About European Union Day

DESCRIPTION:

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union comprising 27 member countries, primarily in Europe. Its origins trace back to the aftermath of World War II, with the idea of fostering cooperation and preventing future widespread conflict.

The EU was first conceptualized in 1950, with the proposal of the Schuman Plan, by the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, which led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

In 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed, forming the European Economic Community (EEC), with the same six countries, to create a common market and customs union. The EEC expanded to include Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 1973. Greece joined in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986.

In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty became effective, establishing the EU and setting the foundation for a single currency, the euro. The EU continued to expand, with Austria, Finland, and Sweden joining in 1995.

In 2004, in the most significant single expansion, ten more countries joined the EU: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Romania and Bulgaria followed in 2007.

The most recent addition was Croatia in 2013. The United Kingdom, in a historic move, exited the EU on January 31, 2020, in an event commonly known as "Brexit."

As of August 2023, the EU's 27 member states are:
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
The EU continues to evolve, with its members working collaboratively on matters related to defense, asylum, and international trade. It represents one of the world's largest economic blocs and a unique regional cooperation and integration experiment.