EU countries - history of creation and authorities

The European Union (EU) is a confederal (although it is not legally and not confirmed) economic and political union, which includes 27 states. Legally it was founded in February 1992, after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. Today, the population living on its territory is more than 500 million people, and the GDP is 15.7 trillion dollars. Although the confederation was legally established only in 1992, the cornerstone was an event that occurred back in 1951. At that time, six countries - Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg - signed an agreement on the establishment of the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community). Further, other unions were established, which allowed the creation of a free trade zone and, in general, more profound economic integration of these states. Soon the countries of the European Union began to replenish with new states, which increased the strength of its economic and political influence. Today, there are 27 EU member states, of which Bulgaria and Romania were the last to join, and they joined in 2007. It is important to note that the list of EU countries will be supplemented by Croatia (tentatively - July 1, 2013).

The most important event in the history of the EU was the creation of a common market, which allowed the free exchange of goods, facilitated the movement of people and capital. An important aspect is the abolition of passport control within the Schengen zone.

What are the tasks of the European Union? In fact, there are a lot of them. The authorities issue various laws and directives in the sphere of trade, justice, agriculture, and other branches. 17 countries form the Eurozone, which is characterized by the presence of a common currency - the euro. Another interesting fact is that this association is the world's largest exporter and importer at the same time. Plus, the EU countries are important economic partners of the United States, China, Japan, India and other countries.

The Confederation also has a specific political structure. It has its own structure, which includes executive, legislative and judicial bodies. In more detail you can see them in the table.

In general, the most important task of the association is to strengthen political and economic influence in the international arena. To achieve this goal, all the countries of the European Union closely cooperate among themselves, pursuing an integration policy. It is also worth mentioning social intervention: programs are being created in various branches of science, scientific research is being conducted and sponsored, educational centers are being organized. The EU countries are quite diverse in terms of living standards, culture, number and composition of the population. In general, 23 languages are recorded on its territory. The main religion that the majority professes is Catholicism, but there are also other faiths and faiths.