academic mobility
   of higher education students and teachers within the European Union,
   the European Economic Area countries of Norway, Iceland and
   Liechtenstein as well as the candidate country Turkey. 2,199 higher
   education institutions are participating in ERASMUS across the 31
   countries involved in the Socrates programme. 1.4 million students have
   already taken part.

   Member states of the EU are, along with other European nations and
   several international NGOs, signatories to the Bologna process. This is
   an attempt to create a European higher education area, by making
   academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more
   comparable and compatible throughout Europe. It is named after the
   place it was proposed, the University of Bologna with the signing, in
   1999, of the Bologna declaration by ministers of education from 29
   European countries in the Italian city of Bologna. Governmental
   meetings have been held in Prague ( 2001), Berlin ( 2003) and Bergen (
   2005); the next meeting will take place in London in Spring 2007.

   The Galileo positioning system (or simply 'Galileo'), is a proposed
   Global Navigation Satellite System, to be built by the European Union
   and launched by the European Space Agency (ESA). The current project
   plan has the system as operational by 2010. Several other nations are
   joining the project co financing the development such as China, Israel,
   India, Morocco or South Korea. ESA is a non-EU organisation and its
   membership includes non-EU countries such as Switzerland and Norway.
   Both countries are, however, within the EFTA. There are ties between
   those organisations, with various agreements in place and being worked
   on, to establish the legal status of ESA with regard to the EU. There
   are common goals between ESA and the EU, and ESA has an EU liaison
   office in Brussels.

   The EU is also sponsoring a large number of research projects aimed at
   academics and institutes, organised in frameworks of calls. From 2007
   the EU has opened its 7th framework for grant applications.

Culture

   Two cities are the European Capital of Culture in 2007 - Sibiu, Romania
   Two cities are the European Capital of Culture in 2007 - Sibiu, Romania

   Supporters of European integration often appeal to a European
   historical narrative, typically including Ancient Greece and Ancient
   Rome, the feudalism of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of
   Enlightenment, 19th century Liberalism and (sometimes) negative
   elements such as the World Wars. This history is assumed to be the
   source of European values. The status of Christianity as 'European
   heritage' is controversial, and has consequences for the accession of
   Turkey to the European Union. The European Convention rejected
   inclusion of a reference in the proposed European Constitution to
   Christianity and/or God. The text finally adopted in the Preamble
   reads:

          DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist
          inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal
          values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human
          person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,...

   Attitudes and values of the EU population are very diverse, influenced
   by social class, religion, level of education, and ethnicity, and they
   are not necessarily either European or national in character. The
   interests of member states are mainly economic and political in nature.

   There is no single culture or lifestyle common to the entire EU
   population. Some are local, national or regional. There are aspects of
   popular culture which can be found all over the EU, such as football,
   but none are limited to the EU (they may be equally influential in
   non-member states in Europe, and some are global).
   The cultural capitals are designated for a period of one year
   (Luxembourg)
   The cultural capitals are designated for a period of one year
   (Luxembourg)

   Cultural cooperation between member states has become a community
   competency since its inclusion in 1992 in the Maastricht Treaty.
   Actions taken in the cultural area by the European Union include the
   Culture 2000 7-year programme, the European Capital of Culture
   programme, the European Cultural Month event, the Media Plus programme,
   experimental actions and the awarding of various grants.

   The European Union gave grants to 233 cultural projects in 2004 and
   launched a webportal dedicated to Europe and Culture, responding to the
   European Council's expressed desire to see the Commission and the
   member states "promote the networking of cultural information to enable
   all citizens to access European cultural content by the most advanced
   technological means."

Sport

   Football is the most popular sport in EU countries (Camp Nou in
   Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain)
   Football is the most popular sport in EU countries ( Camp Nou in
   Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain)

   Sports, including spectator sports, are popular in EU countries: the
   most popular is football. Cycling, tennis, and field hockey are also
   widely watched and played in the EU. Other sports are favorites in
   fewer countries, such as ice hockey, rugby, handball, and motorsports;
   and several sports are unique to one or a few countries (e.g. cricket
   in the UK, hurling, Gaelic handball and Gaelic football in Ireland and
   korfball in the Netherlands and Belgium).

   Although it recently launched an anti-doping convention, the European
   Union plays a minor and mostly indirect role in sport policy. Sports
   are normally considered to be outside the competences conferred by the
   member states to the European Union. Sports are also organized
   nationally, on a European continental level (which is not the same as
   the level of the European Union), or globally. The European Union does
   not have specific sports policies. The role of the EU could increase,
   if (for example) the European Constitution were to be ratified.

   Yet other policies of the EU can have an impact on sports, as famously
   exemplified by the Bosman ruling, which, among other things, prohibited
   national football leagues from imposing quotas on foreign players from
   other EU states. This ruling subsequently forced UEFA to modify the
   rules for all its European members. The Bosman ruling also gave all EU
   players the right of free transfer after expiration of their contracts.

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