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European Union

Evropská unie (Czech)
Den Europæiske Union (Danish)
Europese Unie (Dutch)
Euroopa Liit (Estonian)
Euroopan unioni (Finnish)
Union européenne (French)
Europäische Union (German)
Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση (Greek)
Európai Unió (Hungarian)
An tAontas Eorpach (Irish)
Unione Europea (Italian)
Eiropas Savienība (Latvian)
Europos Sąjunga (Lithuanian)
L-Unjoni Ewropea (Maltese)
Unia Europejska (Polish)
União Europeia (Portuguese)
Uniunea Europeană (Romanian)
Európska únia (Slovak)
Evropska unija (Slovene)
Unión Europea (Spanish)
Europeiska unionen (Swedish)

Flag Presidency insignia Motto: In varietate concordia  (Latin)
"United in diversity"[1] Anthem: Ode to Joy[1]  (orchestral)
Political centres Brussels
Strasbourg
Luxembourg
Official languages 23 Bulgarian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Estonian
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hungarian
Irish
Italian
Latvian
Lithuanian
Maltese
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Slovak
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish Demonym European Member States 27 Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom Government Sui generis  -  Commission José Manuel Barroso (EPP)  -  Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP)  -  Council Slovenia  -  European Council Janez Janša (EPP) Formation  -  Paris Treaty 18 April 1951   -  Rome Treaty 25 March 1957   -  Maastricht Treaty 7 February 1992  Area  -  Total 4,324,782 km² (7th¹)
1,669,807 sq mi   -  Water (%) 3.08 Population  -  2008 estimate 497,198,740 (3rd¹)  -  Density 114/km² (69th¹)
289/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2007 (IMF) estimate  -  Total $14.712 trillion (1st¹)  -  Per capita $28,213 (14th¹) GDP (nominal) 2007 (IMF) estimate  -  Total $16.830 trillion (1st¹)  -  Per capita $33,482 (13th¹) Currency 13 Euro (€) (EUR) (de jure)
---- British pound
Bulgarian lev
Czech koruna
Danish krone
Estonian kroon
Hungarian forint
Latvian lats
Lithuanian litas
Polish złoty
Romanian leu
Slovak koruna
Swedish krona Time zone (UTC+0 to +2)  -  Summer (DST)  (UTC+1 to +3) Internet TLD .eu 1 If listed among entities with traditional nation state status.[2]

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. It was established in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community. With almost 500 million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (US$16.8 trillion in 2007).[2]

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital.[3] It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy.[4] Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization, at G8 summits and at the United Nations. Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement.[5]

EU operation is a hybrid of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. In certain areas it depends upon agreement between the member states. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of members. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in December 2007 and intended to be ratified by the end of 2008, is planned to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union.

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