The European Union is a unique supranational organisation which reunites the following 28 European States:
- Austria (year of entry, 1995)
- Belgium (1952)
- Bulgaria (2007)
- Croatia (2013)
- Cyprus (2004)
- Czech Republic (2004)
- Denmark (1973)
- Estonia (2004)
- Finland (1995)
- France (1952)
- Germany (1952)
- Greece (1981)
- Hungary (2004)
- Ireland (1973)
- Italy (1952)
- Latvia (2004)
- Lithuania (2004)
- Luxembourg (1952)
- Malta (2004)
- Netherlands (1952)
- Poland (2004)
- Portugal (1986)
- Romania (2007)
- Slovakia (2004)
- Slovenia (2004)
- Spain (1986)
- Sweden (1995)
- United Kingdom (1973)
The EU works through different institutions. The European Council, which brings together national and EU-level leaders, sets broad priorities of the EU. The European Parliament, whose members are directly elected by European citizens, adopts biding acts together with the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the individual member countries. The European Commission upholds the interests of the EU as a whole and drafts proposals for the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Finally, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy coordinates EU diplomacy and other foreign policy tools – development assistance, trade, humanitarian aid and crisis response – and represents the EU at international fora such as the United Nations.
Useful links
The European Parliament: www.europarl.europa.eu
The European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu
The European Council: www.european-council.europa.eu/
The High Representative: www.eeas.europa.eu