European Union | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto: In varietate concordia (Latin) "United in diversity"[1] | ||||||
| Anthem: Ode to Joy[1] (orchestral) | ||||||
 | ||||||
| Political centres | Brussels Strasbourg Luxembourg | |||||
| Official languages | ||||||
| Demonym | European | |||||
| Member States | ||||||
| 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. The Flag of Europe is the flag and emblem of the European Union (EU and Council of Europe (CoE A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Locations The Treaties of the European Union outline the locations of the following institutions The European Parliament has its seat in Strasbourg hosting Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région The city of Luxembourg (Lëtzebuerg Luxemburg also known as Luxembourg City (Stad Lëtzebuerg Ville de Luxembourg Luxemburg Stadt is a commune with city An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory The languages of the European Union are Languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Maltese (Maltese Malti is the National language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English, Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992 A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Sui generis (English pronunciation ( IPA) /ˌsuːiˈdʒɛnərɪs/ roughly "SOO-ee JEN-a-ris" Latin pronunciation /ˌsuːiˈgeneris/ is a Neo-Latin The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. José Manuel Durão Barroso (ʒuˈzɛ mɐnuˈɛɫ duˈɾɐ̃ũ bɐˈʁozu born 23 March 1956 is the 12th President of the European Commission. The European People's Party (EPP is a Christian democratic and Liberal conservative European political party. The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. Hans-Gert Pöttering (often written as Poettering; born September 15, 1945 in Bersenbrück, Lower Saxony) is a German The European People's Party (EPP is a Christian democratic and Liberal conservative European political party. Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union which is rotated between European Union Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west The President of the European Council is a position in the European Union that chairs the European Council. Janez Janša (born 17 September 1958 as Ivan Janša in Ljubljana) is a Slovenian politician and president of the Slovenian Democratic Party since The European People's Party (EPP is a Christian democratic and Liberal conservative European political party. This article refers to the development of what is now the European Union, and to developments within those countrieswhich constitute it at the time of or near to The Treaty of Paris, signed on 18 April, 1951 between France, West Germany, Italy and the three BeNeLux countries Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different surface Areas here is a list of areas between 1 million km² and 10 million km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 08 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2008 estimate | 497,198,740 (3rd¹) | ||||
| - | Density | 114/km² (69th¹) 289/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2007 (IMF) estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $14. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic 712 trillion (1st¹) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $28,213 (14th¹) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2007 (IMF) estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $16. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic 830 trillion (1st¹) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $33,482 (13th¹) | ||||
| Currency | ||||||
| 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. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Euro Enlargement of the Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency The lev (лев plural bg лева левове / ''leva levove'' is the Currency of Bulgaria. The krone ( sign: kr; code: DKK) is the Currency of Denmark, including the autonomous provinces of Greenland The kroon ( sign: KR; code: EEK) is the Currency of Estonia. It is subdivided into 100 senti (singular sent The forint ( Currency code HUF) is the Currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 Fillér, although fillér coins have not been For common abbreviations see LAT (disambiguation The lats (plural lati, ISO 4217 currency code LVL or 428 is the The litas ( ISO currency code LTL symbolized as Lt plural litai or litų) is the currency of Lithuania. The złoty (/ˈzwɔtɨ/, plural for numbers ending in 2 3 and 4 (except 12 13 and 14 złote /ˈzwɔtɛ/ plural for all other numbers złotych /ˈzwɔtɨx/ The leu ( plural lei; ISO 4217 code RON numeric code 946 is the currency of Romania. The Slovak koruna (slovenská koruna is the currency of Slovakia since February 8, 1993. Daylight saving time ( DST A country For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy [2] | |||||
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small}
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto It was established in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community. The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 With almost 500 million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (US$16. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 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. In European Union law, the Four Freedoms is a common term for a set of treaty provisions secondary legislation and court decisions protecting the ability of Goods [3] It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. The Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) is a system of European Union Agricultural subsidies and programmes The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP is the fisheries policy of the European Union. The Regional policy of the European Union (EU is a policy with the stated aim of improving the Economic Well-being of certain regions [4] Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization, at G8 summits and at the United Nations. This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement. The term Schengen Agreement is used for two agreements concluded among European states in 1985 and 1990 which deal with the abolition of systematic Border controls [5]
EU operation is a hybrid of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. The term Intergovernmentalism can mean different things A decision-making method Usually intergovernmentalism refers to the decision-making methods in International Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in political communities wherein power is democratically entrusted to independent experienced appointed personalities or to representatives 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. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice The European Central Bank (ECB is one of the world's most important Central banks responsible for Monetary policy covering the 15 member countries of the EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years. Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992
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. The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating 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 was signed in December 2007 with the intention to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the The ratification process was scheduled to be accomplished by the end of 2008. This target is currently jeopardized by the negative outcome of the Irish referendum in June 2008.
Contents |
History
European Coal and Steel Community
- Further information: Pax Europea, End of World War II in Europe, and European Coal and Steel Community
The political climate after the end of World War II favoured unity in Western Europe, seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent. This article refers to the development of what is now the European Union, and to developments within those countrieswhich constitute it at the time of or near to The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945 The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating Robert Schuman (29 June 1886 4 September 1963 was a noted French Statesman The Schuman Declaration is a governmental proposal by then- French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to place the Coal and Steel industries of The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation [6] One of the first successful proposals for European cooperation came in 1951 with the European Coal and Steel Community. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating This had the aim of bringing together control of the coal and steel industries of its member states, principally France and West Germany. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( This was with the aim that war between them would not then be possible, as coal and steel were the principal resources for waging war. The Community's founders declared it "a first step in the federation of Europe", with the hope that this would enable Europe to pursue the development of Africa. A federal Europe is a proposal that much of Europe be unified in the manner of a Federation. [7] The other founding members were Italy, and the three Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that includes three neighboring monarchies, '''Be'''lgium, the '''Ne'''therlands, and The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by [8]
European Communities
- Further information: Treaty of Rome and European Community
Two additional communities were created in 1957: the European Economic Community (EEC) establishing a customs union, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for cooperation in developing nuclear energy. The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. The European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom is an international organisation which is semi-independent of but completely controlled by the European Community Nuclear Energy is released by the splitting (fission or merging together (fusion of the nuclei of Atom (s [8] In 1967 the Merger Treaty created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities, although more commonly just as the European Community (EC). The Merger Treaty (or Brussels Treaty) was an European treaty which combined the executive bodies of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 [9]
In 1973 the European Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located [10] Norway had negotiated to join at the same time but a referendum rejected membership and so it remained outside. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional
The first direct, democratic elections of members of the European Parliament were held in 1979. The 1979 European elections were parliamentary Elections held across all then-9 European Community member states. [11] They were the first European elections to be held, allowing citizens to elect 410 MEPs to the European Parliament, and also the first international election in history. Elections in the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU
Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. [12] The Schengen Agreement in 1985 created largely open borders without passport controls between most member states. The term Schengen Agreement is used for two agreements concluded among European states in 1985 and 1990 which deal with the abolition of systematic Border controls Border controls are measures used by a Country to monitor or regulate its Borders The control of the flow of people animals and goods across a border may be controlled A passport is a document issued by a national government which certifies for the purpose of international travel the identity and nationality of its holder [13] In 1986 the European flag began to be used and leaders signed the Single European Act. The Flag of Europe is the flag and emblem of the European Union (EU and Council of Europe (CoE The Single European Act (SEA was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome that formally established the single European market and the European Political Cooperation This revised the way community decision making operated to take account of its greater membership, aimed to further reduce trade barriers and introduce greater European Political Cooperation. A trade barrier is a general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts International trade. The European Political Cooperation (EPC was introduced in 1970 and was the synonym for European Union foreign policy coordination until it was superseded by the Common
European Union
- Further information: Post-Cold War era and Maastricht Treaty
In 1990 after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the former East Germany became part of the Community as part of a newly united Germany. The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer was a physical barrier separating West Berlin from the German Democratic Republic (GDR ( East Germany) including The " Iron Curtain " was the symbolic ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II until the end The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state [14] With enlargement toward eastern Europe on the agenda, the Copenhagen criteria for candidate members to join the European Union were agreed. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union.
The Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993. The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) [15] It introduced the term European Union and established its three pillar structure. The Treaty of Maastricht, which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas called pillars. The term European Community would now refer to the first pillar subsuming the former European Communities, i. e. , the policies that are handled supranationally. The second and third pillar concern foreign policy and home affairs, with a rather intergovernmental level of co-operation. This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PJC formally Justice and Home Affairs (JHA is the third of the three pillars of the European Union In colloquial language, the term European Union simply replaced the term European Community. Its remnant as the name of the first pillar is to be abolished along with the pillar system once the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the
Austria, Sweden and Finland joined in 1995. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Amsterdam Treaty in 1997 amended the Maastricht treaty in areas such as democracy and foreign policy. The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty The Amsterdam treaty was followed by the Treaty of Nice in 2001, which revised the Rome and Maastricht treaties to allow the EU to cope with further enlargement to the east. The Nice Treaty was signed by European leaders on 26 February, 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003.
In 2002, twelve member states adopted the euro as a single currency. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Since then, the Eurozone has increased to encompassing fifteen countries. Euro Enlargement of the In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when ten new countries, most of which former parts of the Eastern Bloc, joined the Union. During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were [16] Three years later, two more joined. [16]
A treaty establishing a constitution for the EU was signed in Rome in 2004, intended to replace all previous treaties with a single document. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 However, it never completed ratification after rejection by French and Dutch voters in referenda. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita In 2007, it was agreed to replace that proposal with a new Reform Treaty, that would amend rather than replace the existing treaties. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the The Treaties of the European Union are a set of international treaties between the Union's member states which sets out the counstitutional basis of the This treaty was signed on 13 December 2007 in Lisbon and is known as the Lisbon treaty. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the [17] It will come in effect in January 2009 if secretely ratified by that date. In June 2008, Ireland has voted no in its national referendum on the EU constitution as re-drafted in Lisbon.
Member states
The European Union is composed of 27 independent sovereign countries which are known as member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by The Republic of Macedonia (Република Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located [18]
There are three official candidate countries, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Turkey; the western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia are officially recognised as potential candidates. Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between The Republic of Macedonia (Република Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country [19] Kosovo has been granted similar status. [20]
To join the EU, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 Copenhagen European Council. The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city These require a stable democracy which respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law Evaluation of a country's fulfillment of the criteria is the responsibility of the European Council. The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. [21] The current framework does not specify how a country could exit the Union (although Greenland withdrew in 1985), but the proposed Treaty of Lisbon contains a formal procedure for withdrawing. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the
Four Western European countries that have chosen not to join the EU have partly committed to the EU's economy and regulations: Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway are a part of the single market through the European Economic Area, and Switzerland has similar ties through bilateral treaties. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation This article is about the political term for the term as used in Biology, see symmetry (biology. [22][23] The relationships of the European microstates Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City include the use of the euro and other co-operation. There are a number of Microstates in Europe; due to their size they are often closely linked with another larger state For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino is a country in the Apennine Mountains. Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e [24]
Geography
The territory of the EU consists of the combined territories of its 27 member states with some exceptions outlined below. The territory of the EU is not the same as that of Europe, as parts of the continent are outside the EU, such as Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, and European Russia. Europe is traditionally reckoned as one of seven Continents Geology justifies this tradition as reasonable because of the difference between the cultures of the traditional Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Some parts of member countries are not part of the EU, despite forming part of the European continent (for example the Channel Islands and Faroe Islands). The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Several territories associated with member states that are outside geographic Europe are also not part of the EU (such as Greenland, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and all the non-European territories associated with the United Kingdom). Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Some overseas territories are part of the EU even if they are not geographically part of Europe, such as the Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. As of 2007 the European Union has 27 member states, most of which participate in all EU policy areas and programs or have signed up to do so The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950 mi) from The Canary Islands ( English pronunciation kəˈnæriː ˈaɪləndz Spanish: Islas Canarias, ˈizlas kaˈnarjas are a Spanish French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629 sq History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Réunion ( French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Saint Barthélemy (Saint-Barthélemy officially the Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy) is an Overseas collectivity Saint Martin is a tropical Island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km (186 miles east of Puerto Rico. [25][26][27]
The EU's member states cover a combined area of 4,422,773 square kilometres (1,707,642 sq mi). Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the [28] The total territory of the EU is larger than all but six countries and its highest peak is Mont Blanc in the Graian Alps, 4807 metres above sea level. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. Mont Blanc Massif The Mont Blanc ( French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco ( Italian 'White Mountain' also The Graian Alps (Italian Alpi Graie; French Alpes Grées) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. The landscape, climate, and economy of the EU are influenced by its coastline, which is 69,342 kilometres (43,087 mi) long. The EU has the world's second longest coastline, after Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The combined member states share land borders with 21 non-member states for a total of 12,441 kilometres (7,730 mi), the fifth longest border in the world. This is a list of countries bordering the European Union, and its predecessor the European Community, both at its current geographical extent and after [29][30][31]
Including the overseas territories of member states, the EU experiences most types of climate from Arctic to tropical, rendering meteorological averages for the EU as a whole meaningless. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers (specifically no month having an average temperature of 10 °C or higher A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. In practice, the majority of the population lives either in areas with a Mediterranean climate (Southern Europe), a temperate maritime climate (Western Europe), or a warm summer continental or hemiboreal climate (Eastern Europe). A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Hemiboreal means halfway between the temperate and subarctic (or Boreal) zones [32]
Governance
The EU is based on a series of treaties which have built up the current structure by successive additions and amendments. There are currently five institutions of the European Union which govern the Union [33] The treaties define the broad policy goals of the organisation and establish institutions with the necessary legal powers to implement those goals, including the ability to enact legislation[34] which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants (the principle of 'direct effect'). The Law of the European Union is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU [35] National courts enforce the EU treaties and the laws enacted under them, as one of the conditions of membership. In the case of a conflict where a law stemming from EU legislation conflicts with another national law, the EU law is considered to take precedence (principle of 'Supremacy'). The Law of the European Union is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU [36] Decisions regarding EU legislation may be referred to the European Court of Justice by national courts. This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice The EU is regulated by a number of institutions, primarily the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and European Parliament. The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU
The EU is often described as being divided into three areas of responsibility, called 'pillars'. The Treaty of Maastricht, which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas called pillars. The original European Community policies form the first pillar, while the second consists of Common Foreign and Security Policy. This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy The third pillar originally consisted of Justice and Home Affairs, however owing to changes introduced by the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, it currently only consists of Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PJC formally Justice and Home Affairs (JHA is the third of the three pillars of the European Union Broadly speaking, the second and third pillars can be described as the intergovernmental pillars because the supranational institutions of the Commission, Parliament and the Court of Justice play less of a role or none at all, while the lead is taken by the intergovernmental Council of Ministers and the European Council. Most activities of the EU come under the first, Community pillar. This is mostly economically oriented and the supranational institutions have more influence. [37]
Commission
The European Commission acts as the EU's executive arm and is responsible for initiating legislation and the day-to-day running of the EU. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative initiative is the Constitutionally defined power to propose law proposals ( bills. It is intended to act solely in the interest of the EU as a whole, as opposed to the Council which consists of leaders of member states who reflect national interests. The commission is also seen as the motor of European integration. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe It is currently composed of 27 commissioners for different areas of policy, one from each member state. A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission.
The President of the Commission and all the other commissioners are nominated by the Council. The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. Appointment of the Commission President, and also the Commission in its entirety, have to be confirmed by Parliament. [38]
Parliament
The European Parliament forms one half of the EU's legislature. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU In Legislatures, a hemicycle is a term for a semicircular, or Horseshoe shaped debating chamber where deputies (members sit to discuss and The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The 785 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years. A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992 Although MEPs are elected on a national basis, they sit according to political groups rather than their nationality. The European Parliament is unique among supranational assemblies because it organizes itself around ideological rather than national groups Each country has a set number of seats. The Parliament and the Council form and pass legislation jointly, using co-decision, in certain areas of policy. The codecision procedure is the main legislative procedure by which law can be adopted in the European Community, the first of the Three pillars of the European This procedure will extend to many new areas under the proposed Treaty of Lisbon, and hence increase the power and relevance of the Parliament. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the The Parliament also has the power to reject or censure the Commission and the EU budget. The President of the European Parliament carries out the role of speaker in parliament and represents it externally. The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body The president and vice presidents are elected by MEPs every two and a half years. [39]
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union forms the other half of the EU's legislature. The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation It is an organised platform where national ministers responsible for the area of policy being addressed, meet. Although the Council meets in different compositions, it is considered to be one single body. [40] In addition to its legislative functions, the Council also exercises executive functions in relations to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy
The rotating Presidency of the EU Council is taken by each member state in turn for a period of six months, during which the relevant member chairs most meetings of the Council. Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union which is rotated between European Union [40] The member state holding the presidency typically uses it to drive and focus on a limited number of policy areas; such as various types of reform, enlargement or external relations with a specific part of the world.
European Council
Highest-ranking political leadership in the EU is provided by the European Council, which is composed of one representative per member state plus the President of the Commission. The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. The member states choose as their representative either the head of state (e. g. , the president) or the head of government (e. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. g. , the prime minister). This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. The European Council meets on at least four summits a year, and is led by the representative of the rotating presidency. List of European Councils, by presidency, Date, and location Early meetings The first Councils were held in February and July [40] The European Council should not to be mistaken with the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental institution independent from the EU. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949
Legal System
- Further information: Law of the European Union and Treaties of the European Union
Although the Treaties are the ultimate source of EU Law, there are a number of legislative instruments available to the EU institutions. The Law of the European Union is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU The Treaties of the European Union are a set of international treaties between the Union's member states which sets out the counstitutional basis of the The three main instruments are Regulations, Directives and Decisions. A regulation is a Legislative act of the European Union which becomes immediately enforceable as law in all member states simultaneously A directive is a legislative act of the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving A Decision (defined in Article 249/EC is one of the three binding instruments provided by secondary EU legislation There is no formal hierarchy regarding the three types.
Regulations are legislative acts which become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures to have been taken by member states. [41] Once in force their contents automatically override conflicting domestic provisions, as a result of having direct effect in the national law of the member states. Direct effect should not be confused with Vertical effect and debates over the Horizontal effect of the British Human Rights Act [34]
Directives require member states to achieve a certain result while leaving them discretion as to how to achieve the result within a certain time period. Directives are generally used where it is thought preferable to leave the precise details of legislative implementation to national governments. [42] Once the stated time period has passed, under certain conditions provisions within a Directive may have direct effect in national law against Member States. Direct effect should not be confused with Vertical effect and debates over the Horizontal effect of the British Human Rights Act
Decisions offer an alternative to the two above modes of legislation. The Council and the Commission may publish in the official journal a decision, notified to a particular addressee, such as an individual trader or a company. Decisions will be found most commonly in Competition Law, or on rulings on State Aid, and can be challenged by the addressee under certain circumstances before the EU courts. European Community competition law is one of the areas of authority of the European Union. In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice
The EU's legal system contains a multiplicity of legislative procedures used to enact the above legislation. The treaties provide the basis for all legislation and lay down the different ways of adopting legislation for different policy areas. [43] A common feature of the EU's legislative procedures is that almost all legislation must be proposed by the Commission, rather than member states or European parliamentarians. The two most common procedures are co-decision, under which the European Parliament can veto proposed legislation, and consultation, under which Parliament is only permitted to give an opinion which can be ignored by European leaders. In most cases legislation must be agreed by the council. [44] See: European Union legislative procedure. The legislative procedures of the European Union are the ways in which the European Union Enacts Legislation.
Courts
- Further information: European Court of Justice
The judicial branch of the EU consists of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the Court of First Instance (to be renamed the "General Court" upon the entering into force of the Treaty of Lisbon). This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice The European Court of First Instance, created in 1989 is a court of the European Union. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the Together they interpret and apply the treaties and the law of the EU. [45] The Court of First Instance mainly deals with cases taken by individuals and companies directly before the EU's courts, and the ECJ primarily deals with cases taken by member states, the institutions and cases referred to the EU's courts by the courts of member states. [46] Decisions from the Court of First Instance can be appealed to the Court of Justice but only on a point of law. [47]
National courts within the Member States also play a key role in the EU as enforcers of EU law, and a "spirit of cooperation" between EU and national courts is laid down in the Treaties. National courts can apply EU law in domestic cases, and if they require clarification on the interpretation or validity of any EU legislation related to the case it may make a reference for a preliminary ruling to the ECJ. The right to declare EU legislation invalid however is reserved to the EU courts.
Politics
Two major political issues for the EU are European integration and enlargement. The European Union is a unique entity possessing elements of Intergovernmentalism, Supranationalism and a Multi-party Parliamentary democracy The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. José Manuel Durão Barroso (ʒuˈzɛ mɐnuˈɛɫ duˈɾɐ̃ũ bɐˈʁozu born 23 March 1956 is the 12th President of the European Commission. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. Enlargement, the accession of new states to the EU, is a highly politicised issue. Supporters argue it aids democracy in new members, as well as supporting the European economy as a whole. Opponents fear the EU is expanding beyond its current political capabilities, and/or cultural boundaries. Public opinion, and hence political party viewpoint, has been more skeptical towards enlargement since the simultaneous accession of 10 members in 2004. This is most acute in relation to the candidacy of Turkey. Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 [48][49][50]
Integration is another political issue, where the public view is sometimes that national interest conflicts with that of the EU. The aim of increasing harmonisation between states has meant that national powers have been transferred to the European level. This is criticised by eurosceptics who fear the loss of national sovereignty. Euroscepticism Euro (disambiguation --> has become a general term for opposition to the process Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself [51] In 2004 the European Constitution was agreed between national leaders and the EU institutions. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended However it did not come into force after it was rejected in referenda in two countries, with the prospect of further rejections had attempts at ratification continued. In October 2007 European leaders finalised a new Treaty of Lisbon which contains much of the now defunct constitution, without the latter's constitutional terms and elements. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the
The treaty is expected to come into force in 2009. If ratified it will introduce more majority voting in the Council and increase the powers of the European Parliament. Voting procedures for decisions not requiring unanimity Here is an overview of the formerly used currently used and proposed voting systems employed in the Council of the European The treaty also proposes to abolish the EU's pillar system. More aspects of foreign policy will now be subject to the supranational, as opposed to intergovernmental, institutions. [52][17]
Popular support for the EU
Popular support for the EU project remains high. In 2004, 69% of Greeks resident in Greece said that they could trust the European Commission. In the same year, 87% of Irish citizens resident in Ireland agreed with the following statement: "Taking everything into account, Ireland has on balance benefited from being a member of the European Union. " Anyone who says that there's no popular support for the Monnet Method is clearly barking out of his arsehole in the manner of the racist fascist ignoramuses I knew in my youth, said European Parliament funnyman Richard Corbett (no relation) only recently.
Justice, freedom and security
- Further information: Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters and European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security
Much of the EU's competence in the justice and home affairs area originates from the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985 on gradual abolition of border controls between six of the then ten European Community member states. The term Schengen Agreement is used for two agreements concluded among European states in 1985 and 1990 which deal with the abolition of systematic Border controls In order to implement the Schengen Agreement, the signatory states included measures designed to compensate for the effect of reduced border controls in the areas of asylum, immigration and criminal justice. Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient Judicial notion under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his [53] The Maastricht Treaty transferred the Schengen acquis to the EU (title IV of the Maastricht Treaty as originally enacted). The term acquis communautaire, or (EU acquis (aˈki is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated thus far The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final [54]
Additional competencies were assigned to the EU by the Maastricht Treaty to facilitate the freedom of movement of people by adopting common rules in civil matters, such as contract and family law. [54] The Maastricht Treaty also introduced the concept of citizenship of the European Union, which is complementary to national citizenship. Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992 [55]
Amendments to these treaties by the Amsterdam Treaty added a new aim of the EU as the creation of an "area of Justice, Freedom and Security". The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty [56] That treaty also made it easier to pass laws in the justice and home affairs area and more difficult for member states to veto them. It also increased the powers of the European Parliament in relation to Justice and Home affairs' measures, with decisions in certain matters coming to be decided by codecision. The codecision procedure is the main legislative procedure by which law can be adopted in the European Community, the first of the Three pillars of the European Recent legislation includes the European Arrest Warrant[57] and directives on family law. The European Arrest Warrant (EAW or more rarely EUAW is an Arrest warrant to allow the arrest of criminal suspects and their transfer for trial or detention which is valid [58]
The EU has established agencies to co-ordinate its actions in the justice and home affairs area: Europol for co-operation of police forces,[59] Eurojust for co-operation between prosecutors,[60] and Frontex for co-operation between border control authorities. Europol (contraction of European Police Office) is the European Union 's Criminal intelligence agency Eurojust (also spelled capitalised as EUROJUST) is an agency of the European Union (EU dealing with Judicial co-operation Frontex (from French: Frontières extérieures for ‘external borders’ legally European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External [61] The EU also operates the Schengen Information System[5] which provides a common database for police and immigration authorities. The Schengen Information System, also called “ SIS ” is a secure Governmental database system used by several European countries for the purpose of maintaining
Fundamental rights
The EU has developed a role in human rights protection. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Prohibitions against sexual and nationality discrimination have a long standing in the treaties. [62] The Amsterdam Treaty supplemented these, by supporting further legislation against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation. [63] Using these powers the EU has enacted legislation on sexual discrimination in the work-place, age discrimination and racial discrimination. Sexism is the belief or attitude that one Gender or Sex is inferior to or less valuable than the other and can also refer to a Hatred or distrust towards Ageism is Stereotyping and Prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that [64] All EU states have abolished capital punishment for all crimes and the EU has been a prominent campaigner for global abolition. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. [65]
Signing the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a condition for EU membership, however the institutions of the EU are not covered by this. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (also called the "European Convention on Human Rights" and "ECHR" was adopted under the As the EU was not capable of signing the ECHR without a treaty change, the EU drew up the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is a document containing Human rights provisions ‘solemnly proclaimed’ by the European Parliament The charter consolidated not only the rights of the ECHR but those of other UN and EU agreements, covering economic, political and social rights including "third generation" rights such as good governance and a clean environment. Although it was proclaimed in 2000, it has no legal force at present (2007). Under the Reform Treaty, the Charter would become legally binding and the EU would accede to the ECHR,[66] which would make the European Court of Human Rights, currently totally separate from the EU, the highest court in the EU for Human Rights, above the EU's Court of Justice. The European Court of Human Rights ( ECtHR) (Cour européenne des droits de l’homme in Strasbourg was established under the European Convention on Human Rights Even without joining, the Court of Justice and Court of Human Rights co-operate to ensure their case-law does not conflict, thus the Court of Justice already treats the ECHR as though it was part of EU law. [67]
Foreign relations
- Further information: Foreign relations of the European Union and Common Foreign and Security Policy
.jpg/180px-Javier_Solana_(2007).jpg)
The foreign relations of the EU are primarily dealt with through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Co-operation in international trade negotiations, under the Common Commercial Policy, dates back to the establishment of the Community in 1957. [68] The CFSP itself has its origins in the formation of European Political Co-operation in 1970. The European Political Cooperation (EPC was introduced in 1970 and was the synonym for European Union foreign policy coordination until it was superseded by the Common [69] European Political Co-operation was an informal consultation process between member states on foreign policy matters, with the aim of forming common policies. It was formally introduced into the then European Community by the Single European Act and subsequently renamed as the "Common Foreign and Security Policy" by the Maastricht Treaty. The Single European Act (SEA was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome that formally established the single European market and the European Political Cooperation [69]
The Maastricht Treaty gives the Common Foreign and Security Policy the aims of promoting both the EU's own interests and those of the international community as a whole. The international community is a vague term used in International relations to refer to all the countries of the world or to a group of them This includes promoting international co-operation, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law [70]
The Amsterdam Treaty created the office of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (currently held by Javier Solana) to co-ordinate the EU's foreign policy. The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (HR is the main co-ordinator of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, PhD (born 14 July 1942 in Madrid, Spain is the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP [71] The High Representative, in conjunction with the current Presidency, speaks on behalf of the EU in foreign policy matters and can have the task of articulating ambiguous policy positions created by disagreements among member states. Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union which is rotated between European Union The Common Foreign and Security Policy requires unanimity among the now 27 member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular policy. The unanimity and difficult issues treated under the CFSP makes disagreements, such as those which occurred over the war in Iraq,[72] not uncommon.
Besides the emerging international policy of the European Union, the international influence of the EU is also felt through enlargement. The 33rd G8 summit took place at Kempinski Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm in the old Duchy of Mecklenburg in the Northern German state of Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. The perceived benefits of becoming a member of the EU act as an incentive for both political and economic reform in states wishing to fulfil the EU's accession criteria, and are considered a major factor contributing to the reform of former Communist countries in Eastern Europe. [49] This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power". [73] Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, cited the common foreign policy as a factor why Finland is, de facto, no longer a neutral country. The Prime Minister (pääministeri Swedish: statsminister) is the Head of Government of Finland. Matti Taneli Vanhanen ( (born November 4 1955) is the current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties It is not known if this view is shared by the leaders of the other neutral countries in the EU. [74]
Besides the CFSP, the Commission also has its own representation in international organisations. This is primarily through the European Commissioner for External Relations, who works alongside the High Representative. The Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy is a member of the European Commission with responsibility over the Commissions external representation In the UN the EU has gained influence in areas such as aid due to its large contributions in that field (see below). [75] In the G8, the EU has rights of membership besides chairing/hosting summit meetings and is represented at meetings by the presidents of the Commission and the Council. [76] In the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where all 27 member states are represented, the EU as a body is represented by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. The Commissioner for External Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union 's external trade policy Peter Benjamin Mandelson (born 21 October 1953 called "Mandy" by much of the British News media, is a British Labour Politician who is the serving [77]
Humanitarian aid
- Further information: ECHO (European Commission)
The European Community humanitarian aid office, or "ECHO", provides humanitarian aid from the EU to developing countries. European Community Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO is the European Commission 's department for Humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid (also called succour) is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes typically in response to humanitarian crises In 2006 its budget amounted to 671 million euros, 48% of which went to the ACP countries. The ACP States are the countries that are signatories of the Lomé Convention. [78] Counting the EU's own contributions and those of its member states together, the EU is the largest aid donor in the world. [79]
The EU's aid has previously been criticised by the eurosceptic think-tank Open Europe for being inefficient, mis-targeted and linked to economic objectives. Open Europe is a London based Eurosceptic Think-tank which was set up by UK business people to 'campaign for reform' in the European Union [80] Furthermore, some charities have claimed European governments have inflated the amount they have spent on aid by incorrectly including money spent on debt relief, foreign students, and refugees. Under the de-inflated figures, the EU did not reach its internal aid target in 2006[81] and the EU would not reach the international target of 0. 7% of GNP until 2015. However only a few countries have reached that target. In 2005 EU aid was 0. 34% of the GNP which was higher than that of the United States and Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. [82] The current commissioner for aid, Louis Michel, has called for aid to be delivered more rapidly, to greater effect, and on humanitarian principles. European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid is a member of the European Commission. Louis HOCh Michel (born 2 September 1947) is a Belgian politician currently serving as European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian [79]
Military and defence
Member states are responsible for their own territorial defence. Many EU members are also members of NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty The Western European Union (WEU) is a European security organisation related to the EU. The Western European Union ( WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 In 1992, the WEU's relationship with the EU was defined, when the EU assigned it the "Petersberg tasks" (humanitarian missions such as peacekeeping and crisis management). The Petersberg tasks are a list of Military and Security priorities incorporated within the European Security and Defence Policy of the European Union These tasks were later transferred from the WEU to the EU by the Amsterdam Treaty; they formed part of the new CFSP and the European Security and Defence Policy. The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar of the European Union Elements of the WEU are currently being merged into the EU's CFSP, and the President of the WEU is currently CFSP High Representative. [83][84]
Following the Kosovo War in 1999, the European Council agreed that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and the readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO". The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 To that end, a number of efforts were made to increase the EU's military capability, notably the Helsinki Headline Goal process. The Helsinki Headline Goal was a military capability target set for 2003 during the December 1999 Helsinki European Council meeting After much discussion, the most concrete result was the EU Battlegroups initiative, each of which is planned to be able to deploy quickly about 1500 men. European Union battlegroups (EU BGs are military forces under the direct control of the European Council, each consisting of at least 1500 combat soldiers [85] EU forces have been deployed on peacekeeping missions from Africa to the former Yugoslavia and the Middle East. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. [86] EU military operations are supported by a number of bodies, including the European Defence Agency, satellite centre and the military staff. The European Defence Agency (EDA is an agency of the European Union based in Brussels. The European Union Satellite Centre ( EUSC) is an Agency of the Council of the European Union which gathers information through satellite images to help the EU prevent conflicts The European Union Military Staff (EUMS is a department of the European Union (EU responsible for supervising operations within the realm of the European Security [87]
Economic policy
- Further information: Economy of the European Union
Since its origin, the EU has established a single economic market across the territory of all its members. Nokia Corporation (pronunciation /'nɔkiɑ/),,) is a Finnish multinational Communications Corporation, headquartered Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Currently a single currency is in use between the 15 members of the eurozone. Euro Enlargement of the [88][89] Considered as a single economy, the EU generated an estimated nominal gross domestic product (GDP)of US$16,830 billion in 2007, amounting to 31% of the world's total economic output,[2] which makes it the largest economy in the world. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been It is also the largest exporter of goods,[90] the second largest importer,[91] and the biggest trading partner to several countries such as India, and China. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES [92][93][94] 163 of the top 500 largest corporations measured by revenue (Fortune Global 500) have their headquarters in the EU. The Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 Corporations worldwide as measured by Revenue. [95] In May 2007 unemployment in the EU stood at 7%[96] while investment was at 21. 4% of GDP, inflation at 2. 2% and public deficit at -0. 9% of GDP. [97]
Single market
- Further information: Four Freedoms (European Union)
The Treaty of Rome originally created a European Economic Community. In European Union law, the Four Freedoms is a common term for a set of treaty provisions secondary legislation and court decisions protecting the ability of Goods This outlined the staged development of a single market, starting with the introduction of a customs union between the signatories. A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. This became the European Community, one part of the European Union, which still has a primary task of creating and maintaining the single market. In particular it seeks to guarantee four freedoms, which relate to ensuring the free movement of goods, capital, people and services within the area. In European Union law, the Four Freedoms is a common term for a set of treaty provisions secondary legislation and court decisions protecting the ability of Goods In Economics, capital or capital Goods or real capital refers to items of extensive value Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992 A service is the non-material equivalent of a good. A service provision is an economic activity that does not result in Ownership, and this is what differentiates [89]
The principle of free movement of goods ensures goods can be taken anywhere within the whole market without being subject to barriers or obstacles. This freedom has both an internal and external dimension. Internally, goods must not be subjected to customs duties, discriminatory taxes or measures restricting import quantities between member countries. Externally, goods entering the internal market will be granted freedom after paying the Common Customs Tariff.
Free movement of capital is intended to permit movement of investments such as property purchases and buying of shares between countries. [99] Until the drive towards Economic and Monetary Union the development of the capital provisions had been slow. Post-Maastricht there has been a rapidly developing corpus of ECJ judgments regarding this initially neglected freedom. The free movement of capital is unique insofar as that it is granted equally to non-member countries.
The free movement of persons means citizens can move freely between member states to live, work, study or retire in another country. Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992 This required the lowering of administrative formalities and recognition of professional qualifications of other states. [100] Traditionally the economically active were granted a much greater level of freedom than others. The extension to the non-economically active was first recognised in 1999 when the concept of Community Citizenship was introduced to the EU. In addition to extending the scope of the free movement of persons, it also grants certain social and political rights to the citizens of the EU.
The free movement of services and of establishment allows self-employed persons to move between member states in order to provide services on a temporary or permanent basis. Services account for between sixty and seventy percent of GDP, although legislation is not as developed as in other sectors. This has been addressed by the recently passed Directive on services in the internal market which aims to liberalise this area of the market. The Directive on services in the internal market (commonly referred to as the Bolkestein Directive) is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at creating [101] According to the Treaty the provision of services is a residual freedom that only applies if no other freedom is being exercised.
The freedoms are not absolute in nature. Member states may interfere with their exercise on the specific grounds laid down in the Treaty, or can rely on the case law of the European Courts for more general justifications. For example, the Treaty allows member states to restrict movements that would pose a real threat to public policy or public security. In the absence of Community legislation it is for the member states to decide the scope of the exceptions. The European Courts will arbitrate as to whether the actions of the member state are proportionate and in conformity with Community law. The freedoms are extended to the non-member states of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway via the European Economic Area. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe [22] Half the trade in the EU is covered by legislation harmonised by the EU. [102]
Monetary union
- Further information: Euro and Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union
A single currency for the EU has been an official objective since 1969 and work began in 1990 on Economic and Monetary Union. In economics a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency (also known as a unitary or common currency In economics a Monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency amongst themselves Nine years later the euro was launched in eleven of the then fifteen member states as an accounting currency, meaning that national currencies remained in use but with exchange rates locked to the euro. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The introduction of the euro took place principally between 31 December 1998, when the exchange rates between the Euro and legacy currencies in the On 1 January 2002, euro notes and coins were issued and the national currencies were phased out in twelve countries. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Slovenia adopted the euro on 1 January 2007, Cyprus and Malta on 1 January 2008, thereby extending the Eurozone to currently 15 states using the euro as their sole official currency. Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Euro Enlargement of the All other EU members, except Denmark and the United Kingdom, have agreed to join as a condition of being members of the EU and dates for this will be set when economic conditions have been met. Public opinion in Denmark currently favours joining. Sweden has circumvented the requirement to join the euro area by not meeting the membership criteria. A number of other countries outside the EU, such as Montenegro, also use the euro unofficially. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! [24] The euro, and the monetary policies of those who have adopted it, are under the control of the European Central Bank (ECB). The European Central Bank (ECB is one of the world's most important Central banks responsible for Monetary policy covering the 15 member countries of the [103] There are twelve other currencies used in the EU. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e [88]
The euro is designed to help build the single market by, for example: easing travel of citizens and goods, eliminating exchange rate problems, providing price transparency, creating a single financial market, price stability, low interest rates, having a currency used internationally and protected against shocks by the large amount of internal trade within the eurozone. It is also intended as a political symbol of integration and stimulus for more. [88] In recent years holdings of the euro have grown, and there is some speculation that if the eurozone continues to enlarge, and/or the U.S. dollar continues to fall, the euro could become the main world reserve currency. Foreign exchange reserves (also called Forex reserves) in a strict sense are only the foreign Currency deposits held by Central banks and monetary The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been A reserve currency (or anchor currency) is a Currency which is held in significant quantities by many governments and institutions as part of their Foreign [104]
Competition
- Further information: European Community competition law and European Commissioner for Competition
The EU operates a competition policy intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market. European Community competition law is one of the areas of authority of the European Union. The Commissioner for Competition is the member of the European Commission. [105] The Commission as the competition regulator for the single market is responsible for antitrust issues, approving mergers, breaking up cartels, working for economic liberalisation and preventing state aid. A competition regulator is a Government agency, typically a statutory authority, sometimes called an economic regulator, which regulates and enforces A cartel is a formal (explicit agreement among firms Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve Economic liberalism is the Economic component of Classical liberalism. In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector [106]
The Competition Commissioner, currently Neelie Kroes, is one of the most powerful positions in the Commission, notable in effecting trans-national corporations. The Commissioner for Competition is the member of the European Commission. Neelie Kroes (born 19 July 1941 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is a Dutch Politician and Businessperson. [107] For example, in 2001 the Commission for the first time prevented a merger between two companies based in the United States which had already been approved by their national authority. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the [108] Another high profile case, European Union v. Microsoft, resulted in the Commission fining Microsoft over €777 million following nine years of legal action. The European Union Microsoft competition case is a case brought by the European Commission of the European Union (EU against Microsoft for abuse of its Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer [109]
In negotiations on the Treaty of Lisbon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy succeeded in removing the words "free and undistorted competition" from the treaties. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, However, the requirement is maintained in an annex and it is unclear whether this will have any practical effect on EU policy. [110]
Budget
- Further information: Budget of the European Union
The EU had an agreed budget of €116 billion for the year 2007, and €862 billion for the period 2007-2013;[111] this represents around 1% of the EU's combined GDP. The European Union (EU is an association of 27 independent member states By comparison, the UK's expenditure for 2004 was estimated to be €759 billion, and France was estimated to have spent €801 billion. In 1960, the then "EU" (EEC) budget was 0. 03% of GDP. [112]
The largest single expenditure item is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at around 45% of the total budget. The Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) is a system of European Union Agricultural subsidies and programmes The second largest element is the regional policy, at 30%. The Regional policy of the European Union (EU is a policy with the stated aim of improving the Economic Well-being of certain regions Foreign policy consumes 8%, administration 6%, research 5%.
Development policy
Agriculture
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one the oldest policies of the European Community and was one of its core aims. The Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) is a system of European Union Agricultural subsidies and programmes The Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) is a system of European Union Agricultural subsidies and programmes [113] The policy has the objectives of increasing agricultural production, providing certainty in food supplies, ensuring a high quality of life for farmers, stabilising markets and ensuring reasonable prices for consumers (article 33 of the Treaty of Rome). [26] It was, until recently, operated by a system of subsidies and market intervention. Until the 1990s the policy accounted for over 60% of the then European Community's annual budget, and still accounts for around 35%. The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 [113]
The policy's price controls and market interventions led to considerable overproduction, resulting in so-called butter mountains and wine lakes. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic These were intervention stores of produce bought up by the Community to maintain minimum price levels. Intervention storage is the practice in the European Union of storing quantities of produce with the aim of stabilising markets which began after the creation of the Common In order to dispose of surplus stores, they were often sold on the world market at prices considerably below Community guaranteed prices, or farmers were offered subsidies (amounting to the difference between the Community and world prices) to export their produce outside the Community. This system has been criticised for under-cutting farmers in the developing world. [114] The overproduction has also been criticised on environmental grounds in that it encourages environmentally unfriendly intensive farming methods. [114] Supporters of CAP say that the economic support which it gives to farmers provides them with a reasonable standard of living, in what would otherwise be an economically unviable way of life. However, the EU's small farmers only receive 8% of CAP's available subsidies. [114]
Since the beginning of the 1990s the CAP has been subject to a series of reforms. Initially these reforms included the introduction of Set-aside in 1988, where a proportion of farm land was deliberately withdrawn from production, milk quotas (by the McSharry reforms in 1992) and more recently, the 'de-coupling' (or disassociation) of the money farmers receive from the EU and the amount they produce (by the Fischler reforms in 2004). Set-aside as a political measure was introduced by the European Union (EU in 1988 to (i help reduce the large and costly surpluses produced in Europe under the guaranteed price It is intended to move away from subsidy payments linked to specific produce, toward direct payments based on farm size. This is intended to have the effect of allowing the market to dictate production levels while maintaining agricultural income levels. [113] The most recent reform entailed the abolition of the EU's sugar regime which previously involved the carving up of the sugar market between member states and certain African-Caribbean nations with a privileged relationship with the EU. [115]
Energy
The EU has been a legislative power in the area of energy policy for most of its existence: this has its roots in the original European Coal and Steel Community. The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the European Council in October 2005, and the first draft policy was published in January 2007. The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union. [116]
The Commission has five key points in its energy policy: increase competition in the internal market, encourage investment and boost interconnections between electricity grids; diversify energy resources with better systems to respond to a crisis; establish a new treaty framework for energy co-operation with Russia while improving relations with energy-rich states in Central Asia and North Africa; use existing energy supplies more efficiently while increasing use of renewable energy; and finally increase funding for new energy technologies. Electricity distribution is the penultimate stage in the delivery (before retail) of Electricity to end users Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan [116]
The EU currently imports 82% of its oil and 57% of its gas, making it the world's leading importer of these fuels. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, [117] There are concerns that the EU is largely dependent on other countries, primarily Russia, for its energy. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending This concern has grown following a series of clashes between Russia and its neighbours, threatening the flow of gas. As a result the EU is attempting to diversify its energy supply. [118]
Infrastructure
- Further information: European Commissioner for Transport and European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry
The EU is working to improve cross-border infrastructure within the EU, for example through the Trans-European Networks (TEN). Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids The Trans-European Networks ( TEN in EU Jargon) were created by the European Union by Articles 154-156 of the Maastricht Treaty ( Projects under TEN include the Channel Tunnel, LGV Est, the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, the Oresund Bridge and the Brenner Base Tunnel. The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with The LGV Est européenne (sometimes referred to as LGV Est) is an extension to the French high-speed TGV network connecting Paris and Strasbourg See also Fréjus Road Tunnel. The Fréjus Rail Tunnel (also called Mont Cenis Tunnel) is a railroad tunnel of 13 The Oresund Bridge ( Danish Øresundsbroen, Swedish Öresundsbron, joint hybrid name Øresundsbron) is a combined two-track rail The Brenner Base Tunnel ( German: Brennerbasistunnel; Italian: Galleria di base del Brennero) a long Railway Tunnel under In 2001 it was estimated that by 2010 the network would cover: 75,200 kilometres (46,700 mi) of roads; 78,000 kilometres (48,000 mi) of railways; 330 airports; 270 maritime harbours; and 210 internal harbours. [119][120]
The developing European transport policies will increase the pressure on the environment in many regions by the increased transport network. In the pre-2004 EU members, the major problem in transport deals with congestion and pollution. After the recent enlargement, the new states that joined since 2004 added the problem of solving accessibility to the transport agenda. [121] The Polish road network in particular was in poor condition: at Poland's accession to the EU, 4,600 roads needed to be upgraded to EU standards, demanding approximately 17 billion euros. See also Transport in Poland Poland has a poorly developed infrastructure of roads and Expressways by Western European standards [122]
Another infrastructure project is the Galileo positioning system. Galileo is a Global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union (EU and European Space Agency (ESA Galileo is a proposed Global Navigation Satellite System, to be built by the EU and launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), and is to be operational by 2010. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS is the standard generic term for satellite navigation systems that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member The Galileo project was launched to reduce the EU's dependency on the US-operated Global Positioning System, which will extend to nations outside the EU. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth [123] It has been criticised by some due to costs, delays, and the perception of redundancy due to the existing GPS system. [124]
Regional development
- Further information: Regional policy of the European Union
There are substantial economical disparities across the EU. Lovosice ( pronounced) German: Lobositz) is a small town in northern Bohemia, the western part of the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Even corrected for purchasing power, the difference between the richest and poorest regions (NUT-2 and NUT-3 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) is about a factor of ten. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode On the high end Frankfurt has €68,751 PPP per capita, Paris €67,980, and Inner London €65,138, while Romania's Nord-Est has €5,070 PPP per capita and Bulgaria's Severozapaden has €5,502 PPP per capita. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. Nord-Est ( North East) is a development region in Romania. Counties The Nord-Est region is made up of the following counties The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian [125] Compared to the EU average, the United States GDP per capita is 35% higher and the Japanese GDP per capita is approximately 15% higher. [126]
There are a number of Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds to support development of underdeveloped regions of the EU. Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds are funds allocated by the European Union for two related purposes support for the poorer regions of Europe and support for integrating European Such regions are primarily located in the new member states of eastern Europe. [127] Several funds provide emergency aid, support for candidate members to transform their country to conform to the EU's standard (Phare, ISPA, and SAPARD), and support to the former USSR Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS). Phare is also the name of a proposed Skyscraper in Paris. The Phare programme is one of the three pre-accession instruments financed by the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession ( ISPA) is one of the three financial instruments of the European Union (along with Phare and SAPARD SAPARD (Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development was established in June 1999 by the Council of the European Union to help countries of Central and TACIS is an abbreviation of " Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States " programme a foreign and technical assistance programme implemented by the TACIS has now become part of the worldwide EuropeAid programme. The EuropeAid Co-operation Office is an organization of the European Commission. The EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) sponsors research conducted by consortia from all EU members to work towards a single European Research Area. The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development ( FP7) is the European Union 's chief instrument for funding research over the period The European Research Area (ERA is a system of scientific research programmes integrating the European Union 's scientific resources [128]
Environment
- Further information: European Commissioner for the Environment and European Climate Change Programme
The first environmental policy of the European Community was launched in 1972. Since then it has addressed issues such as acid rain, the thinning of the ozone layer, air quality, noise pollution, waste and water pollution. Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure The photochemical mechanisms that give rise to the ozone layer were worked out by the British physicist Sidney Chapman in 1930 The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life WASTE is a Peer-to-peer and Friend-to-friend protocol and software application developed by Justin Frankel at Nullsoft in 2003 that features The water policy of the European Union is primarily codified in three directives: The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning The Water framework directive is an example of a water policy, aiming for rivers, lakes, ground and coastal waters to be of "good quality" by 2015. The Water Framework Directive (more formally the Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action Wildlife is protected through the Natura 2000 programme and covers 30,000 sites throughout Europe. Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union. [129] In 2007, the Polish government sought to build a motorway through the Rospuda valley, but the Commission has been blocking construction as the valley is a wildlife area covered by the programme. The Rospuda is a small river in north-eastern Poland. It flows through the Suwałki Region of Poland including the north-western part of the large [130]
The REACH regulation was a piece of EU legislation designed to ensure that 30,000 chemicals in daily use are tested for their safety. Registration Evaluation Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals ( REACH) is a new European Union Regulation, EC/2006/1907 of 18 December 2006 [131] In 2006, toxic waste spill off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire, from a European ship, prompted the Commission to look into legislation regarding toxic waste. The 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste spill was a health crisis in Côte d'Ivoire in which a ship illegally dumped toxic waste in up to 12 sites around the country's largest city With members such as Spain now having criminal laws against shipping toxic waste, the Commission proposed to create criminal sentences for "ecological crimes". Although the Commission's right to propose criminal law was contested, it was confirmed in this case by the Court of Justice. [132]
In 2007, member states agreed that the EU is to use 20% renewable energy in the future and that is has to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels. Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared [133] This includes measures that in 2020, one-tenth of all cars and trucks in EU 27 should be running on biofuels. The Treaty of Accession 2005 is an agreement between the member states of European Union and Bulgaria and Romania. This is considered to be one of the most ambitious moves of an important industrialised region to fight global warming. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the [134]
At the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference, dealing with the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the EU has proposed at 50% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050. The 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference took place at the Bali International Conference Centre Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia, between December The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort [135] The EU's attempts to cut its carbon footprint appear to have also been aided by an expansion of Europe's forests which, between 1990 and 2005, grew 10% in western Europe and 15% in Eastern Europe. A carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of Greenhouse gases produced measured in units of carbon A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria During this period they soaked up 126 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 11% of EU emissions from human activities. [135]
Education and research
- Further information: Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union and Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
Education and science are areas where the EU's role is limited to supporting national governments. In education, the policy was mainly developed in the 1980s in programmes supporting exchanges and mobility. The most visible of these has been the ERASMUS programme, a university exchange programme which began in 1987. The ERASMUS programme, also known as European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, was established in 1987 and forms a major part of the In its first 20 years it has supported international exchange opportunities for well over 1. 5 million university and college students and has become a symbol of European student life. [136] There are now similar programmes for school pupils and teachers, for trainees in vocational education and training, and for adult learners in the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013. The Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 (previously referred to as the "Integrated action programme in the field of lifelong learning" or the "Integrated programme" is the These programmes are designed to encourage a wider knowledge of other countries and to spread good practices in the education and training fields across the EU. [137] Through its support of the Bologna process the EU is supporting comparable standards and compatible degrees across Europe. The purpose of the Bologna process (or Bologna accords is to create the European higher education area by making Academic degree standards and quality assurance standards
Scientific development is facilitated through the EU's Framework Programmes, the first of which started in 1984. The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP, are funding programmes created by the The aims of EU policy in this area are to co-ordinate and stimulate research. The independent European Research Council allocates EU funds to European or national research projects. The European Research Council (ERC is a Funding body for science in the European Union. [138] The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) deals in a number of areas, for example energy where it aims to develop a diverse mix of renewable energy for the environment and to reduce dependence on imported fuels. The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development ( FP7) is the European Union 's chief instrument for funding research over the period Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal [139]
Since January 2000 the European Commission has set its sights on a more ambitious objective, known as the European Research Area, and has extensively funded research in a few key areas. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The European Research Area (ERA is a system of scientific research programmes integrating the European Union 's scientific resources This has the support of all member states, and extends the existing financing structure of the frameworks. It aims to focus on co-ordination, sharing knowledge, ensuring mobility of researchers around Europe, improving conditions for researchers and encouraging links with business and industry as well as removing any legal and administrative barriers. [140] The EU is involved with six other countries to develop ITER, a fusion reactor which will be built in the EU at Cadarache. ITER is an international Tokamak ( Magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering proposal for an experimental project that will help to make the transition from In Physics and Nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple- like charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled Cadarache in Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, France is a Research center for Nuclear energy created in 1959 ITER builds on the previous project, Joint European Torus, which is currently the largest nuclear fusion reactor in the world. JET, the Joint European Torus, is the largest Nuclear fusion experimental reactor yet built [141] The Commission foresees this technology to be generating energy in the EU by 2050. [116] It has observer status within CERN, there are various agreements with ESA and there is collaboration with ESO. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire known as CERN The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member [142] Theses organizations are not under the framework of the EU, but membership heavily overlaps between them.
Demographics
| City | City limits (2006) | Density | Density | Urban area (2005) | LUZ (2001) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 3,410,000 | 3,815 | 9,880 | 3,761,000 | 4,935,524 |
| London | 7,512,400 | 4,761 | 12,330 | 9,332,000 | 11,624,807 |
| Madrid | 3,228,359 | 5,198 | 13,460 | 4,858,000 | 5,372,433 |
| Paris | 2,153,600 | 24,672 | 63,900 | 9,928,000 | 10,952,011 |
| Rome | 2,708,395 | 2,105 | 5,450 | 2,867,000 | 3,700,424 |
The combined population of all 27 member countries has been estimated at 495,128,529 in January 2007,[144] this in comparison to approximately 710 million Europeans on the continent as a whole. The demographics of the European Union show a highly populated culturally diverse union of 27 member states. This is a list of the largest cities in the European Union by population within city limits. This is a list of all the Urban areas of the European Union which have more than 750000 inhabitants in 2005 Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Since the Renaissance, Europe has had a dominating influence in culture economics and social movements in the world There is some increase in population expected, primarily due to net immigration, present in most European countries. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term [145][146]
The EU's population is 7. 3% of the world total, yet the EU covers just 3% of the earth's land, amounting to a population density of 114 /km² (300 /sq mi) (2006) making the EU one of the most densely populated regions of the world. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² One third of EU citizens live in cities of over a million people, rising to 80% living in urban areas generally. [147] The EU is home to more global cities than any other region in the world[148] and 16 cities with populations of over one million (using city proper figures).
Besides many large cities, the EU also includes several densely populated regions that have no single core but have emerged from the connection of several cites and are now encompassing large metropolitan areas. The largest are Rhine-Ruhr having approximately 10. The Rhine-Ruhr Area (Rhein-Ruhr in Germany is one of the largest Metropolitan areas in Europe with about 11800000 inhabitants 5 million inhabitants (Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf et al. Dortmund (ˈdɔʁtmʊnt is a City in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ), Randstad approx. ImageRandstad_with_scalepng|400px|thumb|right|Schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schiphol rect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeer rect 399 166 479 245 7 million (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht et al. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of Utrecht ( city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. ), Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region approx. 5. 8 million (Frankfurt, Wiesbaden et al. Wiesbaden, a city in southwest Germany, is the capital of the state of Hesse. ), the Flemish diamond (urban area in between Antwerp, Brussels, Leuven and Ghent), approx. The Flemish Diamond (in Dutch: Vlaamse Ruit) is a name of an area consisting of the central provinces of Flanders, Belgium. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Leuven ( French: Louvain, often used in English German: Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Ghent (ˈɡɛnt Gent ʝɛnt in Dutch, Gand in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a City and a 5. 5 million inhabitants, and the Upper Silesian Industrial Region approx. Upper Silesian Industry Area (Upper Silesian Industrial Region ( Polish: Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy, GOP is a Conurbation in Upper Silesia 3. 5 million (Katowice, Sosnowiec et al. Katowice (Katovice Kattowitz is a City in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica Sosnowiec is a city located in the south of Poland. A county capital neighbouring Katowice, and a mining and industrial region it was one of the largest cities ). [149]
Languages
| Language | L1 | Total |
|---|---|---|
| English | 13% | 51% |
| German | 18% | 32% |
| French | 12% | 26% |
| Italian | 13% | 16% |
| Spanish | 9% | 15% |
| Polish | 9% | 10% |
| Romanian | 7% | 8% |
| Dutch | 5% | 6% |
| Greek | 3% | 3% |
| Swedish | 2% | 3% |
| Czech | 2% | 3% |
| Portuguese | 2% | 2% |
| Hungarian | 2% | 2% |
| Bulgarian | 2% | 2% |
| Other EU Languages | ~6% | |
| Minority Languages | ~16% | |
| L1: Native language Total: EU citizens able to conduct conversation in this language | ||
The EU has 23 official and working languages: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish. The languages of the European Union are Languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A working language (also procedural language) is a Language that is given a unique legal status in a Supra -national company society state or other body Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Maltese (Maltese Malti is the National language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English, Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the [151] Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language. The European Parliament provides translation into all languages for documents and its plenary sessions. Some institutions use only a handful of languages as internal working languages. [152] Language policy is the responsibility of member states, but EU institutions promote the learning of other languages. Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular Language or set of languages [153][154]
German is the most widely spoken mother tongue (about 88. 7 million people as of 2006), followed by English, French, and Italian. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. English is by far the most spoken foreign language at over half (51%) of the population, with German and French following. 56% of European citizens are able to engage in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue. [150] Most official languages of the EU belong to the Indo-European language family, except Estonian, Finnish, and Hungarian, which belong to the Uralic language family, and Maltese, which is a Semitic language. List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family The Uralic languages (jʊˈrælɨk constitute a language family of 39 Languages spoken by approximately 20 million people The Semitic languages are a Language family whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, Most EU official languages are written in the Latin alphabet except Bulgarian, written in Cyrillic, and Greek, written in the Greek alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early [155]
Besides the 23 official languages, there are about 150 regional and minority languages, spoken by up to 50 million people. A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or A minority language is a Language spoken by a Minority of the Population of a country [155] Of these, only the Spanish regional languages (Catalan, Basque and Galician) can be used by citizens in communication with the main European institutions. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Basque ( native name: euskara) is the Language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain [156] Although EU programmes can support regional and minority languages, the protection of linguistic rights is a matter for the individual member states. Linguistic rights (or language rights or linguistic human rights) are the human and Civil rights concerning the individual and collective
Besides the many regional languages, a broad variety of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in the member states: Turkish, Maghrebi Arabic, Russian, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Balkan languages are spoken in many parts of the EU. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Maghrebi Arabic is a cover term for the varieties of Arabic spoken in the Maghreb, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. This is a list of languages spoken in the Balkans. With the exception of several Turkic languages Hungarian and Circassian all of them belong to the Indo-European family Many older immigrant communities are bilingual, being fluent in both the local (EU) language and in that of their ancestral community. Migrant languages have no formal status or recognition in the EU or in the EU countries, although from 2007 they are eligible for support from the language teaching section of the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013. The Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 (previously referred to as the "Integrated action programme in the field of lifelong learning" or the "Integrated programme" is the [155]
Religion
The EU is a secular body, with no formal connections to any religion and no mention of religion in any current or proposed treaty. Religion in the European Union is diverse although primarily Christian. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos [26] Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the Treaty of Lisbon included proposals to mention Christianity and/or God in the preamble of the text, but the idea faced opposition and was dropped. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. [157]
Emphasis on Christianity stems from this being the dominant religion in Europe, and thus of the EU. It divides between Roman Catholicism, a wide range of Protestant churches (especially in northern Europe) and Eastern Orthodox (in south eastern Europe). Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Other religions such as Judaism and Islam are also represented in the EU population; in 2002 the EU had an estimated Jewish population of over a million[158] and a Muslim population in 2006 of 16 million people. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Jewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world Precise figures are difficult to calculate because the definition of " Who is a Jew " remains a [159]
Eurobarometer opinion polls organised by Eurostat show that the majority of EU citizens have some form of belief system but that only 21% see it as important. Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973 The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union There is increasing atheism or agnosticism among the general population in Europe, with falling church attendance and membership in many countries. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the [160] The 2005 Eurobarometer showed that of the European citizens (of the 25 members at that time), 52% believed in a god, 27% in some sort of spirit or life force and 18% had no form of belief. The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were the Czech Republic (19%) and Estonia (16%),[161] The most religious societies are those in Malta (95%; predominantly Roman Catholic), and Cyprus and Romania both with about 90% of citizens believing in a god. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, increased with age, those with religious upbringing, those with the lowest levels of formal education, those leaning towards right-wing politics, and those reflecting more upon philosophical and ethical issues. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities [161]
Other significant religions present in the EU territories are Buddhism, Hinduism (with a strong presence in the United Kingdom[162]) and Neopaganism. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical [163] Neopaganism is a fast-growing movement that revives and reinvents (in its reconstructionistic approach) the ancient pagan spiritualities of the European peoples. Polytheistic reconstructionism, or simply Reconstructionism, is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s and gatherig momentum Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. [164] Neopagan religions are legally recognised by the governments of the United Kingdom, Denmark[165], Sweden and Spain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [166]
Cultural policy
- Further information: Culture of Europe and Cultural policies of the European Union
EU culture is intertwined with the culture of Europe and its specific national heritages; policies affecting cultural matters are mainly set by individual member states. The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures Cultural co-operation between member states has been a concern of the EU since its inclusion as a community competency in the Maastricht Treaty. The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final [167] Actions taken in the cultural area by the EU include the Culture 2000 7-year programme,[167] the European Cultural Month event,[168] the Media Plus programme,[169] orchestras such as the European Union Youth Orchestra[170] and the European Capital of Culture programme – where one or more cities in the EU are selected for one year to assist the cultural development of that city. Culture 2000 is a 7-year European Union program which had among its key objectives preserving and enhancing Europe's cultural heritage European Cultural Month is an event created by the European Union to promote Culture. MEDIA Plus is a European Union programme designed to support the European Union's audio-visual industry The European Union Youth Orchestra ( EUYO) is a training Orchestra for young people in the European Union. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its [171] In addition, the EU gives grants to cultural projects (totalling 233 in 2004) and has launched a Web portal dedicated to Europe and culture, responding to the European Council's expressed desire to see the Commission and the member states "promote the networking of cultural information to enable all citizens to access European cultural content by the most advanced technological means". [172]
Within the EU, supporters of European integration often appeal to a shared European historical/cultural heritage, typically including Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the feudalism of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, 19th century Liberalism and negative elements such as the World wars. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations European values are assumed to be grounded in this shared heritage. [173]
Sport
- Further information: Sport in Europe and Sport policies of the European Union
Sport is mainly the responsibility of individual member states or other international organisations rather than that of the EU. Sport in Europe tends to be highly organised with many sports having professional leagues The European Union plays a minor and mostly indirect policy role in sport, because (a sport is The Camp Nou (kam ˈnɔw Catalan for "new field" often erroneously called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is a football Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia However, some EU policies have had an impact on sport, such as the free movement of workers which was at the core of the Bosman ruling, which prohibited national football leagues from imposing quotas on foreign players with European citizenship. The Bosman ruling (Union Royal Belges des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL & others v [174]
Under the proposed Treaty of Lisbon sports would be given a special status which would exempt this sector from much of the EU's economic rules. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the This followed lobbying by governing organisations such as the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, due to objections over the applications of free market principles to sport which led to an increasing gap between rich and poor clubs. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) [175]
Several European sports associations are consulted in the formulation of the EU's sports policy, including FIBA, UEFA, EHF, IIHF, FIRA and CEV. The International Basketball Federation ( French: Fédération Internationale de Basketball) more commonly known by the French acronym FIBA The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. The European Handball Federation Mission The European Handball Federation (EHF is the Umbrella organisation for 49 member The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice FIRA was formed in 1934 to promote develop organise and administer the game of rugby union in Europe outside the authority of the International Rugby Board (the world governing body of Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV is the continental governing body for the sport of Volleyball in Europe. [176] All EU member states and their respective national sport associations are participating in European sport organisations such as UEFA. The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. [177]
See also
References
- ^ a b Symbols of the EU. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-01-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople.
- ^ a b c Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects (European Union). World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008 Edition. International Monetary Fund (April 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João “Gross domestic product, current prices; U. S. dollars, Billions; 2007 = 16,830. 100, 2008=18,493. 009. Gross domestic product based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) valuation of country GDP; Current international dollar, Billions; 2007 = 14,712. 369;2008 = 15,282. 118”
- ^ The EU Single Market: Fewer barriers, more opportunities. Europa, European Commission. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Activities of the European Union: Internal Market. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ Farah, Paolo (2006). Five Years of China WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives about China's Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism. Social Science Research Network. The Social Science Research Network (SSRN is a Website devoted to the rapid dissemination of scholarly research in the Social sciences, particularly the fields of Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ a b Abolition of internal borders and creation of a single EU external frontier. Europa (2005). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-01-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled
- ^ The political consequences. European NAvigator. European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
- ^ Declaration of 9 May 1950. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
- ^ a b A peaceful Europe - the beginnings of cooperation. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Merging the executives. European NAvigator. European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ The first enlargement. European NAvigator. European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ The new European Parliament. European NAvigator. European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Negotiations for enlargement. European NAvigator. European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ A Europe without frontiers. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ 1980-1989 The changing face of Europe - the fall of the Berlin Wall. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Treaty of Maastricht on European Union. Activities of the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-10-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony ; Craig, Paul; Grainne De Burca , P. P. Craig (2006). EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials, 4th ed. , Oxford: Oxford University Press, p15. ISBN 978-0-19-927389-8.
- ^ a b A decade of further expansion. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ a b Treaty of Lisbon at a glance. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ European Countries. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
- ^ European Commission - Enlargement - Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ EU/Kosovo Factsheet. European Union - Delegation of the European Commission to the United States. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates
- ^ Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ a b European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The European Economic Area (EEA). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ The EU's relations with Switzerland. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers
- ^ a b European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Use of the euro in the world. The euro outside the euro area. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ EUR-Lex: Official Journal. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Treaty of Amsterdam. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ a b c EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Consolidated Treaties on European Union and establishing the European Community. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Where is the euro legal tender? (PDF). European Central Bank (2006). The European Central Bank (ECB is one of the world's most important Central banks responsible for Monetary policy covering the 15 member countries of the Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Figure including the four French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion) which are an integral part of the EU, but excluding the French overseas collectivities and territories, which are not part of the EU. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629 sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Réunion ( French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of The French overseas collectivities ( collectivités d'outre-mer or COM) like the French regions, themselves are first-order Administrative divisions
- ^ European countries. Europa (2007). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ European Union. The World Factbook. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Central Intelligence Agency. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Retrieved on 2007-08-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula.
- ^ Countries of the Earth. home. comcast. net (2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula.
- ^ Humid Continental Climate. The physical environment. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2007). The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (also known as UW-Stevens Point or UWSP) is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ Sources of EU law. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.
- ^ a b EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Community consolidated treaty, (article 249, provisions for making regulations). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration
- ^ According to the principle of direct Effect first invoked in the Court of Justice's decision in Van Gend en Loos v. The Law of the European Union is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU Nederlanse Administratie Der Belastingen, Eur-Lex (European Court of Justice 1963). . See: Craig and de Búrca, ch. 5.
- ^ According to the principle of Supremacy as established by the ECJ in Case 6/64, Falminio Costa v. The Law of the European Union is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU ENEL [1964] ECR 585. See Craig and de Búrca, ch. 7. See also: Factortame Ltd. v. Secretary of State for Transport (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, Solange II (Re Wuensche Handelsgesellschaft, BVerfG decision of 22 Oct. The Factortame case is a Landmark decision in United Kingdom (UK and European Union (EU law which confirmed the supremacy of European Union law over 1986 [1987] 3 CMLR 225,265) and Frontini v. Ministero delle Finanze [1974] 2 CMLR 372; Raoul George Nicolo [1990] 1 CMLR 173.
- ^ Pillars of the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ Institutions: The European Commission. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ Institutions: The European Parliament. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ a b c Institutions: The Council of the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ See: Case 34/73, Variola v. Amministrazione delle Finanze [1973] ECR 981
- ^ To do otherwise would require the drafting of legislation which would have to cope with the frequently divergent legal systems and administrative systems of all of the now 27 member states. See Craig and de Búrca, p. 115
- ^ For a good example of this see Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty of Rome, Council Decision (2004/927/EC) of 22 December 2004 providing for certain areas covered by Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community to be governed by the procedure laid down in Article 251 of that Treaty and the Protocol on Article 67 of the Treaty establishing the European Community attached to the Nice Treaty. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
- ^ Decision-making in the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Community consolidated treaty, (article 220, The court of Justice). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration
- ^ The Court of Justice of the European Communities. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. ;The Court of First Instance. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. ; Institutions: Court of Justice. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Community consolidated treaty, (article 225 (1), The court of First Instance). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration
- ^ Smale, Alison (2006-06-19). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Fighting EU 'enlargement fatigue'. International Herald Tribune. The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international Newspaper Retrieved on 2007-08-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures
- ^ a b EU enlargement - voices from the debate. British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ Q&A: Turkey's EU entry talks. BBC News (2006-12-11). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Retrieved on 2007-08-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures
- ^ FAQs on the EU, from the campaign trail. Sovereignty (2001). Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ EU leaders agree on reform treaty. BBC News (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ The Schengen acquis and its integration into the Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle.
- ^ a b EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Maastricht Treaty. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Community consolidated treaty, (article 17), European Citizenship). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Amsterdam treaty article 1 s.3 amending European Union consolidated treaty article 2, creating an area of freedom and justice). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ European arrest warrant replaces extradition between EU Member States. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself
- ^ Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ European police office now in full swing. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself
- ^ Eurojust coordinating cross-border prosecutions at EU level. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself
- ^ Frontex. Frontex (from French: Frontières extérieures for ‘external borders’ legally European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External What is Frontex?. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Community consolidated treaty, (articles 39 and 141), prohibition of national or sexual discrimination). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Amsterdam treaty article 2 s.7 amending European Community consolidated treaty article 13, combatting discrimination). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule
- ^ Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. 7. 2000, p. 22–26); Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. 12. 2000, p. 16–22).
- ^ Launching the European Day against the Death Penalty. Europa (2007-06-19). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty. BBC News (2007-10-19). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ Juncker, Jean-Claude (2006). Jean-Claude Juncker (born December 9, 1954) is a Luxembourgian politician, the leader of the Christian Social People's Party. Council of Europe - European Union: "A sole ambition for the European continent" (PDF). Council of Europe. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 Retrieved on 2007-07-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason.
- ^ Qualified-Majority Voting: Common commercial policy. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius
- ^ a b The European commission. European political co-operation (EPC). Europa Glossary. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius
- ^ EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa European Union consolidated treaty, (article 11, common foreign policy). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration
- ^ Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - Overview. Europa (2002). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ Divided EU agrees Iraq statement. Europa (2003). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ Bildt, Carl (2005). KCMG (born 15 July 1949) is a Swedish Politician and Diplomat. Europe must keep its 'soft power'. Financial Times on Centre for European Reform. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. The Centre for European Reform is a London-based Think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the European Union. Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ European Parliament (2006-07-05). The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Presentation of the programme of the Finnish presidency. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ EU heading for single UN seat, UN official says. EUobserver (2007). EUobserver is an independent news website focussing on politics related to the institutions of the European Union (EU Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ Delegation of the European Commission to Japan. EU and the G8. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The EU and the world trade organisation. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ European Commission (2006). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. DG for humanitarian aid - ECHO, financial report 2006 (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ a b European Commission (2007-06-13). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Commission calls for a European consensus to boost impact of humanitarian aid. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ Mulvey, Stephen (2007-05-30). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following EU attacked for 'inefficient' aid. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ Taylor, Jerome (2007-05-11). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople EU accused of artificially inflating its aid figures. The Independent. The Independent is a British compact Newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly 's Independent News & Media. Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Overviews of the European Union activities: Development. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-08-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar.
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. EU Security Police & the role of the European Commission. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. EU Security Police & the role of the European Commission: Chronology. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU Military Capabilities. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-10-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks.
- ^ Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU EU security and defense Operations. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU ESPD Structures. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire.
- ^ a b c European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The Euro: our currency. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ a b The Single Market. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ Rank Order - Exports. The World Factbook. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Central Intelligence Agency. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan.
- ^ Rank Order - Imports. The World Factbook. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Central Intelligence Agency. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan.
- ^ China now EU's biggest import market. People's Daily Online (2007-01-31). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
- ^ EU now biggest trading partner of China. Chinese Embassy (2006-09-15). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Retrieved on 2008-04-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I.
- ^ India and the EU: strategic partners?. Centre for European Reform (February/March 2006). Retrieved on 2008-04-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I.
- ^ Fortune Global 500: Countries. CNN Money (2007-07-23). Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River
- ^ Euro area and EU 27 unemployment down to 7.0% (PDF). Europa (2007-07-03). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi
- ^ Eur4. Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects. International Monetary Fund (April 2007). The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Retrieved on 2007-11-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe
- ^ New-generation passports to appear in Lithuania starting New Years. Retrieved on 2008-03-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. A Single Market for Capital. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Living and working in the Single Market. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. A Single Market for Services. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. A Single Market for goods. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ ECB, ESCB and the Eurosystem. European Central Bank. The European Central Bank (ECB is one of the world's most important Central banks responsible for Monetary policy covering the 15 member countries of the Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy.
- ^ Menzie, Chinn; Jeffery Frankel (January 2006). "Will the Euro Eventually Surpass The Dollar As Leading International Reserve Currency?" (PDF). NBER. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER is a private nonprofit research organization dedicated to studying the science and empirics of Economics, especially the
- ^ Article 3(1)(g) of the Treaty of Rome
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Competition: making markets work better. Europa author=European Commission. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ Lungescu, Oana (2004-07-23). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Examining the EU executive. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated
- ^ The Commission prohibits GE's acquisition of Honeywell. Europa (2001-07-03). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ Gow, David (2007-10-22). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Microsoft caves in to European commission. The Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ EU competition to remain in place. BBC News (2007-06-22). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. EU budget at a glance. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with
- ^ Will Europe Work?. Euro-know. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours
- ^ a b c Stead, David; Robert Whaples (eds) (2007-06-22). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Common Agricultural Policy. EH. Net Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-08-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and
- ^ a b c Jeffery, Simon (2007-06-26). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. The EU common agricultural policy. The Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2007-08-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and
- ^ Sugar: Commission proposes more market-, consumer- and trade-friendly regime. Europa (2007-04-14). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Retrieved on 2007-08-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and
- ^ a b c Q&A: EU energy plans. BBC News (2007-03-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
- ^ 'Low-carbon economy' proposed for Europe. MSNBC. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable television news channel based in the United States and available in Canada. Retrieved on 2007-01-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled
- ^ European Parliament. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Ukraine-Russia gas dispute – call for stronger EU energy policy. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ European Commission (2003-10-01). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. The trans-European transport network: new guidelines and financial rules (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ Mirea, Silvia. The trans-European transport network: new guidelines and financial rules. The Railway Journal. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ White Paper on Transport. Euractiv (2004-09-22). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ Transport – How Quickly will Polish Roads Improve After Accession. Urząd Komitetu Integracji Europejskiej (2003-05-29). Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ Barrot, Jacques. Jacques Barrot Home Page, Commission vice president for transport. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ McKie, Robin (2007-07-15). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Sat-nav rival could crash and burn. The Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2007-08-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation
- ^ Eurostat. The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU 27 (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-03-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant
- ^ Eurostat (2006-12-18). The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the GDP per capita in the Member States ranged from 48% to 251% of the EU25 average in 2005. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
- ^ EU Structural and Cohesion Funds. Business 2000. Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7). Euractiv (2004). Retrieved on 2007-06-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden
- ^ Dimas, Stavros (2007-03-23). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Celebrating the Environmental Union. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ Easton, Adam (2007-07-31). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Poland ends stand-off with EU over road plans. Financial Times. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ EU chemicals directive agreed. RTÉ News And Current Affairs (2006-12-01). RTÉ News and Current Affairs, or Nuacht agus Cúrsaí Reatha RTÉ in Irish, is a major division of Radio Telefís Éireann responsible for news programming Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Retrieved on 2007-08-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed
- ^ Charter, David. "A new legal environment", E!Sharp, People Power Process, 2007, pp. 23–5. (English)
- ^ Aldred, Jessica. EU sets 20% target for carbon cuts. guardian.co.uk. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours
- ^ Ames, Paul (2007-03-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. European Union agrees on ambitious plan to fight global warming. Discovery Channel, on Valcent Products website. Discovery Channel is an American Satellite and Cable TV channel (also delivered via IPTV, Terrestrial television and Retrieved on 2007-03-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia.
- ^ a b In Bali, EU Floats 50% Greenhouse Gas Cut. BusinessWeek (2007-12-04). BusinessWeek is a business Magazine published by McGraw-Hill. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Retrieved on 2007-12-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The Erasmus programme celebrates its 20th anniversary. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World ; Jean-Sébastien, Lefebvre (2007-01-22). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Erasmus turns 20 - time to grow up?. Café Babel. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire
- ^ EACEA. About the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World ; European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Lifelong Learning Programme. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ European Research Council. The European Research Council (ERC is a Funding body for science in the European Union. What is the ERC?. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Energy. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. What is the European Research Area?. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ Fusion for energy. ITER fusion research project. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-09-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina.
- ^ Astronomical research collaborations. ESO. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours
- ^ LUZ figures all for 2001City Profiles List. Urban Audit. European Commission, Directorate-General Regional Policy, Unit D2 Urban Actions. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
Urban areas: all figures for 2005 (est. ): Pays, villes d'Europe et du monde. InsInstitut National de la Statistiqueet des Études Économiques. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
City limits figures:
London as at 1 July 2006: Mid-2006 Population Estimates (CSV). Office for National Statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
Berlin as at September 2007: Bevölkerung Berlin. Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (German statistics office). Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
Madrid as at 1 january 2007: Cifras de población. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spanish national statistics office). Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
Paris as at 1 July 2005: Résultats des enquêtes annuelles de recensement de 2004 à 2007 pour les grandes villes. Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (French national institute for statistics). Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio
Rome as at 31 December 2007 Bilancio demografico Anno 2007. ISTAT (Italian national statistics office). Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio - ^ Eurostat. The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Total population. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France.
- ^ Eurostat (2005-04-08). The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian EU25 population rises until 2025, then falls (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France.
- ^ Muenz, Rainer (2006). Europe: Population and Migration in 2005. Migration Information. Retrieved on 2007-07-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France.
- ^ A densely populated area. Telsat Guide. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
- ^ The World According to GaWC. Loughborough University. Retrieved on 2007-06-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
- ^ Eurostat. The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Indicators for larger urban zones 1999 - 2003. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ a b European Commission (2006). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Survey) (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states
European Commission (2006). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary) (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states - ^ EUR-Lex (2006-12-12). EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Official Journal of the European Union. The Official Journal (OJ of the European Union is the Gazette of record for the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor
- ^ Languages and Europe. FAQ: Is every document generated by the EU translated into all the official languages?. Europa (2004). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states
- ^ EUR-Lex (2004). EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Articles 149 to 150. Official Journal of the European Union. The Official Journal (OJ of the European Union is the Gazette of record for the European Union. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen
- ^ European Parliament (2004). The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU European Parliament Fact Sheets: 4.16.3. Language policy. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states
- ^ a b c European Commission (2004). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-02-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states
- ^ Mercator Newsletter - n. 29. Mercator Central (2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen
- ^ Castle, Stephen (2007-03-21). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. EU celebrates 50th birthday-with a row about religion. The Independent. The Independent is a British compact Newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly 's Independent News & Media. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth
- ^ Jewish population figures may be unreliable. These estimates are taken from: Sergio DellaPergola. World Jewish Population (2002). American Jewish Year Book. The Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João
- ^ In Europa leben gegenwärtig knapp 53 millionen Muslime. Islam. de (2006-02-25). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ Ford, Peter (2005-02-22). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne What place for God in Europe. USA Today. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth
- ^ a b Eurostat (2005). The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Eurobarometer 225: Social values, Science & Technology (PDF). Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
- ^ UK 2001 census
- ^ BBC section on Neopaganism
- ^ Strmiska, Michael F. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- ^ Forklaring til Forn Siðr´s ansøgning om godkendelse som trossamfund.
- ^ Odinist and Asatruar Community of Spain - legalization
- ^ a b Bozoki, Andras. Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union (PDF). IECOB, Institute for Central Eastern and Balkan Europe. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. European Culture Month. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ European Commission (2007-07-05). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Media programme. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
- ^ An Overture to the European Union Youth Orchestra. The European Youth Orchestra. Retrieved on 2007-08-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid
- ^ European Commission. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. European Capitals of Culture. Europa. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ Cultural heritage as a vehicle of cultural identity. Europa (2006-05-03). Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth
- ^ For example: Hans-Gert Poettering (2007-02-13). Hans-Gert Pöttering (often written as Poettering; born September 15, 1945 in Bersenbrück, Lower Saxony) is a German Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Priority is dialogue for partnership and tolerance. Inaugural speech by the new president of the European Parliament. Europa, European parliament. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation
- ^ Fordyce, Tom (2007-07-11). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. 10 years since Bosman. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
- ^ IOC, FIFA presidents welcomes new EU treaty, call it breakthrough to give sports more power. International Herald Tribune (2007-10-19). The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international Newspaper Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.
- ^ Statement of European team sports (PDF). UEFA. com (2007-10-19). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.
- ^ UEFA. UEFA. com (2007-10-19). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.
Further reading
- Craig, Paul; Gráinne de Búrca (2007). Paul Craig (born 27 September 1951) is currently Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St John's College EU Law, Text, Cases and Materials, 4th ed. , Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-927389-8.
- Steiner, Josephine; Lorna Woods; Christian Twigg-Flesner (2006). EU Law, 9th ed. , Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-927959-3.
- Barnard, Catherine (2007). The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms, 2nd ed. , Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-929839-6.
- Jenson, Jane; Denis Saint-Martin (March 2003). Is Europe still sui generis? Signals from The White Paper on European Governance. Prepared for the Eighth Biennial International Conference, European Union Studies Association, 27-29 March 2003, Nashville, Tennessee (PDF). Eighth Biennial International Conference, European Union Studies Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St
- The Economist Guide to the European Union (Profile Books 2005) ISBN 978-1-86197-930-8
- Access to European Union: law, economics, policies by Nicholas Moussis (European Study Service, 2007 – 16th ed. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London ) ISBN 978-2-930119-43-4
- Europe Recast: A History of European Union by Desmond Dinan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) ISBN 978-0-333-98734-6
- Understanding the European Union 3rd ed by John McCormick (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) ISBN 978-1-4039-4451-1
- The Institutions of the European Union edited by John Peterson, Michael Shackleton, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2006) ISBN 0198700520
- The Government and Politics of the European Union by Neill Nugent (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 978-0-333-98461-1
- The European Union: A Very Short Introduction by John Pinder (Oxford, 2001) ISBN 978-0-19-285375-2
- This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair by Hugo Young (Macmillan, 1998) ISBN 978-0-333-57992-3
- The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream by Jeremy Rifkin (Jeremy P. Desmond Dinan, (born 1957 an Irish academic (originally from Cork, Ireland) is the Jean Monnet Professor at the George Mason School of Public Policy John McCormick can refer to one of several people John Wesley McCormick ( 1754 &ndash 1837) - namesake of McCormick's Hugo John Smelter Young ( 13 October 1938 &ndash 22 September 2003) was a British Journalist and columnist and senior political Tarcher, 2004) ISBN 978-1-58542-345-3
- The European Constitution and the Imperatives of Transnational DemocracyPDF (132 KB) by Hans Köchler, Singapore Yearbook of International Law, Vol. Hans Köchler (born October 18 1948 in Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria) is Full Professor of Philosophy and Chairman 9 (2005), Accessed January 25, 2007
External links
Government | Overviews and data
Maps
|
Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union, europa The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the European NAvigator ( ENA) is an educational platform providing a wealth of information about the history of Europe and its institutions since 1945. Europa (sometimes written EUROPA) the official Web portal of the European Union, is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions WikiMapia is an online Map and Satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a Wiki system allowing users to add information
Dictionary
European Union
-proper noun
- A supranational organisation created in the 1950s to bring the nations of Europe into closer economic and political connection. At the beginning of 2007, 27 member nations were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic