The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of certain European states.

At present, it has
28 member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom
(UK).

In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU, and the expected

date of departure is 29 March 2019
MAP OF THE
COUNTRIES THAT
BELONG IN EU
 BACKGROUND
• THE EU GREW OUT OF 3 COMMUNITIES THAT WERE FOUNDED AFTER WORLD WAR II TO ESTABLISH PEACE
AND PROSPERITY IN EUROPE. THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY WAS SET UP IN 1951,
THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY IN 1957 AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ALSO
IN 1957.
• THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF THE EU ARE SET OUT IN THE VARIOUS TREATIES AGREED AND RATIFIED BY
THE MEMBER STATES. A TREATY IS RATIFIED WHEN IT IS FORMALLY ACCEPTED BY THE MEMBER STATE.
• THE TREATY OF ROME, WHICH CREATED THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY IN 1957. SINCE THE
TREATY OF ROME, THE FOLLOWING TREATIES HAVE BEEN AGREED AND RATIFIED BY ALL THE MEMBER
STATES: THE MERGER TREATY IN 1967, THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT IN 1986, THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN
UNION (THE MAASTRICHT TREATY) IN 1992, THE TREATY OF AMSTERDAM IN 1997, THE TREATY OF NICE IN
2002 AND THE TREATY OF LISBON IN 2009.
AIMS
•TO ESTABLISH EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP. THIS MEANS PROTECTION
OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS.
•TO ENSURE FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE. THIS MEANS CO-
OPERATION IN THE FIELD OF JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS.
•TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS. THIS INVOLVES
THE SINGLE MARKET, THE EURO, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND
SOCIAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
•TO ASSERT EUROPE'S ROLE IN THE WORLD.
 INSTITUTIONS
• EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (MAIN)
• COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (MAIN)
• EUROPEAN COMMISSION (MAIN)
• COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (CJEU) (MAIN) •
• EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS (ECA) (MAIN)
• EUROPEAN COUNCIL
• EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK (ECB)
• European External Action Service (EEAS)
• European Economic and Social Committee
(EESC)
• European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
• European Investment Bank (EIB)
European Ombudsman
• European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
• Interinstitutional bodies
• THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, WHICH REPRESENTS THE EU’S CITIZENS AND IS DIRECTLY ELECTED BY
THEM;
• THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH REPRESENTS THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL
MEMBER COUNTRIES. THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL IS SHARED BY THE MEMBER STATES ON A
ROTATING BASIS.
• THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, WHICH REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF THE UNION AS A WHOLE.
•TOGETHER, THESE THREE INSTITUTIONS PRODUCE THROUGH THE
"ORDINARY LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE" (EX "CO-DECISION") THE
POLICIES AND LAWS THAT APPLY THROUGHOUT THE EU. IN
PRINCIPLE, THE COMMISSION PROPOSES NEW LAWS, AND THE
PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL ADOPT THEM. THE COMMISSION AND
THE MEMBER COUNTRIES THEN IMPLEMENT THEM, AND THE
COMMISSION ENSURES THAT THE LAWS ARE PROPERLY APPLIED
AND IMPLEMENTED.
TWO OTHER INSTITUTIONS PLAY VITAL
ROLES:
•THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU UPHOLDS THE RULE OF
EUROPEAN LAW
•THE COURT OF AUDITORS CHECKS THE FINANCING OF THE
EU'S ACTIVITIES.
EU PIONEERS
• THE FOLLOWING VISIONARY LEADERS INSPIRED THE CREATION OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION WE LIVE IN TODAY. WITHOUT THEIR ENERGY AND
MOTIVATION, WE WOULD NOT BE LIVING IN THE SPHERE OF PEACE AND
STABILITY THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
• FROM RESISTANCE FIGHTERS TO LAWYERS AND PARLIAMENTARIANS, THE
EU PIONEERS WERE A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HELD THE SAME
IDEALS: A PEACEFUL, UNITED AND PROSPEROUS EUROPE.