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Countries included in the EU map. The European Union is. Map of the European Union with countries and capitals, EU borders

In 2018, talk about the withdrawal of some countries from the European Union became more frequent, due to the political situation in the world. In this article we will look at which countries are members of the European Union in 2019.

Today the European Union includes 28 countries.
In addition to major powers, the list also includes a number of autonomous regions that are subordinate to larger states. Among the autonomous territories are the Åland Islands, the Azores and others.

Which countries are members of the European Union, list in 2019

Date of accession to the European Union	Country	Total number of members
March 25, 1957	Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France.	6
January 1, 1973	Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland.	9
January 1, 1981	Greece	10
January 1, 1986	Spain, Portugal	12
January 1, 1995	Austria, Finland, Sweden	15
May 1, 2004	Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia	25
January 1, 2007	Bulgaria, Romania	27
July 1, 2013	Croatia	28

Map of the European Union with countries and capitals, EU borders

IMPORTANT: EU countries are pursuing a customs union policy. There is a duty-free trade system within the Union, and the quantity of goods moving between countries does not matter, and therefore is not taxed. Those powers that were not lucky enough to join the Union trade at a single customs tariff.

It should be noted that each EU segment retains its own economy and has all the powers to independently conduct economic activities. BUT mandatory monetary influences in the treasury. The investments of 28 states make up the GDP of the entire Union.

Accession to the EU

All current members of the European Union have gone through certain stages that must be completed in order to join the Union. The so-called Copenhagen criteria.

What are the requirements for candidates for entry?

1. “Any European state may apply to become a member of the Union.”

REFERENCE: What “European state” means is not entirely clear. Despite the fact that the phrase is used as a term, its clear definition has not yet been given. In practice, “European” is interpreted as a state that belongs to Europe geographically, as well as culturally, historically and politically close to the values of the Union.

2. A country applying for membership must respect the values , which underlie the European Union, share them and ensure the maintenance of these values within their state.

IMPORTANT: Basic requirements: “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”

The Treaty on European Union also includes secondary requirements for candidates for accession. They are named named in Art. 49 "compliance criteria"
The terms of the TEU are set by the heads of EU member states.

Candidates for accession to the European Union in 2019

Several countries have submitted their candidacies to join the European Union:

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

REFERENCE: Serbia and Montenegro even have a tentative entry date set for 2025.

There are also potential candidates:

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic of Kosovo

They are not candidates yet. There is a fundamental difference between the legal status of a candidate country and a potential candidate country.

Which countries were the first to join the European Union?

The first echelon included only 6 countries (all Western European): Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, France. This composition is relevant for the period of the 50s - 60s of the twentieth century.

Already in 1793 there was an increase in the number of allied countries. The so-called expansion, which ended with the inclusion of Great Britain, Denmark and Ireland.

1981 was the date of signing the agreement also with Greece, and 1986 with Spain and Portugal.

REFERENCE: The Treaty on the European Union was signed only in 1992 (it came into force on November 1, 1993). Only from that moment on did the European Union emerge in the format in which it exists to this day. Since 1993, he has lived according to the rules of the DES and entry is carried out according to strictly established regulations.

The first countries to join the EU according to all official procedures and established stages were Austria, Finland and Sweden.

Only in the twenty-first century did further expansion of the union (to the East) begin.
On 1 May 2004, the EU admitted Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and the islands of Cyprus and Malta.

In 2005, an agreement was signed, and in 2007, Eastern European Bulgaria and Romania became EU members.

Which country was the last to join the EU?

Croatia recently joined the European Union. At the moment, it is the last country to move from candidate status to EU member status.

The Croats applied for membership back in 2003, and for ten years they went through the procedure of joining the union. In 2004, the European Commission approved the initiative and allowed Croatia to become a candidate.

The process was delayed due to the intervention of Slovenia, whose officials made it clear that they had a number of objections to Croatia's accession to the EU.
In 2009, the situation was resolved with the help of international representatives.

The signing of related agreements took place in 2012, and in 2013 they entered into force, making Croatia a full member of the European Union.

European countries outside the EU

Liechtenstein
Monaco
Switzerland
Russia
Belarus
Moldova
Ukraine
Norway
Andorra
Vatican
San Marino
Albania and Macedonia (cannot become candidates for accession, as they are in a state of territorial disputes)
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan (partially located on European territory)
Kosovo (cannot join the Union, since not all countries recognize it as an independent state)
Transnistria (the issue of secession from Moldova has not been fully resolved)

REFERENCE: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican are partners of the EU, actively cooperate with the countries of the Union, and the official currency of these states is the euro.

Czech Republic;

Sweden.

The European Union has existed for almost 90 years, during which time only one country has left it (Greenland), which in 1985 expressed outrage over the reduction of fishing quotas.

The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political union 27 European countries, which formed a “common market”, primarily ensuring the free movement of goods and people.

Within the EU there is a single currency - the euro, which as of 2020 is used 19 participating countries, and has its own parliament, empowered to make decisions in a wide range of areas - from issues related to environmental protection to setting tariffs for mobile communications.

MAP OF EU COUNTRIES

EU countries

The current list of countries that are members of the European Union in 2020 (as of today) is as follows.

EU COUNTRIES 2019

№	MEMBER STATE	ENTRY DATE
1.	Germany	March 25, 1957
2.	Belgium
3.	Italy
4.	Luxembourg
5.	Netherlands
6.	France
7.	Denmark	January 1, 1973
8.	Ireland	January 1, 1973
9.	Greece	January 1, 1981
10.	Spain	January 1, 1986
11.	Portugal	January 1, 1986
12.	Austria	January 1, 1995
13.	Finland
14.	Sweden
15.	Hungary	May 1, 2004
16.	Cyprus
17.	Latvia
18.	Lithuania
19.	Malta
20.	Poland
21.	Slovakia
22.	Slovenia
23.	Czech Republic
24.	Estonia
25.	Bulgaria	January 1, 2007
26.	Romania	January 1, 2007
27.	Croatia	July 1, 2013
*	United Kingdom	January 1, 1973 (formal release – February 1, 2020)

On Thursday June 23, 2016, a referendum was held in Great Britain, known throughout the world as Brexit. More than 30 million Human. The final turnout was 71.8%. As a result, 51.9% of Britons expressed a desire to leave the European Union. At the same time, the majority of citizens of England and Wales supported leaving the EU, while residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland were against it.

According to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in 2009, any EU country has the right to leave this association. This article regulates the procedure for leaving the EU, in particular, a maximum of 2 years is provided for the final agreement of conditions. The official start of the process of separation of Great Britain from the European Union was scheduled for March 29, 2019. This was followed by a six-month extension until October 31, 2019.

Important. At midnight 31 January to 1 February 2020 Central European Time, the UK formally left the European Union. The country lost representation and voting rights in EU authorities, but remained part of the single economic space until the end of 2020. Within 11 months, the UK and the EU must agree on new terms of trade and cooperation.

The list of countries included in the EU in 2020, unlike in 2019, includes not 28, but 27 states.

Creation of the European Union

The idea of creating the European Union arose against the backdrop of the horrific consequences of the Second World War. To avoid a repetition of such events and to maximally connect countries with each other economically, in 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed uniting the coal and steel industries of Europe.

As a result, in 1951, six states - France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg - signed Treaty of Paris and created the European Coal and Steel Community. The rapid growth of trade relations over 6 years led to the conclusion Treaties of Rome 1957, which led to the formation of the European Economic Community - the basis of the modern EU.

The European Union in its current form was created on the basis Maastricht Treaty, effective from November 1, 1993, which led to the emergence of the single European currency - Euro. Subsequently, changes were made to the main EU agreements in accordance with the treaties signed in Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2001) and Lisbon (2009).

Accession of countries to the European Union

The first wave of EU enlargement occurred in 1973, following the entry into the union of Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark. Greece joined in 1981, and 5 years later (1986) Portugal and Spain joined. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union.

The largest expansion took place in 2004, when the EU gained 10 new members - Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Estonia. Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007, and Croatia became the last country to join the EU in 2013.

Functioning of the EU

The combined population of EU member states exceeds 510 million people. Previously a purely economic union, over the years of its existence it has turned into a powerful political association, jointly addressing issues of security, migration, climate change, healthcare, education and much more. The fundamental principles of the European Union are based on a single internal market, ensuring the free movement of goods, services, money and people, including labor.

The core values of the EU include the rule of law, freedom, democracy, equality, respect for human rights and dignity. The functioning of the European Union is ensured 7 main institutions:

European Council.

Council of the European Union.

Court of Justice of the European Union.

European Court of Auditors.

European Central Bank.

Despite the nominal independence of each EU member and collective decision-making, individual countries occupy a dominant position in this association. For example, more than 60% Contributions to the general budget of the European Union come from 4 states - Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy. For comparison, the total share of the Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - does not exceed 1%.

Many EU member countries receive considerable funds from the general budget to support the economy and social development, which significantly exceed the size of the initial contributions. Thus, sovereignty and the ability to significantly influence important decisions taken within the European Union are partially lost. Germany has been considered the political and economic leader of the EU for many years.

Candidates for EU membership

As already mentioned, the list of EU countries in 2020 includes 27 members. The last addition took place in 2013, when Croatia joined the association. Four Western European countries - Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein - are not members of the EU, but are closely integrated into the single economic market and are members of the Schengen area.

To join the European Union, a candidate country must meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria, which are based on democratic governance, respect for human rights, the functioning of a market economy and commitment to the goals and intentions of the EU. The right to join the European Union on a geographical basis is enshrined in Article 49 Maastricht Treaty.

As of 2020, there are 5 candidates for EU membership:

Türkiye - application from 1987

Macedonia - application from 2004

Montenegro - application from 2008

Albania - application from 2009

Serbia - application from 2009

All countries except Albania and Macedonia are negotiating accession to the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are considered potential candidates. In 2014, the European Union signed association agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, which is not a basis for applying for EU membership, but membership is possible in the future. Based on statements from high-ranking European officials, it can be concluded that We should not expect new countries to join the European Union in the coming years.

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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EU member states have common governing bodies that ensure decision-making at a single level. Let's look at the list of members of the European Union in 2020.

History of the EU

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

The negotiations began with the proposal of the French Minister Schumann in 1950 to combine the coal and foundry industries of the French state and Germany.

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 field and the annulment of all trade bans within the association, peaceful cooperation in the nuclear field.

In 1967, the executive authorities of 3 associations merged, which resulted in the formation of the main structure, where the main bodies were the European Commission, the Council, the Parliament and the Court.

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 identification of three basic levels of the EU - the European Community and interstate interaction in the political and security spheres, the legal framework.

In addition, the agreement regulated the creation of a common currency unit and close political interaction.

A few years later, an Intergovernmental Meeting was held in Turin in 1996, resulting 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 areas of interaction and increase the number of new participants, with the countries of central and eastern Europe considered a priority.

States that are part of the European Union table

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

As of today, their number is 28. Let us list the countries that are members of the European Union at the beginning of 2020.

Country	Year of entry
Austria	1995
Bulgaria	2007
Belgium	1957
British Kingdom	1973
Germany	1957
Hungary	2004
Greece	1981
Italy	1957
Italy	1957
Spanish Kingdom	1986
Denmark	1973
Ireland	1973
Lithuania	2004
Latvia	2004
Republic of Cyprus	2004
Malta	2004
Kingdom of the Netherlands	1957
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg	1957
Slovenia	2004
Slovakia	2004
Poland	2004
Finland	1995
French Republic	1957
Portugal	1986
Romania	2007
Croatia	2013
Sweden	1995
Czech Republic	2004
Estonia	2004

During the entire 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 fishing quotas in 1985.

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

What do you need to join?

The relevant standards have been approved that must be met in order to be part of the EU. The conditions for accession are mentioned in Article 49 of the EU agreement.

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

The main conditions of membership are:

Political stability, social justice, democratic principles of development, legal protection of the population and national minorities	The opportunity for every citizen to take part in the process of determining the directions of work of government bodies, the unhindered formation of political parties. Members of national minorities should not be discriminated against and may have the right to communicate in their native language and adhere to their culture and national values
Economic stability, successful functioning within the competitive market field	The economies of states planning to join the EU must withstand competition in the world market so that national producers can sell their products without significant losses
Compliance with Standards (Acquis)	Interaction within the boundaries of common politics, economics, unity of the monetary system, and legislative framework

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

In the process of carrying out reforms in potential candidate states, 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 including the country in the European Union.

Features of economic activity

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

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

An important component of 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.

For this purpose, the leadership of the European Union is developing a joint economic direction for development and regulation of important economic indicators at the level of the European Union.

Important features of economic activity are regulation of price levels, inflation, financial and credit operations, tourism, implementation of 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 monitor the process of their implementation.

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

The EU regulates all disagreements between its members and protects their interests in the global space. All members of the European Union contribute to the overall income of the community through their gross domestic product and overall economic performance.

The largest share of profits comes from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the UK. A special EU body keeps records of revenues from each state individually.

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

Possible candidates for membership

Most countries on the European continent are striving to join the European Union. Currently, the official applicants are Serbia, Türkiye, 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

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

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

Europe- part of the Eurasian continent, washed by two oceans at once - the Arctic and the Atlantic.

The area of the EU is approximately 10 million square meters. The population accounts for approximately 10% of the total population of the planet, which is approximately 740 million people.

General information

How many parts are there in Europe:

Northern Europe;
Southern Europe;
East Europe;
Central Europe.

Depending on existing opinions, European countries can be classified as one part of it or another.

The highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus, whose height reaches 5642 m. The lowest point is the Caspian Sea, whose height is currently approximately 27 m.

The main territory is dominated by flat terrain, and only 17% of all Europe is mountainous. The climate of most of Europe is temperate. But in the north of the territory there are glaciers, and in the Caspian lowland there is desert.

Europe is the region with the greatest cultural diversity, despite its small territory.

East Europe

The European part of Eurasia, located within the borders of central and eastern Europe, is usually referred to as Eastern Europe.

This territory is home to a larger number of people than other European regions, and occupies about 2/3 of Europe.

The bulk of the population are people of Slavic appearance. Due to political actions, the territory is constantly subject to change.

So, in Soviet times, the countries of the USSR were included in Eastern Europe, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, some countries separated and began to be considered foreign.

The climate here is drier and less warm. However, the soils of this part of Europe are much more fertile than those of Western Europe. Eastern Europe has the largest amount of black soil in the world.

Eastern Europe is the closest part of the Old World to Russia in spirit and territory. The plane flight will not take more than two hours. You can even go on vacation to nearby countries while driving your own car.

The familiar climate and native language will be a pleasant bonus for those who decide to spend their holidays in Eastern European countries.

Western Europe is the territory in which all Western European countries are located. Typically, this includes countries that are connected to each other along cultural and geographical principles, and that were able to escape Soviet influence during the Cold War.

The climate in Western European countries is generally temperate, with mild winters and warm summers.

Western Europe is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Urbanization here is at 80%.

The largest agglomerations here are London and Paris.

Western Europe is considered the most popular for tourism. About 65% of tourists flock here.

In this area you can see everything: from sandy beaches to mountain landscapes. The mosaic nature of the landscapes is striking in its beauty.

The large flow of tourists has led to the formation of special tourist zones that specialize in providing tourism services to guests.

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Everyone will be able to indicate on the map exactly where Europe is located. However, setting clear boundaries turns out to be not so easy.

The geographical boundaries of Europe on the northern, western and southern sides are the coastline of the seas of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the Atlantic Ocean. These are the Baltic, Northern, Irish, Mediterranean, Black, Marmara and Azov seas.

The eastern border is usually drawn along the slope of the Ural Mountains to the Caspian Sea. Some sources also include the territories of the Caucasus as Europe.

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List of countries in Europe

The number of European countries is quite extensive.

If listed in alphabetical order, the list would be as follows:

Austria;
Albania;
Andorra.

Belarus;
Belgium;
Bulgaria;
Bosnia.

Vatican;
United Kingdom;
Hungary.

Germany;
Holland;
Greece.

Denmark.

Ireland;
Spain;
Italy;
Iceland.

Latvia;
Lithuania;
Liechtenstein;
Luxembourg.

Malta;
Moldova;
Monaco.

Norway.

Poland;
Portugal.

Russia;
Romania.

San Morino;
Serbia;
Slovakia;
Slovenia.

Ukraine.

Finland;

Croatia.

Montenegro;

Switzerland;
Sweden.

Estonia.

This is a complete list of states that are European.

Number of European countries

The number of states included in Europe today is 50 .

But based on the political and economic situations occurring in the world, it cannot be said that this list will not change.

We can take as an example the Soviet Union, which at one time collapsed into 15 independent states. While the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, for example, on the contrary, united into a single whole, and today are called Germany.

These days, a difficult political situation is taking place in Spain. The Catalan part is trying to separate itself into a state independent from Spain and be called Catalonia.

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National symbols

The national symbols of countries are their flags and coats of arms. As a rule, the basis of coats of arms includes animalistic symbols. The image of a horse symbolizes speed and movement.

All European countries are familiar with the myths about the sun god, who traveled on his horse-drawn carriage.

But, for example, the elephant expresses reliability and strength. It is his image that can be found on the coat of arms of the city of Coventry in Great Britain.

The state symbols of England are the oldest of all European countries. The coat of arms, which is now official in Great Britain, originated in the 19th century.

looks like a shield:

In the upper left and lower right corners There are three golden leopards on a red background.
In the top right– a fiery lion located on a gold-colored background – Scottish coat of arms.
In the lower left– a harp made of gold on a blue field – Irish symbols.

This shield is held by a golden lion with a crown in its mane and a snow-white unicorn.

The symbolism of the Scandinavian countries reveals the history of the countries of the European North. The coat of arms of Denmark has been formed over several centuries. It is a shield with a crown on top, and inside the shield there are four blue leopards in a row from top to bottom.

It is divided by a red and white cross, in the center of which is its coat of arms.

Until the 13th century, the state coat of arms of Sweden depicted three leopards in crowns standing on a field one behind the other, which was very reminiscent of the coat of arms of Denmark.

Only at the beginning of the 14th century did it appear coat of arms depicting three golden crowns, which later became a state symbol.

Primordial coat of arms of Iceland was presented in the form of a white falcon. But in 1944, a new symbolism was chosen: a shield held by a bull, a dragon, an eagle and an old man.

Main The symbol of Albania is a black eagle with two heads, which is the Albanian coat of arms.

The symbol of Bulgaria is the golden lion, located on a red shield, which is a symbol of masculinity.

Polish coat of arms appears in the shape of a white eagle, whose head is adorned with a gilded crown.

Symbol of Serbia was created during the period of unification of the lands of Serbia. It depicts an eagle with two heads and a crown.

Macedonia became independent only in the second half of the 20th century. Therefore, before this period, symbolism was represented only by territorial symbols.

Nowadays the coat of arms of Macedonia features a golden crowned lion..

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Population and area of countries

The main giant by all criteria among European countries is Russia.

Its area is approximately 17 million square meters, which is almost equal to the area of South America, and its population is about 146 million.

However, Russia’s entry into Europe is considered controversial, because most of it is located in Asia, and only about 22% is in Europe.

Next on the list of the largest countries in Europe by territory it is worth mentioning Ukraine. It occupies an area of almost 604 thousand square meters.

The population of Ukraine is about 42 million people.

France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Norway, Poland and Italy present a list of the 10 largest European countries. However, in terms of the number of inhabitants of these countries, after Russia comes Germany, whose number of inhabitants is about 81 million people .

The population of France is in third place in terms of size. Within its boundaries there are about 66 million people .

The largest cities in Europe are London, with its population of 7 million people, Berlin - 3.5 million people, followed by Madrid, Rome, Kyiv and Paris with a population of 3 million.

Which countries are part of the European Union?

The Union of Europe was organized during the collapse of the USSR. The EU represents states united together for economic reasons and political views. Most of these countries use one type of currency - the euro.

The Union is an international entity that includes the characteristics of a country and the characteristics of an international community, but in fact they are neither one nor the other.

In some cases, decisions are made by supranational institutions, and in others through negotiations between countries that are members of the European Union.

At the very beginning of its emergence, the European Union consisted of only six countries– Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France.

Today, thanks to joining the agreement, the number of countries within the European Union has increased to twenty-eight.

States renounce their sovereignty and in return receive protection in various institutions of the union, which act for the common interests of all participants.

The Lisbon Treaty included rules for secession from the European Union. During the entire period of action, only Greenland left the European Union - in the late 1900s.

Currently, five countries are vying for the opportunity to leave the Union. These are Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Montenegro.

List of EU countries:

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

Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have not agreed to join the European Union and become member states, but they are still participating in joint economic activities.

The population of the European Union as of 2009 exceeded five hundred million people.

Throughout the European Union, people use twenty-four languages equally. But, as a rule, the most popular languages in the European Union are English, German, and French.

As for religious views, according to surveys, about 18% of the population are atheists, 27% are unsure of their views and 52% confidently believe in the existence of God.

Against the backdrop of the collapse of the largest association in Eurasia - the USSR, 28 European powers organized their own unification - 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 combines the characteristics of a state and an international organization. However, in fact, he is neither one nor the other. Legally, it is not enshrined as a subject of international law, but actually takes part in international relations.

The population is more than five hundred million people. The official languages are the languages of all member states. In addition, the EU has its own flag and anthem, which are signs of statehood. Throughout the territory of the association there is a single currency - the euro.

The EU was not formed in a day. Attempts to combine production from different countries began in 1952. The association that we know today exists since 1992. At the same time, the list of its participants has only expanded to this day.

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

		Entry date
	Republic of Austria

	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 on the agreement, and any of them can impose a ban on a particular proposal.

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

Who left the European Union?

To date there are no countries that have left the European Union. However, the UK first announced this intention after many years of cooperation in 2016. The exit process is lengthy and requires resolving many issues.

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

Political scientists predict imminent 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 EU decisions. In addition, a single currency was never established on its territory;
Denmark . Since in 2015 a referendum was held there on the integration of the legal settlement. However, the people voted against the majority, which indicates an unwillingness to rejoin the organization for precautionary reasons;
Greece , whose economy is not in the best position, and therefore many member countries are in favor of its exclusion from membership;
Netherlands , because many residents, according to the results of a survey, would like to leave the ranks of the union following Great Britain;
Hungary does not agree with the EU policy towards refugees and is ready to decide in a referendum the issue of subordination to it 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 talk about Euroscepticism in the ranks of the French and their desire to leave the union.

Why is Switzerland not part of the European Union?

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

However, Swiss citizens those who expressed their negative opinion turned out to be slightly more. In 2016, Switzerland formalized its refusal to join and withdrawal of its application.

The organization of the European Union is such that:

Any country can block the adoption of certain decisions;
All members pay contributions to the EU, but the situation is that small powers, such as Poland, get 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 conduct payments in Euros or vice versa, which are part of the Single 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 direction in which they are ready to cooperate is politics. However, this is not enough to join a structure that is so unstable today.

How to obtain EU citizenship?

EU citizenship gives you the right to freely move throughout its territory, as well as live in any of the countries that are part of it and conduct commercial activities. In order to receive such opportunities, you must become a citizen of any of the participating countries. There are 28 in total as of 2018.

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

Official residence in the territory of the state for a certain amount of time. Each state has its own deadlines. Therefore, if in Belgium three years are enough for this, then in France the period 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 on its territory. These terms also vary;
The birth of children on the territory of an EU state automatically entitles 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 residence visa;
If the relevant circumstances described above arise, you can apply for an EU passport.

What can you import into Russia from the European Union?

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

Products of plant and animal origin are allowed weighing no more than five kilograms. In order to introduce a larger quantity, you need to obtain a special permit from Rosselkhoznadzor;
Seeds and goods for planting use are allowed to be imported only with a special permit;
Products are allowed for import only in original packaging;
Alcohol must be imported no more than three liters free of charge, from three to five liters, having previously paid a duty;
The cost of all baggage should not exceed 1,500 euros for one trip by land and 10,000 euros for air transport.

As for product names, there is no need to worry. The Russian Federation's response measures 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 norms described above.

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 necessary information is contained on the Rosselkhoznadzor website.

Thus, the political and economic merger of European countries that 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 global economic and political situation. However, not all countries located in the single European space are seeking membership in this organization, and some even declare their readiness to leave it.

Video: how and why did the European Union come into being?

In this video, historian Maxim Sholokhov will tell you why there was a need to unite these countries into a coalition, and why their economy could do without the European Union: