INDEPTH: EUROPEAN UNION
The EU, a unique organization of nations
CBC News Online | May 30, 2005
The European Union evolved in the latter half of the 20th century to integrate European nations into a common market.
The predecessor to the European Union – the European Coal and Steel Community – was established in 1951 to pool coal and steel resources among member nations. The organization eventually became known as the European Union, and evolved as a tool to integrate European nations into a common market, to create a common defence system, and to achieve a unified voice on the world stage.
The European Union itself was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. Several nations have joined since then, including an unprecedented expansion on May 1, 2004, when 10 more countries joined, bringing the total to 25.
Many EU nations are simultaneously members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The EU is composed of 25 member states representing 456 million people (year of entry in brackets):
Belgium (1951); Germany (1951); France (1951); Italy (1951); Luxembourg (1951); the Netherlands (1951); Denmark (1973); Ireland (1973); United Kingdom (1973); Greece (1981); Spain (1986); Portugal (1986); Austria (1995); Finland (1995) and Sweden (1995).
The 10 nations that joined on May 1, 2004, are: the Greek sector of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
On April 24, 2004, Greek Cypriots in the south of the country rejected reunification with the Turkish north, meaning only the Greek sector will be eligible for entry into the EU. Turkish Cypriots backed the proposal.
Bulgaria and Romania are expected to join in 2007. The European Union and Turkey have agreed on terms to begin membership talks in October 2005. Croatia applied for EU membership in February 2003 and has been accepted as a candidate. The former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia applied in March 2004, and the European Commission is expected to make a recommendation on its candidacy in November 2005.
On his inauguration day in January 2005, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko expressed his interest in joining, saying, "Our place is in the European Union." The country has not made a formal application for membership.
The EU is run by five governing bodies:
- European Parliament is elected every five years by the citizens of the member states. The parliament works with the council to enact legislation. It also oversees EU spending, and has political influence over all governing bodies.
- Council of the Union is composed of the governments of member states. Along with parliament, the council makes decisions on legislative issues. It is also the decision-making body for security and defence issues.
- European Commission is the EU's executive body, and can introduce draft legislation for consideration by parliament and council. The commission implements legislation once passed.
- Court of Justice ensures legal compliance, and has jurisdiction in dealing with legal disputes between member states.
- Court of Auditors oversees management of EU budget.
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