European Union
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
: This article is about the European Union. For other meanings of 'EU', see the EU (disambiguation) page.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. The European Union was established under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). However, many aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor relationships, dating back to 1951.
Related Topics:
Intergovernmental - Supranational - Europe - Member states - 1992 - Maastricht Treaty - 1951
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from health and economic policy to foreign affairs and defence. However, the extent of its powers differs greatly between areas. Depending on the area in question, the EU may therefore resemble:
Related Topics:
Health - Economic - Foreign affairs - Defence
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
- a federation (for example, on monetary affairs, agricultural, trade and environmental policy)
- a confederation (for example, on social and economic policy, consumer protection, home affairs)
- an international organisation (for example, in foreign affairs)
A key activity of the EU is the establishment and administration of a common single market, consisting of a customs union, a single currency (adopted by 12 of the 25 member states), a Common Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, and a Common Fisheries Policy.
Related Topics:
Single market - Customs union - Single currency - Common Agricultural Policy - Common Fisheries Policy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The most important EU institutions are the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.
Related Topics:
Council of the European Union - European Commission - European Parliament - European Court of Justice
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ Table of Content ~
~ Community ~
| ► | History Forum Come and discuss about History, Civilizations, Historical Events and Figures |
| ► | History Web-Ring A community of sites, blogs and forums dedicated to History. Do not hesitate to submit your site. |
Latest news on european union
ENVIRONMENT: EU Takes a Weak Step Against Logging
BRUSSELS, Sep 4 (IPS) - The European Union has reached a new agreement aimed at preventing import of illegal timber from Africa, but environmental campaigners believe bolder action is needed to curb deforestation across the globe.
Russia says EU right to avoid sanctions
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday praised the European Union's "responsible" decision to avoid imposing sanctions on Moscow over its conflict with Georgia, but said the bloc had failed to understand why it had intervened.
E.U. talks tough on Russia
In an emergency session Monday, European Union leaders threatened to postpone talks on a pact with Russia unless Russian troops pull back from positions in Georgia.
Partition in Scotland
From the GuardianI would not lose any sleep if the Scots voted to repeal the 1707 act. Independence need not end the United Kingdom: Scotland and England shared a monarch before 1707, as Britain and Canada do today. Separation need be no more radical than the partial autonomy of a dozen European countries from their neighbours. Borders were not sealed or passports cancelled under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. If eastern Europe can handle partition, so can Britain.The phased withdrawal of the subvention would be traumatic, but it would do Scotland nothing but good to learn that public money does not grow on English trees. If economic history teaches anything, it is that huge inflows of aid rot an economy, while "unearned" wealth, as from oil, is usually wasted. The phased end of the subsidy would be thoroughly good for Scotland, not bad.Partition is the new politics, despite being the hobgoblin of centralism. It is through partition that Ireland is booming, Slovakia reviving and the Baltic states prospering. The British government is in favour of it for everyone else, even forcing it on the former Yugoslavia and Iraq/Kurdistan. This year it welcomed Montenegro to Europe's community. By what hypocrisy do Westminster grandees ridicule Scotland's ambition?Big federal states were fine when governments were small and unobtrusive. Today's governments are elephantine and unresponsive to local sentiment. That is why Spain, France and Italy have all opted for constitutional devolution in the past two decades, fending off separatist pressure. Anti-federalism is why European public opinion revolted against Brussels last year, and why there is no more talk of a Scandinavian union. As for size being crucial to viability, this is corporatist rubbish. If Denmark is viable, why not Scotland?All such considerations must anyway bow before self-determination. If the Scots want to repeal the 1707 act (as some Britons want to repeal the European Union's treaties), the British cannot deny it. The story of the past quarter-century is that states enjoy no legitimacy without the consent of their territorial minorities. Britain went to war for this principle in Kosovo.
EU struggles for unity on Russia
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries faced a struggle to keep a united front on Russia at an emergency summit on Monday, with splits emerging over whether to punish Moscow for its intervention in Georgia.
EU to investigate BA-AA alliance
The European Union has opened an anti-trust investigation into a revenue-sharing deal between BA, American Airlines and Iberia.
and are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
[Under Construction] - Spiritus-Temporis.com ©2005.