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How many countries are included in the eu today. The European Union is

Which states are members of the European Union, which are Schengen, and which are the euro area? An interesting situation has developed in Europe: there is integration, but each country is trying to assemble its own constructor according to its choice. Therefore, there are several collective farms here. The most advanced option is when the state is simultaneously a member of the European Union, the Schengen area and the eurozone.

It is necessary to clarify a little what gives the state an entrance to this or that community.

The list of EU countries today is quite impressive (table below). Today the European Union (until June 2011 the Western European Union) is, in other words, a semblance of the former USSR. It was formed back in 1948 as a counterweight to the USSR. There was also a second good reason: to prevent the revival of an independent Germany after the Second World War. And now Germany has been given the honorary right to be the locomotive of the economy of the entire European Union, so as not to get rich, but this is a topic for another difficult conversation.

Of course, there are still many differences with the Soviet Union. For example, the absence of a single currency. But there is also a lot in common: practically a federal structure based on general legislation, there is a general fund from which you can scoop. Single Central Bank (ECB), common customs area. Centralization as a command-and-control rule - from above, the limits on the area under crops of agricultural crops are lowered, for example.

This is how they are trying to increase the profitability of agricultural producers. As a result of this policy, the Czech Republic almost lost its vegetables, and in return increased the volume of rapeseed cultivation. And then subsidies for rapeseed, oil from which they took into fashion to add to diesel fuel, began to decline. Now in the Czech Republic and neighboring countries, mayonnaise is sunflower oil, as before, you will not find.

Most successfully, these countries have managed to develop a common foreign policy. This area is perhaps the least controversial. Someone to execute, whom to have mercy in Brussels is decided very amicably. Although, in last years this mechanism began to slip. The economic crisis has cooled the belligerence of European governments, or rather, made them less decisive and friendly. And the sanctions against the Russian Federation were taken under the groans of some members, for whom the loss of the eastern markets threatens with economic degradation.

EU executive bodies are European Commission led by the chairman, and European Council consisting of the heads of the member states. The legislation is regulated by the European Parliament, in turn with its chairman, and the Council of the European Union.

Look, here is the Central Committee of the CPSU, and the Politburo, and the Supreme Soviet, and party congresses, and Secretary General, and the chairman of the presidium! True, the parliament is organized on a multi-party basis.

And here Of the Constitution the European Union does not have it yet. Partly due to the complexity of its political structure, not understood first by the peoples of the Netherlands and France, and later by Ireland and the Czech Republic. Currently, the members of the union have managed to accept the so-called Lisbon Treaty. This document is intended to simplify the order and bureaucratic structure of the organization and subsequently adopt a single Constitution.

Fiscal device of the EU

Customs boundaries between the EU countries are conditional. Internal customs posts as such have been abolished, but the customs offices of the states have switched to the mobile version of the service. In the Czech Republic, on the main transit routes, it is very common to observe the minibuses of the customs service, monitoring the passing transport.

Movement EU citizens are free within the community, but labor markets are regulated by separate provisions requiring, for example, obtaining a work permit.

All payers of VAT (value added tax) in the EU countries are combined into a single electronic database. In the Czech Republic, to find out if a company or entrepreneur is a VAT payer, you can log into the electronic VAT register of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic via the Internet. The information is open. To obtain it, it is enough to enter the TIN of the entrepreneurial entity.

A lot is determined for themselves by EU members and independently, for example, tax rates. So VAT rates in the EU countries are regulated only in the minimum amount of the basic (base) rate. Investigation, legal proceedings, codes can vary significantly in different states community.

The amount of deductions from the wage fund is not regulated at all within the union. Therefore, social payments, contributions to health insurance funds differ significantly across the EU countries.

Schengen Union - many countries, one visa

Part European countries at one time wished to establish a community on the basis of the Schengen Agreement on the Common External Border. What can I say, a very convenient structure, which the citizens of the states of the former USSR, with the exception of the Baltic states, can only envy. Today, several thousand kilometers can be traveled along the roads of Europe without meeting border guards.

Truth, mobile control remains, it works. This should be borne in mind by those foreigners who receive in their passports not a Schengen visa, but, for example, a national visa type "D". With such a visa, it is possible to travel outside the state only if there are additional visas of those states that are intended for travel.

Euro zone

The Czech Republic is included in the EU and Schengen list from this triumvirate, but is not included in the eurozone for the reason that citizens do not want to introduce the euro in the Czech Republic. And after the fall of 2008 they do not want to do it anymore. So neighboring Poland, too, due to the economic crisis, sharply slowed down its smart train, just at that moment running towards the euro at full speed. Somehow they just once, and got sick.

To make it convenient for my reader, and often for me when writing notes, let us have this table at hand.

Table 1. Countries of the EU, the Schengen area and the zone of action of the euro currency for 2015

	State	European Union	Eurozone	Schengen	NATO
1	Austria	+	+	+
2	Belgium	+	+	+	+
3	Bulgaria	+			+
4	United Kingdom	+			+
5	Hungary	+		+	+
6	Germany	+	+	+	+
7	Holland	+	+	+	+
8	Greece	+	+	+	+
9	Denmark	+		+	+
10	Ireland	+	+
11	Iceland			+	+
12	Spain	+	+	+	+
13	Italy	+	+	+	+
14	Cyprus	+	+
15	Latvia	+	+	+	+
16	Lithuania	+	+	+	+
17	Liechtenstein			+
18	Luxembourg	+	+	+	+
19	Malta	+	+	+
20	Norway			+	+
21	Poland	+		+	+
22	Portugal	+	+	+	+
23	Romania	+			+
24	Slovakia	+	+	+	+
25	Slovenia	+	+	+	+
26	Finland	+	+	+
27	France	+	+	+	+
28	Croatia	+
29	Czech	+		+	+
30	Switzerland			+
31	Sweden	+		+
32	Estonia	+	+	+	+
www.site

Third states

In Czech laws governing immigration to the Czech Republic, the term is often used "Third country nationals" With the sign posted above, it is now much easier to figure out who is who. All states that are not on the plate are in the sense of Law 326/1999 Coll. "On the stay of foreigners on the territory of the Czech Republic", just called the third. The exception in the table is Liechtenstein, he is also "third".

Table 2. History of the Eurozone development

Year of joining	State
1999	Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland, France
2001	Greece
2007	Slovenia
2008	Malta, Cyprus
2009	Slovakia
2011	Estonia
2014	Latvia
2015	Lithuania
States and territories using the euro arbitrarily	Andorra, Vatican, Monaco, Kosovo, San Marino, Montenegro

Association Agreement with the European Union

There is also an extensive list of non-EU states with which the EU has bilaterally signed association agreements. A textbook example of this type of relationship is Turkey, which has been eager to join the EU since 1963, when the Association Agreement between Turkey and the European Union was signed. It worked out three stages, the implementation of which would allow Turkey to join the EU.

Each such agreement is a long, painstaking work of hundreds of people from different sides. It is not surprising, the EU was established not at all for charitable activities... At present, the leaders of the union are concerned with two things: where to put their goods to reduce deflation, and how to protect their labor market from the influx of newcomers, and the crisis only spurs on the solution of these problems.

Looking at the list of states associated with the European Union, you understand that if a country like Turkey has not been accepted as a full member of the EU for so many years, then many others will not get it for decades. Last year, Turkish politicians, in particular, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, expressed the opinion that, they say, everything is clear, they will wait a little longer, and well, his project ...

The list is not limited to this type of agreement. There are also such types of contractual relations as an agreement on a customs union, on free trade (regular and extended), and a neighborhood policy.

Table 3. Associated Members of the European Union

Year of agreement	State
1963	Turkey
1998	Tunisia
2000	Israel, Morocco, Mexico, South Africa
2002	Jordan
2003	Chile
2004	Egypt
2005	Algeria
2006	Lebanon
2008	Bosnia and Herzegovina
2009	Albania
2010	Montenegro
2011	Serbia
2013	Georgia, Canada, Central American Common Market (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador)
2014	Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine

European Union and Common Market

Today European Union- This is a kind of liberal federal entity that allowed to unite about 500 million people in a single market. Despite the fact that not all states also wanted to enter the single currency zone, one way or another they are tightly pegged to the euro.

The presence of such a huge consumer market makes it possible to benefit from the economies of the EU countries, especially industrialized ones, which have a high share of technological goods in industrial production (Germany, France).

At one time, the USSR carried out almost lightning-fast industrialization, won a difficult war and then reaped the laurels of the past for a long time after the failed Khrushchev reforms. This also happened because the Soviet Union for a short time created its own grandiose common market, which included not only its own republics, but also the countries of the Warsaw Pact. Commodity flows within such a large and populous territory were gigantic, and the industries of these countries produced most of the nomenclature on their own. In modern terminology, a return to such an economic model is called import substitution.

Labor markets within the European Union are divided like the Warsaw Pact. But statistics show that, unlike the former USSR, now the leading EU countries are striving to get the maximum benefit for themselves. For example, to close a number of industries in the states of newcomers, to reduce plantations to crops that are common among newcomers. To buy up operating enterprises, banks, telecom operators, transport.

If the Czech Republic or Poland were able to bargain for themselves preferences and preserve the industry and energy, then the accession to the EU, for example, of Bulgaria, the Baltic and Mediterranean states weakened their economies and undermined labor markets. Numerous streams of citizens of these states rush abroad in search of work, and at this time their enterprises either go bankrupt or gradually become the property of citizens of more wealthy states.

I'm curious to what extent EU politicians are able to continue assessing the experience of the Soviet past, regardless of the ideological background of that state structure? So far, they have been quite good at scaring the layman with the Soviet communist dictatorship, at the same time copying, to one degree or another, the structure of the collapsed socialist camp.

Against the background of the collapse of the largest union of Eurasia - the USSR, 28 European powers organized their own union - European Union... What it is, today is known, perhaps, to all more or less literate people. However, there are a number of subtleties in the relations of the countries within it, as well as in the relations of this association with the Russian Federation.

How was the European Union formed?

The European Union also combines the characteristics of a state and an international organization. However, in fact, he is neither the one nor the other. It is not legally fixed as a subject international law, but actually takes part in international relations.

The population is over five hundred million people. Official languages are the languages of all member states. In addition, the EU has its own flag and anthem, which are signs of statehood. There is a single currency throughout the territory of the association - the euro.

The EU was not formed overnight. Attempts to combine production different countries began in 1952. The unification that we know today exists since 1992... Moreover, the list of its participants is up to today only expanded.

Here full list states (28 countries) that are members of the European Union for 2019 (in alphabetical order):

		The date of entry
	Austrian republic

	Bulgaria

	United Kingdom

	Germany


	Ireland

	Republic of Cyprus
	Luxembourg



	Netherlands
	Portugal


	Slovenia
	Slovakia

	Finland
	Croatia

The complexity of the existence of this association is largely due to the inability of states to observe only their own interests in economic and political terms. All participating countries are obliged to act by agreement, and any of them can impose a ban on a particular proposal.

Despite the fact that the EU has its main base in Brussels, the official capital of the European Union has not been determined... All 28 participating countries take turns dominating for a six-month period.

Who left the European Union?

Today there are no countries that left the European Union... However, for the first time, the UK announced this intention after many years of cooperation in 2016. The exit process is lengthy and requires many issues to be resolved.

Abbreviated from the name of Great Britain ( Br itain) and the English word " exit"- exit, the name of the process appeared, such as Brexit (Brexit). Officially, England can be considered to have left the organization after the ratification of the withdrawal agreement.

Political scientists predict quick exit from the European Union and some other states:

Sweden ... Due to the fact that it is the prototype of Great Britain in the Scandinavian world and does not agree with some decisions of the EU. In addition, a single currency was never fixed on its territory;
Denmark ... Since in 2015, a referendum was held there on the integration of the legal settlement. However, the people voted against by a majority, which indicates their unwillingness to rejoin the organization as a precaution;
Greece the economy of which is not in the best position, in connection with which many member countries are in favor of its exclusion from the membership;
Netherlands because many residents, according to the results of the poll, would like to leave the ranks of the union after the UK;
Hungary does not agree with the EU's refugee policy and is ready to decide in a referendum the issue of subordination to him in this direction;
France , namely, the majority of its population considers the EU to be the culprit for many of its problems, which allows us to speak of Euroscepticism in the ranks of the French and their desire to leave the union.

Why is Switzerland not a member of the European Union?

In 1992, Switzerland, like other countries, sent its application to join the then emerging new global political union... However, a little later, a referendum was held on the issue of joining, the result of which was the division of opinions of citizens almost equally.

However, Swiss citizens who expressed their negative opinion, there were a little more... In 2016, Switzerland formalized its refusal to join and the withdrawal of its application.

The organization of the European Union is such that:

Any country can block the adoption of certain decisions;
All participants pay contributions to the EU, while the situation is such that small powers, such as Poland, receive much more from coexistence than large developed economies;
States such as Greece, which can be considered "under-integrated", exist only at the expense of the European Union;
In addition, there are a number of countries that are not included in the composition, but carry out settlements in Euros or vice versa, which are part of the Common European Space, but are not part of the EU.

All this makes the EU a huge structure with many problems and unresolved issues.

Switzerland, geographically located in the center of Europe, is not interested in the union because:

Has its own stable developed economy;
Own stable currency.

The only area in which they are ready to cooperate is politics. However, this is not enough to enter into such an unstable structure today.

How to get EU citizenship?

EU citizenship gives the right to freely move around its territory, as well as live in any of its member countries and conduct commercial activities. In order to get such opportunities, you must become a citizen in any of the participating countries. There are 28 of them as of 2018.

Accordingly, in order to acquire EU citizenship, it is necessary to fulfill the conditions for obtaining it in the respective country. Most often these are:

Official residence in the territory of the state for a certain amount of time. Each state has its own terms. Therefore, if in Belgium three years are enough for this, in France the term is calculated in a decade;
Find ethnic roots in your family. That is, if your grandparents or grandparents were citizens of the chosen state, then you can safely submit documents;
Marriage with a citizen of an EU state gives the right to obtain her citizenship after some time of residence in its territory. These terms are also different;
The birth of children in the territory of the EU state automatically gives the right to the newborn to be a citizen of the country of birth.

Thus, when studying the issue of obtaining EU citizenship, it is necessary to be guided by the legislation of a particular country.

First you need to go there, live there for a while;
Then get a visa for residence;
If the relevant circumstances described above arise, you can apply for an EU passport.

What can be imported to Russia from the European Union?

The rules for importing certain products into Russia are regulated by the Customs Code and other draft laws. As for the European Union, in connection with the recent events and the sanctions imposed on Russia, in response to following restrictions:

Products of plant and animal origin are allowed weighing no more than five kilograms. In order to introduce a larger amount, you need to issue a special permit of the Rosselkhoznadzor;
Seeds and goods for planting use are allowed for import only with a special permit;
Products are allowed for import only in their original packaging;
Alcohol is subject to import no more than three liters free of charge, from three to five liters, after paying a fee in advance;
The cost of all baggage must not exceed € 1,500 per trip by land and € 10,000 for air travel.

As for the names of goods, then you do not need to worry here. Countermeasures Russian Federation do not apply to individuals. That is a traveler can purchase any product from the list of sanctions for personal use or consumption, or as a gift. The main thing is that its quantity does not exceed the above-described norms.

In addition, when traveling to a certain country, you should study its customs relations with the Russian Federation, since individual rules may apply between us. All the necessary information is contained on the Rosselkhoznadzor website.

Thus, the political and economic merger of the European countries, which was formed in the early nineties, is called the European Union. It is obvious that this association is a huge structure that has an impact on the world economic and political situation. However, not all countries in the common European space seek membership in this organization, and some even declare their readiness to leave it.

Video: how and why did the European Union come about?

In this video, the historian Maxim Sholokhov will tell why it became necessary to unite these countries into a coalition, and their economies could do without the European Union:

It is necessary to clarify a little what gives the state an entrance to this or that community.

Most successfully, these countries have managed to develop a common foreign policy. This area is perhaps the least controversial. Someone to execute, whom to have mercy in Brussels is decided very amicably. Although, in recent years, this mechanism has begun to slip. The economic crisis has cooled the militancy of European governments, or rather, made them less decisive and friendly. Yes, and sanctions against the Russian Federation were taken under the groans of some members, for whom the loss of eastern markets threatens with economic degradation.

Look, here is the Central Committee of the CPSU, and the Politburo, and the Supreme Soviet, and party congresses, and the General Secretary, and the chairman of the presidium! True, the parliament is organized on a multi-party basis.

Fiscal device of the EU

Movement EU citizens are free within the community, but labor markets are regulated by separate provisions requiring, for example, obtaining a work permit.

A lot is determined for themselves by EU members and independently, for example, tax rates. So VAT rates in the EU countries are regulated only in the minimum amount of the basic (base) rate. The investigation, legal proceedings, codes can vary significantly in different states of the community.

The amount of deductions from the wage fund is not regulated at all within the union. Therefore, social payments, contributions to health insurance funds differ significantly across the EU countries.

Schengen Union - many countries, one visa

Some European countries at one time wished to establish a community on the basis of the Schengen agreement on a common external border. What can I say, a very convenient structure, which citizens of the states of the former USSR, with the exception of the Baltic states, can only envy. Today, several thousand kilometers can be traveled along the roads of Europe without meeting border guards.

Euro zone

To make it convenient for my reader, and often for me when writing notes, let us have this table at hand.

Table 1. Countries of the EU, the Schengen area and the zone of action of the euro currency for 2015

	State	European Union	Eurozone	Schengen	NATO
1	Austria	+	+	+
2	Belgium	+	+	+	+
3	Bulgaria	+			+
4	United Kingdom	+			+
5	Hungary	+		+	+
6	Germany	+	+	+	+
7	Holland	+	+	+	+
8	Greece	+	+	+	+
9	Denmark	+		+	+
10	Ireland	+	+
11	Iceland			+	+
12	Spain	+	+	+	+
13	Italy	+	+	+	+
14	Cyprus	+	+
15	Latvia	+	+	+	+
16	Lithuania	+	+	+	+
17	Liechtenstein			+
18	Luxembourg	+	+	+	+
19	Malta	+	+	+
20	Norway			+	+
21	Poland	+		+	+
22	Portugal	+	+	+	+
23	Romania	+			+
24	Slovakia	+	+	+	+
25	Slovenia	+	+	+	+
26	Finland	+	+	+
27	France	+	+	+	+
28	Croatia	+
29	Czech	+		+	+
30	Switzerland			+
31	Sweden	+		+
32	Estonia	+	+	+	+
www.site

Third states

Table 2. History of the Eurozone development

Year of joining	State
1999	Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland, France
2001	Greece
2007	Slovenia
2008	Malta, Cyprus
2009	Slovakia
2011	Estonia
2014	Latvia
2015	Lithuania
States and territories using the euro arbitrarily	Andorra, Vatican, Monaco, Kosovo, San Marino, Montenegro

Association Agreement with the European Union

Each such agreement is a long, painstaking work of hundreds of people from different sides. It is not surprising, the EU was established not for charitable activities. At present, the leaders of the union are concerned with two things: where to put their goods to reduce deflation, and how to protect their labor market from the influx of newcomers, and the crisis only spurs on the solution of these problems.

Table 3. Associated Members of the European Union

Year of agreement	State
1963	Turkey
1998	Tunisia
2000	Israel, Morocco, Mexico, South Africa
2002	Jordan
2003	Chile
2004	Egypt
2005	Algeria
2006	Lebanon
2008	Bosnia and Herzegovina
2009	Albania
2010	Montenegro
2011	Serbia
2013	Georgia, Canada, Central American Common Market (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador)
2014	Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine

European Union and Common Market

Today, the European Union is a kind of liberal federal entity that has brought together about 500 million people into a single market. Despite the fact that not all states also wanted to enter the single currency zone, one way or another they are tightly tied to the euro.

At one time, the USSR carried out almost lightning-fast industrialization, won a difficult war and then reaped the laurels of the past for a long time after the failed Khrushchev reforms. This also happened because the Soviet Union in a short time created its own grandiose common market, which included not only its republics, but also the countries of the Warsaw Pact. Commodity flows within such a large and populous territory were gigantic, and the industries of these countries produced most of the nomenclature on their own. In modern terminology, a return to such an economic model is called import substitution.

Detailed map of Europe in Russian. Europe on the world map is a continent that, together with Asia, is part of the Eurasia continent. The border between Asia and Europe - Ural mountains, Europe is separated from Africa by the Strait of Gibraltar. There are 50 countries in Europe, with a total population of more than 740 million people.

Map of Europe with countries and capitals in Russian:

Large map of Europe with countries - opens in a new window. The map shows the countries of Europe, their capitals and major cities.

Europe - Wikipedia:

Population of Europe: 741 447 158 people (2016)
Europe Square: 10,180,000 sq. km.

Satellite map of Europe. Satellite map of Europe.

Satellite map of Europe in Russian online with cities and resorts, roads, streets and houses:

Sights of Europe:

What to see in Europe: Parthenon (Athens, Greece), Colosseum (Rome, Italy), Eiffel Tower (Paris, France), Edinburgh Castle (Edinburgh, Scotland), Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, Spain), Stonehenge (England), St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican) , Buckingham Palace (London, England), Moscow Kremlin (Moscow, Russia), Leaning Tower (Pisa, Italy), Louvre (Paris, France), Big Ben (London, England), Sultanahmet Blue Mosque (Istanbul, Turkey), Building Parliament of Hungary (Budapest, Hungary), Neuschwanstein Castle (Bavaria, Germany), Dubrovnik Old Town (Dubrovnik, Croatia), Atomium (Brussels, Belgium), Charles Bridge (Prague, Czech Republic), St. Basil's Cathedral (Moscow, Russia), Tower bridge (London, England).

The largest cities in Europe:

Town Istanbul- city population: 14377018 people Country - Turkey
Town Moscow- city population: 12506468 people Country Russia
Town London- city population: 817410 0 people Country - UK
Town St. Petersburg- city population: 5351935 people Country Russia
Town Berlin- city population: 3479740 people Country: Germany
Town Madrid- city population: 3273049 people Country - Spain
Town Kiev- city population: 2815951 people Country Ukraine
Town Rome- city population: 2761447 people Country - Italy
Town Paris- city population: 2243739 people Country - France
Town Minsk- city population: 1982444 people Country - Belarus
Town Hamburg- city population: 1787220 people Country: Germany
Town Budapest- city population: 1721556 people Country - Hungary
Town Warsaw- city population: 1716855 people Country - Poland
Town Vein- city population: 1714142 people Country - Austria
Town Bucharest- city population: 1677451 people Country - Romania
Town Barcelona- city population: 1619337 people Country - Spain
Town Kharkov- city population: 1446500 people Country Ukraine
Town Munich- city population: 1353186 people Country: Germany
Town Milan- city population: 1324110 people Country - Italy
Town Prague- city population: 1290211 people Country - Czech Republic
Town Sofia- city population: 1270284 people Country - Bulgaria
Town Nizhny Novgorod - city population: 1259013 people Country Russia
Town Belgrade- city population: 1213000 people Country - Serbia
Town Kazan- city population: 1206000 people Country Russia
Town Samara- city population: 1171000 people Country Russia
Town Ufa- city population: 1116000 people Country Russia
Town Rostov-on-Don- city population: 1103700 people Country Russia
Town Birmingham- city population: 1028701 people Country - UK
Town Voronezh- city population: 1024000 people Country Russia
Town Volgograd- city population: 1017451 people Country Russia
Town Permian- city population: 1013679 people Country Russia
Town Odessa- city population: 1013145 people Country Ukraine
Town Koln- city population: 1007119 people Country: Germany

Microstates of Europe:

Vatican(area 0.44 sq. km - the smallest state in the world), Monaco(area 2.02 sq. km.), San marino(area 61 sq. km.), Liechtenstein(area 160 sq. km.), Malta(area 316 sq. km - an island in the Mediterranean) and Andorra(area 465 sq. km.).

Subregions of Europe - regions of Europe according to the UN:

Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, France, Switzerland.

Northern Europe: Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

Southern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Vatican, Greece, Malta.

Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova.

Countries of the European Union (members and composition of the European Union in alphabetical order):

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Republic of Cyprus, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Finland, Croatia , Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia.

Climate of Europe mostly moderate. On European climate especially influenced by waters Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf Stream. In most European countries, there is a clear division into four seasons. In winter, snow falls on most of the continent and the temperature stays below 0 C, and in summer the weather is hot and dry.

Relief of Europe- these are mainly mountains and plains, and there are much more plains. Mountains occupy only 17% of all European territory. The largest European plains are Central European, East European, Central Danube and others. The largest mountains are the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, etc.

The coastline of Europe is very indented, which is why some countries are island states. Flow through the territory of Europe largest rivers: Volga, Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Dnieper and others. Europe is special respectful attitude to its cultural and historical heritage and natural resources... There are many national parks in Europe, and almost every European city has preserved unique historical monuments and architecture of the past centuries.

Nature reserves of Europe (national parks):

Bavarian Forest (Germany), Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus), Bialowieza National Park (Poland), Borjomi-Kharagauli (Georgia), Braslav Lakes (Belarus), Vanoise (France), Vikos-Aoos (Greece), High Tauern (Austria), Dwingelderveld (Netherlands), Yorkshire Dales (England), Kemeri (Latvia), Killarney (Ireland), Kozara (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Coto de Doñana (Spain), Lemmenjoki (Finland), Narochansky (Belarus), New Forest (England), Pirin (Bulgaria), Plitvice Lakes (Croatia), Pripyat (Belarus), Snowdonia (England), Tatras (Slovakia and Poland), Thingvellir (Iceland), Sumava (Czech Republic), Dolomites (Italy), Durmitor ( Montenegro), Alonissos (Greece), Vatnajökull (Iceland), Sierra Nevada (Spain), Retezat (Romania), Rila (Bulgaria), Triglav (Slovenia).

Europe Is the most visited continent in the world. Numerous resorts of southern countries (Spain, Italy, France) and a rich and varied historical heritage, which is represented by a variety of monuments and attractions, attracts tourists from Asia, Oceania and America.

Castles of Europe:

Neuschwanstein (Germany), Trakai (Lithuania), Windsor Castle (England), Mont Saint Michel (France), Hluboka (Czech Republic), De Haar (Netherlands), Coca Castle (Spain), Conuy (UK), Bran (Romania) ), Kilkenny (Ireland), Egeskov (Denmark), Pena (Portugal), Chenonceau (France), Bodiam (England), Castel Sant'Angelo (Italy), Chambord (France), Aragonese Castle (Italy), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland) , Spissky grad (Slovakia), Hohensalzburg (Austria).

On this page you can find out a complete list of EU countries that are part of the 2017 year.

The initial goal of the creation of the European Union was to combine the coal and steel resources of only two European countries - Germany and France. In 1950, one could not even imagine that after a certain time the European Union would become a unique international entity that united 28 European states and combined the features of an international organization and a sovereign power. The article describes which countries are members of the European Union, how many are currently full EU members and candidates for membership.

The organization received legal justification much later. Existence international union was enshrined in the Maastricht Agreement in 1992, which entered into force in November of the following year.

Objectives of the Maastricht Treaty:

Creation of an international association with identical economic, political and monetary directions in development;
Creation of a single market by creating conditions for the unimpeded movement of production products, services, and other goods;
Regulation of matters relating to security and protection environment;
Reducing the crime rate.

The main consequences of concluding a contract:

the introduction of a single European citizenship;
the abolition of the passport control regime on the territory of the EU countries, provided for by the Schengen Agreement;

Although legally the EU combines the properties of international education and independent state, in fact, he does not belong to either one or the other.

How many EU member states in 2017

Today, the European Union includes 28 countries, as well as a number of autonomous regions subordinate to the main EU members (Aland Islands, Azores, etc.). In 2013, the last accession to the European Union was made, after which Croatia became a member of the EU.

The following states have EU membership:

Croatia;
Netherlands;
Romania;
France;
Bulgaria;
Luxembourg;
Italy;
Cyprus;
Germany;
Estonia;
Belgium;
Latvia;
United Kingdom;
Spain;
Austria;
Lithuania;
Ireland;
Poland;
Greece;
Slovenia;
Denmark;
Slovakia;
Sweden;
Malta;
Finland;
Portugal;
Hungary;
Czech.

The accession to the EU of the countries included in this list took place in several stages. At the first stage in 1957, 6 European states were included in the formation, in 1973 - three countries, including Great Britain, in 1981 only Greece became a member of the union, in 1986 - the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic, in 1995 - three more powers (Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Austria, Finland). The year 2004 turned out to be especially fruitful, when 10 European countries, including Hungary, Cyprus and other economically developed countries, received EU membership. The last enlargements, which increased the number of EU members to 28, were carried out in 2007 (Romania, Republic of Bulgaria) and 2013.

Quite often Russians have a question: “Is Montenegro a member of the European Union or not?”, Since the country's currency is the euro. No, at the moment the state is at the stage of negotiations on the issue of entry.

On the other hand, there are a number of countries that are members of the EU, but the currency used on their territory is not the euro (Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania, etc.). The reason is that these countries are not included in the euro area.

What are the requirements for candidates for entry

To become a member of the organization, you must meet the requirements, the list of which is displayed in the relevant regulatory legal act, called the "Copenhagen criteria". The etymology of the document is dictated by the place of its signing. The document was adopted in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 1993 during a meeting of the European Council.

A list of the main criteria that a candidate must meet:

application of the principles of democracy on the territory of the country;
a person and his rights must come first, that is, the state must adhere to the principles of the rule of law and humanism;
development of the economy and increasing its competitiveness;
correspondence political course countries to the goals and objectives of the entire European Union.

EU accession candidates are usually subject to scrutiny and a decision is made. In the case of a negative answer, the country that received a negative answer is provided with a list of reasons on the basis of which such a decision was made. Non-compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, which are revealed during the candidate screening process, must be eliminated as soon as possible in order to be eligible for future EU membership.

Official announced candidates for EU membership

Today, the following associate members of the EU are in the status of candidates for accession to the European Union:

Turkish Republic;
Republic of Albania;
Montenegro;
Republic of Macedonia;
Republic of Serbia.

The legal status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosovo - potential candidates.

Serbia applied for membership in December 2009, Turkey - 1987. It should be noted that if Montenegro, which signed an association agreement in 2010, becomes a member of the EU, for Russians this may result in the introduction of a visa regime and, possibly, the closure of the borders of the Balkan state.

Despite the desire of most countries to become members of an international organization, there are those that reveal a desire to leave it. A colorful example would be England (UK), which announced the possibility of an exit in January this year... The desire of the British is due to a number of reasons, including the debt crisis of Greece, a decrease in the level of competitiveness of the products of the EU countries in the world market and other circumstances. The UK plans to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union in 2017.

The process of leaving the EU is regulated by the clauses of the Lisbon Treaty, which is in force and has been in force since December 2009.

European Union

What is the European Union

It is a union of European states, a unique international entity that combines the features of an international organization and a state. Simply put, all countries belonging to the European Union, although they are independent, are subject to the same rules: they have the same rules for education, medical care, pension, judicial system, etc.

Tip 1: Which European countries are not members of the European Union

In a word, the laws of the European Union are valid in all countries of the European Union.

In 2013, after Croatia joined the EU, there are 28 countries in the EU.

In 2017, the UK announced its withdrawal from the European Union, but officially it remains a member.

Countries of the European Union (last expansion - 2013)

Austria (1995)
Belgium (1957)
Bulgaria (2007)
UK (1973)
Hungary (2004)
Germany (1957)
Greece (1981)
Denmark (1973)
Ireland (1973)
Spain (1986)
Italy (1957)
Cyprus (2004)
Latvia (2004)
Lithuania (2004)
Luxembourg (1957)
Malta (2004)
Netherlands (1957)
Poland (2004)
Slovakia (2004)
Slovenia (2004)
Portugal (1986)
Romania (2007)
Finland (1995)
France (1957)
Croatia (2013)
Czech Republic (2004)
Sweden (1995)
Estonia (2004)

EU membership candidates:

Iceland
Macedonia
Serbia
Turkey
Montenegro

Do not confuse the European Union and the Schengen area! Not all EU countries are members of the Schengen zone, and vice versa - some countries belonging to the Schengen area are not members of the European Union.

See Countries in the Schengen area

Schengen countries, but not members of the European Union

Where to apply for a Schengen visa

Economic integration of the countries of the European Union

At present, the highest degree of international economic integration has been achieved within the framework of the European Union (EU), which has gone through all the stages of the integration process and is now in a state of transformation of the economic and monetary union into a political one. The development of this integration group began in 1952, when the European Coal and Steel Community was created in 6 countries - Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 1957, these countries signed the Rome Treaty establishing the European Economic Community. In the 50-60s. within the framework of the EEC was formed at the beginning Customs Union, and then the formation of a common market for goods, services, capital and labor began, i.e. system of "four freedoms". Since the creation of a common market was officially declared in the Treaty of Rome as the main goal of economic integration, for several decades the members of this grouping were called "countries of the Common Market." By 1968, a customs union was formed, within which integration was supplemented by a coordinated internal and external economic and currency policy, as well as elements of coordination of general political and legal positions, which was reflected in the change in the name of the group - it became known as the European Community. In 1973 Great Britain, Denmark and Ireland joined it, in the 80s. - Greece, Spain and Portugal, in the 90s - Austria, Sweden and Finland. By the end of the 70s. the European monetary system was created, a single unit of account - the ECU - was introduced on the basis of the "basket of currencies" of the participating countries. The monetary system assumed the establishment of limits for fluctuations in the rates of national currencies during mutual exchange and exchange for dollars at the level of plus or minus 2.25% of the rates of central banks (for most countries) and the formation, thereby, of a kind of currency “corridor” (“currency snake ») For the participating countries. This meant a significant step towards transforming the customs and payments union into an economic and monetary one.

The most important milestone in the process of this transformation was the conclusion in 1992 in Maastricht (Netherlands) of an agreement on the creation of the European Union (the agreement entered into force in November 1993). The functions of supranational bodies were significantly expanded, fundamental decisions were made to create a system of a single economic space, a gradual transition to a single currency and to introduce, along with the national-state, the institution of single citizenship.

For several years, the process of transition to a single currency (euro) was carried out, which was initially used as a means of payment, which replaced the ECU, and then, since 2002, began to play the role of cash currency, designed to perform the function of a currency of circulation and replace national currency. By 2000, the population of 15 EU countries was about 380 million people, the share of this integration group in the production of the IMP is about 29%, in world exports - more than 41%.

In April 2003, in Athens, an agreement was signed on the admission of ten new members to the EU: these are three former Soviet Baltic republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), five Eastern European countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia) and two small island Mediterranean states - Malta and Cyprus (in the Greek part). A system of supranational authorities has been created in the EU. The most important of them are:

- The Council of the EU - in the form of sessions at the level of heads of state and government at least 2 times a year, as well as the Council of Ministers at the level of various ministries (foreign affairs, economy, finance, line ministries). It is at the level of these governing bodies that fundamental decisions are made that determine the development strategy of the integration group;

- EU Commission - executive agency, a kind of analogue of the government, designed to implement the decisions of the EU Council; includes several dozen main leaders (commissioners) in charge of certain functional and sectoral areas of management. The KES residence is located in Brussels; total staff - about 20 thousand people;

- European Parliament (European Parliament) - elected since 1979

List of countries in the European Union today

- System of European banks;

- European Court;

- European Social Fund;

- European Regional Development Fund;

It should be noted that the EU is not only a regional, but also a global economic entity. Dozens of countries around the world have various economic agreements with the EU and enjoy various advantages and benefits in trade, financial, credit and other economic relations with this integration group; this especially applies to European countries outside the EU, to the countries of the Mediterranean basin and former colonies of European powers, above all - to the so-called "ACP countries" (Africa, the Caribbean and The Pacific). Many European and non-European countries (including those from the former Soviet republics) set the task of joining the EU as their most important strategic goal. Since July 1998, the EU-RF Partnership and Cooperation Agreement entered into force; A special body, the Cooperation Committee, has been created, designed to both facilitate the discussion of fundamental issues of cooperation development, and make specific decisions on current problems of trade, financial and other relations. Both sides consider the development of cooperation as priority strategic directions of the economic and political activities... For Russia, the fact that the EU countries account for up to 40% of its foreign trade, more than 40% of external debt and a quarter of the official reserves of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation are denominated in Western European currencies (and now in euros).

At present, despite the existing differences in approaches and contradictions within the EU, the processes of transformation of this integration economic grouping into a political union are developing quite intensively. Critical has at the same time the introduction of the institution of single citizenship, the strengthening of the principle of binding decisions of supranational bodies and the implementation of a single foreign policy.

Concrete steps are being taken to form common European armed forces, special military contingents uniting units of a number of European countries, for example, France and Germany, etc. All this means that the EU, in fact, is being transformed from a union of states into one confederate state, although this process proceeds contradictory and encounters opposition of both internal and external nature. It is obvious that the formation of such a confederal state contradicts the global geopolitical goals of the United States, which, instead of a conglomerate of small vassal countries, will receive a serious competitor on the territory of Europe, which in some parameters has superiority over the American economy. The United States, in particular, has a negative attitude to the idea of creating a European armed forces, the creation of which will inevitably raise the question of their relationship with the military structures of NATO (and, in the future, the advisability of preserving this military-political grouping with the unconditional domination of the United States). As a means of slowing down European military-political integration, the United States uses the unleashing of military conflicts, and if during the war in Yugoslavia their disagreements with the European allies were masked, in connection with the Iraqi conflict, the contradictions between the United States and the EU, O th integration groupings took open and sharp forms. However, of key importance is the fact that a single economic space has been formed in Western and Central Europe, which is becoming a center of attraction for the national economic systems of several continents.

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Question. The European Union as an international organization with signs of supranationality. Cooperation of the Russian Federation with the European Union.

The European Union (EU) was created on the basis of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) 1951, the European Atomic Energy Community 1957, the European Economic Community 1957 as a result of the unification in 1957 of these previously independent organizations and was called up to until recently by the European Communities.

In 1965, on the basis of the Brussels Treaty, unified bodies of the Communities were created. The 1992 Maastricht agreements (entered into force in 1993) completed the process of legalization of the Community mechanism, providing for the creation by the end of the 20th century. close political and monetary and economic union of the EU countries. The Treaty on the European Union was supplemented by 17 protocols. EU citizenship was introduced by the treaty.

The EU has become the largest integration association, virtually unparalleled. This is an international organization, but the Union differs from the existing organizations in that it has become not a coordinating one, but supranational organization: EU law has precedence over national law, and its subjects are not only states, but also individuals and legal entities; the decisions of the Union have direct effect on the territory of the member states; his government is independent from the states, the employees of the EU and the members of the European Parliament do not represent the states, but the peoples; the possibility of the Union's independent expansion of the powers of its bodies is assumed.

The key points of the new EU strategy are the construction of an economic and monetary union, a common foreign and defense policy, cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs, and the establishment of a single citizenship.

The organization includes 28 European states.

European Union law consists of two large groups of norms:

the internal law of the Union as an international organization;

Union law governing specific types of political, economic, social and cultural activities of the Union states.

The main bodies of the EU are the European Council, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice.

The Council meets twice a year.

Sessions of the European Parliament (monthly) are held in Strasbourg (France).

Since January 1, 1996, the EU has abolished all customs duties at the intra-European borders for all types of goods, and a unified customs policy is being implemented for non-EU countries.

The Russian Federation actively cooperates with the countries of the European Union. So, in 1994

List of EU countries for 2018

a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was signed, establishing a partnership between the Russian Federation, on the one hand, and the European Communities and their member states, on the other. The agreement establishes a partnership between Russia, on the one hand, and the Community and its member states, on the other. The objectives of this partnership are to provide a framework for political dialogue between the parties, to promote trade, investment; strengthening of political and economic freedoms; supporting Russia's efforts to strengthen its democracy, develop and complete the transition to a market economy, provide an appropriate framework for gradual integration between Russia and the wider zone of cooperation in Europe; creation of the necessary conditions for the establishment in the future of a free trade zone between Russia and the Community, covering basically all trade in goods between them, as well as conditions for the implementation of the freedom to establish companies, cross-border trade in services and the movement of capital.

The goals of the European Union are the main directions of the creation and activities of the association. The EU's objectives cover various areas:

Sphere of human rights and freedoms (promoting the establishment of peace, prosperity and common values of peoples)

Sphere of the economy (building a common internal market and ensuring free and fair competition; progressive and sustainable development, which will ensure the growth of the economy; social market economy; promotion of employment and social progress)

Social sphere (combating social exclusion, discrimination; promoting social protection and justice; ensuring gender equality).

building a single and common internal market;

the creation of the Economic and Monetary Union;

economic and social cohesion;

increasing employment and other tasks of the social sphere;

development of a high level of education and health care;

cultural development and vocational training;

measures to protect consumer rights;

measures to protect the environment;

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European Union. Expansion to the East

EU policy on integration into the European Community of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse Soviet Union the main strategic task of the EU was the policy of moving to the East.

List of member countries of the European Union for 2018

In 2002, candidates for accession to the EU were named. These are the CEE countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. From the Mediterranean states, Malta and Cyprus became candidates. For the first time in the history of the EU, a political decision to admit new members to the EU dominated over an economic one. For most candidates from CEE countries, the positive factors of accession are a customs union, free movement of capital and services, and labor migration.

Gross national product in the candidate countries, per capita is 20-60% of the European average. Only Slovenia and the Czech Republic, at the time of the decision, had stable growth rates, low unemployment and GNP per capita income, which is slightly more than half of the European average. In the post-Soviet republic, the most prosperous in terms of macroeconomic indicators, Estonia, GNP per capita was 23% of the EU average.

In the rest of Eastern and Central Europe, economic performance does not meet the requirements for EU membership, and Russia and Ukraine have significantly widened the gap for the worse and are economically farther from Western Europe. Hungary, which has the highest level of foreign investment in Central Europe, is twice that of Portugal, the poorest country in the EU.

In terms of its geostrategic significance, the task of expanding the EU to the East is comparable only to the creation of the European Community itself in the middle of the 20th century. However, it remains open question eastern borders and the speed of unification. It is becoming obvious that this process will be much slower than it seemed after the fall " iron curtain". The EU's eastward movement has certain limits. Perhaps Bulgaria and Romania will be accepted in the future. And this is where the EU's eastward movement will end. This is evidenced by the limited financial resources EU.

With a total EU budget of 100 billion euros in 2003 (1/8 of Germany's budget), it is planned to allocate 41 billion euros for the new EU members over three years. This amount is more than half of the capital allocated by the United States under the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe (in comparable prices). If the United States allocated 1.5% of GDP for European reconstruction, then the EU only 0.08%. Taking into account the total membership fee of the Central European states of 15 billion euros, the EU cost item will be reduced to 25 billion euros. Compared to Germany, which spent 600 billion euros on reunification of the eastern lands in the 90s, the amount of funding for EU expansion to the East is not equivalent to political promises and assurances.

Germany provides 28% of the EU budget, receiving only 13% from its revenue side. Therefore, the pro-American orientation of CEE on the Iraqi crisis causes a negative assessment of Berlin, which opposes the war. In the West, the process of moving the EU to the East is assessed ambiguously. In the forthcoming expansion, the political factor for the first time dominates over the economic one. Great Britain continues to balance between "Europeanism" and "Atlanticism", advocates closer economic cooperation with the United States and NAFTA. There are proposals for economic North Atlantic integration at the city level, similar to the medieval Hanseatic League. Germany is pinning its hopes on a positive economic outcome from integration due to its geostrategic position. For France, eastward expansion, on the other hand, is not a primary economic problem. Eastern Europe, belonging to the Orthodox civilization, will never be part of a predominantly Western Christian EU. Russia is too big to become a member of the EU. Ukraine with a corrupt elite poses a threat to Western values. In Western Europe, there is a growing movement against Euroland, including opposition to the enlargement of the European Union and the influx of migrants (cheap labor).

Source: Geoeconomic Dictionary

EUROPEAN UNION (EU), the largest integration association of European states. The EU includes 27 states (as of 1.1.2007), including those with overseas territories located in other parts of the world. The area of the EU is 4 million 317 thousand km 2, the population is 492.8 million people.

The Treaty establishing the European Union was signed in Maastricht (1992; see Maastricht Treaty). According to the treaty, the EU was established on the basis of the European Communities (two of them operate within the EU, forming the first pillar), supplemented by a common foreign policy and security policy (second pillar) and cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs (third pillar). This structure has received the name of the "system of three pillars". The Amsterdam Treaty (1997) consolidated the creation of a space of freedom, democracy and the rule of law; formed a specialized mechanism for the protection of democratic foundations and principles, which provides for the possibility of imposing sanctions on the state that violates them; proposed measures for the preparation of the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms (proclaimed in 2000). In 2001, the Nice Treaty was signed to strengthen guarantees and prevent risks associated with a major new enlargement of the EU, which enshrined the revised concept of "advanced cooperation", introduced new guarantees against possible violation of the democratic foundations and principles of the EU, revised the procedure for the functioning of its judicial systems. On October 29, 2004, the Treaty on the Establishment of a Constitution for Europe was signed. In accordance with the adopted procedure, the Treaty and the documents attached to it were submitted for ratification by the EU member states (the Treaty was ratified by 15 states, but in France and the Netherlands the draft EU Constitution did not receive support and the ratification process was interrupted).

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Purposes and principles of the EU. The Union is based on the principles of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the rule of law, principles common to the member states (Article 6.1 of the Treaty). They are implemented within a society characterized by pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, solidarity and equality between women and men. All member states have a responsibility not only to declare their commitment to these values, but also to ensure their effective implementation. Deviation from the observance of these principles and principles may entail the adoption of preventive measures by the EU or, in the presence of a constant and serious threat, the imposition of sanctions by suspending the right to participate in the work of EU bodies or even EU membership.

On the basis of common values, goals and principles, specific tasks facing integration education are formulated. In the area of domestic policy the tasks that are being solved by the Communities and the Union include: building a common and single internal market, creating an economic and monetary union, implementing a policy of economic and social cohesion, promoting research in the scientific field and technological progress, ensuring and protecting consumer rights, taking radical measures to protecting the environment. V social sphere in the foreground is the promotion of employment, the growth of well-being and quality of life, the achievement of a high level of health care, education and vocational training, strengthening social protection and combating social exclusion. The participation of integration associations in the development and advancement of culture is subject to the observance of national individuality, originality and originality of national cultures. With the creation of the EU, a number of new tasks are being formulated within the framework of the second and third pillars. Measures are being taken to enhance the EU's participation in solving humanitarian problems and implementing collective peacekeeping measures. In order to develop a common defense policy, the creation of a European military planning group and the formation of a collective armed forces of the EU are envisaged. A specialized office for planning joint operations outside the EU has been established and operates under the leadership of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The formation of new specialized structures and the development of cooperation programs should contribute to the expansion of cooperation between the police and courts in the criminal law sphere. Europol and Eurojust were established (mainly dealing with the problems of judicial and prosecutorial cooperation), the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the EU was created, a fundamental decision was made to establish a European Prosecutor's Office, and measures were developed to enact a single European arrest warrant. A number of specialized bodies have been established to help strengthen the fight against organized crime and terrorism. Communitarianization of the Schengen Agreements has been carried out (i.e., their integration into the system of Community law): the Schengen Agreements developed within the framework of the concept of advanced cooperation are designed to regulate the implementation of visa and migration policies, as well as the granting of asylum (some non-EU states have joined the Schengen area - Norway and Iceland, the decision to join the Schengen area was approved in a referendum in Switzerland). In order to further detail the visa policy and ensure the security of the EU borders, 7 states signed new agreements called Schengenplus (2007).

The EU is the most developed form of economic integration in Europe, which has gone through all stages of development - a free trade zone, a customs union, a single internal market, an economic and monetary union. Since 1968, the European Community has completely abolished customs duties in mutual trade, introduced a single customs tariff in relation to third countries. In 1993, a single internal market was finally formed, which is an economic space without internal borders, within which the free movement of goods, labor, services and capital is ensured. The Economic and Monetary Union began functioning on 1.1.1999 and provided for the introduction of a common currency, the euro. European economic integration is developing in two directions: more and more complete unification of national economies into a single regional economic system and territorial expansion of the integration zone.

One of the tasks of the EU is to ensure the harmonization of national legislation based on the goals and principles of the EU.

Member States of the European Union

The conditions and procedure for such harmonization are directly regulated by the constituent agreements. Each of them contains a clause of solidarity, requiring the conscientious and loyal fulfillment of the obligations assumed by the integration participants, imposed by the constituent acts and the norms of secondary law.

EU institutions. The powers delegated to the integration entities are exercised by a wide system of bodies, specialized organizations (agencies) and institutions. The main institutions are EU bodies vested with the right to issue binding regulatory legal acts. The system of institutions was originally established in each of the three Communities. At the initial stage (1957), within the framework of European integration organizations, a common Parliament and Court were created; In 1965, the Unification Treaty was signed, on the basis of which the Council and the Commission, uniform for all Communities, were established. The Treaty on the formation of the EU provided for the creation of a unified system of institutions for the Communities and the Union. The modern system of institutions is enshrined in the Nice Treaty.

The supreme body of political leadership is the European Council. The EU institutions include: the EU Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EU judiciary and the Court of Accounts. Among the most important EU bodies, the status of which is determined directly in the constituent acts, are the bodies of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the European Central Bank (ECB); The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) and the leading advisory bodies are the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The status of the numerous subsidiary and advisory committees is determined by special regulations governing the creation and functioning of the bodies included in the comitology system. During the functioning of the EU, numerous specialized organizations and institutions charged with administering and coordinating functions in specific and relatively narrow areas. Some of them play a very significant role, for example Europol, Eurojust, etc.

The activities of EU institutions and bodies are subject to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The principle of subsidiarity, applied outside the exclusive competence of the EU, assumes that a decision or action is carried out at the level of the EU or member states or even their regions, depending on where their implementation will be most effective. The principle of proportionality assumes that EU institutions will strictly adhere to the rules of empowerment and will not go beyond those rights and powers that have been delegated by member states to the European Communities and the EU.

European Union and European Communities. The EU and the European Communities are formed on the basis of the international treaties that established them. However, they are different in nature and character from ordinary international organizations. The main thing in the activities of the EU and the Communities is the solution of problems and tasks of internal policy. The EU's external powers are exercised on the basis of rules that differ markedly from those applied within the Community.

The European Communities enjoy the status of a legal entity. On the territory of the EU member states, they exercise their respective rights to the fullest extent possible. Communities also have international legal personality (they can enter into relations with third states and international organizations, conclude international treaties and agreements, as well as have their own diplomatic missions in foreign countries). The EU does not have the status of a legal entity. However, the presence of a unified system of EU and Community institutions allows in practice to implement international relations and make decisions on external political issues both on behalf of the EU and the Communities (accordingly, new states joining the EU become members not only of the EU, but also of the Communities).

The EU has its own territory, derived from the territories of the member states. The EU has introduced its own citizenship. Everyone gets it individuals holding the national citizenship of the EU member states. Acquisition of EU citizenship gives rise to a number of political and legal consequences: the use of the right to vote in the formation of the European Parliament and in the formation of national municipal bodies, the right to access positions in the EU apparatus, the right to diplomatic protection from EU missions abroad, etc.

The EU has introduced its own currency: monetary unit The EU is the Euro. To enter the euro area, you must comply with a number of stringent legal requirements. This led to the fact that even at the time of the creation of the Eurogroup, when there were 15 member states in the EU, only 12. Accession to the EU does not entail automatic inclusion in the euro zone. Of the newly admitted states, only one Slovenia (2007) entered the euro area.

Conditions and procedure for admitting new members to the EU. In the years that have passed since the formation of the European integration formations, their composition has undergone significant changes. The 6 founding states (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) were joined by: in 1973 - Great Britain, Denmark and Ireland, in 1981 - Greece, in 1986 - Spain and Portugal; from 1995 - Austria, Finland and Sweden; since 2004 - Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta and Cyprus; since 2007 - Bulgaria and Romania. Turkey and some Balkan countries are candidates for membership.

The conditions for joining the EU are defined in the constituent agreements, in subsequent regulatory legal acts and political decisions passed at the level of the European Council ("Copenhagen criteria"). Only European states can be EU members. They must fully share the values, goals and principles of the EU. Candidate states must be free market economy and comply with the rules and principles of fair competition. They are obliged to bring their legal system in line with the provisions and requirements of European law (acquis communautaire - the legal heritage of the Communities).

A state applying for membership in the EU submits an appeal to the Council of the EU, which, acting on the recommendation of the European Commission, decides to open negotiations. Negotiation is the responsibility of the European Commission. Candidate States receive appropriate financial grants and technical support... Their representatives participate in the work of EU bodies on a consultative basis.

Acceptance work ends with the signing of the Accession Agreement and the EU Accession Act. Upon completion of the review at the level of EU institutions, the decision is submitted to the discretion of the EU member states.

Ratification must take place not only in all member states, but also in candidate states. All acts of accession contain numerous clauses and time constraints, especially with regard to the exercise of the four freedoms associated with participation in the common market.

The existing constituent acts do not contain regulations governing the procedure for a possible secession from the EU.

The relevant regulations were developed and included in the draft EU Constitution (provide for the possibility of a member state's withdrawal, subject to advance notice and fulfillment of certain obligations related to EU membership). EU accession states do not automatically become parties to agreements adopted on the basis of the concept of advanced cooperation.

The EU and the Russian Federation are strategic partners, a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (1994, entered into force on 1.12.1997) was signed between them, based on "the embodiment of common values underlying bilateral cooperation." The EU-Russian Federation relations are developing within the framework of the strategy for the development of relations for the medium term (2000-10), which presupposes “building a united Europe without dividing lines”. In the Russian Federation there is a representative office of the EC, and in the EU - a permanent mission of the Russian Federation.

Lit .: Topornin B.N. European communities: law and institutions. M., 1992; European Union Law / Edited by S. Yu. Kashkin et al. M., 2002; Russia and the European Union. M., 2003.

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