European Union

About European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. It was created in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community

The EU establishes a single market created by a system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. In 1999 it introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by fifteen member states. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization (WTO), at G8 summits and at the United Nations (UN). Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement.

Much of the EU's functioning depends upon agreement between the member states, an intergovernmental feature common to most international organisations. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of member states. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon signed in December 2007 is intended to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union, if ratification is completed in 2008. The EU countries have almost 500 million citizens generating an estimated 31% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) (US$16.6 trillion) in 2007.

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Mentioned In 35 Articles
Pakistan's competing jihadists

Explore Article The Hindu (Jul 6 2010) Terrorism

...e in an Internet post, “is bustling with Chechens, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Bosnians, some from European Union countries and, of course, our Arab brothers. According to my survey, the foreign population is a li... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Washington Islamabad Afghanistan
Is Kashmir or Islam on the Boil?

Explore Article World News (Jul 6 2010) Human Rights

...y such agencies like Human Rights Groups, International Crisis Groups, call for UN agents, call for European Union representatives and also calls for a third party mediation on the issue, calls for a Kashmiri self ... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Jamat-ud-Dawa Afghanistan Bill Blair
Dr. Om Prakash Sudrania

Explore Article World News (Jul 6 2010) Human Rights

...y such agencies like Human Rights Groups, International Crisis Groups, call for UN agents, call for European Union representatives and also calls for a third party mediation on the issue, calls for a Kashmiri self ... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Jamat-ud-Dawa Afghanistan Bill Blair
UN approves new body to promote women's equality

Explore Article The Hindu (Jul 2 2010) Human Rights

...s a four-year campaign to streamline the U.N.’s activities promoting the status of women led by the European Union and strongly supported by women’s organizations and other non-governmental groups who hailed the bi... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Rwanda Radhika Coomaraswamy European Union
Hindus' concern on religious equality in Malta noted by fundamental rights agency

Explore Article timesofmalta.com (Jun 25 2010) Human Rights

...10 - 20:19CET Hindus' concern on religious equality in Malta noted by fundamental rights agency The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has “taken note” of Hindus’ concern about equality of religions... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: European Parliament European Union
In Pakistan we are fighting for our lives

Explore Article guardian.co.uk (Mar 1 2010)

...lobal recession. Corrupt governments don't reach this level of IMF partnership. The World Bank, the European Union and the US have all applauded our accomplishments. This praise may be little reported, but it's far... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Asif Ali Zardari IMF Pakistan
BBC News - EU punishes Sri Lanka for rights abuses

Explore Article BBC NEWS (Feb 16 2010)

...ern Sri Lanka (Archive) Sri Lanka has been condemned over its delay in freeing displaced Tamils The European Union has decided to suspend Sri Lanka's preferential trade benefits because of concerns over the country... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Colombo Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Brussels
A people-centred foreign policy

Explore Article Sri Lanka Guardian (Jan 5 2010) Human Rights

...et the blame if there are many more upsets like the loss of the GSP Plus trade concessions from the European Union. It cannot be a propaganda exercise. The Government has to create an environment within the country... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Sarath Fonseka Colombo University Teachers for Human Rights
Listen to Us

Explore Article World Sikh News (Dec 24 2009) Human Rights

...l Religious Freedom, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Council of the European Union, the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Bangladesh Pew Forum Sajjan Kumar
Christianity: West's default religion

Explore Article Sri Lanka Guardian (Dec 19 2009)

...dual or family affair, but has social and community aspects that demand expression and respect. The European Union’s 20 million Muslims are giving goose-bumps to 500 million Christians. Long centuries of familiarit... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Damascus Baghdad Agra
Editorial - Tamil Camps

Explore Article The New York Times (Jul 15 2009)

...ky in the absence of independent investigations. Donor countries — including the United States, the European Union and Japan — as well as international aid organizations are helping provide food, shelter and clothi... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Japan Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lanka
Islam Needs to Be Challenged By True Democracy

Explore Article Assyrian International News Agency (Jun 12 2009) Human Rights

...rse much research must be done to implement global policies with regards to economic blocs like the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement, and other important institutions, like the Internation... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Algeria
Where in the world is there no Discrimination?

Explore Article Asian Tribune (Jun 10 2009) Human Rights

..., in which 23,500 people from ethnic and immigrant minorities were interviewed, is the first by the European Union to study the experience of minorities in member countries. It was conducted by the Vienna-based European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, an E.U. body set up in 2007 to advise policy makers on safeguarding ... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: South Africa Sri Lanka Algeria
10 Gorgeous Pilgrimage Sites You Need to See

Explore Article online.wsj.com (May 21 2009)

...ugh, is still very much in place, despite the ardent efforts of feminist groups, not to mention the European Union, to pressure the Greek government into lifting the ban. Mt. Athos, a self-governed region on a peni... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: England Mexico Mecca
Kashmir pandits express solidarity with Sikh harassed by Taliban ...

Explore Article etalaat (May 18 2009) Human Rights

...n their houses in Karachi. The organisation passed a resolution urging the government of India, the European Union and the United States of America to make known to Pakistan that such acts of brutality unleashed on... (Read Full Article)

Comment on Article Mentions: Karachi Pushkar Nath Goja European Union