EuropeanUnion

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia
Jumpto:navigation,search
"EU"redirectshere.Forotheruses,seeEU(disambiguation).
EuropeanUnion [show]

Flag

Motto:"Unitedindiversity"[1][2][3]
Anthem:"OdetoJoy" (orchestral)[2]
0:00

Capital
Largestcities
Officiallanguages
Demonym
Type
Memberstates

MENU

Brussels (defacto)[4]
5051N421E
/
50.850N4.350E

LondonandParis
24languages[show]
European[5]
Politicoeconomicunion
28states[show]
Leaders

Presidentofthe
JeanClaudeJuncker
EuropeanCommission
Presidentofthe

DonaldTusk
EuropeanCouncil
Legislature
Council
Parliament

Formation[6]
TreatyofRome
1January1958
TreatyofMaastricht 1November1993
Area
Total
Water(%)
2014estimate
Density
GDP(PPP)

4,324,782km2(7tha)
1,669,808sqmi
3.08
Population
506,913,394[7](3rda)
115.8/km2
300.9/sqmi
2015estimate

Total

$19.035trillion[8](1sta)

Percapita

$37,607[8](19tha)
2015estimate

GDP(nominal)
Total

$16.449trillion[8](2nda)

Percapita

$32,498[9](16tha)

Gini(2010)

30.4[10]
medium

HDI(2011)

0.876[11]
veryhigh13th/25tha
Euro(EUREurozone)
10others[show]

Currency

Timezone

Summer(DST)
InternetTLD

WET(UTC)[a]
CET(UTC+1)
EET(UTC+2)
WEST(UTC+1)
CEST(UTC+2)
EEST(UTC+3)
.eu[b]
Website
europa.eu

a. Ifconsideredasasingleentity.

TheEuropeanUnion(EU)isapoliticoeconomicunionof28memberstatesthatarelocatedprimarilyinEurope.[12][13]
TheEUoperatesthroughasystemofsupranationalinstitutionsandintergovernmentalnegotiateddecisionsbythemember
states.[14][15]Theinstitutionsare:theEuropeanCommission,theCounciloftheEuropeanUnion,theEuropeanCouncil,the
CourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnion,theEuropeanCentralBank,theCourtofAuditors,andtheEuropeanParliament.
TheEuropeanParliamentiselectedeveryfiveyearsbyEUcitizens.
TheEUtracesitsoriginsfromtheEuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity(ECSC)andtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity
(EEC),formedbytheInnerSixcountriesin1951and1958,respectively.Intheinterveningyears,thecommunityandits
successorshavegrowninsizebytheaccessionofnewmemberstatesandinpowerbytheadditionofpolicyareastoits
remit.TheMaastrichtTreatyestablishedtheEuropeanUnionunderitscurrentnamein1993andintroducedEuropean
citizenship.[16]ThelatestmajoramendmenttotheconstitutionalbasisoftheEU,theTreatyofLisbon,cameintoforcein
2009.
TheEUhasdevelopedasinglemarketthroughastandardisedsystemoflawsthatapplyinallmemberstates.Withinthe
SchengenArea,passportcontrolshavebeenabolished.[17]EUpoliciesaimtoensurethefreemovementofpeople,goods,
services,andcapital,[18]enactlegislationinjusticeandhomeaffairs,andmaintaincommonpoliciesontrade,[19]
agriculture,[20]fisheries,andregionaldevelopment.[21]
Themonetaryunionwasestablishedin1999andcameintofullforcein2002.Itiscurrentlycomposedof19memberstates
thatusetheeuroastheirlegaltender.ThroughtheCommonForeignandSecurityPolicy,theEUhasdevelopedarolein
externalrelationsanddefence.Theunionmaintainspermanentdiplomaticmissionsthroughouttheworldandrepresents
itselfattheUnitedNations,theWTO,theG8,andtheG20.
Withacombinedpopulationofover500millioninhabitants,[22]or7.3%oftheworldpopulation,[23]theEUin2014
generatedanominalgrossdomesticproduct(GDP)of18.495trillionUSdollars,constitutingapproximately24%ofglobal
nominalGDPand17%whenmeasuredintermsofpurchasingpowerparity.Asof2014theEUhasthelargesteconomyin
theworld,generatingaGDPbiggerthananyothereconomicunionorcountry.[24]Additionally,26outof28EUcountries
haveaveryhighHumanDevelopmentIndex,accordingtotheUNDP.In2012,theEUwasawardedtheNobelPeacePrize.
[25]

Contents
[hide]
1History
1.1Preliminary
1.2TreatyofRomeandgrowth
1.3MaastrichtTreatyandafter
1.4Structuralevolution
2Geography
2.1Memberstates
2.2Environment
3Politics
3.1Constitutionalnature
3.2Governance
3.2.1EuropeanCouncil
3.2.2EuropeanCommission
3.2.3EuropeanParliament
3.2.4CounciloftheEuropeanUnion
3.3Budget
3.4Competences
4Legalsystem
4.1CourtsofJustice
4.2Fundamentalrights
4.3Acts
5Areaoffreedom,securityandjustice
6Foreignrelations

6.1Military
6.2Humanitarianaid
7Economy
7.1Internalmarket
7.2Competition
7.3Monetaryunion
7.4Energy
7.5Infrastructure
7.6Agriculture
8Demographics
8.1Languages
8.2Religion
8.3Educationandscience
8.4Healthcare
9Culture
9.1Sport
9.2Symbols
10Seealso
11Notes
12References
13Furtherreading
14Externallinks

History
Mainarticles:HistoryoftheEuropeanUnionandHistoryofEurope

Preliminary
Play
media

RobertSchumanproposingthe
CoalandSteelCommunityon9
May1950.
AfterWorldWarII,Europeanintegrationwereeyedasanescapefromtheextremenationalismthathaddevastatedthe
continent.[26]The1948HagueCongresswasapivotalmomentinEuropeanfederalhistory,asitledtothecreationofthe
EuropeanMovementInternationalandoftheCollegeofEurope,whereEurope'sfutureleaderswouldliveandstudy
together.[27]1952sawthecreationoftheEuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity,whichwasdeclaredtobe"afirststepinthe
federationofEurope.".[28]ThesupportersoftheCommunityincludedAlcideDeGasperi,JeanMonnet,RobertSchuman,
andPaulHenriSpaak.[29]

TreatyofRomeandgrowth

Thecontinentalterritoriesofthemember
statesoftheEuropeanUnion(European
Communitiespre1993),colouredinorder
ofaccession.
In1957,Belgium,France,Italy,Luxembourg,theNetherlands,andWestGermanysignedtheTreatyofRome,which
createdtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)andestablishedacustomsunion.Theyalsosignedanotherpactcreating
theEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity(Euratom)forcooperationindevelopingnuclearenergy.Bothtreatiescameinto
forcein1958.[29]
TheEECandEuratomwerecreatedseparatelyfromECSC,althoughtheysharedthesamecourtsandtheCommon

Assembly.TheEECwasheadedbyWalterHallstein(HallsteinCommission)andEuratomwasheadedbyLouisArmand
(ArmandCommission)andthentienneHirsch.EuratomwastointegratesectorsinnuclearenergywhiletheEECwould
developacustomsunionamongmembers.[30][31]
Throughthe1960s,tensionsbegantoshow,withFranceseekingtolimitsupranationalpower.Nevertheless,in1965an
agreementwasreachedandon1July1967theMergerTreatycreatedasinglesetofinstitutionsforthethreecommunities,
whichwerecollectivelyreferredtoastheEuropeanCommunities.[32][33]JeanReypresidedoverthefirstmerged
Commission(ReyCommission).[34]

In1989,theIronCurtainfell,
enablingtheuniontoexpand
further(BerlinWallpictured).
In1973,theCommunitiesenlargedtoincludeDenmark(includingGreenland,whichlaterlefttheCommunityin1985,
followingadisputeoverfishingrights),Ireland,andtheUnitedKingdom.[35]Norwayhadnegotiatedtojoinatthesame
time,butNorwegianvotersrejectedmembershipinareferendum.In1979,thefirstdirect,democraticelectionstothe
EuropeanParliamentwereheld.[36]
Greecejoinedin1981PortugalandSpainin1986.[37]In1985,theSchengenAgreementledthewaytowardthecreationof
openborderswithoutpassportcontrolsbetweenmostmemberstatesandsomenonmemberstates.[38]In1986,the
EuropeanflagbegantobeusedbytheCommunity[39]andtheSingleEuropeanActwassigned.
In1990,afterthefalloftheEasternBloc,theformerEastGermanybecamepartoftheCommunityaspartofareunited
Germany.[40]Withfurtherenlargementplannedforformercommuniststates,Cyprus,andMalta,theCopenhagencriteria
forcandidatememberstojointheEUwereagreeduponinJune1993.

MaastrichtTreatyandafter

Theeurowasintroducedin2002,
replacing12nationalcurrencies.
Sevencountrieshavesincejoined.
TheEuropeanUnionwasformallyestablishedwhentheMaastrichtTreatywhosemainarchitectswereHelmutKohland
FranoisMitterrandcameintoforceon1November1993.[16]ThetreatyalsogavethenameEuropeancommunitytothe
EEC,evenifitwasreferredassuchbeforethetreaty.In1995,Austria,Finland,andSwedenjoinedtheEU.In2002,euro
banknotesandcoinsreplacednationalcurrenciesin12ofthememberstates.Sincethen,theeurozonehasincreasedto
encompass19countries.In2004,theEUsawitsbiggestenlargementtodatewhenCyprus,theCzechRepublic,Estonia,
Hungary,Latvia,Lithuania,Malta,Poland,Slovakia,andSloveniajoinedtheUnion.[41]

2009,theLisbonTreatyentered
intoforce.
On1January2007,RomaniaandBulgariabecameEUmembers.Inthesameyear,Sloveniaadoptedtheeuro,[41]followed
in2008byCyprusandMalta,bySlovakiain2009,byEstoniain2011,byLatviain2014andbyLithuaniain2015.InJune
2009,theEuropeanParliamentelectionswereheld,leadingtothesecondBarrosoCommission,andbyJuly,Iceland
formallyappliedforEUmembership,buthassincesuspendednegotiations.
On1December2009,theLisbonTreatyenteredintoforceandreformedmanyaspectsoftheEU.Inparticular,itchanged
thelegalstructureoftheEuropeanUnion,mergingtheEUthreepillarssystemintoasinglelegalentityprovisionedwitha

legalpersonality,createdapermanentPresidentoftheEuropeanCouncil,thefirstofwhichwasHermanVanRompuy,and
strengthenedtheHighRepresentative,CatherineAshton.[42]
In2012theUnionreceivedtheNobelPeacePrizeforhaving"contributedtotheadvancementofpeaceandreconciliation,
democracy,andhumanrightsinEurope."[43][44]On1July2013,Croatiabecamethe28thEUmember.[45][46][47]

Structuralevolution
Mainarticle:TreatiesoftheEuropeanUnion
Thefollowingtimelineillustratestheintegrationthathasledtotheformationofthepresentunion,intermsofstructural
developmentdrivenbyinternationaltreaties:
Signed 1948
1951 1954
1957 1965 1975
1985
1986
Inforce 1948
1952 1955
1958 1967 N/A
1985
1987
Document Brussels Paris Modified Rome Merger European Schengen SingleEuropean
Treaty Treaty Brussels treaties Treaty Council Treaty Act
Treaty
conclusion

Unconsolidated
bodies

EuropeanCommunities:
EuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity
(EURATOM)
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity(ECSC)
EuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)

1992
1997
2001 2007
1993
1999
2003 2009
Maastricht Amsterdam Nice Lisbon
Treaty
Treaty
Treaty Treaty

ThreepillarsoftheEuropean
Union:

Treatyexpiredin2002

European
Community(EC)

Justice
European
andHome PoliceandJudicial Union
TREVI
Cooperationin
Affairs
(EU)
CriminalMatters

(JHA)
(PJCC)
EuropeanPolitical CommonForeignandSecurity

Cooperation(EPC)
Policy(CFSP)

WesternEuropeanUnion(WEU)

Treatyterminatedin2011

SchengenRules

v
t
e

Geography
Mainarticle:GeographyoftheEuropeanUnion

The65,993km(41,006mi)
coastlinedominatesthe
Europeanclimate(Cyprus).

MontBlancintheAlpsis
thehighestpeakinthe
union.

TheEU'smemberstatescoveranareaof4,423,147squarekilometres(1,707,787sqmi).[c]TheEU'shighestpeakisMont
BlancintheGraianAlps,4,810.45metres(15,782ft)abovesealevel.[48]Thelowestpoint(s)intheEUisLammefjorden,
DenmarkandZuidplaspolder,Netherlands,at7m(23ft)belowsealevel.[49]Thelandscape,climate,andeconomyofthe
EUareinfluencedbyitscoastline,whichis65,993kilometres(41,006mi)long.
IncludingtheoverseasterritoriesofFrancewhicharelocatedoutsidethecontinentofEurope,butwhicharemembersofthe
union,theEUexperiencesmosttypesofclimatefromArctic(NorthEastEurope)totropical(FrenchGuyana),rendering
meteorologicalaveragesfortheEUasawholemeaningless.Themajorityofthepopulationlivesinareaswithatemperate
maritimeclimate(NorthWesternEuropeandCentralEurope),aMediterraneanclimate(SouthernEurope),orawarm
summercontinentalorhemiborealclimate(NorthernBalkansandCentralEurope).[50]
TheEU'spopulationishighlyurbanised,withsome75%ofinhabitants(andgrowing,projectedtobe90%insevenmember
statesby2020)livinginurbanareas.CitiesarelargelyspreadoutacrosstheEU,althoughwithalargegroupinginand
aroundtheBenelux.Anincreasingpercentageofthisisduetolowdensityurbansprawlwhichisextendingintonatural
areas.Insomecases,thisurbangrowthhasbeenduetotheinfluxofEUfundsintoaregion.[51]

Memberstates

Mainarticle:MemberstateoftheEuropeanUnion
Thefollowing28sovereignstates(ofwhichthemaponlyshowsterritoriessituatedinandaroundEurope)constitutethe
union:[52]

Finland
Sweden
Estonia
Latvia
United
IrelandKingdom

Lithuania

Denmark

Netherlands
Poland
BelgiumGermany Czech
Luxembourg Republic
Slovakia
Austria Hungary
France
Romania
Slovenia
Croatia
Bulgaria
Italy

Portugal Spain

Greece
Cyprus
Malta

Name
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
CzechRepublic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
UnitedKingdom

Capital
Vienna
Brussels
Sofia
Zagreb
Nicosia
Prague
Copenhagen
Tallinn
Helsinki
Paris
Berlin
Athens
Budapest
Dublin
Rome
Riga
Vilnius
Luxembourg
Valletta
Amsterdam
Warsaw
Lisbon
Bucharest
Bratislava
Ljubljana
Madrid
Stockholm
London

Accession
Population[53]
Area(km2)
1Jan1995
8,451,900
83,855
Founder
11,161,600
30,528
1Jan2007
7,284,600
110,994
1Jul2013
4,262,100
56,594
1May2004
865,900
9,251
1May2004
10,516,100
78,866
1Jan1973
5,602,600
43,075
1May2004
1,324,800
45,227
1Jan1995
5,426,700
338,424
Founder
65,633,200
674,843
[d]
80,523,700
357,021
Founder
1Jan1981
11,062,500
131,990
1May2004
9,908,800
93,030
1Jan1973
4,591,100
70,273
Founder
59,685,200
301,338
1May2004
2,023,800
64,589
1May2004
2,971,900
65,200
Founder
537,000
2,586
1May2004
421,400
316
Founder
16,779,600
41,543
1May2004
38,533,300
312,685
1Jan1986
10,487,300
92,390
1Jan2007
20,057,500
238,391
1May2004
5,410,800
49,035
1May2004
2,058,800
20,273
1Jan1986
46,704,300
504,030
1Jan1995
9,555,900
449,964
1Jan1973
63,730,100
243,610

Throughsuccessiveenlargements,theUnionhasgrownfromthesixfoundingstatesBelgium,France,WestGermany,
Italy,Luxembourg,andtheNetherlandstothecurrent28.Countriesaccedetotheunionbybecomingpartytothe
foundingtreaties,therebysubjectingthemselvestotheprivilegesandobligationsofEUmembership.Thisentailsapartial
delegationofsovereigntytotheinstitutionsinreturnforrepresentationwithinthoseinstitutions,apracticeoftenreferredto
as"poolingofsovereignty".[54][55]

MapoftheEuropeanUnionintheworld
withoverseascountriesandterritoriesand
outermostregions.
Tobecomeamember,acountrymustmeettheCopenhagencriteria,definedatthe1993meetingoftheEuropeanCouncilin
Copenhagen.Theserequireastabledemocracythatrespectshumanrightsandtheruleoflawafunctioningmarket
economyandtheacceptanceoftheobligationsofmembership,includingEUlaw.Evaluationofacountry'sfulfilmentof
thecriteriaistheresponsibilityoftheEuropeanCouncil.[56]NomemberstatehaseverlefttheUnion,althoughGreenland
(anautonomousprovinceofDenmark)withdrewin1985.[57]TheLisbonTreatynowcontainsaclauseprovidingfora
membertoleavetheEU.[58]
Therearesixcountrieswhicharerecognizedascandidatesformembership:Albania,Iceland,Macedonia,[e]Montenegro,
Serbia,andTurkey.[59]However,on13June2013,Iceland'sForeignMinister,GunnarBragiSveinsson,informedthe
EuropeanCommissionthatthenewlyelectedgovernmentintendedto"putnegotiationsonhold".[60]Bosniaand
HerzegovinaandKosovoareofficiallyrecognisedaspotentialcandidates,[59]buthavenotsubmittedmembership
applications.Duetothelackofrecognitionbyfiveofthe28EUmemberstates,theEuropeanCommissionrefersonlyto
"Kosovo*",withanasteriskedfootnotecontainingthetextagreedtobytheBelgradePristinanegotiations:"This
designationiswithoutprejudicetopositionsonstatus,andisinlinewithUNSCR1244andtheICJOpinionontheKosovo
DeclarationofIndependence."
FourcountriesformingtheEuropeanFreeTradeAssociation(EFTA)(thatarenotEUmembers)havepartlycommittedto
theEU'seconomyandregulations:Iceland(acandidatecountryforEUmembership),LiechtensteinandNorway,whichare
apartofthesinglemarketthroughtheEuropeanEconomicArea,andSwitzerland,whichhassimilartiesthroughbilateral
treaties.[61][62]TherelationshipsoftheEuropeanmicrostates,Andorra,Monaco,SanMarino,andtheVaticanincludethe
useoftheeuroandotherareasofcooperation.[63]

Environment
Furtherinformation:EuropeanCommissionerfortheEnvironmentandEuropeanClimateChangeProgramme

ViruBoginLahemaaNational
ParkinEstonia,aprotected
habitatundertheHabitats
Directive
In1957,whentheEUwasfounded,ithadnoenvironmentalpolicy,noenvironmentalbureaucracy,andnoenvironmental
laws.[64]Today,theEUhassomeofthemostprogressiveenvironmentalpoliciesofanystateintheworld.The
environmentalpolicyoftheEUhasthereforedevelopedinremarkablefashioninthepastfourdecades.Anincreasingly
densenetworkoflegislationhasemerged,whichnowextendstoallareasofenvironmentalprotection,including:air
pollutioncontrol,waterprotection,wastemanagement,natureconservation,andthecontrolofchemicals,biotechnology
andotherindustrialrisks.[65]TheInstituteforEuropeanEnvironmentalPolicyestimatesthebodyofEUenvironmentallaw
amountstowellover500Directives,RegulationsandDecisions.[66]Environmentalpolicyhasthusbecomeacoreareaof
Europeanpolitics.
Suchdynamicdevelopmentsaresurprisinginlightofthelegalandinstitutionalconditionswhichexistedinthelate1950s
and60s.[67]Actingwithoutanylegislativeauthority,EuropeanpolicymakersinitiallyincreasedtheEU'scapacitytoactby
definingenvironmentalpolicyasatradeproblem.Themostimportantreasonfortheintroductionofacommon
environmentalpolicywasthefearthattradebarriersandcompetitivedistortionsintheCommonMarketcouldemergedue
tothedifferentenvironmentalstandards.[68]However,inthecourseoftime,EUenvironmentalpolicyemergedasaformal
policyarea,withitsownpolicyactors,policyprinciplesandprocedures.ThelegalbasisofEUenvironmentalpolicywas
notmoreexplicitlyestablisheduntiltheintroductionoftheSingleEuropeanActin1987.[66]

Ablackstork,anAnnexA
protectedspeciesunder
Regulation(EC)No.338/97
Initially,EUenvironmentalpolicywasratherintrospective.Morerecently,however,theUnionhasdemonstratedagrowing
leadershipinglobalenvironmentalgovernance.TheroleoftheEUinsecuringtheratificationandentryintoforceofthe
KyotoProtocolinthefaceofUSoppositionisanexampleinthisregard.Thisinternationaldimensionisreflectedinthe
EU'sSixthEnvironmentalActionProgramme,whichrecognisesthatitsstrategicobjectivescanonlybeachievedifaseries
ofkeyinternationalenvironmentalagreementsareactivelysupportedandproperlyimplementedbothatanEUleveland
worldwide.TheentryintoforceoftheLisbonTreatyfurtherstrengthenstheEU'sglobalenvironmentalleadership
ambitions.[69]ThevastbodyofEUenvironmentallawwhichnowexistshasplayedavitalroleinimprovinghabitatand
speciesprotectioninEuropeaswellascontributedtoimprovementsinairandwaterqualityandwastemanagement.[66]
However,significantchallengesremain,bothtomeetexistingEUtargetsandaspirationsandtoagreenewtargetsand
actionsthatwillfurtherimprovetheenvironmentandthequalityoflifeinEuropeandbeyond.
OneofthetopprioritiesofEUenvironmentalpolicyiscombattingclimatechange.In2007,memberstatesagreedthatthe
EUistouse20%renewableenergyinthefutureandthatithastoreducecarbondioxideemissionsin2020byatleast20%
comparedto1990levels.[70]Thisincludesmeasuresthatin2020,10%oftheoverallfuelquantityusedbycarsandtrucksin
EU27shouldberunningonrenewableenergysuchasbiofuels.Thisisconsideredtobeoneofthemostambitiousmovesof
animportantindustrialisedregiontofightclimatechange.[71]TheEUadoptedanemissionstradingsystemtoincorporate
carbonemissionsintotheeconomy.[72]
TheEuropeanGreenCapitalisanannualawardthatisgiventocitiesthatfocusesontheenvironment,energyefficiencyand
qualityoflifeinurbanareastocreatesmartcity.

Politics
Mainarticle:PoliticsoftheEuropeanUnion

PoliticalsystemoftheEuropeanUnion
TheEUoperateswithinthosecompetenciesconferredonitbythetreatiesandaccordingtotheprincipleofsubsidiarity
(whichdictatesthatactionbytheEUshouldonlybetakenwhereanobjectivecannotbesufficientlyachievedbythe
memberstatesalone).LawsmadebytheEUinstitutionsarepassedinavarietyofforms.Generallyspeaking,theycanbe
classifiedintotwogroups:thosewhichcomeintoforcewithoutthenecessityfornationalimplementationmeasuresand
thosewhichspecificallyrequirenationalimplementationmeasures.[73]

Constitutionalnature
Furtherinformation:TreatiesoftheEuropeanUnion
TheclassificationoftheEuropeanUnionintermsofinternationalorconstitutionallawhasbeenmuchdebated,ofteninthe
lightofthedegreeofintegrationthatisperceived,desired,orexpected.Historically,atleast,theEUisaninternational
organisation,andbysomecriteria,itcouldbeclassifiedasaconfederationbutitalsohasmanyattributesofafederation,so
somewouldclassifyitasa(defacto)federationofstates.[74][75][76]Forthisreason,theorganisationhas,inthepast,been
termedsuigeneris(incomparable,oneofakind),thoughitisalsoarguedthatthisdesignationisnolongertrue.[77][78]
Theorganisationitselfhastraditionallyusedtheterms"community",andlater"union".Thedifficultiesofclassification
involvethedifferencebetweennationallaw(wherethesubjectsofthelawincludenaturalpersonsandcorporations)and
internationallaw(wherethesubjectsincludesovereignstatesandinternationalorganisations)theycanalsobeseeninthe

lightofdifferingEuropeanandAmericanconstitutionaltraditions.[77]EspeciallyintermsoftheEuropeanconstitutional
tradition,thetermfederationisequatedwithasovereignfederalstateininternationallawsotheEUcannotbecalleda
federalstateorfederationatleast,notwithoutqualification.Thoughnot,strictly,afederation,itismorethanafreetrade
association.[79]Itis,however,describedasbeingbasedonafederalmodelorfederalinnature.WalterHallstein,inthe
originalGermaneditionofEuropeintheMakingcalledit"anunfinishedfederalstate".[80]TheGermanConstitutional
CourtreferstotheEuropeanUnionasanassociationofsovereignstatesandaffirmsthatmakingtheEUafederationwould
requirereplacementoftheGermanconstitution.[81]Othersclaimthatitwillnotdevelopintoafederalstatebuthasreached
maturityasaninternationalorganisation.[82]

Governance
Mainarticles:InstitutionsoftheEuropeanUnionandLegislatureoftheEuropeanUnion
TheEuropeanUnionhasseveninstitutions:theEuropeanParliament,theCouncilof
theEuropeanUnion,theEuropeanCommission,theEuropeanCouncil,theEuropean
CentralBank,theCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnionandtheEuropeanCourtof
Auditors.Competenciesinscrutinisingandamendinglegislationaredividedbetween
theEuropeanParliamentandtheCounciloftheEuropeanUnionwhileexecutivetasks
arecarriedoutbytheEuropeanCommissionandinalimitedcapacitybytheEuropean
Council(nottobeconfusedwiththeaforementionedCounciloftheEuropeanUnion).
ThemonetarypolicyoftheeurozoneisgovernedbytheEuropeanCentralBank.The
interpretationandtheapplicationofEUlawandthetreatiesareensuredbytheCourtof
JusticeoftheEuropeanUnion.TheEUbudgetisscrutinisedbytheEuropeanCourtof
Auditors.TherearealsoanumberofancillarybodieswhichadvisetheEUoroperate
inaspecificarea.

EuropeanUnion

Thisarticleispartofaseriesonthe

politicsandgovernment
oftheEuropeanUnion
Parliament[show]

EuropeanCouncil

EuropeanCouncil[show]
EUCouncil[show]
Commission[show]
CourtofJustice[show]
CentralBank[show]
CourtofAuditors[show]
Agencies
Otherbodies[show]

ThePresidentof
theEuropean
Council,Donald
Tusk
TheEuropeanCouncilgivesdirectiontotheEU,andconvenesatleastfourtimesa
year.ItcomprisesthePresidentoftheEuropeanCouncil,thePresidentoftheEuropean
Commissionandonerepresentativepermemberstateeitheritsheadofstateorheadof
government.TheEuropeanCouncilhasbeendescribedbysomeastheUnion's
"supremepoliticalauthority".[83]Itisactivelyinvolvedinthenegotiationofthetreaty
changesanddefinestheEU'spolicyagendaandstrategies.

Policiesandissues[show]
Foreignrelations[show]
Elections[show]
Law[show]
v
t
e

TheEuropeanCouncilusesitsleadershiproletosortoutdisputesbetweenmemberstatesandtheinstitutions,andtoresolve
politicalcrisesanddisagreementsovercontroversialissuesandpolicies.Itactsexternallyasa"collectiveheadofstate"and
ratifiesimportantdocuments(forexample,internationalagreementsandtreaties).[84]
On19November2009,HermanVanRompuywaschosenasthefirstpermanentPresidentoftheEuropeanCouncil.On1
December2009,theTreatyofLisbonenteredintoforceandheassumedoffice.Ensuringtheexternalrepresentationofthe
EU,[85]drivingconsensusandsettlingdivergencesamongmembersaretasksforthePresidentbothduringtheconvocations
oftheEuropeanCouncilandinthetimeperiodsbetweenthem.TheEuropeanCouncilshouldnotbemistakenforthe
CouncilofEurope,aninternationalorganisationindependentfromtheEU.
EuropeanCommission

TheCommission
President,Jean
ClaudeJuncker

TheEuropeanCommissionactsastheEU'sexecutivearmandisresponsibleforinitiatinglegislationandthedaytoday
runningoftheEU.TheCommissionisalsoseenasthemotorofEuropeanintegration.Itoperatesasacabinetgovernment,
with28Commissionersfordifferentareasofpolicy,onefromeachmemberstate,thoughCommissionersareboundto
representtheinterestsoftheEUasawholeratherthantheirhomestate.
Oneofthe28istheCommissionPresident(currentlyJeanClaudeJuncker)appointedbytheEuropeanCouncil.Afterthe
President,themostprominentCommissioneristheHighRepresentativeoftheUnionforForeignAffairsandSecurity
PolicywhoisexofficioVicePresidentoftheCommissionandischosenbytheEuropeanCounciltoo.[86]Theother26
CommissionersaresubsequentlyappointedbytheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion(alsoknownastheCouncilofMinisters)
inagreementwiththenominatedPresident.The28Commissionersasasinglebodyaresubjecttoavoteofapprovalbythe
EuropeanParliament.
EuropeanParliament

ThehemicycleoftheEuropean
ParliamentinStrasbourg
TheEuropeanParliamentformsonehalfoftheEU'slegislature(theotherhalfistheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion).The
751MembersoftheEuropeanParliament(MEPs)aredirectlyelectedbyEUcitizenseveryfiveyearsonthebasisof
proportionalrepresentation.AlthoughMEPsareelectedonanationalbasis,theysitaccordingtopoliticalgroupsratherthan
theirnationality.Eachcountryhasasetnumberofseatsandisdividedintosubnationalconstituencieswherethisdoesnot
affecttheproportionalnatureofthevotingsystem.[87]
TheParliamentandtheCounciloftheEuropeanUnionpasslegislationjointlyinnearlyallareasundertheordinary
legislativeprocedure.ThisalsoappliestotheEUbudget.Finally,theCommissionisaccountabletoParliament,requiringits
approvaltotakeoffice,havingtoreportbacktoitandsubjecttomotionsofcensurefromit.ThePresidentoftheEuropean
Parliamentcarriesouttheroleofspeakerinparliamentandrepresentsitexternally.TheEPPresidentandVicePresidents
areelectedbyMEPseverytwoandahalfyears.[88]
CounciloftheEuropeanUnion
TheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion(alsocalledthe"Council"[89]andsometimesreferredtoasthe"CouncilofMinisters")
[90]formstheotherhalfoftheEU'slegislature.Itconsistsofagovernmentministerfromeachmemberstateandmeetsin
differentcompositionsdependingonthepolicyareabeingaddressed.Notwithstandingitsdifferentconfigurations,itis
consideredtobeonesinglebody.[91]Inadditiontoitslegislativefunctions,theCouncilalsoexercisesexecutivefunctionsin
relationstotheCommonForeignandSecurityPolicy.

Budget
Mainarticle:BudgetoftheEuropeanUnion

The2011EUbudget(141.9
bn.intotalcommitment
appropriations):[92]
Cohesionand
competitivenessforgrowth
andemployment(45%)
Citizenship,freedom,
securityandjustice(1%)
TheEUasaglobalpartner
(6%)
Ruraldevelopment(11%)

 Directaidsandmarket
relatedexpenditures(31%)
Administration(6%)
TheEUhadanagreedbudgetof120.7billionfortheyear2007and864.3billionfortheperiod20072013,[93]
representing1.10%and1.05%oftheEU27'sGNIforecastfortherespectiveperiods.Bycomparison,theUnited
Kingdom'sexpenditurefor2004wasestimatedtobe759billion,andFrancewasestimatedtohavespent801billion.In
1960,thebudgetofthethenEuropeanEconomicCommunitywas0.03%ofGDP.[94]
Inthe2010budgetof141.5billion,thelargestsingleexpenditureitemis"cohesion&competitiveness"witharound45%
ofthetotalbudget.[95]Nextcomes"agriculture"withapproximately31%ofthetotal.[95]"Ruraldevelopment,environment
andfisheries"takesuparound11%.[95]"Administration"accountsforaround6%.[95]The"EUasaglobalpartner"and
"citizenship,freedom,securityandjustice"bringuptherearwithapproximately6%and1%respectively.[95]
TheCourtofAuditorsaimstoensurethatthebudgetoftheEuropeanUnionhasbeenproperlyaccountedfor.Thecourt
providesanauditreportforeachfinancialyeartotheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliament.TheParliamentusesthisto
decidewhethertoapprovetheCommission'shandlingofthebudget.TheCourtalsogivesopinionsandproposalson
financiallegislationandantifraudactions.[96]
TheCourtofAuditorsislegallyobligedtoprovidetheParliamentandtheCouncilwith"astatementofassuranceastothe
reliabilityoftheaccountsandthelegalityandregularityoftheunderlyingtransactions".[97]TheCourthasrefusedtodoso
everyyearsince1993,qualifyingtheirreportoftheUnion'saccountseveryyearsincethen.[98]Intheirreporton2009the
auditorsfoundthatfiveareasofUnionexpenditure,agricultureandthecohesionfund,weremateriallyaffectedbyerror.[99]
TheEuropeanCommissionestimated[when?]thatthefinancialimpactofirregularitieswas1,863million.[100]

Competences
EUmemberstatesretainallpowersnotexplicitlyhandedtotheEuropeanUnion.InsomeareastheEUenjoysexclusive
competence.Theseareareasinwhichmemberstateshaverenouncedanycapacitytoenactlegislation.InotherareastheEU
anditsmemberstatessharethecompetencetolegislate.Whilebothcanlegislate,memberstatescanonlylegislatetothe
extenttowhichtheEUhasnot.InotherpolicyareastheEUcanonlycoordinate,supportandsupplementmemberstate
actionbutcannotenactlegislationwiththeaimofharmonisingnationallaws.[101]
Thataparticularpolicyareafallsintoacertaincategoryofcompetenceisnotnecessarilyindicativeofwhatlegislative
procedureisusedforenactinglegislationwithinthatpolicyarea.Differentlegislativeproceduresareusedwithinthesame
categoryofcompetence,andevenwiththesamepolicyarea.
ThedistributionofcompetencesinvariouspolicyareasbetweenMemberStatesandtheUnionisdividedinthefollowing
threecategories:
AsoutlinedinTitleIofPartIoftheconsolidatedTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion

Exclusivecompetence
"TheUnionhasexclusive
competencetomakedirectives
andconcludeinternational
agreementswhenprovidedfor
inaUnionlegislativeact."
thecustomsunion
theestablishingofthe
competitionrules
necessaryforthe
functioningoftheinternal
market
monetarypolicyforthe
MemberStateswhose
currencyistheeuro
theconservationofmarine
biologicalresourcesunder
thecommonfisheries
policy
commoncommercial
policy
conclusionofcertain
internationalagreements

Sharedcompetence
"MemberStatescannotexercise
competenceinareaswherethe
Unionhasdoneso."
theinternalmarket
socialpolicy,forthe
aspectsdefinedinthis
Treaty
economic,socialand
territorialcohesion
agricultureandfisheries,
excludingthe
conservationofmarine
biologicalresources
environment
consumerprotection
transport
transEuropeannetworks
energy
theareaoffreedom,
securityandjustice
commonsafetyconcerns
inpublichealthmatters,
fortheaspectsdefinedin
thisTreaty

"Unionexerciseofcompetence
shallnotresultinMember
Statesbeingpreventedfrom
exercisingtheirsin"
research,technological
developmentand(outer)
space
developmentcooperation,
humanitarianaid
"TheUnioncoordinates
MemberStatespoliciesor
implementssupplementalto
theirscommonpolicies,not
coveredelsewhere"
coordinationofeconomic,
employmentandsocial
policies
commonforeign,security
anddefencepolicies

view
talk
edit

Supportingcompetence
"TheUnioncancarryout
actionstosupport,coordinate
orsupplementMemberStates'
actionsin"
theprotectionand
improvementofhuman
health
industry
culture
tourism
education,youth,sport
andvocationaltraining
civilprotection(disaster
prevention)
administrativecooperation

Legalsystem
Furtherinformation:EuropeanUnionlaw,TreatiesoftheEuropeanUnionandCharterofFundamentalRightsofthe
EuropeanUnion

TheCourtofJustice,seatedin
Luxembourg.
TheEUisbasedonaseriesoftreaties.ThesefirstestablishedtheEuropeanCommunityandtheEU,andthenmade
amendmentstothosefoundingtreaties.[102]Thesearepowergivingtreatieswhichsetbroadpolicygoalsandestablish
institutionswiththenecessarylegalpowerstoimplementthosegoals.Theselegalpowersincludetheabilitytoenact
legislation[f]whichcandirectlyaffectallmemberstatesandtheirinhabitants.[g]TheEUhaslegalpersonality,withtheright
tosignagreementsandinternationaltreaties.[103]
Undertheprincipleofsupremacy,nationalcourtsarerequiredtoenforcethetreatiesthattheirmemberstateshaveratified,
andthusthelawsenactedunderthem,evenifdoingsorequiresthemtoignoreconflictingnationallaw,and(withinlimits)
evenconstitutionalprovisions.[h]

CourtsofJustice
ThejudicialbranchoftheEUformallycalledtheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnionconsistsofthreecourts:the
CourtofJustice,theGeneralCourt,andtheEuropeanUnionCivilServiceTribunal.Togethertheyinterpretandapplythe
treatiesandthelawoftheEU.[104]
TheCourtofJusticeprimarilydealswithcasestakenbymemberstates,theinstitutions,andcasesreferredtoitbythecourts
ofmemberstates.[105]TheGeneralCourtmainlydealswithcasestakenbyindividualsandcompaniesdirectlybeforethe
EU'scourts,[106]andtheEuropeanUnionCivilServiceTribunaladjudicatesindisputesbetweentheEuropeanUnionandits
civilservice.[107]DecisionsfromtheGeneralCourtcanbeappealedtotheCourtofJusticebutonlyonapointoflaw.[108]

Fundamentalrights

Theawardingceremonyofthe
1990SakharovPrizeawardedto
AungSanSuuKyi(hereby
MartinSchulz)insidethe
Parliament'sStrasbourg
hemicycle,in2013.
ThetreatiesdeclarethattheEUitselfis"foundedonthevaluesofrespectforhumandignity,freedom,democracy,equality,
theruleoflawandrespectforhumanrights,includingtherightsofpersonsbelongingtominorities...inasocietyinwhich
pluralism,nondiscrimination,tolerance,justice,solidarityandequalitybetweenwomenandmenprevail."[109]
In2009theLisbonTreatygavelegaleffecttotheCharterofFundamentalRightsoftheEuropeanUnion.Thecharterisa
codifiedcatalogueoffundamentalrightsagainstwhichtheEU'slegalactscanbejudged.Itconsolidatesmanyrightswhich
werepreviouslyrecognisedbytheCourtofJusticeandderivedfromthe"constitutionaltraditionscommontothemember
states."[110]TheCourtofJusticehaslongrecognisedfundamentalrightsandhas,onoccasion,invalidatedEUlegislation
basedonitsfailuretoadheretothosefundamentalrights.[111]TheCharterofFundamentalRightswasdrawnupin2000.
AlthoughoriginallynotlegallybindingtheCharterwasfrequentlycitedbytheEU'scourtsasencapsulatingrightswhichthe
courtshadlongrecognisedasthefundamentalprinciplesofEUlaw.AlthoughsigningtheEuropeanConventiononHuman
Rights(ECHR)isaconditionforEUmembership,[i]previously,theEUitselfcouldnotaccedetotheConventionasitis
neitherastate[j]norhadthecompetencetoaccede.[k]TheLisbonTreatyandProtocol14totheECHRhavechangedthis:
theformerbindstheEUtoaccedetotheConventionwhilethelatterformallypermitsit.
Although,theEUisindependentfromCouncilofEurope,theysharepurposeandideasespeciallyonruleoflaw,human
rightsanddemocracy.FurtherEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsandEuropeanSocialCharter,thesourceoflawof
CharterofFundamentalRightsarecreatedbyCouncilofEurope.TheEUalsopromotedhumanrightsissuesinthewider
world.TheEUopposesthedeathpenaltyandhasproposeditsworldwideabolition.Abolitionofthedeathpenaltyisa
conditionforEUmembership.[112]

Acts
ThemainlegalactsoftheEUcomeinthreeforms:regulations,directives,anddecisions.Regulationsbecomelawinall
memberstatesthemomenttheycomeintoforce,withouttherequirementforanyimplementingmeasures,[l]and
automaticallyoverrideconflictingdomesticprovisions.[f]Directivesrequirememberstatestoachieveacertainresultwhile
leavingthemdiscretionastohowtoachievetheresult.Thedetailsofhowtheyaretobeimplementedarelefttomember
states.[m]Whenthetimelimitforimplementingdirectivespasses,theymay,undercertainconditions,havedirecteffectin
nationallawagainstmemberstates.
Decisionsofferanalternativetothetwoabovemodesoflegislation.Theyarelegalactswhichonlyapplytospecified
individuals,companiesoraparticularmemberstate.Theyaremostoftenusedincompetitionlaw,oronrulingsonState
Aid,butarealsofrequentlyusedforproceduraloradministrativematterswithintheinstitutions.Regulations,directives,and
decisionsareofequallegalvalueandapplywithoutanyformalhierarchy.[113]

Areaoffreedom,securityandjustice
Furtherinformation:Areaoffreedom,securityandjustice

ThebordersinsidetheSchengen
AreabetweenGermanyand
Austria
SincethecreationoftheEUin1993,ithasdevelopeditscompetenciesintheareaoffreedom,securityandjustice,initially
atanintergovernmentallevelandlaterbysupranationalism.Tothisend,agencieshavebeenestablishedthatcoordinate
associatedactions:Europolforcooperationofpoliceforces,[114]Eurojustforcooperationbetweenprosecutors,[115]and
Frontexforcooperationbetweenbordercontrolauthorities.[116]TheEUalsooperatestheSchengenInformationSystem[17]
whichprovidesacommondatabaseforpoliceandimmigrationauthorities.Thiscooperationhadtoparticularlybe
developedwiththeadventofopenbordersthroughtheSchengenAgreementandtheassociatedcrossbordercrime.
Furthermore,theUnionhaslegislatedinareassuchasextradition,[117]familylaw,[118]asylumlaw,[119]andcriminal
justice.[120]Prohibitionsagainstsexualandnationalitydiscriminationhavealongstandinginthetreaties.[n]Inmorerecent
years,thesehavebeensupplementedbypowerstolegislateagainstdiscriminationbasedonrace,religion,disability,age,
andsexualorientation.[o]Byvirtueofthesepowers,theEUhasenactedlegislationonsexualdiscriminationinthework
place,agediscrimination,andracialdiscrimination.[p]

Foreignrelations
Mainarticles:ForeignrelationsoftheEuropeanUnion,CommonForeignandSecurityPolicyandEuropeanExternal
ActionService

TheHigh
Representativeofthe
UnionforForeign
AffairsandSecurity
Policy,Federica
Mogherini.
ForeignpolicycooperationbetweenmemberstatesdatesfromtheestablishmentoftheCommunityin1957,whenmember
statesnegotiatedasablocininternationaltradenegotiationsundertheCommonCommercialpolicy.[121]Stepsforamore
widerangingcoordinationinforeignrelationsbeganin1970withtheestablishmentofEuropeanPoliticalCooperation
whichcreatedaninformalconsultationprocessbetweenmemberstateswiththeaimofformingcommonforeignpolicies.It
wasnot,however,until1987whenEuropeanPoliticalCooperationwasintroducedonaformalbasisbytheSingleEuropean
Act.EPCwasrenamedastheCommonForeignandSecurityPolicy(CFSP)bytheMaastrichtTreaty.[122]
TheaimsoftheCFSParetopromoteboththeEU'sowninterestsandthoseoftheinternationalcommunityasawhole,

includingthefurtheranceofinternationalcooperation,respectforhumanrights,democracy,andtheruleoflaw.[123]The
CFSPrequiresunanimityamongthememberstatesontheappropriatepolicytofollowonanyparticularissue.The
unanimityanddifficultissuestreatedundertheCFSPsometimesleadtodisagreements,suchasthosewhichoccurredover
thewarinIraq.[124]

TheEUparticipatesinallG8and
G20summits.(G20summitin
Seoul)
ThecoordinatorandrepresentativeoftheCFSPwithintheEUistheHighRepresentativeoftheUnionforForeignAffairs
andSecurityPolicy(currentlyFedericaMogherini)whospeaksonbehalfoftheEUinforeignpolicyanddefencematters,
andhasthetaskofarticulatingthepositionsexpressedbythememberstatesonthesefieldsofpolicyintoacommon
alignment.TheHighRepresentativeheadsuptheEuropeanExternalActionService(EEAS),auniqueEUdepartment[125]
thathasbeenofficiallyimplementedandoperationalsince1December2010ontheoccasionofthefirstanniversaryofthe
entryintoforceoftheTreatyofLisbon.[126]TheEEASwillserveasaforeignministryanddiplomaticcorpsforthe
EuropeanUnion.[127]
BesidestheemerginginternationalpolicyoftheEuropeanUnion,theinternationalinfluenceoftheEUisalsofeltthrough
enlargement.TheperceivedbenefitsofbecomingamemberoftheEUactasanincentiveforbothpoliticalandeconomic
reforminstateswishingtofulfiltheEU'saccessioncriteria,andareconsideredanimportantfactorcontributingtothe
reformofEuropeanformerlyCommunistcountries.[128]Thisinfluenceontheinternalaffairsofothercountriesisgenerally
referredtoas"softpower",asopposedtomilitary"hardpower".[129]

Military
Mainarticle:MilitaryoftheEuropeanUnion

NATOSummit2006inRiga,
Latvia.
TheEuropeanUniondoesnothaveoneunifiedmilitary.ThepredecessorsoftheEuropeanUnionwerenotdevisedasa
strongmilitaryalliancebecauseNATOwaslargelyseenasappropriateandsufficientfordefencepurposes.[130]22EU
membersaremembersofNATO[131]whiletheremainingmemberstatesfollowpoliciesofneutrality.[132]TheWestern
EuropeanUnion,amilitaryalliancewithamutualdefenceclause,wasdisbandedin2010asitsrolehadbeentransferredto
theEU.[133]
AccordingtotheStockholmInternationalPeaceResearchInstitute(SIPRI),Francespentmorethan44billion($59bn)on
defencein2010,placingitthirdintheworldaftertheUSandChina,whiletheUnitedKingdomspentalmost38billion
($58bn),thefourthlargest.[134]Together,FranceandtheUnitedKingdomaccountfor45percentofEurope'sdefence
budget,50percentofitsmilitarycapacityand70percentofallspendinginmilitaryresearchanddevelopment.[135]Britain
andFrancearealsoofficiallyrecognisednuclearweaponstatesandaretheonlytwoEuropeannationstoholdpermanent
seatsontheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil.In2000,theUnitedKingdom,France,Spain,andGermanyaccountedfor
97%ofthetotalmilitaryresearchbudgetofthethen15EUmemberstates.[136]

TheEurofighterTyphoonandEurocopterTigerare
builtbyconsortiaofcompaniesbasedinEUmember
states.
FollowingtheKosovoWarin1999,theEuropeanCouncilagreedthat"theUnionmusthavethecapacityforautonomous
action,backedbycrediblemilitaryforces,themeanstodecidetousethem,andthereadinesstodoso,inordertorespondto
internationalcriseswithoutprejudicetoactionsbyNATO".Tothatend,anumberofeffortsweremadetoincreasetheEU's
militarycapability,notablytheHelsinkiHeadlineGoalprocess.Aftermuchdiscussion,themostconcreteresultwastheEU
Battlegroupsinitiative,eachofwhichisplannedtobeabletodeployquicklyabout1500personnel.[137]

EUforceshavebeendeployedonpeacekeepingmissionsfrommiddleandnorthernAfricatothewesternBalkansand
westernAsia.[138]EUmilitaryoperationsaresupportedbyanumberofbodies,includingtheEuropeanDefenceAgency,
EuropeanUnionSatelliteCentreandtheEuropeanUnionMilitaryStaff.[139]InanEUconsistingof28members,
substantialsecurityanddefencecooperationisincreasinglyrelyingoncooperationofthegreatpowers.[140]

Humanitarianaid
Furtherinformation:ECHO(EuropeanCommission)

Collectively,theEUisthelargest
contributorofforeignaidinthe
world.[141][142]
TheEuropeanCommission'sHumanitarianAidandCivilProtectiondepartment,or"ECHO",provideshumanitarianaid
fromtheEUtodevelopingcountries.In2012,itsbudgetamountedto874million,51%ofthebudgetwenttoAfricaand
20%toAsia,LatinAmerica,theCaribbeanandPacific,and20%totheMiddleEastandMediterranean.[143]
Humanitarianaidisfinanceddirectlybythebudget(70%)aspartofthefinancialinstrumentsforexternalactionandalsoby
theEuropeanDevelopmentFund(30%).[144]TheEU'sexternalactionfinancingisdividedinto'geographic'instrumentsand
'thematic'instruments.[144]The'geographic'instrumentsprovideaidthroughtheDevelopmentCooperationInstrument
(DCI,16.9billion,20072013),whichmustspend95%ofitsbudgetonoverseasdevelopmentassistance(ODA),andfrom
theEuropeanNeighbourhoodandPartnershipInstrument(ENPI),whichcontainssomerelevantprogrammes.[144]The
EuropeanDevelopmentFund(EDF,22.7bn,20082013)ismadeupofvoluntarycontributionsbymemberstates,but
thereispressuretomergetheEDFintothebudgetfinancedinstrumentstoencourageincreasedcontributionstomatchthe
0.7%targetandallowtheEuropeanParliamentgreateroversight.[144]
However,fivecountrieshavereachedthe0.7%target:Sweden,Luxembourg,theNetherlands,DenmarkandtheUnited
Kingdom.[145][146]In2011,EUaidwas0.42%oftheEU'sGNImakingittheworld'smostgenerousaiddonor.[147]The
previousCommissionerforAid,LouisMichel,hascalledforaidtobedeliveredmorerapidly,togreatereffect,andon
humanitarianprinciples.[148]

Economy
Mainarticles:EconomyoftheEuropeanUnionandRegionalpolicyoftheEuropeanUnion

Thefivelargesteconomiesintheworld
accordingtotheIMFbyGDPin2011.[149]
TheEUhasestablishedasinglemarketacrosstheterritoryofallitsmembers.19memberstateshavealsojoinedamonetary
unionknownastheeurozone,whichusestheEuroasasinglecurrency.[150]In2012,theEUhadacombinedGDPof
16.073trillionsinternationaldollars,a20%shareoftheglobalgrossdomesticproduct(intermsofpurchasingpower
parity).[151]AccordingtoCreditSuisseGlobalWealthReport2012,theEUownsthelargestnetwealthintheworlditis
estimatedtoequal30%ofthe$223trillionglobalwealth.

GDP(inPPS)perinhabitantby
NUTS2regionsin2009.
Ofthetop500largestcorporationsmeasuredbyrevenue(FortuneGlobal500in2010),161havetheirheadquartersinthe
EU.[152]In2007,unemploymentintheEUstoodat7%[153]whileinvestmentwasat21.4%ofGDP,inflationat2.2%,and
currentaccountbalanceat0.9%ofGDP(i.e.,slightlymoreimportthanexport).In2012,unemploymentintheEUstood,
perAugust2012,at11.4%[153]
ThereisasignificantvarianceforGDP(PPP)percapitawithinindividualEUstates,theserangefrom11,300to69,800
(aboutUS$15,700toUS$97,000).[154]Thedifferencebetweentherichestandpoorestregions(271NUTS2regionsofthe
NomenclatureofTerritorialUnitsforStatistics)ranged,in2009,from27%oftheEU27averageintheregionof
SeverozapadeninBulgaria,to332%oftheaverageinInnerLondonintheUnitedKingdom.Onthehighend,InnerLondon
has78,000PPPpercapita,Luxembourg62,500,andBruxellesCap52,500,whilethepoorestregions,are
Severozapadenwith6,400PPPpercapita,NordEstwith6,900PPPpercapita,Severentsentralenwith6,900and
Yuzhentsentralenwith7,200.[154]
StructuralFundsandCohesionFundsaresupportingthedevelopmentofunderdevelopedregionsoftheEU.Suchregions
areprimarilylocatedinthestatesofcentralandsouthernEurope.[155][156]Severalfundsprovideemergencyaid,supportfor
candidatememberstotransformtheircountrytoconformtotheEU'sstandard(Phare,ISPA,andSAPARD),andsupportto
theformerUSSRCommonwealthofIndependentStates(TACIS).TACIShasnowbecomepartoftheworldwide
EuropeAidprogramme.EUresearchandtechnologicalframeworkprogrammessponsorresearchconductedbyconsortia
fromallEUmemberstoworktowardsasingleEuropeanResearchArea.[157]

Internalmarket
Mainarticle:Internalmarket

Astandardisedpassport
design,displayingthe
nameofthemember
state,thenationalarms
andthewords"European
Union"givenintheir
officiallanguage(s).
(Irishmodel)
TwooftheoriginalcoreobjectivesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunitywerethedevelopmentofacommonmarket,
subsequentlyrenamedthesinglemarket,andacustomsunionbetweenitsmemberstates.Thesinglemarketinvolvesthe
freecirculationofgoods,capital,people,andserviceswithintheEU,[150]andthecustomsunioninvolvestheapplicationof
acommonexternaltariffonallgoodsenteringthemarket.Oncegoodshavebeenadmittedintothemarkettheycannotbe
subjectedtocustomsduties,discriminatorytaxesorimportquotas,astheytravelinternally.ThenonEUmemberstatesof
Iceland,Norway,LiechtensteinandSwitzerlandparticipateinthesinglemarketbutnotinthecustomsunion.[61]Halfthe
tradeintheEUiscoveredbylegislationharmonisedbytheEU.[158]
Freemovementofcapitalisintendedtopermitmovementofinvestmentssuchaspropertypurchasesandbuyingofshares
betweencountries.[159]Untilthedrivetowardseconomicandmonetaryunionthedevelopmentofthecapitalprovisionshad
beenslow.PostMaastrichttherehasbeenarapidlydevelopingcorpusofECJjudgementsregardingthisinitiallyneglected

freedom.Thefreemovementofcapitalisuniqueinsofarasitisgrantedequallytononmemberstates.
ThefreemovementofpersonsmeansthatEUcitizenscanmovefreelybetweenmemberstatestolive,work,studyorretire
inanothercountry.Thisrequiredtheloweringofadministrativeformalitiesandrecognitionofprofessionalqualificationsof
otherstates.[160]
Thefreemovementofservicesandofestablishmentallowsselfemployedpersonstomovebetweenmemberstatesto
provideservicesonatemporaryorpermanentbasis.Whileservicesaccountfor6070%ofGDP,legislationintheareais
notasdevelopedasinotherareas.ThislacunahasbeenaddressedbytherecentlypassedDirectiveonservicesinthe
internalmarketwhichaimstoliberalisethecrossborderprovisionofservices.[161]AccordingtotheTreatytheprovisionof
servicesisaresidualfreedomthatonlyappliesifnootherfreedomisbeingexercised.

Competition
Furtherinformation:EuropeanUnioncompetitionlawandEuropeanCommissionerforCompetition
TheEUoperatesacompetitionpolicyintendedtoensureundistortedcompetitionwithinthesinglemarket.[q]The
Commissionasthecompetitionregulatorforthesinglemarketisresponsibleforantitrustissues,approvingmergers,
breakingupcartels,workingforeconomicliberalisationandpreventingstateaid.[162]
TheCompetitionCommissioner,currentlyJoaqunAlmunia,isoneofthemostpowerfulpositionsintheCommission,
notablefortheabilitytoaffectthecommercialinterestsoftransnationalcorporations.[163]Forexample,in2001the
CommissionforthefirsttimepreventedamergerbetweentwocompaniesbasedintheUnitedStates(GEandHoneywell)
whichhadalreadybeenapprovedbytheirnationalauthority.[164]AnotherhighprofilecaseagainstMicrosoft,resultedin
theCommissionfiningMicrosoftover777millionfollowingnineyearsoflegalaction.[165]

Monetaryunion
Mainarticles:EurozoneandEconomicandMonetaryUnionoftheEuropeanUnion

TheseatoftheCentral
BankinFrankfurt.19of
the28memberstatesof
theunionhaveadopted
theeuroastheirlegal
tender.
ThecreationofaEuropeansinglecurrencybecameanofficialobjectiveoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityin1969.In
1992,afterhavingnegotiatedthestructureandproceduresofacurrencyunion,thememberstatessignedtheMaastricht
Treatyandwerelegallyboundtofulfilltheagreedonrulesincludingtheconvergencecriteriaiftheywantedtojointhe
monetaryunion.ThestateswantingtoparticipatehadfirsttojointheEuropeanExchangeRateMechanism.
In1999thecurrencyunionstarted,firstasanaccountingcurrencywithelevenmemberstatesjoining.In2002,thecurrency
wasfullyputintoplace,wheneuronotesandcoinswereissuedandnationalcurrenciesbegantophaseoutintheeurozone,
whichbythenconsistedof12memberstates.Theeurozone(constitutedbytheEUmemberstateswhichhaveadoptedthe
euro)hassincegrownto19countries,themostrecentbeingLithuaniawhichjoinedon1January2015.Denmark,the
UnitedKingdom,andSwedendecidednottojointheeuro.[166][r]
Sinceitslaunchtheeurohasbecomethesecondreservecurrencyintheworldwithaquarterofforeignexchangesreserves
beingineuro.[167]Theeuro,andthemonetarypoliciesofthosewhohaveadopteditinagreementwiththeEU,areunder
thecontroloftheEuropeanCentralBank(ECB).[168]
TheECBisthecentralbankfortheeurozone,andthuscontrolsmonetarypolicyinthatareawithanagendatomaintain
pricestability.ItisatthecentreoftheEuropeanSystemofCentralBanks,whichcomprehendsallEUnationalcentralbanks
andiscontrolledbyitsGeneralCouncil,consistingofthePresidentoftheECB,whoisappointedbytheEuropeanCouncil,
theVicePresidentoftheECB,andthegovernorsofthenationalcentralbanksofall28EUmemberstates.[169]
TheEuropeanSystemofFinancialSupervisionisaninstitutionalarchitectureoftheEU'sframeworkoffinancial
supervisioncomposedbythreeauthorities:theEuropeanBankingAuthority,theEuropeanInsuranceandOccupational
PensionsAuthorityandtheEuropeanSecuritiesandMarketsAuthority.Tocomplementthisframework,thereisalsoa

EuropeanSystemicRiskBoardundertheresponsibilityoftheECB.Theaimofthisfinancialcontrolsystemistoensurethe
economicstabilityoftheEU.[170]
Topreventthejoiningstatesfromgettingintofinancialtroubleorcrisisafterenteringthemonetaryunion,theywere
obligedintheMaastrichttreatytofulfillimportantfinancialobligationsandprocedures,especiallytoshowbudgetary
disciplineandahighdegreeofsustainableeconomicconvergence,aswellastoavoidexcessivegovernmentdeficitsand
limitthegovernmentdebttoasustainablelevel.
Somestatesjoinedtheeurobutviolatedtheserulesandcontractstoanextentthattheyslidintoadebtcrisisandhadtobe
financiallysupportedwithemergencyrescuefunds.ThesestateswereGreece,Ireland,Portugal,CyprusandSpain.
EventhoughtheMaastrichttreatyforbidseurozonestatestoassumethedebtsofotherstates("bailout"),variousemergency
rescuefundshadbeencreatedbythememberstosupportthedebtcrisisstatestomeettheirfinancialobligationsandbuy
timeforreformsthatthosestatescangainbacktheircompetitiveness.

Energy
Mainarticle:EnergypolicyoftheEuropeanUnion

Consumedenergy(2012)[171]
Renewable(dom.prod.)
(7%)
Nuclear[s](dom.prod.)
(13%)
Coalandlignite(dom.
prod.)(10%)
Gas(dom.prod.)(9%)
Gas(import)(14%)
Oil(dom.prod.)(6%)
Oil(import)(33%)
Other(dom.prod.)(1%)
Other(import)(7%)
In2006,theEU27hadagrossinlandenergyconsumptionof1,825milliontonnesofoilequivalent(toe).[172]Around46%
oftheenergyconsumedwasproducedwithinthememberstateswhile54%wasimported.[172]Inthesestatistics,nuclear
energyistreatedasprimaryenergyproducedintheEU,regardlessofthesourceoftheuranium,ofwhichlessthan3%is
producedintheEU.[173]
TheEUhashadlegislativepowerintheareaofenergypolicyformostofitsexistencethishasitsrootsintheoriginal
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity.TheintroductionofamandatoryandcomprehensiveEuropeanenergypolicywas
approvedatthemeetingoftheEuropeanCouncilinOctober2005,andthefirstdraftpolicywaspublishedinJanuary2007.
[174]

TheEUhasfivekeypointsinitsenergypolicy:increasecompetitionintheinternalmarket,encourageinvestmentandboost
interconnectionsbetweenelectricitygridsdiversifyenergyresourceswithbettersystemstorespondtoacrisisestablisha
newtreatyframeworkforenergycooperationwithRussiawhileimprovingrelationswithenergyrichstatesinCentral
Asia[175]andNorthAfricauseexistingenergysuppliesmoreefficientlywhileincreasingrenewableenergy
commercialisationandfinallyincreasefundingfornewenergytechnologies.[174]
TheEUcurrentlyimports82%ofitsoil,57%ofitsnaturalgas[176]and97.48%ofitsuranium[173]demands.Thereare
concernsthatEurope'sdependenceonRussianenergyisendangeringtheUnionanditsmembercountries.TheEUis
attemptingtodiversifyitsenergysupply.[177]

Infrastructure
Furtherinformation:EuropeanCommissionerforTransport,EuropeanCommissionerforIndustryandEntrepreneurshipand
EuropeanInvestmentBank

TheresundBridgebetween
DenmarkandSwedenispartof
theTransEuropeanNetworks.
TheEUisworkingtoimprovecrossborderinfrastructurewithintheEU,forexamplethroughtheTransEuropean
Networks(TEN).ProjectsunderTENincludetheChannelTunnel,LGVEst,theFrjusRailTunnel,theresundBridge,
theBrennerBaseTunnelandtheStraitofMessinaBridge.In2001[needsupdate]itwasestimatedthatby2010thenetwork
wouldcover:75,200kilometres(46,700mi)ofroads78,000kilometres(48,000mi)ofrailways330airports270maritime
harboursand210internalharbours.[178][179]
ThedevelopingEuropeantransportpolicieswillincreasethepressureontheenvironmentinmanyregionsbytheincreased
transportnetwork.Inthepre2004EUmembers,themajorproblemintransportdealswithcongestionandpollution.After
therecentenlargement,thenewstatesthatjoinedsince2004addedtheproblemofsolvingaccessibilitytothetransport
agenda.[180]ThePolishroadnetworkinparticularwasinpoorcondition:atPoland'saccessiontotheEU,anumberofroads
neededtobeupgraded,particularlytheA4autostrada,requiringapproximately13billion.[181][182]
TheGalileopositioningsystemisanotherEUinfrastructureproject.GalileoisaproposedSatellitenavigationsystem,tobe
builtbytheEUandlaunchedbytheEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA),andistobeoperationalby2012.[needsupdate]The
GalileoprojectwaslaunchedpartlytoreducetheEU'sdependencyontheUSoperatedGlobalPositioningSystem,butalso
togivemorecompleteglobalcoverageandallowforfargreateraccuracy,giventheagednatureoftheGPSsystem.[183]It
hasbeencriticisedbysomeduetocosts,delays,andtheirperceptionofredundancygiventheexistenceoftheGPSsystem.
[184]

Agriculture
Mainarticle:CommonAgriculturalPolicy

VineyardsinRomaniaEUfarms
aresupportedbytheCAP,the
largestbudgetaryexpenditure.
TheCommonAgriculturalPolicy(CAP)isoneoftheoldestpoliciesoftheEuropeanCommunity,andwasoneofitscore
aims.[185]Thepolicyhastheobjectivesofincreasingagriculturalproduction,providingcertaintyinfoodsupplies,ensuring
ahighqualityoflifeforfarmers,stabilisingmarkets,andensuringreasonablepricesforconsumers.[t]Itwas,untilrecently,
operatedbyasystemofsubsidiesandmarketintervention.Untilthe1990s,thepolicyaccountedforover60%ofthethen
EuropeanCommunity'sannualbudget,andstillaccountsforaround34%.[186][datedinfo]
Thepolicy'spricecontrolsandmarketinterventionsledtoconsiderableoverproduction,resultinginsocalledbutter
mountainsandwinelakes.ThesewereinterventionstoresofproductsboughtupbytheCommunitytomaintainminimum
pricelevels.Todisposeofsurplusstores,theywereoftensoldontheworldmarketatpricesconsiderablybelowCommunity
guaranteedprices,orfarmerswereofferedsubsidies(amountingtothedifferencebetweentheCommunityandworldprices)
toexporttheirproductsoutsidetheCommunity.ThissystemhasbeencriticisedforundercuttingfarmersoutsideEurope,
especiallythoseinthedevelopingworld.[187]
Theoverproductionhasalsobeencriticisedforencouragingenvironmentallyunfriendlyintensivefarmingmethods.[187]
SupportersofCAPsaythattheeconomicsupportwhichitgivestofarmersprovidesthemwithareasonablestandardof
living,inwhatwouldotherwisebeaneconomicallyunviablewayoflife.However,theEU'ssmallfarmersreceiveonly8%
ofCAP'savailablesubsidies.[187]
Sincethebeginningofthe1990s,theCAPhasbeensubjecttoaseriesofreforms.Initially,thesereformsincludedthe
introductionofsetasidein1988,whereaproportionoffarmlandwasdeliberatelywithdrawnfromproduction,milkquotas
(bytheMcSharryreformsin1992)and,morerecently,the'decoupling'(ordisassociation)ofthemoneyfarmersreceive
fromtheEUandtheamounttheyproduce(bytheFischlerreformsin2004).Agricultureexpenditurewillmoveawayfrom
subsidypaymentslinkedtospecificproduce,towarddirectpaymentsbasedonfarmsize.Thisisintendedtoallowthe
markettodictateproductionlevels,whilemaintainingagriculturalincomelevels.[185]Oneofthesereformsentailedthe
abolitionoftheEU'ssugarregime,whichpreviouslydividedthesugarmarketbetweenmemberstatesandcertainAfrican
CaribbeannationswithaprivilegedrelationshipwiththeEU.[154]

Demographics
Mainarticles:DemographicsoftheEuropeanUnionandLargestpopulationcentresintheEuropeanUnion
Thecombinedpopulationofallmemberstates,excludingCroatia,whichjoinedtheEUin2013,wasforecasttobe
503,679,730on1January2012.[188]

LargestpopulationcentresofEuropeanUnion

v
t
e

LargerUrbanZones,accordingtoEurostat[189][190]

Rank

London

Paris

Cityname

State

Pop.

London

UnitedKingdom

11,905,500

Paris

France

11,532,409

Madrid

Spain

5,804,829

Berlin

Germany

4,971,331

Barcelona

Spain

4,440,629

Athens

Greece

4,013,368

Rome

Italy

3,457,690

Hamburg

Germany

3,134,620

Milan

Italy

3,076,643

10

Katowice

Poland

2,710,397

Madrid

Berlin

TheEUcontains16citieswithpopulationsofoveronemillion,thelargestbeingLondon.
Besidesmanylargecities,theEUalsoincludesseveraldenselypopulatedregionsthathavenosinglecorebuthaveemerged
fromtheconnectionofseveralcitesandnowencompasslargemetropolitanareas.ThelargestareRhineRuhrhaving
approximately11.5millioninhabitants(Cologne,Dortmund,Dsseldorfetal.),Randstadapprox.7million(Amsterdam,
Rotterdam,TheHague,Utrechtetal.),FrankfurtRhineMainMetropolitanRegionapprox.5.8million(Frankfurt,
Wiesbadenetal.),theFlemishDiamondapprox.5.5million(urbanareainbetweenAntwerp,Brussels,LeuvenandGhent),
KatowiceanditsUpperSilesianmetropolitanareaapprox.5.3millionandtheresundRegionapprox.3.7million
(Copenhagen,DenmarkandMalm,Sweden).[191]
In2010,47.3millionpeoplelivedintheEU,whowerebornoutsidetheirresidentcountry.Thiscorrespondsto9.4%ofthe
totalEUpopulation.Ofthese,31.4million(6.3%)werebornoutsidetheEUand16.0million(3.2%)wereborninanother
EUmemberstate.ThelargestabsolutenumbersofpeoplebornoutsidetheEUwereinGermany(6.4million),France(5.1
million),theUnitedKingdom(4.7million),Spain(4.1million),Italy(3.2million),andtheNetherlands(1.4million).[192]
Vitalstatisticsinrecentyears[193][194](inthousands)
Live
Natural
Net
Total
Deaths

births
change
migration change
2012 505730.5 5231,1 10.4 5013,9 9.9 217,3 0.4 882,2
1099,5
2013 507416.6 5075,7 10.0 4999,2 9.9 76,5
0.1 653,1
729,6
Year Population

Languages
Mainarticle:LanguagesoftheEuropeanUnion

Spanish
Polish
Romanian
Dutch
Greek
Hungarian
Portuguese
Czech

Native
speakers
13%
16%
12%
13%
8%
8%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
2%

51%
27%
24%
16%
15%
9%
5%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%

Swedish

2%

3%

Language

AmongthemanylanguagesanddialectsusedintheEU,ithas24officialandworking
English
languages:Bulgarian,Croatian,Czech,Danish,Dutch,English,Estonian,Finnish,
French,German,Greek,Hungarian,Italian,Irish,Latvian,Lithuanian,Maltese,Polish, German
French
Portuguese,Romanian,Slovak,Slovene,Spanish,andSwedish.[198][199]Important
Italian
documents,suchaslegislation,aretranslatedintoeveryofficiallanguage.
TheEuropeanParliamentprovidestranslationintoalllanguagesfordocumentsandits
plenarysessions.[200]Someinstitutionsuseonlyahandfuloflanguagesasinternal
workinglanguages.[201]Catalan,Galician,Basque,ScottishGaelicandWelsharenot
officiallanguagesoftheEUbuthavesemiofficialstatusinthatofficialtranslationsof
thetreatiesaremadeintothemandcitizensoftheEUhavetherighttocorrespond
withtheinstitutionsusingthem.

Total

Languagepolicyistheresponsibilityofmemberstates,butEUinstitutionspromote
thelearningofotherlanguages.[u][202]EnglishisthemostspokenlanguageintheEU,
beingspokenby51%oftheEUpopulationwhencountingbothnativeandnonnative
speakers.[203]Germanisthemostwidelyspokenmothertongue(about88.7million
peoplein2006).56%ofEUcitizensareabletoengageinaconversationinalanguage
otherthantheirmothertongue.[204]MostofficiallanguagesoftheEUbelongtothe
IndoEuropeanlanguagefamily,exceptEstonian,Finnish,andHungarian,which
belongtotheUraliclanguagefamily,andMaltese,whichisaSemiticlanguage.Most
EUofficiallanguagesarewrittenintheLatinalphabetexceptBulgarian,writtenin
Cyrillic,andGreek,writtenintheGreekalphabet.[205]WiththeaccessionofBulgaria
totheEuropeanUnionon1January2007,Cyrillicbecamethethirdofficialscriptof
theEuropeanUnion,followingtheLatinandGreekscripts.[206]

Swedish
Bulgarian
Slovak
Danish
Finnish
Lithuanian
Croatian
Slovenian
Estonian
Irish
Latvian
Maltese

2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%

3%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%

Survey2012.[195]
Besidesthe24officiallanguages,thereareabout150regionalandminoritylanguages, Native:Nativelanguage[196]
Total:EUcitizensabletoholda
[205]

spokenbyupto50millionpeople.
Ofthese,onlytheSpanishregionallanguages
conversationinthislanguage[197]
(Catalan,Galician,andBasque),ScottishGaelic,andWelsh[207]canbeusedby
citizensincommunicationwiththemainEuropeaninstitutions.[208]AlthoughEU
programmescansupportregionalandminoritylanguages,theprotectionoflinguisticrightsisamatterfortheindividual
memberstates.TheEuropeanCharterforRegionalorMinorityLanguagesratifiedbymostEUstatesprovidesgeneral
guidelinesthatstatescanfollowtoprotecttheirlinguisticheritage.
TheEuropeanDayofLanguagesisheldannuallyon26Septemberandisaimedatencouraginglanguagelearningacross
Europe.

Religion

Selfdescribedreligioninthe
EuropeanUnion(2012)[209]
Catholic(48%)
Protestant(12%)
Orthodox(8%)
OtherChristian(4%)
Nonbeliever/Agnostic
(16%)
Atheist(7%)
Muslim(2%)
Otherreligion/Nonestated
(3%)
TheEUisasecularbodywithnoformalconnectiontoanyreligion.TheArticle17oftheTreatyontheFunctioningofthe
EuropeanUnionrecognisesthe"statusundernationallawofchurchesandreligiousassociations"aswellasthatof
"philosophicalandnonconfessionalorganisations".[210]
ThepreambletotheTreatyonEuropeanUnionmentionsthe"cultural,religiousandhumanistinheritanceofEurope".[210]
DiscussionoverthedrafttextsoftheEuropeanConstitutionandlatertheTreatyofLisbonincludedproposalstomention
ChristianityorGod,orboth,inthepreambleofthetext,buttheideafacedoppositionandwasdropped.[211]
ChristiansintheEUaredividedamongmembersofCatholicism(bothRomanandEasternRite),numerousProtestant
denominations,andtheEasternOrthodoxChurch.In2009,theEUhadanestimatedMuslimpopulationof13million,[212]
andanestimatedJewishpopulationofoveramillion.[213]TheotherworldreligionsofBuddhism,HinduismandSikhism
arealsorepresentedintheEUpopulation.
AccordingtonewpollsaboutReligiosityintheEuropeanUnionin2012byEurobarometer,Christianityisthelargest
religionintheEuropeanUnionaccounting72%forEUpopulation.[209]CatholicsarethelargestChristiangroupinEU,
accountingfor48%EUcitizens,whileProtestantsmakeup12%,andEasternOrthodoxmakeup8%,andotherChristians
accountfor4%oftheEUpopulation.[214]

Eurostat'sEurobarometeropinionpollsshowedin2005that52%ofEUcitizensbelievedinaGod,27%in"somesortof
spiritorlifeforce",and18%hadnoformofbelief.[215]Manycountrieshaveexperiencedfallingchurchattendanceand
membershipinrecentyears.[216]ThecountrieswherethefewestpeoplereportedareligiousbeliefwereEstonia(16%)and
theCzechRepublic(19%).[215]ThemostreligiouscountriesareMalta(95%,predominantlyRomanCatholic)aswellas
CyprusandRomania(bothpredominantlyOrthodox)eachwithabout90%ofthecitizensprofessingabeliefinGod.Across
theEU,beliefwashigheramongwomen,increasedwithage,thosewithreligiousupbringing,thosewholeftschoolat15or
16,andthose"positioningthemselvesontherightofthepoliticalscale(57%)."[215]

Educationandscience
Mainarticles:EducationalpoliciesandinitiativesoftheEuropeanUnionandFrameworkProgrammesforResearchand
TechnologicalDevelopment

ErasmusProgrammelogo,
representingthehumanist
DesideriusErasmusof
Rotterdam.
BasiceducationisanareawheretheEU'sroleislimitedtosupportingnationalgovernments.Inhighereducation,thepolicy
wasdevelopedinthe1980sinprogrammessupportingexchangesandmobility.Themostvisibleofthesehasbeenthe
ErasmusProgramme,auniversityexchangeprogrammewhichbeganin1987.Initsfirst20years,ithassupported
internationalexchangeopportunitiesforwellover1.5millionuniversityandcollegestudentsandhasbecomeasymbolof
Europeanstudentlife.[217]
Therearenowsimilarprogrammesforschoolpupilsandteachers,fortraineesinvocationaleducationandtraining,andfor
adultlearnersintheLifelongLearningProgramme20072013.Theseprogrammesaredesignedtoencourageawider
knowledgeofothercountriesandtospreadgoodpracticesintheeducationandtrainingfieldsacrosstheEU.[218][219]
ThroughitssupportoftheBolognaProcess,theEUissupportingcomparablestandardsandcompatibledegreesacross
Europe.
ScientificdevelopmentisfacilitatedthroughtheEU'sFrameworkProgrammes,thefirstofwhichstartedin1984.Theaims
ofEUpolicyinthisareaaretocoordinateandstimulateresearch.TheindependentEuropeanResearchCouncilallocates
EUfundstoEuropeanornationalresearchprojects.[220]EUresearchandtechnologicalframeworkprogrammesdealina
numberofareas,forexampleenergywhereitaimstodevelopadiversemixofrenewableenergyfortheenvironmentandto
reducedependenceonimportedfuels.[221]

Healthcare
Furtherinformation:HealthcareinEurope

EuropeanHealthInsuranceCard.
(Frenchversionpictured)
AlthoughtheEUhasnomajorcompetencesinthefieldofhealthcare,Article35oftheCharterofFundamentalRightsof
theEuropeanUnionaffirmsthat"Ahighlevelofhumanhealthprotectionshallbeensuredinthedefinitionand
implementationofallUnionpoliciesandactivities".Allthememberstateshaveeitherpubliclysponsoredandregulated
universalhealthcareorpubliclyprovideduniversalhealthcare.TheEuropeanCommission'sDirectorateGeneralforHealth
andConsumersseekstoalignnationallawsontheprotectionofpeople'shealth,ontheconsumers'rights,onthesafetyof
foodandotherproducts.[222][223][224]
HealthcareintheEUisprovidedthroughawiderangeofdifferentsystemsrunatthenationallevel.Thesystemsare
primarilypubliclyfundedthroughtaxation(universalhealthcare).Privatefundingforhealthcaremayrepresentpersonal
contributionstowardsmeetingthenontaxpayerrefundedportionofhealthcareormayreflecttotallyprivate(non
subsidised)healthcareeitherpaidoutofpocketormetbysomeformofpersonaloremployerfunded
insurance.[citationneeded]

AllEUandmanyotherEuropeancountriesoffertheircitizensafreeEuropeanHealthInsuranceCardwhich,onareciprocal
basis,providesinsuranceforemergencymedicaltreatmentinsurancewhenvisitingotherparticipatingEuropeancountries.
[225]Adirectiveoncrossborderhealthcareaimsatpromotingcooperationonhealthcarebetweenmemberstatesand
facilitatingaccesstosafeandhighqualitycrossborderhealthcareforEuropeanpatients.[226][227][228]

Culture
Mainarticles:CultureofEurope,WesterncultureandCulturalpoliciesoftheEuropeanUnion

AcropolisandColosseum,symbolsoftheGraecoRoman
world.Athens(Greece)andFlorence(Italy)werethefirst
EuropeanCapitalsofCulture.
CulturalcooperationbetweenmemberstateshasbeenaconcernoftheEUsinceitsinclusionasacommunitycompetency
intheMaastrichtTreaty.[229]ActionstakenintheculturalareabytheEUincludetheCulture20007yearprogramme,[229]
theEuropeanCulturalMonthevent,[230]theMEDIAProgramme,[231]orchestrassuchastheEuropeanUnionYouth
Orchestra[232]andtheEuropeanCapitalofCultureprogrammewhereoneormorecitiesintheEUareselectedforone
yeartoassisttheculturaldevelopmentofthatcity.[233]

Sport
Mainarticles:SportpoliciesoftheEuropeanUnionandSportinEurope
Sportismainlytheresponsibilityofanindividualmemberstatesorotherinternationalorganisationsratherthanthatofthe
EU.However,therearesomeEUpoliciesthathavehadanimpactonsport,suchasthefreemovementofworkerswhich
wasatthecoreoftheBosmanruling,whichprohibitednationalfootballleaguesfromimposingquotasonforeignplayers
withEuropeancitizenship.[234]TheTreatyofLisbonrequiresanyapplicationofeconomicrulestotakeintoaccountthe
specificnatureofsportanditsstructuresbasedonvoluntaryactivity.[235]Thisfollowedlobbyingbygoverning
organisationssuchastheInternationalOlympicCommitteeandFIFA,duetoobjectionsovertheapplicationsoffreemarket
principlestosportwhichledtoanincreasinggapbetweenrichandpoorclubs.[236]TheEUdoesfundaprogrammefor
Israeli,Jordanian,Irish,andBritishfootballcoaches,aspartoftheFootball4Peaceproject.[237]

Symbols
Mainarticle:SymbolsofEurope

Clockwisefromtopleft:TheEuropeanflag
seenattheoccasionofthe2004
enlargementthereliquarybustof
Charlemagne(c.1350)Europaandthe
bull,depictedasthepersonificationof
Europeina1700mapbyFredericusde
Wit.
Theflagoftheunionconsistsofacircleof12goldenstarsonabluefield.Thebluerepresentsthewest,whilethenumber
andpositionofthestarsrepresentcompletenessandunity,respectively.[238]Originallydesignedin1955fortheCouncilof
Europe,theflagwasadoptedbytheEuropeanCommunities,thepredecessorsofthepresentunion,in1986.Unitedin

Diversitywasadoptedasthemottooftheunionintheyear2000,havingbeenselectedfromproposalssubmittedbyschool
pupils.[239]Since1985,theflagdayoftheunionhasbeenEuropeDay,on9May,i.e.thedateofthe1950Schuman
declaration.TheanthemoftheunionisaninstrumentalversionofthepreludetotheOdetoJoy,the4thmovementof
LudwigvanBeethoven'sninthsymphony.TheanthemwasadoptedbyEuropeanCommunityleadersin1985andhassince
beenplayedonofficialoccasions.[240]
Besidesnamingthecontinent,theGreekmythologicalfigureofEuropahasfrequentlybeenemployedasapersonification
ofEurope.KnownfromthemythinwhichZeusseducesherintheguiseofawhitebull,Europahasalsobeenreferredtoin
relationtothepresentunion.StatuesofEuropaandthebulldecorateseveraloftheUnion'sinstitutions,andaportraitofher
isseenonthe2013seriesofEurobanknotes.Thebullisforitspartdepictedonallresidencepermitcards.[241]
CharlestheGreat,alsoknownasCharlemagne(Latin:CarolusMagnus),establishedanempirethatrepresentedthemost
expansiveEuropeanunificationsincetheRomanera,andtherebyfoundedwhatbecametheFrenchandGerman
monarchies.[242][242][243][244][245]KnownasPaterEuropae(FatherofEurope),[242][246]heenjoyedanimportant
afterlifeinEuropeanculture.ThepresentsymbolicrelevanceofCharlemagnepertainstohisembodimentofFrancoGerman
relations,onwhichEuropeanintegrationrelies.TheCommissionhasnamedoneofitscentralbuildingsinBrusselsafter
Charlemagne,andtheGermancityofAachenhassince1949awardedtheCharlemagnePrizetochampionsofEuropean
unification.[247]Since2008,theorganisersofthisprize,inconjunctionwiththeEuropeanParliament,haveawardedthe
CharlemagneYouthPrizeinrecognitionofsimilareffortsbyyoungpeople.[248]
ReligioussymbolsofEuropeanditsintegrationincludeSaintBenedict,whoin1964wasnamedpatronsaintofEuropeby
PopePaulVI,andSaintHedwig,whoin1997wascanonisedaspatronsaintofEuropeanunificationbyPopeJohnPaulII.
[249][250]

Seealso
OutlineoftheEuropeanUnion
EuropeanUnionWikipediabook

Notes
1. Notincludingoverseasterritories
2. .euisrepresentativeofthewholeoftheEUmemberstatesalsohavetheirownTLDs.
3. ThisfigureincludestheextraEuropeanterritoriesofmemberstateswhicharepartoftheEuropeanUnionand
excludestheEuropeanterritoriesofmemberstateswhicharenotpartoftheUnion.FormoreinformationseeSpecial
memberstateterritoriesandtheEuropeanUnion.
4. OnOctober3,1990,theconstituentstatesoftheformerGermanDemocraticRepublicaccededtotheFederal
RepublicofGermany,automaticallybecomingpartoftheEU.
5. ReferredtobytheEUasthe"formerYugoslavRepublicofMacedonia".
6. SeeArticle288(exArticle249TEC)oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion,oneurlex.europa.eu
7. AccordingtotheprincipleofDirectEffectfirstinvokedintheCourtofJustice'sdecisioninVanGendenLoosv
NederlandseAdministratiederBelastingen,EurLex(EuropeanCourtofJustice1963).See:CraiganddeBrca,ch.
5.
8. AccordingtotheprincipleofSupremacyasestablishedbytheECJinCase6/64,FalminioCostav.ENEL[1964]
ECR585.SeeCraiganddeBrca,ch.7.Seealso:Factortamelitigation:FactortameLtd.v.SecretaryofStatefor
Transport(No.2)[1991]1AC603,SolangeII(ReWuenscheHandelsgesellschaft,BVerfGdecisionof22October
1986[1987]3CMLR225,265)andFrontiniv.MinisterodelleFinanze[1974]2CMLR372RaoulGeorgeNicolo
[1990]1CMLR173.
9. ItiseffectivelytreatedasoneoftheCopenhagencriteria,Assembly.coe.int.Itshouldbenotedthatthisisapolitical
andnotalegalrequirementformembership.
10. TheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightswaspreviouslyonlyopentomembersoftheCouncilofEurope(Article
59.1oftheConvention),andevennowonlystatesmaybecomememberoftheCouncilofEurope(Article4ofthe
StatuteoftheCouncilofEurope).
11. Opinion(2/92)oftheEuropeanCourtofJusticeon"AccessionbytheCommunitytotheEuropeanConventionforthe
ProtectionofHumanRightsandFundamentalFreedoms"1996E.C.R.I1759(inFrench),ruledthattheEuropean
CommunitydidnothavethecompetencetoaccedetotheECHR.
12. See:Case34/73,Variolav.AmministrazionedelleFinanze[1973]ECR981.
13. Todootherwisewouldrequirethedraftingoflegislationwhichwouldhavetocopewiththefrequentlydivergent
legalsystemsandadministrativesystemsofallofthenow28memberstates.SeeCraiganddeBrca,p.115
14. SeeArticles157(exArticle141)oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion,oneurlex.europa.eu
15. SeeArticle2(7)oftheAmsterdamTreatyoneurlex.europa.eu
16. CouncilDirective2000/43/ECof29June2000implementingtheprincipleofequaltreatmentbetweenpersons
irrespectiveofracialorethnicorigin(OJL180,19July2000,p.2226)CouncilDirective2000/78/ECof27
November2000establishingageneralframeworkforequaltreatmentinemploymentandoccupation(OJL303,2
Dec2000,p.1622).
17. Article3(1)(g)oftheTreatyofRome
18. InordertomeettheeuroconvergencecriteriaitisnecessaryfirsttojointheEuropeanExchangeRateMechanism,
somethingSwedenhasdeclinedtodo:"ERMII".DanishFinanceMinistry.20March2009.Retrieved26December
2009.
19. NotethatalthoughalmostallUraniumisimported,
NuclearPowerisconsideredprimaryenergyproducedintheEU
20. Article39(exArticle33)oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion,oneurlex.europa.eu
21. SeeArticles165and166(exArticles149and150)oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion,oneur
lex.europa.eu

References
1. Barnard,Catherine(August2007).TheSubstantiveLawoftheEU:Thefourfreedoms(2ed.).OxfordUniversity
Press.p.447.ISBN9780199290352.
2. "Unitedindiversity".Europa(webportal).EuropeanCommission.Retrieved20January2010.'Unitedindiversity'
isthemottooftheEuropeanUnion.Themottomeansthat,viatheEU,Europeansareunitedinworkingtogetherfor
peaceandprosperity,andthatthemanydifferentcultures,traditionsandlanguagesinEuropeareapositiveassetfor
thecontinent.
3. "EuropeanParliament:TheLegislativeObservatory".Europa(webportal).EuropeanCommission.Retrieved20
January2010.themotto'Unitedindiversity'shallbereproducedonParliament'sofficialdocuments
4. "Brussels'EUcapitalroleseenasirreversible".Euractiv.com.Retrieved28October2012.Brusselshasbecomethe
defactocapitaloftheEuropeanUnion
5. TheNewOxfordAmericanDictionary,SecondEdn.,ErinMcKean(editor),2051pages,May2005,Oxford
UniversityPress,ISBN0195170776.
6. CurrentArticle1oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnionreads:"TheUnionshallbefoundedonthepresentTreatyandon
theTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion.ThosetwoTreatiesshallhavethesamelegalvalue.TheUnion
shallreplaceandsucceedtheEuropeanCommunity".
7. "EurostatTables,GraphsandMapsInterfaceTGMtable".EuropeanCommission.Retrieved9March2015.
8. "IMFWorldEconomicOutlookDatabase,April2015".InternationalMonetaryFund.Retrieved26April2015.
9. Nominal2015GDPfortheEuropeanUnionand2015populationfortheEuropeanUnion,WorldEconomicOutlook
Database,April2015,InternationalMonetaryFund.Accessedon26April2015
10. "DistributionoffamilyincomeGiniindex".TheWorldFactbook.CIA.Retrieved28January2012.
11. CalculatedusingUNDPdataforthememberstateswithweightedpopulation.
12. "BasicinformationontheEuropeanUnion".EuropeanUnion.europa.eu.Retrieved4October2012.
13. "European".OxfordEnglishDictionary.Retrieved3October2011.5b.spec.Designatingadevelopingseriesof
economicandpoliticalunionsbetweencertaincountriesofEuropefrom1952onwards,asEuropeanEconomic
Community,EuropeanCommunity,EuropeanUnion
14. "EuropeanUnion".EncyclopdiaBritannica.Retrieved3July2013.internationalorganisationcomprising28
Europeancountriesandgoverningcommoneconomic,social,andsecuritypolicies...
15. "EuropeanUnion".TheWorldFactbook.CentralIntelligenceAgency.Retrieved11October2009.
16. Craig,PaulGrainneDeBurcaP.P.Craig(2007).EULaw:Text,CasesandMaterials(4thed.).Oxford:Oxford
UniversityPress.p.15.ISBN9780199273898."TreatyofMaastrichtonEuropeanUnion".Activitiesofthe
EuropeanUnion.Europawebportal.Retrieved20October2007.
17. "Schengenarea".Europawebportal.Retrieved8September2010.
18. EuropeanCommission."TheEUSingleMarket:Fewerbarriers,moreopportunities".Europawebportal.Retrieved
27September2007.
"ActivitiesoftheEuropeanUnion:InternalMarket".Europawebportal.Retrieved29June2007.
19. "Commoncommercialpolicy".EuropaGlossary.Europawebportal.Retrieved6September2008.
20. "AgricultureandFisheriesCouncil".TheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion.Retrieved3June2013.
21. "RegionalPolicyInforegio".Europawebportal.Retrieved3June2013.
22. "Firstdemographicestimatesfor2009"(PDF).11December2009.Retrieved3February2010.
23. "EuropeanUnionreaches500MillionthroughCombinationofAccessions,MigrationandNaturalGrowth".Vienna
InstituteofDemography.
24. seeListofcountriesbyGDP(nominal)andListofcountriesbyGDP(PPP).Bothpagesareaboutcountriesand
thereforetheEUisnotranked.
25. "EUcollectsNobelPeacePrizeinOslo".BritishBroadcastingCorporation.10December2012.Retrieved3June
2013.
26. "Thepoliticalconsequences".CVCE.Retrieved28April2013.
27. DieterMahncke,LonceBekemans,RobertPicht,TheCollegeofEurope.FiftyYearsofServicetoEurope,Bruges,
1999.ISBN9080498319.
28. "Declarationof9May1950".EuropeanCommission.Retrieved5September2007.
29. "ApeacefulEuropethebeginningsofcooperation".EuropeanCommission.Retrieved12December2011.
30. "AEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity".Cvce.eu.13October1997.Retrieved13October2013.
31. AEuropeanCustomsUnion
32. "Mergingtheexecutives".CVCECentreVirtueldelaConnaissancesurl'Europe.Retrieved28April2013.
33. MergingtheexecutivesCVCE.eu
34. DiscovertheformerPresidents:TheReyCommission,Europa(webportal).Retrieved28April2013.
35. "Thefirstenlargement".CVCE.Retrieved28April2013.
36. "ThenewEuropeanParliament".CVCE.Retrieved28April2013.
37. "Negotiationsforenlargement".CVCE.Retrieved28April2013.
38. "Schengenagreement".BBCNews.30April2001.Retrieved18September2009.
39. "Historyoftheflag".Europawebportal.Retrieved13March2009.
40. "19801989ThechangingfaceofEuropethefalloftheBerlinWall".Europawebportal.Retrieved25June2007.
41. "Adecadeoffurtherexpansion".Europawebportal.Archivedfromtheoriginalon15June2007.Retrieved25June
2007.
42. "EuropeanParliamentannouncesnewPresidentandForeignAffairsMinister".Retrieved1December2009.
43. "TheNobelPeacePrize2012".Nobelprize.org.12October2012.Retrieved12October2012.
44. "NobelCommitteeAwardsPeacePrizetoE.U".NewYorkTimes.12October2012.Retrieved12October2012.
45. "Croatia".EuropeanCommission.Retrieved3June2013.
46. "Croatia:FromisolationtoEUmembership".BBCNews.BBC.26April2013.Retrieved14May2013.
47. "CroatiajoinsEU".Edition.cnn.com.1July2013.Retrieved13October2013.
48. "MontBlancshrinksby45cm(17.72in)intwoyears".SydneyMorningHerald.6November2009.Retrieved26
November2010.
49. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworldfactbook/geos/ee.html
50. "HumidContinentalClimate".Thephysicalenvironment.UniversityofWisconsinStevensPoint.2007.Retrieved29
June2007.

51. "UrbansprawlinEurope:Theignoredchallenge,EuropeanEnvironmentalAgency"(PDF).Retrieved13October
2013.
52. "EuropeanCountries".Europawebportal.Retrieved18September2010.
53. CouncilDecisionof10December2013([1]).
54. Answers.com
55. "EUinstitutionsandotherbodies".Europa.Retrieved4September2009.
56. "Accessioncriteria(Copenhagencriteria)".Europawebportal.Retrieved26June2007.
57. "TheGreenlandTreatyof1985".TheEuropeanUnionandGreenland.GreenlandHomeRuleGovernment.Retrieved
10November2010.
58. Article50oftheConsolidatedTreatyonEuropeanUnion.
59. "EuropeanCommissionEnlargementCandidateandPotentialCandidateCountries".Europawebportal.Retrieved
13March2012.
60. Fox,Benjamin(16June2013)."Iceland'sEUbidisover,commissiontold".Reuters.Retrieved16June2013.
61. EuropeanCommission."TheEuropeanEconomicArea(EEA)".Europawebportal.Retrieved10February2010.
62. "TheEU'srelationswithSwitzerland".Europawebportal.Retrieved3November2010.
63. EuropeanCommission."Useoftheeurointheworld".Theeurooutsidetheeuroarea.Europawebportal.Retrieved
27February2008.
64. Jordan,A.J.andAdelle,C.(eds)(2012)EnvironmentalPolicyintheEuropeanUnion:Contexts,ActorsandPolicy
Dynamics(3e).Earthscan:LondonandSterling,VA.
65. Knill,C.andLiefferink,D.(2012)TheestablishmentofEUenvironmentalpolicy,In:Jordan,A.J.andAdelle,C.
(eds)EnvironmentalPolicyintheEuropeanUnion:Contexts,ActorsandPolicyDynamics(3e).Earthscan:London
andSterling,VA.
66. InstituteforEuropeanEnvironmentalPolicy(2012)ManualofEuropeanEnvironmentalPolicy,Earthscan,London.
67. Knill,C.andLiefferink,D.(2012)TheetsbalishmentofEUenvironmentalpolicy,In:Jordan,A.J.andAdelle,C.
(eds)EnvironmentalPolicyintheEuropeanUnion:Contexts,ActorsandPolicyDynamics(3e).Earthscan:London
andSterling,VA.
68. Johnson,S.P.andCorcelle,G.(1989)TheEnvironmentalPolicyoftheEuropeanCommunities,Graham&Trotman,
London
69. Benson,D.andAdelle,C.(2012)EuropeanUnionenvironmentalpolicyaftertheLisbonTreaty,In:Jordan,A.J.and
Adelle,C.(eds)EnvironmentalPolicyintheEuropeanUnion:Contexts,ActorsandPolicyDynamics(3e).Earthscan:
LondonandSterling,VA.
70. Aldred,Jessica(23January2008)."EUsets20%targetforcarboncuts".TheGuardian(London).Retrieved29
February2008.
71. "howtheeuplanstofightclimatechange".RetrievedNov2010.
72. "TheEUEmissionsTradingSystem(EUETS)".
73. Thesegroupsrefertoregulationsanddirectivesrespectively.Theselegislativeinstrumentsaredealtwithinmore
detailbelow.
74. Burgess,Michael(2009)[2004]."Federalism".InWiener,AntjeDiez,Thomas.EuropeanIntegrationTheory(2nd
ed.).OxfordUniversityPress.pp.2542.ISBN9780199226092.
75. Nugent,Neill(2006).TheGovernmentAndPoliticsoftheEuropeanUnion(6thed.).DukeUniversityPress.pp.550
553.ISBN9780822338703.
76. Majone,Giandomenico(2006)."Federation,Confederation,andMixedGovernment:AEUUSComparison".In
Menon,AnandSchain,MartinA.ComparativeFederalism:TheEuropeanUnionandtheUnitedStatesin
ComparativePerspective.OxfordUniversityPress.pp.121148.ISBN9780199291106.
77. Schtze,Robert(2012).EuropeanConstitutionalLaw.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.pp.4779.
ISBN9780521732758.
78. "IsEuropestillsuigeneris?SignalsfromTheWhitePaperonEuropeanGovernance".Retrieved18November2012.
...weseethenotionsofgovernancedeployedintheWhitePaperasunderminingthedescriptionoftheEUassui
generis.Itisbecominglikeanationalstate,butwedifferfrommanyofthecritics(orenthusiasts)oftheWhitePaper
inonemajorway.RatherthanseeingtheEUbecomingastatelikeobject,takingonthetrappingsofa19thormore
correctly20thcenturystate,weseenationalstatesmovingtowardstheEU,adoptingmanyofthegoverning
practicesadvocatedbytheWhitePaper.
79. "EuropeanUnion".CIAWorldFactbook.Retrieved18November2012.AlthoughtheEUisnotafederationinthe
strictsense,itisfarmorethanafreetradeassociationsuchasASEAN,NAFTA,orMercosur,andithascertain
attributesassociatedwithindependentnations:itsownflag,currency(forsomemembers),andlawmakingabilities,
aswellasdiplomaticrepresentationandacommonforeignandsecuritypolicyinitsdealingswithexternalpartners.
80. Hallstein,Walter(1972)[1969].EuropeintheMaking[translationofDerunvollendeteBundesstaat].translatedby
CharlesRoetter(Englished.).GeorgeAllen&Unwin.ISBN9780199226092.
81. "FederalConstitutionalCourtPressReleaseNo.72/2009of30June2009.Judgmentof30June2009:ActApproving
theTreatyofLisboncompatiblewiththeBasicLawaccompanyinglawunconstitutionaltotheextentthatlegislative
bodieshavenotbeenaccordedsufficientrightsofparticipation".Retrieved17November2012.Duetothisstructural
democraticdeficit,whichcannotberesolvedinanassociationofsovereignnationalstates(Staatenverbund),further
stepsofintegrationthatgobeyondthestatusquomayundermineneithertheStates'politicalpowerofactionnorthe
principleofconferral.ThepeoplesoftheMemberStatesaretheholdersoftheconstituentpower.TheBasicLawdoes
notpermitthespecialbodiesofthelegislative,executiveandjudicialpowertodisposeoftheessentialelementsofthe
constitution,i.e.oftheconstitutionalidentity(Article23.1sentence3,Article79.3GG).Theconstitutionalidentityis
aninalienableelementofthedemocraticselfdeterminationofapeople.
TheoriginalGermanusesthewordStaatenverbund,whichtheytranslateas"associationofsovereignstates",rather
thanthewordStaatenbund(confederation)orBundesstaat(federation).
82. Moravcsik,AndrewMoravcsik,Andrew(2009)[2004]."LiberalIntergovernmentalism".InWiener,AntjeDiez,
Thomas.EuropeanIntegrationTheory(2nded.).OxfordUniversityPress.ISBN9780199226092.Every
constitutionalsystemreachesapointwhereitismature,whereitnolongerneedstomoveforwardtoremainstable.
TheEUhasreachedthatpoint.TheEUisnotastateinthemaking:itisthemostambitiousandsuccessfulof
internationalorganisations.
83. "HowdoestheEUwork".Europa(webportal).Retrieved12July2007.
84. WithUSoragainstUS?:EuropeantrendsinAmericanperspectiveParsons,Jabko.EuropeanUnionStudies
Association,p.146:

Fourth,theEuropeanCouncilactsa"collectiveheadofstate"fortheEU.
85. "PresidentoftheEuropeanCouncil"(PDF).GeneralSecretariatoftheCounciloftheEU.24November2009.
Retrieved24November2009.
86. TreatyonEuropeanUnion:Article17:7
87. WellfireInteractive."MEPsmustbeelectedonthebasisofproportionalrepresentation,thethresholdmustnotexceed
5%,andtheelectoralareamaybesubdividedinconstituenciesifthiswillnotgenerallyaffecttheproportionalnature
ofthevotingsystem".Fairvote.org.Retrieved26November2010.
88. "Institutions:TheEuropeanParliament".Europawebportal.Retrieved25June2007.
89. TheLatinwordconsiliumisoccasionallyusedwhenasingleidentifierisrequired,asontheCouncilWebsite
90. "Institutionalaffairs:CounciloftheEuropeanUnion".Europa.EuropeanCommission.6January2010.Itis
commonlycalledtheCouncilofMinisters
91. "Institutions:TheCounciloftheEuropeanUnion".Europawebportal.Retrieved25June2007.
92. "TheEUbudget2011infiguresFinancialProgrammingandBudget".Ec.europa.eu.Retrieved13October2013.
93. "Q&AonInterinstitutionalAgreementonBudgetaryDisciplineandSoundFinancialManagement20072013".
94. DavidSmith.,David(1999).WillEuropework?.London:ProfileBooks.ISBN1861971028.
95. EuropeanCommission."EUBudgetindetail2010"(PDF).Europawebportal.Retrieved20December2010.
96. "Institutions:CourtofAuditors".Europa(webportal).Retrieved8February2010.
97. Article287oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion(exArticle248TEC).
98. "AuditorsprovidecriticalassessmentofEUaccounts".DemocracyLive(BBC).5November2013.Retrieved5
November2013.
99. "AnnualReportoftheCourtofAuditorsontheimplementationofthebudgetconcerningthefinancialyear2009,
togetherwiththeinstitutions'replies"(PDF).p.12.Retrieved18December2010.
100. "ProtectionoftheEuropeanUnion'sfinancialinterestsFightagainstfraudAnnualReport2009(vid.pp.6,15)"
(PDF) .Europa.Archivedfromtheoriginal(PDF) on29July2010.
101. "Competencesandconsumers".Retrieved25November2010.
102. "SourcesofEUlaw".EuropeanCommission.Archivedfromtheoriginalon28February2008.Retrieved5
September2007.
103. lastAndoura,Sami(2007)."TheLegalPersonalityoftheEuropeanUnion"(PDF).StudiaDiplomaticaLX(1).
Retrieved15November2010.Missing|last1=inAuthorslist(help)|first1=missing|last1=inEditorslist(help)
ItsexamplesaretheratificationsofUnitedNationsConventionagainstCorruptionandConventionontheRightsof
PersonswithDisabilitiesbyEU.AndArticle47oftheConsolidatedTreatyonEuropeanUnion.
104. "Article19oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion".eurlex.europa.eu.Retrieved31October2010.
105. "CourtofJustice:presentation".Europawebportal.Retrieved26December2009.
106. "GeneralCourt:presentation".Europawebportal.Retrieved26December2009.
107. "CivilServiceTribunal:presentation".Europawebportal.Retrieved26December2009.
108. Article256(1)(exarticle225(1))oftheTreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion,oneurlex.europa.eu
109. Article2,TreatyonEuropeanUnion(consolidated1December2009)
110. Case11/70,InternationaleHandelsgesellschaftv.EinfuhrundVorratstellefrGetreideundFuttermittelArticle6(2)
oftheMaastrichtTreaty(asamended).
111. "RespectforfundamentalrightsintheEUgeneraldevelopment".EuropeanParliamentFactSheets.TheEuropean
Parliament.Retrieved6September2008.
112. "EUPolicyonDeathPenalty".Europa.EuropeanUnionExternalActionService.Retrieved4June2013.
113. "HowEUtakesdecisions".RetrievedNovember2010.
114. "Europeanpoliceofficenowinfullswing".Europawebportal.Retrieved4September2007.
115. "EurojustcoordinatingcrossborderprosecutionsatEUlevel".Europawebportal.Retrieved4September2007.
116. Frontex."WhatisFrontex?".Europawebportal.Retrieved4September2007.
117. "EuropeanarrestwarrantreplacesextraditionbetweenEUMemberStates".Europawebportal.Retrieved4
September2007.
118. "Jurisdictionandtherecognitionandenforcementofjudgmentsinmatrimonialmattersandinmattersofparental
responsibility(BrusselsII)".Europawebportal.Retrieved5September2008.
119. "MinimumstandardsonthereceptionofapplicantsforasyluminMemberStates".Europawebportal.Retrieved5
September2008.
120. "SpecificProgramme:'CriminalJustice' ".Europawebportal.Retrieved5September2008.
121. "QualifiedMajorityVoting:Commoncommercialpolicy".Europawebportal.Retrieved3September2007.
122. TheEuropeancommission."Europeanpoliticalcooperation(EPC)".EuropaGlossary.Europawebportal.Retrieved
3September2007.
123. Article21oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion(asinsertedbytheTreatyofLisbon),oneurlex.europa.eu
124. "DividedEUagreesIraqstatement".BritishBroadcastingCorporation.27January2003.Retrieved13March2009.
125. Rettman,Andrew(23October2009)EUstatesenvisagenewforeignpolicygiant,EUObserver
126. "EuropeanExternalActionServicegivesEuropevoiceonworldstage".GermanForeignMinistry.1December2010.
Retrieved4June2013.
127. "EuropeanExternalActionService".Europawebportal.2010.Retrieved26June2010.
128. Peterson,John,(2008)."Enlargement,reformandtheEuropeanCommission.Weatheringaperfectstorm?".Journal
ofEuropeanPublicPolicy(Taylor&Francis)15(5):761780.doi:10.1080/13501760802133328.Atpage.762
129. Bildt,Carl(2005)."Europemustkeepits'softpower' ".FinancialTimesonCentreforEuropeanReform.Archived
fromtheoriginalon9June2007.Retrieved26June2007.
130. Wilkinson,Paul.InternationalRelations.OxfordUniversityPress.p.100.ISBN1845425391.TheEUstateshave
neverfelttheneedtomaketheorganisationintoapowerfulmilitaryalliance.TheyalreadyhaveNATOtoundertake
thattask.
131. "NATOMemberCountries".Retrieved25August2009.
132. Laursen,Finn(29May1June1997)."TheEU'neutrals,'theCFSPanddefencepolicy".BiennialConferenceofthe
EuropeanUnionStudiesAssociation.Seattle,WA.:UniversityofPittsburgh.p.27.Retrieved24July2009.
133. StatementofthePresidencyofthePermanentCounciloftheWEUonbehalfoftheHighContractingPartiestothe
ModifiedBrusselsTreatyBelgium,France,Germany,Greece,Italy,Luxembourg,theNetherlands,Portugal,Spain
andtheUnitedKingdomWesternEuropeanUnion31March2010.
134. "TheSIPRIMilitaryExpenditureDatabase".Milexdata.sipri.org.Retrieved3June2013.
135. "BritainandFrancetoworktogether"ByCatherineField4November2010nzherald.co.nzAccordingtothe

StockholmInternationalPeaceResearchInstitute(SIPRI),BritainspentmorethanUS$69billionondefencelastyear,
placingitthirdintheworldaftertheUnitedStatesandChina,whileFrancespentUS$67.31billion,thefourthlargest.
Together,BritainandFranceaccountfor45percentofEurope'sdefencebudget,50percentofitsmilitarycapacity
and70percentofallspendinginmilitaryresearchanddevelopment.Copyright2010,APNHoldingsNZLimited.
136. EuropeancivilresearchdidnotbenefitfromthedeclineinmilitaryresearchbudgetsPDF
137. CounciloftheEuropeanUnion(July2009)."EUBATTLEGROUPS"(PDF).Europawebportal.Retrieved3June
2013.
138. CounciloftheEuropeanUnion(April2003)."OverviewofthemissionsandoperationsoftheEuropeanUnion".
Europawebportal.Retrieved3June2013.
139. CounciloftheEuropeanUnion."CSDPstructuresandinstruments".Europawebportal.Retrieved3June2013.
140. "TheRussoGeorgianWarandBeyond:towardsaEuropeanGreatPowerConcert,DanishInstituteofInternational
Studies".Diis.dk.Retrieved27April2010.
141. GHA(22February2015)."GHAreport2014".globalhumanitarianassistance.org.
142. OECD(4August2013)."Aidtodevelopingcountries(2013)".OECD.
143. ECHO,ECHO'sfinances
144. MikaelaGavas2010.FinancingEuropeandevelopmentcooperation:theFinancialPerspectives20142020.London:
OverseasDevelopmentInstitute
145. GermanFoundationforWorldPopulation(29September2008)."Euromapping2008"(PDF).Retrieved3April2009.
146. TheGuardian(3April2014)."Shh,don'ttellanyone,butUKgovernmentmeetsforeignaidtarget".Retrieved20
May2015.
147. EuropeanCommission."Development".Europawebportal.Retrieved3June2013.
148. EuropeanCommission(13June2007)."CommissioncallsforaEuropeanconsensustoboostimpactofhumanitarian
aid".Europawebportal.Retrieved13August2007.
149. FiguresfromtheSeptember2011updateoftheInternationalMonetaryFund'sWorldEconomicOutlookDatabase.
FigureforEU,accessed22September2011.Figuresforthecountriesoftheworld,accessed22September2011.
150. "TheSingleMarket".Europawebportal.Retrieved27June2007.
151. "WorldEconomicOutlookDatabase,October2014Edition".InternationalMonetaryFund.October2014.
152. "Global5002010:CountriesAustralia".Fortune.Retrieved8July2010.Numberofcompaniesdatatakenfromthe
"Pickacountry"box.
153. "EuroareaandEU27unemploymentupto11.4%and10.5%"(PDF).Europawebportal.1October2012.Retrieved1
October2012.
154. "Sugar:Commissionproposesmoremarket,consumerandtradefriendlyregime".Europa.14April2007.Retrieved
30August2007.
155. SelectCommitteeonEuropeanUnion(2008)."Chapter2:TheEuropeanUnionStructuralandCohesionFunds".
NineteenthReport.Retrieved28February2012.
156. "EUStructuralandCohesionfunds".RetrievedNov2010.
157. "7thResearchFrameworkProgramme(FP7)".Euractiv.2004.Retrieved27June2007.
158. EuropeanCommission."ASingleMarketforgoods".Europawebportal.Retrieved27June2007.
159. EuropeanCommission."ASingleMarketforCapital".Europawebportal.Retrieved27June2007.
160. EuropeanCommission."LivingandworkingintheSingleMarket".Europawebportal.Retrieved27June2007.
161. EuropeanCommission."ASingleMarketforServices".Europa.Retrieved27June2007.
162. EuropeanCommission."Competition:makingmarketsworkbetter".Europawebportal.Retrieved12November
2007.
163. Lungescu,Oana(23July2004)."ExaminingtheEUexecutive".BBCNews.Retrieved18September2007.
164. "TheCommissionprohibitsGE'sacquisitionofHoneywell".Europawebportal.3July2001.Retrieved12November
2007.
165. Gow,David(22October2007)."MicrosoftcavesintoEuropeanCommission".TheGuardian(London).Retrieved
12November2007.
166. Kuchler,Teresa(25October2006)."Almuniasays'undesirable'toactonSweden'seurorefusal".EUobserver.com.
Retrieved26December2006.
167. DBResearch(4May2007)."Euroridinghighasaninternationalreservecurrency"(PDF).DeutscheBankAG.
Retrieved3September2009.
168. "ECB,ESCBandtheEurosystem".EuropeanCentralBank.Retrieved15September2007.
169. "ECB,ESCBandtheEurosystem".EuropeanCentralBank.Retrieved7July2011.
170. EUobserver.com,EUobserver
171. "DiscriminationintheEUin2012"(PDF),SpecialEurobarometer,383(EuropeanUnion:EuropeanCommission),
2012:233,retrieved14August2013
172. "Energyconsumptionandproduction:EU27energydependencerateat54%in2006:Energyconsumptionstable"
(PDF) (Pressrelease).Eurostat.10July2008.Retrieved12September2008.
IntheEU27,grossinlandenergyconsumptionwas1825milliontonnesofoilequivalent(toe)in2006,stable
comparedwith2005,whileenergyproductiondecreasedby2.3%to871mntoe...
Grossinlandconsumptionisdefinedasprimaryproductionplusimports,recoveredproductsandstockchange,less
exportsandfuelsupplytomaritimebunkers(forseagoingshipsofallflags)...
Atonneofoilequivalent(toe)isastandardisedunitdefinedonthebasisofonetonneofoilhavinganetcalorific
valueof41.868Gigajoules.
173. "EUsupplyanddemandfornuclearfuels".EuratomSupplyAgencyAnnualReport2007(PDF).Luxembourg:Office
forOfficialPublicationsoftheEuropeanCommunities.2008.p.22.ISBN9789279094378.Retrieved1March
2009.Europeanuraniumminingsuppliedjustbelow3%ofthetotalEUneeds,comingfromtheCzechRepublicand
Romania(atotalof526tU).
Nuclearenergyandrenewableenergyaretreateddifferentlyfromoil,gas,andcoalinthisrespect.
174. "Q&A:EUenergyplans".BBC.9March2007.Retrieved13July2007.
175. ShamilMidkhatovichYenikeyeff(November2008)."Kazakhstan'sGas:ExportMarketsandExportRoutes"(PDF).
OxfordInstituteforEnergyStudies.Retrieved17November2011.
176. " 'Lowcarboneconomy'proposedforEurope".MSNBC.Retrieved24January2007.
177. EuropeanParliament."UkraineRussiagasdisputecallforstrongerEUenergypolicy".Europawebportal.
Retrieved27February2008.
178. "ThetransEuropeantransportnetwork:newguidelinesandfinancialrules"(PDF).Europawebportal.European

Commission.1October2003.Retrieved15August2007.
179. Mirea,Silvia."ThetransEuropeantransportnetwork:newguidelinesandfinancialrules".TheRailwayJournal.
Retrieved15August2007.[deadlink]
180. "WhitePaperonTransport".Euractiv.22September2004.Retrieved15August2007.
181. "EUR650millionforthePolishRoadNetwork".RetrievedNov2010.
182. "EUregionalpolicy:Polandenrouteforgrowth".RetrievedJuly2012.
183. Barrot,Jacques."JacquesBarrotHomePage,Commissionvicepresidentfortransport".Europawebportal.Retrieved
21July2007.
184. McKie,Robin(15July2007)."Satnavrivalcouldcrashandburn".TheGuardian(London).Retrieved11August
2007.
185. Stead,DavidRobertWhaples(eds)(22June2007)."CommonAgriculturalPolicy".EH.NetEncyclopedia.Retrieved
30August2007.
186. "Agriculture:Meetingtheneedsoffarmersandconsumers".Europa:GatewaytotheEuropeanUnion.European
Commission.26August2011.Retrieved4November2011....thecommonagriculturalpolicyisthemostintegrated
ofallEUpoliciesandconsequentlytakesalargeshareoftheEUbudget.Nevertheless,itsportionoftheEUbudget
hasdroppedfromapeakofnearly70%inthe1970sto34%overthe20072013period.
187. Jeffery,Simon(26June2007)."TheEUcommonagriculturalpolicy".TheGuardian(London).Retrieved30August
2007.
188. "Populationon1January".Eurostat.Retrieved23October2010.
189. TotalpopulationinUrbanAuditcities,LargerUrbanZonesEurostat
190. CityProfilesEurostat
191. Eurostat."Indicatorsforlargerurbanzones19992003".Europawebportal.Retrieved25January2007.
192. 6.5%oftheEUpopulationareforeignersand9.4%arebornabroad,Eurostat,KatyaVASILEVA,34/2011.
193. EU28population505.7millionat1January2013Eurostat
194. EU28population507.4millionat1January2014Eurostat
195. "EuropeansandTheirLanguages,2012Report"(PDF).Retrieved3June2013.
196. EuropeanCommission(2012)."EuropeansandtheirLanguages"(PDF).SpecialEurobarometer386.europa.eu.
pp.5459.Retrieved16December2012.
197. EuropeanCommission(2012)."EuropeansandtheirLanguages"(PDF).SpecialEurobarometer386.europa.eu.
pp.7883.Retrieved16December2012.
198. EURLex(12December2006)."CouncilRegulation(EC)No1791/2006of20November2006".OfficialJournalof
theEuropeanUnion.Europawebportal.Retrieved2February2007.
199. "LanguagesinEuropeOfficialEULanguages".EUROPAwebportal.Retrieved12October2009.
200. europarltv,officialwebtvoftheEuropeanParliament,isalsoavailableinallEUlanguages[2]
201. "LanguagesandEurope.FAQ:IseverydocumentgeneratedbytheEUtranslatedintoalltheofficiallanguages?".
Europawebportal.2004.Retrieved3February2007.
202. EuropeanParliament(2004)."EuropeanParliamentFactSheets:4.16.3.Languagepolicy".Europawebportal.
Retrieved3February2007.
203. EuropeanCommission(2006)."SpecialEurobarometer243:EuropeansandtheirLanguages(ExecutiveSummary)"
(PDF) .Europawebportal.p.4.Retrieved11March2011.EnglishisthemostcommonlyknownlanguageintheEU
withoverahalfoftherespondents(51%)speakingiteitherastheirmothertongueorasaforeignlanguage.
204. EuropeanCommission(2006)."SpecialEurobarometer243:EuropeansandtheirLanguages(ExecutiveSummary)"
(PDF) .Europawebportal.p.3.Retrieved11March2011.56%ofcitizensintheEUMemberStatesareabletohold
aconversationinonelanguageapartfromtheirmothertongue.
205. EuropeanCommission(2004)."Manytongues,onefamily.LanguagesintheEuropeanUnion"(PDF).Europaweb
portal.Retrieved3February2007.
206. LeonardOrban(24May2007)."Cyrillic,thethirdofficialalphabetoftheEU,wascreatedbyatrulymultilingual
European"(PDF).europe.eu.Retrieved3August2014.
207. RoryWatson(5July2008)."WelshandGaelicareofficialEUtongues".TheTimes(London).Retrieved13March
2009.
208. "MercatorNewslettern.29".MercatorCentral.2006.Retrieved1February2007.[deadlink]
209. "DiscriminationintheEUin2012"(PDF),SpecialEurobarometer,393(EuropeanUnion:EuropeanCommission),
2012:233,retrieved14August2013Thequestionaskedwas"Doyouconsideryourselftobe...?"Withacard
showing:Catholic,Orthodox,Protestant,OtherChristian,Jewish,Muslim,Sikh,Buddhist,Hindu,Atheist,andNon
believer/Agnostic.SpacewasgivenforOther(SPONTANEOUS)andDK.Jewish,Sikh,Buddhist,Hindudidnot
reachthe1%threshold.
210. ConsolidatedversionoftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion.
211. Castle,Stephen(21March2007)."EUcelebrates50thbirthdaywitharowaboutreligion".TheIndependent
(London).Retrieved4March2008.[deadlink]
212. "MuslimPopulation"(PDF).europawebportal.RetrievedNovember2010.
213. Jewishpopulationfiguresmaybeunreliable.SergioDellaPergola."WorldJewishPopulation(2002)".American
JewishYearBook.TheJewishAgencyforIsrael.Retrieved3May2007.
214. "DiscriminationintheEUin2012"(PDF).SpecialEurobarometer.383(EuropeanUnion:EuropeanCommission):
233.2012.Retrieved14August2013.
215. Eurostat(2005)."Socialvalues,ScienceandTechnology"(PDF).SpecialEurobarometer225(Europa,webportal):9.
Retrieved11June2009.
216. Ford,Peter(22February2005)."WhatplaceforGodinEurope".USAToday.Retrieved24July2009.
217. EuropeanCommission."TheErasmusprogrammecelebratesits20thanniversary".Europawebportal.Retrieved21
July2007.JeanSbastien,Lefebvre(22January2007)."Erasmusturns20timetogrowup?".CafBabel.
Retrieved10August2007.
218. EACEA."AbouttheEducation,AudiovisualandCultureExecutiveAgency".Europawebportal.Retrieved21July
2007.
219. EuropeanCommission."LifelongLearningProgramme".Europawebportal.Retrieved21July2007.
220. EuropeanResearchCouncil."WhatistheERC?".Europawebportal.Retrieved21July2007.
221. EuropeanCommission."Energy".Europawebportal.Retrieved12November2007.
222. "Europawebportal".Europa(webportal).Retrieved26November2010.

223. "Europawebportal".Europa(webportal).Retrieved26November2010.
224. "Europawebportal".Europa(webportal).18November2010.Retrieved26November2010.
225. "infoabouthealthcareandEHIC".Nhs.uk.29April2010.Retrieved26November2010.
226. "Consilium.europa.eu"(PDF).Retrieved3June2013.
227. "Eurlex.europa.eu".Retrieved3June2013.
228. "NHSconfed.org".NHSconfed.org.17May2011.Retrieved3June2013.
229. Bozoki,Andras."CulturalPolicyandPoliticsintheEuropeanUnion"(PDF).CulturalPolicyandPoliticsinthe
EuropeanUnion.pdf.Retrieved4June2013.
230. EuropeanCommission."EuropeanCultureMonth".Europawebportal.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2February
2008.Retrieved27February2008.
231. "MediaProgramme".Europa.EuropeanCommission.Retrieved13June2013.
232. "AnOverturetotheEuropeanUnionYouthOrchestra".TheEuropeanYouthOrchestra.Archivedfromtheoriginal
on11June2007.Retrieved12August2007.
233. EuropeanCommission."EuropeanCapitalsofCulture".Europawebportal.RetrievedNov2010.
234. Fordyce,Tom(11July2007)."10yearssinceBosman".BBCNews.Retrieved13July2007.
235. CasesC403/08andC429/08,OpinonofAdvocateGeneralKokott,para207
236. "IOC,FIFApresidentswelcomesnewEUtreaty,callitbreakthroughtogivesportsmorepower".International
HeraldTribune.19October2007.Retrieved21October2007.
237. "SportscoachesfromIsraeltraveltoUKfortraining".Eeas.europa.eu.29March2011.Retrieved3June2013.
238. Thirtysixthmeetingoftheministers'deputies:resolution(55)32(PDF),CouncilofEurope,9December1955,
retrieved2February2008
239. InvarietateconcordiaistheLatinmottochosenbyEuropeancitizensin2000.ItsofficialEnglishtranslationis
"UnityinDiversity"in''Eurodiversity:abusinessguidetomanagingdifference'',page110,byGeorgeF.Simons&
ArjenBos,2002.Books.google.com.Retrieved20120101.
240. Emblemes[deadlink]
241. Demey,Thierry(2007).Brussels,capitalofEurope.S.Strange(trans.).Brussels:Badeaux.p.387.ISBN29600414
29.
242. Rich,Prefacexviii,PierreRichreflects:"[H]eenjoyedanexceptionaldestiny,andbythelengthofhisreign,byhis
conquests,legislationandlegendarystature,healsoprofoundlymarkedthehistoryofWesternEurope."
243. humnet.ucla.edu
244. "karlspreis.de".karlspreis.de.Retrieved20120101.
245. Chamberlin,Russell,TheEmperorCharlemagne,p.???
246. "DerKarlspreistrgerSeineHeiligkeitPapstJohannesPaulII.auerordentlicherKarlspreis2004".Karlspreis.de.
Retrieved20120101.
247. http://www.karlspreis.de/en/laureates
248. http://www.charlemagneyouthprize.eu/
249. http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=57724
250. "talismancoins.com".talismancoins.com.1September1939.Retrieved20120101.

Furtherreading
Bindi,Federiga,ed.TheForeignPolicyoftheEuropeanUnion:AssessingEurope'sRoleintheWorld(Brookings
InstitutionPress2010).TheE.U.'sforeignpolicymechanismsandforeignrelations,includingwithitsneighbours.
Bomberg,Elizabeth,Peterson,John,andRichardCorbett,eds.TheEuropeanUnion:HowDoesitWork?(3rded)
(2012,OxfordUniversityPress).ISBN9780199570805andISBN0199570809.
Corbett,RichardJacobs,FrancisShackleton,Michael(2011).TheEuropeanParliament(8thed.).London:John
HarperPublishing.ISBN9780956450852.
Craig,PauldeBrca,Grinne(2007).EULaw,Text,CasesandMaterials(4thed.).Oxford:OxfordUniversity
Press.ISBN9780199273898.
Jordan,A.J.andAdelle,C.(eds)EnvironmentalPolicyintheEuropeanUnion:Contexts,ActorsandPolicyDynamics
(3e).Earthscan:LondonandSterling,VA.
Kaiser,Wolfram.ChristianDemocracyandtheOriginsofEuropeanUnion(2007)
McCormick,John(2007).TheEuropeanUnion:PoliticsandPolicies.WestviewPress.ISBN9780813342023.
Pinder,John,andSimonUsherwood.TheEuropeanUnion:AVeryShortIntroduction(2008)excerptandtextsearch
Rifkin,Jeremy(2004).TheEuropeanDream:HowEurope'sVisionoftheFutureIsQuietlyEclipsingtheAmerican
Dream.JeremyP.Tarcher.ISBN9781585423453.
Smith,Charles(2007).InternationalTradeandGlobalisation(3rded.).Stocksfield:Anforme.ISBN1905504101.
Staab,Andreas.TheEuropeanUnionExplained:Institutions,Actors,GlobalImpact(2008)excerptandtextsearch
Steiner,JosephineWoods,LornaTwiggFlesner,Christian(2006).EULaw(9thed.).Oxford:OxfordUniversity
Press.ISBN9780199279593.
Yesilada,BirolA.andDavidM.Wood.TheEmergingEuropeanUnion(5thed.2009)
Piris,JeanClaude(2010).LisbonTreaty.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.p.448.ISBN9780521197922.

Externallinks
Findmoreabout
EuropeanUnion
atWikipedia'ssisterprojects
DefinitionsfromWiktionary
MediafromCommons
NewsstoriesfromWikinews

QuotationsfromWikiquote
SourcetextsfromWikisource
TextbooksfromWikibooks
TravelguidefromWikivoyage
LearningresourcesfromWikiversity
Official
EUROPAofficialwebportal
Institutions
EuropeanCouncil
EuropeanCommission
Council
EuropeanParliament
EuropeanCentralBank
CourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnion
CourtofAuditors
Agencies
EURLexEULaws
http://www.eui.eu/Research/HistoricalArchivesOfEU/Index.aspxHistoricalArchivesoftheEuropeanUnion
Overviewsanddata
EurostatEuropeanUnionStatisticsExplained
DatasetsrelatedtotheEUonCKAN
CIAWorldFactbook:EuropeanUnionentryatTheWorldFactbook
BritishPathOnlinenewsreelarchiveofthe20thcentury
SearchEUFinancialSanctionsList
TheEuropeanUnion:QuestionsandAnswersCongressionalResearchService
WorksbyEuropeanUnionatProjectGutenberg
WorksbyoraboutEuropeanUnionatInternetArchive
Newsandinterviews
DerSpiegelinterviewwithHelmutSchmidtandValeryGiscardd'Estaing
Educationalresources
EuropeanStudiesHubinteractivelearningtoolsandresourcestohelpstudentsandresearchersbetterunderstand
andengagewiththeEuropeanUnionanditspolitics.
Tupy,MarianL.(2008)."EuropeanUnion".InDavidR.Henderson(ed.).ConciseEncyclopediaofEconomics(2nd
ed.).Indianapolis:LibraryofEconomicsandLiberty.ISBN9780865976658.OCLC237794267.
Awards
Precededby
TawakkulKarman
LeymahGbowee
EllenJohnsonSirleaf

NobelPeacePrizeLaureate
2012

Succeededby
OrganisationfortheProhibitionof
ChemicalWeapons

[hide]
v
t
e

EuropeanUniontopics

Timeline

Pre1945
19451957
19581972
19731993
19932004
Since2004

Predecessors

Timeline
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity(19512002)
EuropeanEconomicCommunity(19581993/2009)
Euratom(1958present)
EuropeanCommunities(19671993/2009)
JusticeandHomeAffairs(19932009)

History

Extremepoints
Largestmunicipalities
Largesturbanareas
Largerurbanzones
Memberstates
Regions(firstlevelNUTS)
Specialterritories

Geography

Politics

Institutions

EuropeanCouncil
EuropeanCommission
EuropeanParliament
CounciloftheEuropeanUnion
CourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnion
EuropeanCentralBank
EuropeanCourtofAuditors

Agencies

Banking
Bordersecurity(Frontex)
Criminalintelligence(Europol)
Diseasepreventionandcontrol
Environment
Foreignaffairs(ExternalActionService)
Judicialcooperation(Eurojust)
Maritimesafety
Reconstruction

Law

Acquis
CharterofFundamentalRights
Competitionlaw
Copyrightlaw
Directive
Enhancedcooperation
Environmentalpolicy
Fourfreedoms
labourmobility
Governmentprocurement
Journal
MechanismforCooperationandVerification
Procedure(legislature)
Citizens'Initiative
Regulation
RuralDevelopmentPolicy
SchengenAgreement
Treaties
optouts
Visapolicy
LGBTrights

Politics

Elections
parliamentaryconstituencies
Enlargement
1973
1981
1986
1995
2004
2007
2013
Future
Euromyths
Politicalparties(Nationalpartiesbyaffiliation)
Euroscepticism
Foreignrelations
Integration
Parliamentarygroups
ProEuropeanism
2012NobelPeacePrize

Budget
Centralbank
Agriculturalpolicy
Fisheriespolicy
Currencies

Energypolicy
Euro
Eurozone
Freetradeagreements
Investmentbank
Investmentfund
Regionaldevelopment
Singlemarket
SolidarityFund
Transport
Galileonavigationsystem

Economy

Citizenship
passports
identitycards
Culturalpolicies
Demographics
Douzelage
Drivinglicence
Education
InstituteofInnovationandTechnology
LaissezPasser
Languages
Publicholidays
Religion
Sport
Telephonenumbers
Statistics
Symbols

Culture

Acronyms,jargonandworkingpractices
Agencies
Companies
Citieswithmorethan100,000inhabitants
Directives
Tallestbuildings
Terroristincidents
Vehicleregistrationplates

Lists

Eurosphere
Intergovernmentalism
Multispeed
Neofunctionalism
Optimumcurrencyarea
Supranationalunion

Theory

Outline
Book
Category
Portal
WikiProject
[show]
v
t
e

Regionalorganizations
[show]
v
t
e

LaureatesoftheNobelPeacePrize

[show]

Internationalorganisationsinwhichtheunionhasmembership
EuropeanUnionportal

Europeportal

Authority
control

WorldCat
VIAF:207634635
LCCN:n2004153355
GND:50985255
SUDOC:032486324
BNF:cb12350708p(data)
NLA:35383556
NDL:00407066
NKC:kn20010711086

Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Union&oldid=664620655"
Categories:
EuropeanUnion
Federalism
G20nations
InternationalorganizationsofEurope
OrganizationsawardedNobelPeacePrizes
Organizationsestablishedin1993
Politicalsystems
UnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyobservers
Tradeblocs
Supranationalunions
G7nations
G8nations
Hiddencategories:
Wikipediaindefinitelysemiprotectedpages
Wikipediaindefinitelymoveprotectedpages
UseBritishEnglishfromJuly2013
UsedmydatesfromAugust2014
ArticlescontainingBulgarianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingCroatianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingCzechlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingDanishlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingDutchlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingEstonianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingFinnishlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingFrenchlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingGermanlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingGreeklanguagetext
ArticlescontainingHungarianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingIrishlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingItalianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingLatvianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingLithuanianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingMalteselanguagetext
ArticlescontainingPolishlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingPortugueselanguagetext
ArticlescontainingRomanianlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingSlovaklanguagetext
ArticlescontainingSlovenelanguagetext
ArticlescontainingSpanishlanguagetext
ArticlescontainingSwedishlanguagetext
Articleswhichuseinfoboxtemplateswithnodatarows
VagueorambiguoustimefromJune2013
WikipediaarticlesinneedofupdatingfromJune2013
AllWikipediaarticlesinneedofupdating
WikipediaarticlesinneedofupdatingfromDecember2013
WikipediaarticlesinneedofupdatingfromJanuary2014
Allarticleswithunsourcedstatements
ArticleswithunsourcedstatementsfromJanuary2015
ArticlescontainingLatinlanguagetext
Goodarticles
WikipediaarticleswithVIAFidentifiers
WikipediaarticleswithLCCNidentifiers
WikipediaarticleswithGNDidentifiers
WikipediaarticleswithBNFidentifiers
WikipediaarticleswithNLAidentifiers
CS1errors:missingauthororeditor
Allarticleswithdeadexternallinks
ArticleswithdeadexternallinksfromJune2013
Pagescontainingcitetemplateswithdeprecatedparameters
ArticleswithdeadexternallinksfromApril2012
ArticleswithdeadexternallinksfromJanuary2012

Navigationmenu
Personaltools
Createaccount
Login

Namespaces
Article
Talk

Variants
Views
Read
Viewsource
Viewhistory

More
Search
Search

Navigation
Mainpage
Contents
Featuredcontent
Currentevents
Randomarticle
DonatetoWikipedia
Wikipediastore

Interaction
Help
AboutWikipedia
Communityportal
Recentchanges
Contactpage

Tools
Whatlinkshere
Relatedchanges
Uploadfile
Specialpages
Permanentlink
Pageinformation
Wikidataitem
Citethispage

Print/export
Createabook
DownloadasPDF
Printableversion

Languages
Afrikaans
Alemannisch

nglisc

Aragons

Armneashti
Arpetan

Go

Asturianu
Azrbaycanca
Bamanankan

Bn-lm-g

()

Boarisch
Bosanski
Brezhoneg

Catal

Cebuano
etina
ChavacanodeZamboanga
Corsu
Cymraeg
Dansk
Deitsch
Deutsch
Dolnoserbski
Eesti

Espaol
Esperanto
Estremeu
Euskara

FijiHindi
Froyskt
Franais
Frysk
Furlan
Gaeilge
Gaelg
Gagauz
Gidhlig
Galego
/Hakkng

Hornjoserbsce
Hrvatski
Ido
Ilokano
BahasaIndonesia
Interlingua
Interlingue

slenska
Italiano

BasaJawa
Kalaallisut

Kaszbsczi

Kernowek
Kinyarwanda
Kiswahili

Kreylayisyen
Kurd
Ladino

Latina
Latvieu
Ltzebuergesch

Lietuvi
Ligure
Limburgs
Lingla
Lojban
Lumbaart
Magyar

Malagasy

Malti
Mori

BahasaMelayu
Mirands

Nhuatl
Nederlands
Nedersaksies

Napulitano

Nordfriisk
Norskbokml
Norsknynorsk
Nouormand
Novial
Occitan

Ozbekcha/

Papiamentu

Picard
Piemontis
Plattdtsch
Polski
Portugus
Qrmtatarca
Romn
Romani
Rumantsch
RunaSimi

Smegiella
Sardu
Scots
Seeltersk
Shqip
Sicilianu

SimpleEnglish
Slovenina
Slovenina
lnski

/srpski
Srpskohrvatski/
BasaSunda
Suomi
Svenska

Tagalog

Tarandne
/tatara

Tetun

Trke

/Uyghurche
Vneto
Vepsnkel
TingVit
Vro
Walon

WestVlams
Winaray

Yorb

Zazaki
Zeuws
emaitka

Editlinks
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon29May2015,at21:44.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmayapply.Byusing
thissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimedia
Foundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.
Privacypolicy
AboutWikipedia
Disclaimers
ContactWikipedia
Developers
Mobileview