Belgium is in the EU. Which European countries are not members of the European Union. Creation of the European Union

Despite the fact that now only lazy people do not talk about the EU, the question of which countries are members of the European Union remains relevant. It is a mistake to talk about the states of Europe and imply a political and economic union of states on the territory of the mainland.

It is interesting to note that the number of countries in the EU today is 28, and in total there are 50 states in Europe.

The creation of the structure falls on the fifties of the last century. It took more than half a century for the Union to reach its modern structure. Laws were passed, new states entered, which selection system was decided to be applied, bringing their innovations to the conservative structure. Today it is a powerful association of lands, which beckons with its wealth, cleanliness and order.

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European countries - list

Europe is the name of the continent of our earth. Together with Asia, it forms the continent of Eurasia. There are fifty states in this territory. The division runs along the Ural Range.

They also include:

• The lands of Russia to the border with the mountains;
• Balkan and Baltic States;
• northern territories: Norway, Sweden;
• southern: Spain, Malta, Monaco, Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Vatican;
• central lands: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,;
• western: Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Andorra;
• east: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova;
• part of Turkey.

The division into groups is conditional. The division is more political in nature. After all, after each collapse or unification, the territory is transferred from one group to another.

Countries currently in the European Union

The Commonwealth dates back to the fifties of the twentieth century.

The first countries to become members of the EU were: Germany, the French Republic, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands.

Rome has become a historic city. Here, in 1957, the coal and steel treaty was signed, which is the prototype of the modern Maastricht agreement. Further, up to our time, the list of the EU increased.

The largest number of territories joined in 2004. These were states from the post-Soviet space: Poland plus the Baltic countries.

The entry of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 was controversial. Experts argued that these countries do not fully meet the Copenhagen membership standards. But their request was granted. The same opinion was about Greece. Croatia was the last to join the Union (2013). Albania is also among the candidates for EU accession. Here are the states that are part of the European Union for 2018.

European countries outside the European Union

The rest of the states of Europe, except for the united 28, are not part of the EU.

The confusion with member countries and non-members of the Union is due to the existence of several more associations in Europe.

This is a currency union, as well as a zone of free border crossing without going through customs inspection.

Interaction between the parties takes place on the basis of agreements on cooperation in a certain area.

To date, the European Union does not cover the following territories:

• the four states of the overseas west side, including the UK;
• Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus;
• Balkan territories excluding Croatia;
• European part of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan.
• USA area, Canada and others.

The joining process does not stop in time. Interested participants apply. They begin to be watched. The most successful are added to the extension program. There are also countries that decide to leave the European Union for objective reasons, such as England.

It is important to know: the borders of the European Union, the monetary union, the Schengen area do not coincide.

A bit of EU history

The post-war period required decisive action to resolve the current economic situation. Key players in the steel and coal production market have decided to conclude a cooperation agreement.

The creation of the European Union falls on 1957. It included six states. Since that time, it has been not only an economic union, but an international cooperation of countries.

The EU became an interstate organization that had common agreements, but each separate territory retained its own identity and traditions.

The European Union acquired its modern look in 1992 after the ratification of the Maastricht Agreement. Then there was an attempt to introduce a common constitution. In the EEC referendums, not all participating countries supported this initiative. The French and the Dutch refused.

The Lisbon Agreement, signed in 2007, settled all disputes. It became the prototype of a failed constitution.

Criteria for joining the EU

The applicant state must change the structure of the three spheres of life to meet the standards of the association.

Such indicators were developed in 1993, after which they were approved at a formal meeting of the EU Council. Their name comes from the venue of the training camp - the Danish city of Copenhagen.

Norms exist for those who want to join the association. There are three Copenhagen criteria in total: political, economic, and membership.

Each of the regulations has its own standards:

1. According to the political criterion, the state must work on its institutions. Their ideal state is an unprecedented protection and guarantee of democracy, protection of the rights of citizens, and a tolerant attitude towards national minorities. Compliance with this criterion gives the right to association with the EU.
2. Economic norms stimulate the country's system to develop. This means raising production standards and steadily adhering to them. After all, there is strong competition in the EU market. An unprepared state can become bankrupt.
3. Membership criteria test a country's ability to bear collective responsibility. On the territory of the EU, all states are independent with their own legislative framework. But there are also general regulatory and restrictive documents. They impose certain economic, political obligations on the member countries.

Features of the economy of the EU member states

Each state has its own economic strategy. For countries that are members of the EU, deductions to the EU budget and regulations for planning their own budgets are mandatory.

The deficit of public financial plans is ≤ 3%, and the public debt is less than or equal to 60%. However, there are cases where these standards are violated.

The backward states can receive assistance from the EU. The regional policy is based on the alignment of the general economic situation across the territory of the union.

Another factor that increases or decreases the budget of member countries is the quota program. Entrepreneurs of all states must adhere to common rules and standards.

Conclusion

At the moment, when asked how many countries are in the European Union, the answer is the following - 28.

The membership process is complex and time consuming. To do this, the state must meet the three main Copenhagen criteria: economic, political and membership standards.

If a country feels that it can compete for a seat in the EU, an application is submitted by the government. The commission considers it and makes a decision. Recent accessions finally shook the stability of the association. Therefore, the union checks applicants more carefully.

Watch the video, which provides an overview of the EU member states:

A united Europe has always been a dream for the inhabitants of the continent. Many times, since the Middle Ages, it was "collected" by military means. But the moment came when the countries of the continent united voluntarily, wanting to create a political community leading to economic prosperity.

The foundation of the new alliance was laid by Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Holland. Then they were joined by the British, Danes, Irish, and soon the Greeks. But history did not stand still and the opportunity to become part of the new community was used by Portugal, Austria, Spain, then Hungary. Soon, the two northern states - Finland and Sweden - also decided to join the European Union.

At the beginning of the 21st century, ten states joined the EU at once. Approval for entry was given to all three Baltic states, as well as Poland, Malta, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Cyprus. The Bulgarians and Romanians were the next to join the ranks of the peoples united under the blue flag adorned with golden stars.

These processes took place from 1957 to 2013. Croatia was the last member of the union.

And in 2016, the first ever attempt to leave the EU was made. The British government organized a general vote: the people spoke in favor of breaking off relations with the EU. The beginning of the secession process is planned for the end of March 2019, but until that time, the UK remains a full-fledged component of the European community. Therefore, now the United Kingdom has the same privileges and responsibilities as other EU countries.

Which countries are no longer part of the European Union?

There are very few states on the European continent that failed to enter the European Union. Switzerland planned to join, but the application was frozen after a national vote was held. The Swiss referendum gave a negative result. For almost the same reason, the EU and Norway cannot be seen on the lists. A referendum was held here twice, and both times the people voted against joining.

Eastern European states that did not join the European Union did so for various reasons. If Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have to bring their laws and economy in line with EU standards, then Russia and Belarus have not expressed a desire to become part of a united Europe. And since 2014, the European Union has supported the imposition of sanctions against the Russian Federation due to the situation around Ukraine and Crimea.

Kosovo, Transnistria, Georgia, Moldova, Bosnia cannot be in the EU for political reasons. These are unresolved territorial disputes. These states cannot claim equal membership until they solve their pressing problems.

Countries that left the EU

By 2019, there are no states that would have left the EU. Perhaps only Greenland can be considered such a country. It was in the European Union as part of Denmark, but left in 1985 because the fishermen of the harsh northern island were not satisfied with the low standards for fish catch.

A full-fledged precedent will be created by Great Britain, which begins the process of parting with the European Union this spring. Following the United Kingdom, other states may leave the organization. How many countries in Europe are ready to do this? Analysts from America name six states that can follow the example of England. First, it is Sweden and Denmark. They are in favor of strengthening border controls.

Greece attributes its economic problems to the restrictions it has to comply with because of the requirements of the European Union. From Athens, the capital of the state, voices were repeatedly heard declaring their desire to leave the EU.

The refugee problem also strongly influenced public opinion in Holland, Hungary and France. Most of the inhabitants of these countries have already become Eurosceptics.

Applicants for EU accession

There are a lot of people who want to join the ranks of the European Union. But no more than five of all possible applicants can be considered official candidates. Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Albania are ready to join. Two more states are considered as potential associate members of the EU - Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Turkey is called the state whose prospects for getting into the European Union are estimated as the best. It has been negotiating accession with the EU for more than 20 years. And has been an associate member since 1964. The history of Turkey's attempts to enter the union is full of contradictions.

The country has many supporters within the organization. They believe that Turkey will strengthen the position of the EU in the region. Of course, there are opponents, but despite this, Turkey will probably soon be marked on maps as part of the European Union.

Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro just a couple of decades ago were parts of one country - Yugoslavia. They were formed as independent states quite recently. Therefore, the process of accession to the EU countries is quite a short time.

The EU itself spends a lot of money and great efforts on unification with Serbia, but the position of this country on a number of political issues makes it doubtful that accession is possible in the near future. Montenegro is now much closer to joining. Macedonia, due to political instability, may even be “overboard”.

Requirements for applicant countries

The list of requirements for everyone who wants to become part of a united Europe is reflected in a document that was drawn up in Copenhagen in 1993. According to him, each state that has applied for entry into the European Union is subject to strict verification. The criteria are:

• adhering to democratic principles. The state should not only verbally adhere to them, but also be able to successfully apply them in the conduct of domestic and foreign policy;
• The most important qualities of a European state that has the right to enter the EU are considered to be practical support at the state level for such democratic procedures as protection of the individual and upholding the priority of legal law;
• the country must successfully develop its own economy, increase its competitiveness;
• there must be a correlation between the principles and objectives of the policy of the candidate country with the course of the European Union.

If the state is refused based on the results of the audit, then it must be provided with a complete list of the reasons for such a decision so that it has the opportunity to eliminate them and re-apply.

Gradation of European countries by years of accession to the EU

Croatia has managed to become the newest member of the European Union. It happened in 2013. Six years earlier, accession had been successfully completed by Bulgaria and Romania. They became part of the "fifth expansion" that had begun nine years earlier. Then the EU was replenished with Cyprus, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Baltic states joined. The number of members of the organization has increased significantly.

In 1995, the founding countries managed to attract Sweden, Austria, and Finland. It turned out to unite with the Portuguese and Spaniards in the eighty-sixth. Persuade Greece in 1981. And welcome Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland in 1973.

Post-war Europe has long experienced the difficulties of reconstruction and mutual distrust. But by 1957, the Italians, French and Germans had overcome the contradictions, forgotten the old feuds and laid the foundation for a new history of Europe.

Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands also played an important role. It was they who became the core of the new union, which took shape in 1957 after the signing of an interstate treaty in Rome. It marked the creation of an economic organization that, over its more than half a century of history, has transformed into the modern European Union. Its symbol was the coat of arms depicting 12 sparkling stars on a blue field.

The history of the formation of the EU

Despite the deep roots, the history of the EU is usually counted from 1948, when the Brussels Pact on security cooperation was signed. Three years later, a document on the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was signed. The agreement was signed by German, French, Italian representatives, as well as diplomats from the Benelux countries. The headquarters of the union is located in Brussels. In Europe, there has been a trend towards unification.

Relations between states developed. In addition to broad economic cooperation, a single police and judicial space was created, and the foundations were laid for a common foreign policy and military security. The Lisbon Agreement shaped the European Union in its present form.

One of the fundamental documents that made it possible not formally, but actually to erase borders from the map of Europe, was an agreement signed near the small Luxembourg village of Schengen. The document made it possible to cancel visas when moving within Europe and thereby create a visa-free zone, which was almost immediately called the Schengen zone.

Expansion history

The forms of cooperation were expanded, as was the list of states that had expressed a desire to work together under the new rules. Of course, at first there were only six of them: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Germany and France. It took a long 16 years for the first expansion to occur. It happened in 1973 and there were nine participants.

The largest increase in EU membership was the fifth enlargement. The accession document was signed in 2003. Ten states became members of the "European family". The fifth expansion also includes the accession to the European Union of the Bulgarian and Romanian peoples in 2013.

European Parliament officials promise that by 2025 the list of countries will be replenished again.

EU management

The main governing body of the European Union is the European Council. At Council Congresses, all important resolutions that determine the current policy of the EU are adopted. The leaders of all EU countries gather here. It is they who make all decisions, which are then followed by all nation-states. Here, not only political “wishes” are formed, but also normative documents are created that have legal force and are binding on all subordinate structures of both the European Union and national states.

Currency in the European Union

Euro is the official currency of the European Union. It circulates in nineteen countries. Three states, being members of the European Union, still continue to use their own currency. But Andorra, Montenegro, the Vatican, Monaco do not interfere with another currency at all, and the euro is used there as an official means of payment.

The European Central Bank controls the issuance and exchange rate of the euro. Its other task is to determine the financial and economic policy of the association. Having first released its new money on the foreign exchange market in 1999, the EU bank ensured their long life and great popularity. Today, the euro is one of the world's reserve currencies, a status it received thanks to Deutsche Bank, located in Berlin, and the high status of the German mark, of which it became the actual heir.

Economic activity

It is aimed, firstly, at removing barriers within the EU and, secondly, at defending the interests of both the union and its individual members on international trading floors. The EU budget is controlled by the European Court of Auditors, headquartered in Luxembourg.

By bringing together such world leaders in industrial production as Germany, France, Italy, Britain, the European Union can rightfully be considered one of the most powerful economic conglomerates. The GDP of the European Union is estimated at 22% of the world's volume. Bypass it only China and the United States.

Also, the European Union is one of the world leaders in terms of GDP per capita: the average figure was about 35 thousand euros per year. In the Eurozone, Germany leads in terms of wages, and Estonian citizens have one of the lowest incomes.

Legal system

The unique system of law that has emerged in the European Union is based on general and functional law. It is these two pillars that form the basis of the jurisprudence of a united Europe.

Functional law is a combination of two wonderful principles that complement each other. These are the principles of supremacy and direct action. The first of them declares the priority of the laws of the union over the legal acts of the states that are members of the EU. The second allows EU structures to apply laws not only to state entities, but also to residents - individuals, legal entities, which was not previously used by any supranational structures.

Established in 1952 as a court attached to the ECSC. Now it is a permanent institution of the European Union. The basis of its work is the resolution and consideration of cases within its jurisdiction. Makes decisions on legal matters. The activities are regulated by the Charter of the court, which determines the formation, work, limits of competence.

Member states, EU structures, individuals and legal entities can apply to the EU court. Its decision is binding on all national courts. Most of the cases heard by the courts concern the interpretation of EU laws, the resolution of disputes between EU members.

Strasbourg is home to another important element of the European legal system. This is a court that deals with cases related to the violation of human rights. Its jurisdiction extends to all who have signed the Convention for the Protection of Fundamental Freedoms.

Political structure

After the signing of the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, the political structure of the EU has changed. The executive, judicial, and legislative powers acquired a number of additional functions and powers.

The executive branch of the EU has two components:

• European Council;
• European Commission.

Legislative power is represented by:

• the European Parliament;
• Council of the European Union.

The judiciary is a system consisting of three links:

• Court of First Instance;
• Special Judicial Chambers.

The European Union has priority over the member states of the union when concluding international agreements concerning customs regulations, conditions for trade competition, common trade policy, monetary policy, environmental protection and conservation of resources.

The political structure of the EU states is extremely diverse. The form of government of some countries has not changed since the Middle Ages, a monarchy has been established there. Of course, there are no traces of absolutism for a long time, and kings exist only nominally, but in essence all these European countries have long been parliamentary or presidential republics.

Perspectives in politics

It is believed that now the EU is in crisis. In recent years, the union has been faced with many problems that the states of Europe have tried to solve together. The Ukrainian crisis and the situation around Crimea became severe tests, which led to complications in relations with the Russian Federation and the emergence of military tension in territories located almost in the center of Europe. Also relevant are the problems of the states of North Africa and the Middle East, which have caused the emergence of hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The unity of the countries that are members of the EU has been shaken, and the influence of Eurosceptics has begun to grow. A particularly strong blow was the referendum in the UK, which led to the country's exit from the European Union. But external and internal political challenges are multiplying, constantly testing the "European family" for strength. Is it so integral and united in 2018-2019? Most likely, only the joint efforts of all members of the Union will be able to lead to a happy resolution of all the complex problems that arise daily before the EU.

Major political parties

Europarties operate simultaneously in several EU member states. They are financed from EU funds and interact both with EU officials and with representatives of individual states.

The oldest registered party is the European People's Party, which has existed since 1976. Representatives position themselves as liberal conservatives. It is the most influential political association in the EU.

It is worth noting such parties as:

• European Green Party (1984);
• European Free Alliance (1989);
• Party of European Socialists (1992);
• Party of the European Left (1998);
• European Democratic Party (2004).

The remaining political associations are younger, they have not yet managed to acquire sufficient political influence.

Corruption in the EU

Corruption regularly becomes the scourge of all large state formations, if control over the activities of financial institutions is insufficient, and management is difficult, even confusing. Such practices of bribery not only undermine the authority of democratic institutions, but also create fertile ground for the development of organized crime.

According to reports from various EU agencies, losses from corruption in 2018 amounted to about 900 billion euros. The main problem is called insufficient control over compliance with the law in some member states of the union. To combat these phenomena, it was proposed to draw up a "corruption rating" of the EU states so that it could influence the distribution of EU money.

EU Armed Forces

The EU does not have a unified armed forces. Within its framework, various mechanisms of interaction between the military of nation states were created. But basically the policy is within the powers of the EU member states.

NATO remains the main military alliance in Europe today. It includes 27 European states, 22 of which are members of the EU.

Nevertheless, the Treaty on the European Union, the new version of which came into force in 2009, provides for a significant interpenetration of the military structures of various EU member states. But the military contingent directly subordinate to the EU is practically absent. Due to disagreements in the European Council, the optimal form of military integration has not yet been found.

EU population

In the 28 member states of the European Union, on an area of ​​​​about 4.5 million square kilometers, the population is more than 500 million people. The largest countries in terms of population are Germany - 81 million people, as well as France - 65 million people. The national composition of Europe has not changed for centuries. Various nations living side by side have long "got used" to each other, and know everything about the habits and ethnic characteristics of their neighbors. The population density in Europe is very high.

Another problem in Europe is the high average age of the population. Every year the percentage of able-bodied Europeans decreases and the number of dependents increases.

It would seem that refugees can help by taking open jobs, but most of them live on benefits that are large enough that there is no need to work. Many do not even try to learn the language or obtain citizenship of their host country. Effective mechanisms for solving these demographic problems have not yet been developed.

EU relations with other countries

Responsibility for relations with states outside the EU lies with the person holding the position of High Representative of the Union. Now in this post is Federica Mogherini. Many EU countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council and take an active part in international politics.

The European Union has existing agreements on cooperation and trade with foreign neighbors. Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, Israel have managed to become good trading partners of the European Union.

The EU is one of Russia's most important trading partners and a major consumer of Russian gas and oil. The geographical position of the EU countries allows you to quickly receive energy carriers delivered overland using pipelines.

The EU is actively pursuing not only a trade foreign policy. Diplomatic missions of the European Union operate all over the world. They are in New York, in the African Union and even in Afghanistan.

Which states are in the European Union, which are in the Schengen area, and which are in the euro area? An interesting situation has developed in Europe: there is integration, but each country is trying to assemble its own constructor of its choice. Therefore, there are several collective farms here. The most advanced option is when a 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, simply put, a semblance of the former USSR. It was formed back in 1948 as a counterweight to the USSR. There was a second good reason: preventing the revival of an independent Germany after the Second World War. And now Germany has been given the honorable right to be the locomotive of the economy of the entire European Union so that it does not get rich, but this is a topic for a separate difficult conversation.

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

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

Most successfully, these countries managed to develop a common foreign policy. In this area, perhaps, there is the least disagreement. Whom to execute, whom to pardon in Brussels is decided very amicably. Although, in recent years, this mechanism has begun to slip. The economic crisis has cooled the belligerence of European governments, or rather, made them less resolute 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 economic degradation.

Executive bodies of the EU are European Commission, headed by a chairman, and European Council, consisting of heads of member states. Legislation governs the European Parliament, in turn with its President, 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 the General Secretary, and the chairman of the presidium! True, the parliament is organized on a multi-party basis.

And here Constitution the EU does not yet have. Partly from 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. At present, the members of the union have managed to adopt the so-called Treaty of Lisbon. This document is intended to simplify the procedures and bureaucratic structure of the organization and subsequently adopt a single Constitution.

Fiscal structure of the EU

Customs borders between the EU countries are conditional. Internal customs points as such have been abolished, but the customs of the states have switched to a mobile version of the service. In the Czech Republic, on the main transit routes, it is very common to see customs minibuses monitoring passing traffic.

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

All payers of VAT (value added tax) in the European Union 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 go online to the electronic register of VAT payers of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. The information is open. To obtain it, it is enough to enter the TIN of the business entity.

Many EU members determine for themselves and independently, for example, tax rates. So VAT rates in the EU countries are regulated only at the minimum amount of the main (basic) rate. Investigation, legal proceedings, codes can differ 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 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 driven on the roads of Europe without meeting border guards.

Truth, mobile control stays, it works. This should be remembered by those foreigners who receive in their passports not a Schengen visa, but, for example, a national visa type "D". With such a visa, you can travel outside the state only if you have additional visas of those states that are intended for travel.

euro area

The Czech Republic is included in the list of the EU and Schengen 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 no longer want to. So neighboring Poland, too, due to the economic crisis, sharply slowed down its smart train, just at that moment running to the euro at full speed. Somehow they immediately got sick of it.

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

Table 1. The countries of the EU, the Schengen area and the eurocurrency area for 2015

third states

Czech laws governing immigration to the Czech Republic often use the term "citizens of third countries" With the sign posted above, it is now much easier to figure out who is who. All states that are not in the tablet 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

Association Agreement with the European Union

There is also an extensive list of non-EU states with which the EU has signed association agreements on a bilateral basis. 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 developed 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 not established for charitable activities. At present, union leaders are concerned about two things: where to put their goods to ease deflation, and how to protect their labor market from the influx of newcomers, and the crisis is only spurring 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 this will not shine for many others for decades to come. Last year, Turkish politicians, in particular Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, spoke in the vein that, they say, everything is clear, they will wait a little more, and well, this project ...

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

Table 3. Associate Members of the European Union

EU and common market

Today, the European Union is a kind of liberal federal entity that has made it possible to unite approximately 500 million people into a single market. Despite the fact that not all states wished to enter the single currency zone, one way or another they are firmly tied to the euro.

The presence of such a huge consumer market makes it possible to benefit from the economies of the EU states, especially industrialized ones with 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 happened also because the Soviet Union in a short time created its 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 industry of these countries produced most of the nomenclature independently. In modern terminology, a return to such an economic model is called import substitution.

Labor markets within the European Union are divided in a manner similar to 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 the newcomers, to reduce the plantations to the agricultural crops that are common among the newcomers. Buy up existing enterprises, banks, telecom operators, transport.

If the Czech Republic or Poland were able to negotiate preferences for themselves and preserve their industry and energy, then the entry into the EU, for example, of Bulgaria, the Baltic and Mediterranean states weakened their economies and undermined labor markets. Numerous flows 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 wealthier states.

I'm curious to what extent EU politicians are able to continue to evaluate the experience of the Soviet past, not paying attention to the ideological background of that state structure? So far, they are 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.

The European Union is an association of states that interact with each other on a democratic basis and carry out joint activities in various fields.

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Member States of the EU have common governing bodies that ensure decision-making at a single level. Consider the list of members of the European Union in 2019.

History of the EU

As a result of two world wars, the heads of European countries came to a common agreement that in order to ensure development and stability on the European continent, it is necessary to unite their efforts.

The beginning of the negotiations was the proposal of the Minister of France Schuman in 1950 on the connection of the coal and foundry industries of the French state and the FRG.

In 1951, an agreement was signed on the unification of the coal and steel industries, the participants of which were Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Having achieved success, these states continued their cooperation in the future. Further, in 1957, the EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community were approved by the Rome Agreement.

These associations set as their main goal the formation of a community in the customs sphere and the annulment of all trade bans within the association, peaceful cooperation in the nuclear field.

In 1967, the merger of the institutions of the executive power of 3 associations took place, the result of which was the formation of the main structure, where the European Commission, the Council, the Parliament and the Court became the main bodies.

The next step in the history of the EU can be considered the formation of the Maastricht Agreement in 1992, the basis of which was the allocation of three basic stages of the EU - the European Community and interstate cooperation in the political and security spheres, the legal framework.

A few years later, in 1996, an Intergovernmental Assembly was held in Turin, which resulted in the signing of the Amsterdam Agreement in the summer of 1997.

With the advent of the new millennium, the main goals of the EU are to improve the areas of interaction and increase the number of new participants, the countries of the central and eastern parts of Europe are considered a priority.

States that are part of the European Union table

In 1992, the EU states officially united, the list of participating countries gradually increased.

At present, their number is 28. Let's list the countries that are members of the European Union at the beginning of 2019.

For all the time of the existence of the European Union, not a single state has left its composition. The only exception is Greenland, which left the EU due to a reduction in its fishing quota in 1985.

Also in the summer of 2016, a vote was held in the UK, where most of the citizens supported leaving the EU membership. Consequently, there are still certain disagreements within the union.

What do you need to join

The relevant standards have been approved, which must be met in order to be part of the EU. Conditions for accession are mentioned in Article 49 of the EU Agreement.

The criteria for potential EU members were set in 1993 in Copenhagen, and then they were confirmed in 1995 in Madrid at a meeting of the EU Council.

The main conditions for membership are:

If the state does not pass the test for compliance with the specified criteria, the EU authorities draw up a list of requirements that contribute to the normalization of all indicators.

In the process of carrying out reforms in the states - potential candidates, the EU exercises its control.

When all the necessary criteria reach the established level, the EU holds a meeting to decide on the possibility of joining the country to the European Union.

Features of economic activity

In the European Union, economic and monetary policy are intertwined and can only function together.

The main goal of economic policy is to create favorable conditions for doing business and interacting with EU citizens.

An important constituent element in this is a unified financial system and monetary policy.

Along with this, a single currency unit is not able to function when the level of inflation and interest rates in states differ to a large extent.

To this end, the leadership of the European Union is developing a joint economic direction of development and regulation of important indicators of the economy at the level of the European Union.

Important features of economic activity are the regulation of price levels, inflation, financial and credit operations, tourism, mining, etc.

In the event that one of the EU member states does not adhere to the course of economic development, the EU Council has the right to approve measures in relation to this country and control the process of their implementation.

The EU economy includes the economies of all member states. At the same time, in the international space it is represented by a separate mechanism.

The EU regulates all disagreements between its members, protects their interests in the global space. All members of the European Union supplement the total income of the community with their gross domestic product and general economic indicators.

Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Great Britain give the largest share of profits. A special body of the EU keeps records of receipts from each state individually.

Taking into account all the components of economic activity, it is possible to determine the volume of natural resources in a single country.

Possible candidates for membership

Most countries on the European continent aspire to join the European Union. To date, the official applicants are Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are also possible contenders. Many states are not included in the circle of likely candidates for membership because they do not meet the stated criteria.

Video: comparing countries

Some countries have signed an association agreement with the EU, not only European states and countries of other continents.

In 2014, Ukraine and Moldova expressed their intention to join the European Union. Analyzing the process of joining the EU, it can be seen that the EU aims to take into account the countries of other continents, considering their possible participation in the union.