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	{{redirect\|EU}}
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	<!-- The following table used to be a template — past edit history saved at "European Union/table" -->
	{\| class="infobox" border="1" cellpadding="4" style="width: 300px; border-collapse:collapse; font-size: 95%;"
	\|-
	\|+ style="font-size: larger;" \| <big><big>'''European Union'''</big></big><small><sup>{{Fn\|1}}</sup></small>
	\|-
	\| colspan="2" align="center" \| ] <br /> ]
	\|-
	\| colspan="2" align="center" \| <small>]: {{lang\|la\|''In varietate concordia''}}<br>(] for "United in diversity")</small>
	\|-
	\| colspan="2" align="center" \| <small>]: ] (orchestral)
	\|-
	\| colspan="2" align="center" style="background: #fff;" \| ]
	\|-
	\| '''Capital'''
	\| ] (''de facto'')
	\|-
	\|'''Member states'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''']s'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	! colspan=2 \| Presidencies
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	! colspan=2 height="5" \| History
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ], ]
	\|-
	\| '''Formation as ]'''<br> - Signed<br> - Enforced
	\| ]<br> - ], ]<br> - ], ]
	\|-
	\| '''Formation as EU'''<br> - Signed<br> - Enforced
	\| ]<br> - ], ]<br> - ], ]
	\|-
	! colspan=2 \| Statistics
	\|- style="vertical-align: bottom;"
	\| ''']'''<br> - Total
	\| ]<small><sup>{{Fn\|2}}</sup></small><br>]
	\|- style="vertical-align: bottom;"
	\| ''']'''<br> - Total (2005)<br> - ]
	\| ]<small><sup>{{Fn\|2}}</sup></small><br>459,500,000<br>115.6 people/km²
	\|- style="vertical-align: bottom;"
	\| ''']''' (], 2005)<br> - Total<br> - per capita
	\| ]<small><sup>{{Fn\|2}}</sup></small><br>$12,329,110 {{Fn\|7}}million<br>$26,900
	\|-
	! colspan=2 \| Other information
	\|-
	\| style="vertical-align:middle;" \| ''']'''
	\| ] (] or €)<small><sup>{{Fn\|3}}</sup></small><br>
	'''Other currencies''':<br>
	] (CYP or C£)<br>
	] (CZK or Kč)<br>
	] (DKK or kr)<br>
	] (EEK or kr)<br>
	] (HUF or Ft)<br>
	] (LVL or Ls)<br>
	] (LTL or Lt)<br>
	] (MTL or Lm)<br>
	] (PLN or zł)<br>
	] (GBP or £)<br>
	] (SKK or Sk)<br>
	] (SIT)<br>
	] (SEK or kr)
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ] 0 to +2<small><sup>{{Fn\|4}}</sup></small>
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''']'''
	\| Not standardized<small><sup>{{Fn\|5}}</sup></small>
	\|-
	\| '''Official Website'''
	\|http://www.europa.eu/
	\|-
	\| colspan="2" style="font-size: 90%;" \| {{Fnb\|1}} ]<br>{{Fnb\|2}} If counted as a single unit<br> {{Fnb\|3}} Used by ] members and EU institutions <br> {{Fnb\|4}} +1 to +3 during ]; French ]s, UTC −4 to +4 <br> {{Fnb\|5}} Plans for a EU-wide +3 prefix were abandoned. The ] is somewhat similar. Current members' codes begin with either +3 or +4. <br> {{Fnb\|6}} According IMF Estimations & Reports for 2005
	\|}

	The '''European Union''' ('''EU''') is an ] and ] ] of 25 ] ] from the ]. The European Union was established under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the ]). However, many aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor relationships, dating back to 1951. <ref> — "EUROPA > The EU at a glance > Panorama"
	, accessed April 2006</ref>

	The Union nowadays has a common ] <ref> Activities of the EU — Single market — Accessed April 2006</ref> consisting of a ], a ] managed by the ] (so far adopted by 12 of the 25 member states), a ], a common trade policy, and a ]. A ] was also established as the second of the ] of the European Union. The ] abolished passport control, and customs checks were also abolished at many of the EU's internal borders, creating a single space of mobility for ]s to live, travel, work and invest. <ref> Europa Portal — Glossary entry on Schengen </ref> <ref> Europa Portal — '' Freedom, security and justice for all '' </ref>

	The most important EU institutions include the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ]. The European Parliament's origins go back to the 1950s and the founding treaties, and since 1979 its members have been directly elected by the people they represent. Elections are held every five years, and every EU citizen who is registered as a voter is entitled to vote.

	The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from ] and ] policy to ] and ]. However, the extent of its powers differs greatly between areas. Depending on the area in question, the EU may therefore resemble a ] (e.g. on monetary affairs, agricultural, trade and environmental policy, economic and social policy), a ] (e.g. on home affairs) or an ] (e.g. in foreign affairs).

	==Status of the European Union==
	The members of the European Union have transferred to it considerable ], more than that of any other non-sovereign ]. As has been mentioned, in certain areas the EU begins to take on the character of a ] or ]. However, in legal terms, member states remain the ''masters of the Treaties'', which means that the Union does not have the power to transfer additional powers from states onto itself without their agreement through further international treaties. Further, in many areas member states have given up relatively little national sovereignty, particularly in key areas of national interest such as foreign relations and defence. This unique structure means the European Union is perhaps best seen as a '']'' entity.

	On ], ], EU member state heads of government and state ]ed the ]. This has been ratified by 13 member states and is currently awaiting ratification by the other states. However, this process faltered on ] ] when the majority of French voters rejected the constitution in a referendum by 54.7%. ] was followed three days later by a ] on ] when in the ] 61.6% of voters refused the constitution as well. <ref>{{cite web \| title=Evaluation of the French Referendum on the EU Constitution \| year=November 17, 2005 \| author=Arsène, Richard, Pabst, Ronald. \| publisher=Democracy International \| url=http://www.democracy-international.org/fileadmin/pdf/monitoring/di-france.pdf \| accessdate=2006-04-04}}</ref>

	The current and future status of the European Union therefore continues to be subject of political controversy, with widely differing views both within and between member states. For example, in the ] one poll suggested that around 50% of the population are indifferent to the European Union and 20% voted for parties that wanted to withdraw from the EU in the 2004 EU elections. However, other countries are more in favour of European integration — soon after the Netherlands and the French voted "no" on the constitution, the Grand Duchy of ] voted "yes." What the term "]" itself means is also the subject of much debate.

	==Current issues==
	Major issues currently facing the European Union cover its membership, structure, procedures and policies; they include the adoption, abandonment or adjustment of the new ], the ] to the south and east (see below), resolving the Union's problematic fiscal and ], economic viability with the ], ], and ], revision of the rules of the ], and the future budget and the ].

	At the December 2005 ] (IGC), which is a semi-annual meeting of EU member states'
	heads of state and government, EU member states decided on how it should allocate the EU budget for the next seven years (2007–2013). Also, the "]" was defined as EU members agreed to fix the common budget to 1.045% of the ] ]. UK Prime Minister ] agreed to review the ], negotiated by ] in 1984, despite a promise to the contrary made to the UK Parliament. French President ] declared that this increase in budget will permit Europe to "finance common policies" such as the ] or the ]. However, France's demand to lower the ] in catering was refused.

	Issues controversial during upcoming budget debates were the ], France's benefits from the ], Germany and the Netherlands' large contributions to the EU budget, and reform of the ]s. Many commentators have envisaged these debates to yield a major split between governments such as France and Germany, who call for a broader budget and a more federal union, and governments such as that of the UK, who demanded a slimmer budget with more funding transferred to science and research (and whose watchword is ]).

	A ] (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international ] intended to create a ] for the European Union. The failure of the constitution to win popular support in some member states (France and Netherlands) caused other countries to postpone or halt their ratification procedures, and the Constitution now has a highly uncertain future. Had it been ratified, the treaty would have entered into force on ], ]. However, as of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] had ratified the constitutional treaty. The two countries due to join the European Union in 2007, ] and ], have already accepted the constitutional treaty too, ratifying their accession treaty.

	==Origins and history==
	{{main\|History of the European Union}}

	] of the Treaty of Rome, 1957]]

	Attempts to unite the disparate nations of Europe precede the modern ]s; they have occurred repeatedly throughout the history of Europe. Two and a half thousand years ago, Europe was dominated by the ]s and other tribes which were not a single political entity, and then conquered and ruled by the ] centred ]. This early union was created by the force of one central state. The ] ] of ] and the ] united large areas under a loose administration for hundreds of years. More recently the 1800s ] under ] and the 1940s conquests of ] had only transitory existence.

	Given Europe's collections of ], ] and ethnic groups, these attempts usually involved ] of unwilling nations, leading to instability; others have lasted hundreds of years and promulgated large spells of peace and economical and technological progress as in the Roman Empire's ]. One of the first proposals for peaceful unification through cooperation and equality of ] was made by the ] ] in 1851. Following the catastrophes of the ] and the ], the impetus for the founding of (what was later to become) the European Union greatly increased, driven by the determination to rebuild Europe and to eliminate the possibility of another war. This sentiment eventually led to the formation of the ] by ], ], ] and the ] countries. This was accomplished by the ], signed in April, 1951, and taking effect in July, 1952.

	The first full customs union was originally known as the '''European Economic Community''' (informally called the '''Common Market''' in the UK), established by the ] in 1957 and implemented on ] ]. This later changed to the '''European Community''' which is now the "first pillar" of the European Union. The EU has evolved from a trade body into an economic and political partnership. For more details, please see ]. As president of the ], the former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing proposed to change the name of the European Union to United Europe but it was not adopted.

	==Member states and enlargement==
	{{main articles\|], ], and ]}}

	The European Union has 25 member states, an area of 3,892,685 ] and approximately 460 million inhabitants ]. The European Union's member states combined represent the ], larger than the USA, the People's Republic of China, and Japan, the ] and the ]. The EU describes itself as a "a family of democratic European countries" , though the extent of "European" has been a matter of debate, especially in relation to the possibility of the accession of Turkey.

	The European Union has land borders with 20 nations and sea borders with 31. (See ])

	]

	Since its inception in the 1950s, with six countries, nineteen further states have joined in successive waves of enlargement:

	{\| class="wikitable"
	! Date
	! Countries
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] (])<br>] ] (]) \|\| ], ], ], ], ], the ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ], ], ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ], ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ] reunites with ] and becomes part of the ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ], ], ]
	\|-
	\|valign="top"\|] ] \|\| ]<sup>1</sup>, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
	\|}

	{{Life in the European Union}}

	'''Notes:'''
	* ], which was granted ] by ] in 1979, left the European Community in 1985, following a referendum.
	* ] and ] will join the EU on ] ]
	* Several overseas territories and dependencies have close associations with particular EU member states, for example ], the ], the ] and ]. (See ])
	* <sup>1</sup> European jurisdiction technically does not apply to ]

	===Future enlargement and close relationships===
	{{main\|Enlargement of the EU}}

	* ] and ] are scheduled to become members on ] ], provided that they meet the ] and that the Treaty of Accession for the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania is ratified by parliaments of member states. The treaty was signed by representatives of the EU Member States at the Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg on ] 2005. ], member state parliaments are taking forward its ratification.

	* ] is an official candidate to join the European Union. Turkish European ambitions date back to 1963 Ankara Agreements. Turkey started preliminary negotiations on ] ]. However, analysts believe 2015 is the earliest date the country can join the union due to the plethora of economic and social reforms it has to complete. Since it has been granted official candidate status, Turkey has implemented permanent policies on human rights, abolished the death penalty, granted cultural rights to its large Kurdish minority, and taken positive steps to solve the ]. However, due to its religious and cultural differences, Turkey faces strong opposition from governments of some member states, including France, Germany, Austria and Cyprus. The Greek government has supported in principle the Turkish candidacy, while in practice linking its progress with the resolution of the long standing Cyprus dispute. ], the head of the ], also opposes Turkey becoming a member state because of its predominantly Muslim population.

	* ] is an official candidate country to join. It hopes to join in 2009. The arrest of ] in December 2005 means the accession process is unlikely to be hampered by issues with the ] and will depend only on Croatia's fulfilment of ].

	* ] has been given official candidate status ] under the name "]".

	*The ] states of ], ] and ] are members of the ] which allows them to participate in most aspects of the EU single market without joining the EU. ], the fourth EFTA state, rejected EEA membership in a referendum; however, it has established close ties to the EU by means of bilateral treaties. The majority of the population of each of these countries opposes membership at present.

	'''See also:'''
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]

	===Context — rationale for enlargement and future prospects===
	Supporters of the European Union argue that the growth of the EU is a force for ] and ]. They argue that the wars which were a periodic feature of the history of Western Europe have ceased since the formation of the European Economic Community (which later became the EU) in the 1950s. They also claim that in the early 1970s, Greece, Portugal and Spain were all ]s, but the desire of the business communities in these three countries to be in the EU created a strong impetus for democracy there. Others argue that peace in Europe since World War II is more due to other causes, such as the need for a unified response to the threat from the ], a need for reconstruction after ], and a collective temporary tiring of waging war, and that the dictatorships cited came to an end for totally different reasons.

	In more recent times, the European Union has been extending its influence to the east. It has accepted several new members that were previously behind the ], and has plans to accept several more in the medium-term. It is hoped that in a similar fashion to the entry of Spain, Portugal and Greece in the 1980s, membership for these states will help cement economic and political stability.

	As the EU continues to enlarge eastward, the candidate countries' accessions tend to grow more controversial. As previously explained, the EU has finished accession talks with Bulgaria and Romania, and set an entry date for the two countries in 2007. However, the rejection of the EU Constitution by France and the Netherlands, and the EU's slow economic growth, have cast some doubt on whether the EU will be ready to accept new members after 2007, when Romania and Bulgaria are set to join EU (in early 2005 they signed the Accession Treaty).

	A further point of contention for EU members is the accession of Turkey. Accession preliminary talks between Turkey and the EU began in early October 2005. Turkey's Government, led by Prime Minister ], has enacted many legal reforms to meet the EU's entry requirements. However, some member states, especially Austria , repudiate Turkey joining the EU, and the possible economic, immigration and cultural implications that may bring. It is also noted that the vast majority of Turkey's territory lies outside of what is commonly considered the continent of Europe.

	==Institutions and legal framework==
	===EU institutions===
	The functioning of the European Union is supported by several institutions<ref>These five bodies are all listed as institutions in the ]</ref>:
	*The ] (732 members ''750 max.'')
	*The ] (or 'Council of Ministers') (25 members)
	*The ] (25 members)
	*The ] (incorporating the ]) (25 judges (& 25 judges of CFI))
	*The ] (25 members)

	The ], which is a regular meeting of the 25 head of member states and the European Commission president is sometimes also listed as an institution, although since it lacks its own staff, budget and the legal powers held by the above 5 institutions, it is better described as a "quasi-institution"

	There are several financial bodies<ref>None of these bodies are "institutions" in the technical sense of the EU treaty, but they have many of the same powers</ref>:
	*] (which alongside the national ]s, composes the ])
	*] (including the ])

	There are also several ] to the institutions:
	*], advising on regional issues
	*], advising on economic and social policy (principally relations between workers and employers)
	*], established in the context of the ], monitoring and advising on international issues of global security.

	There are also a great number of bodies, usually set up by ], which exist to implement particular policies. These are the ''']'''. Examples are the ], the ] and the ].

	Lastly, the ] investigates complaints of maladministration by EU institutions.

	====Location of EU institutions====

	As soon as the European Economic Community (EEC) was established, political and legal wrangling began over where the European institutions should be located. The Member States were unable to reach agreement on where the permanent seats should be, particularly since the concept of a European district, proposed by Jean Monnet, won little support. From 1958, the Commissions of the EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) had their seats in Brussels.

	Until such time as the Member States reached agreement on a single permanent seat for the Community institutions, European officials were distributed between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, leading, in particular, to a considerable increase in overheads. Brussels was chosen as the seat of the Single Commission and the Council of Ministers. In practical terms, this meant that most European officials were employed there. Luxembourg sought compensation for the loss of the High Authority and the Special Council of Ministers of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), both of which were relocated to Brussels. However, Luxembourg became the seat for the new European Investment Bank (EIB) and was given the assurance that certain meetings of the Council of Ministers would be held there, in April, June and September. The Court of Justice, the Central Statistical Office, the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, the Advisory Committee and the financial services of the ECSC and the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly also remained in Luxembourg. Meanwhile, France refused to renounce its claim for Strasbourg as seat of the Parliamentary Assembly. A compromise was reached whereby Parliament’s Members met in plenary session in Strasbourg but meetings of parliamentary committees were held in Brussels. Certain plenary meetings were also held in Luxembourg, which was also the seat of the Secretariat of the European Parliament.

	The EU has no official capital and its institutions are divided between several cities:

	* ] — considered the ''de facto'' capital of the EU, being the seat of the ] and the ]. It is also the venue of the ] committee meetings and mini-sessions and (since 2004) the host city for all ] summits.

	* ] — seat of the ] and venue of its twelve week-long plenary sessions each year. Strasbourg is also the seat of the ] and the ], two institutions which are separate from (and have a wider membership than) the EU.

	* ] — seat of the ], the ] and the ].

	* ] — seat of the ]

	* ] — the seat of ] (the European Police Office)

	===Legal framework===
	]]]

	] comprises a large number of overlapping legal and institutional structures. This is a result of its being defined by successive international treaties, with each new treaty amending and supplementing earlier ones. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to consolidate and simplify the treaties, culminating with the final draft of the ]. If this proposed treaty is adopted, it will replace the set of overlapping treaties that form the current constitution of the EU with a single text.

	The earliest EU treaty was the ] of 1951 (took effect in 1952) which established the ] between an original group of six European countries. This treaty has since expired, its functions taken up by subsequent treaties. On the other hand, the ] of 1957 is still in effect, though much amended since then, most notably by the ] of 1992, which first established the European Union under that name. The most recent amendments to the Treaty of Rome were agreed as part of the ] of the 10 new member states, which entered into force on ] ].

	The EU member states have recently agreed to the text of a new ] that, if ratified by the member states, would have become the first official constitution of the EU, replacing all previous treaties with a single document. Although accepted by many countries, this document was rejected in a French referendum with a 55% majority on ] and in the Dutch referendum with a 62% majority on ].

	If the Constitutional Treaty fails to be ratified by all member states, then it might be necessary to reopen negotiations on it. Most politicians and officials agree that the current pre-Constitution structures are inefficient in the medium term for a union of 25 (and growing) member states. Senior politicians in some member states (notably France) have suggested that if only a few countries fail to ratify the Treaty, then the rest of the Union should proceed without them, possibly creating an "Avant Garde" or Inner Union of more committed member states to proceed with "an ever-deeper, ever-wider union".

	{{see also\|EU treaties\|Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe}}

	====The role of the European Community within the Union====
	=====European Communities: European Community plus Euratom=====

	The term ] refers collectively to two entities — the European Economic Community (now called the European Community) and the European Atomic Energy Community (also known as ]) — each founded pursuant to a separate treaty in the 1950s. A third entity, the European Coal and Steel Community, was also part of the European Communities, but ceased to exist in 2002 upon the expiration of its founding treaty. Since 1967, the European Communities have shared common institutions, specifically the Council, the European Parliament, the ] and the ] of ]. In 1992, the European Economic Community, which of the three original communities had the broadest scope, was renamed the "]" by the Treaty of Maastricht.

	=====European Union: European Communities plus CFSP and PJCC=====

	The European Communities are one of the ], being both the most important pillar and the only one to operate primarily through supranational institutions. The other two "pillars" – ], and ] – are looser intergovernmental groupings. Confusingly, these latter two concepts are increasingly administered by the Community (as they are built up from mere concepts to actual practice).

	=====Effect of Constitutional Treaty=====

	If it is ratified, the proposed new ] would abolish the three-pillar structure and, with it, the distinction between the European Union and the European Community, bringing all the Community's activities under the auspices of the European Union and transferring the Community's legal personality to the Union. There is, however, one qualification: it appears that Euratom would remain a distinct entity governed by a separate treaty (due to the strong controversy the issue of nuclear energy causes, and Euratom's relative unimportance, it was considered expedient to leave Euratom alone in the process of EU constitutional reform.)

	{\| align=center style="text-align:center;"
	\|-
	\| ]
	\|-
	\| ''Evolution of the structures of the European Union.''
	\|-
	\| {{EU-timeline}}
	\|}

	====Intergovernmentalism and supranationalism====
	A basic tension exists within the European Union between ] and ]. Intergovernmentalism is a method of decision-making in international organisations where power is possessed by the member states and decisions are made by unanimity. Independent appointees of the governments or elected representatives have solely advisory or implementational functions. Intergovernmentalism is used by most international organisations today.

	An alternative method of decision-making in international organisations is supranationalism. In supranationalism power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of the member states. Member state governments still have power, but they must share this power with other actors. Furthermore, decisions are made by majority votes, hence it is possible for a member-state to be forced by the other member-states to implement a decision against its will.

	Some forces in European Union politics favour the intergovernmental approach, while others favour the supranational path. Supporters of supranationalism argue that it allows integration to proceed at a faster pace than would otherwise be possible. Where decisions must be made by governments acting unanimously, decisions can take years to make, if they are ever made. Supporters of intergovernmentalism argue that supra-nationalism is a threat to national sovereignty, and to democracy, claiming that only national governments can possess the necessary democratic legitimacy. Intergovernmentalism is being favoured by more ] nations such as the ], ] and ]; while more integrationist nations such as the ] countries, ], ], and ] have tended to prefer the supranational approach.

	The European Union attempts to strike a balance between the two approaches. This balance however is complex, resulting in the often labyrinthine complexity of its decision-making procedures.

	Starting in March 2002, a ] again looked at this balance, among other things, and proposed changes. These changes were discussed at an Intergovernmental Conference (]) in May 2004 and led to the Constitutional Treaty discussed above.

	Supranationalism is closely related to the inter-governmentalist ''vs. '' neofunctionalist debate. This is a debate concerning why the process of integration has taken place at all. Intergovernmentalists argue that the process of EU integration is a result of tough bargaining between states. Neofunctionalism, on the other hand, argues that the supranational institutions themselves have been a driving force behind integration. For further information on this see the page on ].

	==Main policies==
	As the changing name of the European Union (from European Economic Community to European Community to European Union) suggests, it has evolved over time from a primarily economic union to an increasingly political one. This trend is highlighted by the increasing number of policy areas that fall within EU competence: political power has tended to shift upwards from the member states to the EU.

	This picture of increasing centralisation is counter-balanced by two points.

	First, some member states have a domestic tradition of strong regional government. This has led to an increased focus on regional policy and the ]. A ] was established as part of the ].

	Second, EU policy areas cover a number of different forms of co-operation.

	*Autonomous decision making: member states have granted the ] power to issue decisions in certain areas such as ], ] control and ].
	*Harmonisation: member state laws are harmonised through the ], which involves the ], ] and ]. As a result of this ] is increasingly present in the systems of the member states.
	*Co-operation: member states, meeting as the ] agree to co-operate and co-ordinate their domestic policies.

	The tension between EU and national (or sub-national) competence is an enduring one in the development of the European Union. ''(See also ] (above), ].)''

	All prospective members must enact legislation in order to bring them into line with the common European Union legal framework, known as the '']''. (See also ] (EFTA), ] (EEA) and ].)
	<small>See ] participating in some of the initiatives.</small>

	===Single market===
	Many of the policies of the EU relate in one way or another to the development and maintenance of an effective ]. Significant efforts have been made to create harmonised standards – which are designed to bring economic benefits through creating larger, more efficient markets.

	The power of the single market reaches beyond the EU borders, because to sell within the EU, it is beneficial to conform to its standards. Once a non-member country's factories, farmers and merchants conform to EU standards, much of the cost of joining the union has already been sunk. At that point, harmonising domestic laws in order to become a full member is relatively painless, and may create more wealth through eliminating the customs costs.

	The single market has both internal and external aspects:

	====Internal policies====
	] banknotes]]

	*] of goods and services among member states (an aim further extended to three of the four ] states by the ], EEA)
	*A common ] controlling anti-competitive activities of companies (through antitrust law and merger control) and member states (through the State Aids regime).
	*The ] allowed removal of internal border controls and harmonisation of external controls between its member states. This excludes the UK and Ireland, which have derogations, but includes the non-EU members ] and ]. Switzerland also voted via referendum in 2005 to become part of the Schengen zone.
	*Freedom for citizens of its member states to live and work anywhere within the EU with their spouses and children, provided they can support themselves (also extended to the other EEA states and Switzerland). This has led to a gross anomaly whereby family related social welfare benefits are payable by the member state where an EU citizen is employed, even where the family of the worker are resident elsewhere in the Union.
	*Free movement of ] between member states (and other EEA states).
	*Harmonisation of government regulations, corporations law and ] registrations.
	*], a single currency area with the ] (excluding the ], and ], which have derogations). ], although not having a specific opt-out clause, has not joined the ], voluntarily excluding itself from the ].
	*A large amount of environmental policy co-ordination throughout the Union.
	*A ] and a ].
	*Common system of indirect ], the ], as well as common customs duties and excises on various products.
	*Funding for the development of disadvantaged regions — ], as well as the emergency financial aid — the solidarity fund.

	==External links==
	*A common external ] tariff, and a common position in international trade negotiations.
	*Funding for programmes in candidate countries and other ]an countries, as well as aid to many developing countries, through its programmes ], ], ], ].
	* The establishment of a single market European Energy Community by means of the ].
	* The establishment of a single market ].

	===Co-operation and harmonisation in other areas===
	*Freedom for citizens of the EU to vote in local government and ] elections in any member state.
	*Co-operation in criminal matters, including sharing of ] (through ] and the ]), agreement on common definition of ] and expedited ] procedures.
	*A ] as a future objective, however this has some way to go before being realised. The divisions between the member states (in the ]) and then-future members (in the ]) during the run up to the ] highlights just how far off this objective could be before it becomes a reality.
	*A ] as an objective, including the creation of a 60,000-member ] for ] purposes, an EU ] staff and an EU ] centre (for intelligence purposes).
	*Common policy on asylum and immigration.
	*Common funding of research and technological development, through four-year Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The ] is running from 2002 to 2006.

	==Economy==
	{{main\|Economy of the European Union}}

	] per capita of EU member states and candidates.]]

	If considered a single unit, the European Union has the largest economy in the world with a ] of 11,723,816 million USD using ] equivalence. The ] is expected to grow further over the next decade as more countries join the ] — especially considering that the new states are usually poorer than the EU average, and have the capacity to grow at a high rate. The ] published estimations on ] ] that the ] of the European Union will have grown approximately 1.5% in 2005 (1.3% in the eurozone),and 2.3% 2006 (2.1% in the eurozone) comparing favorably to earlier low growth predictions. In the year of 2006 the eurozone made 4-5 milion new jobs. . The European Council is hopeful that the European Union will grow further in 2006 and in 2007 (2.1% 2006 2.4% 2007). Germany, the largest economy in the EU, will grow about: 0.8% 2005, 1.2% 2006 and 1.6% 2007. After extremely slow growth, it seems that the EU will grow again in the next couple of years.
	*

	EU member states have agreed a programme called ] which aims at making "the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy" by 2010.

	===Economic variation===
	Below is a table and three graphs showing, respectively, the ] (]), the ] (PPP) per capita and the ] (nominal) per capita for the European Union and for each of its 25 member states. This can be used as a rough gauge to the relative standards of living among member states. The two future members ] and ] (set for ] ]) are also included in the table, as are the official candidates and ''']'''. The data set is for the year 2006 and graphs are for the year 2004. All 2006 data are '''projections'''.

	The table is sorted by ] to show the relative economic development level of the different countries.

	{\| align="right"
	\|]
	\|-
	\|]
	\|-
	\|]
	\|}
	{\| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
	\|-
	! ]
	! GDP (PPP)<br><small>millions of<br>]</small>
	! GDP (PPP)<br>per capita<br><small>int. dollars</small>
	! GDP (nominal)<br>per capita<br><small>int. dollars</small>
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| '''{{EU-List}}'''
	\| '''12,954,042'''
	\| '''28,477'''
	\| '''29,763'''
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Luxembourg}}
	\| 33,436
	\| 72,945
	\| 76,224
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Ireland}}
	\| 179,516
	\| 42,859
	\| 49,533
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Denmark}}
	\| 195,788
	\| 36,079
	\| 48,530
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Austria}}
	\| 286,767
	\| 35,002
	\| 37,378
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Finland}}
	\| 171,848
	\| 32,822
	\| 36,928
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Belgium}}
	\| 338,452
	\| 32,500
	\| 35,843
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Netherlands}}
	\| 524,035
	\| 32,062
	\| 38,323
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|United Kingdom}}
	\| 1,911,943
	\| 31,628
	\| 36,875
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Germany}}
	\| 2,605,373
	\| 31,572
	\| 33,356
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Sweden}}
	\| 283,802
	\| 31,235
	\| 39,562
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|France}}
	\| 1,900,467
	\| 30,322
	\| 33,387
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Italy}}
	\| 1,726,869
	\| 29,727
	\| 30,144
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Spain}}
	\| 1,145,078
	\| 27,542
	\| 27,815
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Greece}}
	\| 261,018
	\| 23,519
	\| 20,545
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Slovenia}}
	\| 46,384
	\| 23,250
	\| 17,535
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Cyprus}}
	\| 18,563
	\| 22,334
	\| 20,500
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Malta}}
	\| 8,103
	\| 20,365
	\| 13,847
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Portugal}}
	\| 210,049
	\| 19,949
	\| 17,224
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Czech Republic}}
	\| 198,931
	\| 19,478
	\| 12,587
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Hungary}}
	\| 179,606
	\| 18,492
	\| 11,375
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Estonia}}
	\| 23,927
	\| 17,802
	\| 10,342
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Slovakia}}
	\| 93,288
	\| 17,239
	\| 9,471
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Lithuania}}
	\| 52,705
	\| 15,443
	\| 8,310
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Poland}}
	\| 526,253
	\| 13,797
	\| 8,410
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| {{flagcountry\|Latvia}}
	\| 31,841
	\| 13,784
	\| 8,401
	\|-
	! colspan=4 style="text-align:left;" \| '''] Countries:'''
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Bulgaria}}''
	\| 76,696
	\| 10,003
	\| 3,686
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Romania}}''
	\| 204,412
	\| 9,446
	\| 5,254
	\|-
	! colspan=4 style="text-align:left;" \| '''] Countries:'''
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Croatia}}''
	\| 57,983
	\| 12,885
	\| 8,710
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Turkey}}''
	\| 609,987
	\| 8,385
	\| 5,692
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{FYROM}}''
	\| 16,700
	\| 8,080
	\| 2,564
	\|-
	! colspan=4 style="text-align:left;" \| ''']:'''
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}''
	\| 25,505
	\| 6,456
	\| 2,561
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Serbia and Montenegro}}''
	\| 47,770
	\| 5,713
	\| 3,215
	\|-
	\| style="text-align:left;" \| ''{{flagcountry\|Albania}}''
	\| 18,329
	\| 5,107
	\| 2,441
	\|-
	\|}
	<small>Source: ] </small><br>
	<small>All other figures, source: ] web site (, , ).</small>
	*

	==Comparison with other regional blocs==
	{{Most Active Regional blocs}}

	==See also==
	===Lists===
	*] (hierarchical list of all EU articles)
	*]
	* ]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	===Other===
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*] and ]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	==Further reading==
	*''] Guide to the European Union'' (Profile Books 2005) ISBN 1861979304
	*''Europe Recast: A History of European Union'' by Desmond Dinan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) ISBN 0333987349
	*''Understanding the European Union 2nd ed'' by John McCormick (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 033394867X
	*''The Institutions of the European Union'' edited by John Peterson, Michael Shackleton (Oxford University Press, 2002) ISBN 0198700520
	*''The Government and Politics of the European Union'' by Neill Nugent (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 0333984617
	*''The European Union: A Very Short Introduction'' by John Pinder (Oxford, 2001) ISBN 0192853759
	*''The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the end of American Supremacy'' by T.R. Reid (Penguin Press, 2004) ISBN 1594200335
	*''This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair'' by ] (Macmillan, 1998) ISBN 0333579925
	*''The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream'' by Jeremy Rifkin (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004) ISBN 1585423459
	*''The Great Deception: The Secret History of the European Union'' by Christopher Booker, Richard North (Continuum International Publishing Group — Academi, 2003) ISBN 0826471056
	* ''(John Harper Publishing, 2005)

	== Notes and references ==
	<div class="references-small"><references/></div>

	==External links and references==
	{{portal}}
	{{sisterlinks}}

	;Official pages
	*
	**
	**
	** (] and ]).
	**
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	*
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	*
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	{{EU countries and candidates}}


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Revision as of 17:54, 16 May 2006