We hear about the European Union on television, in newspapers, on social media sharing platforms, in short, everywhere you can think of in daily life. So,
what is the European Union and which countries does it consist of, do we have enough information about this subject? If you continue reading, you will be informed about this subject.
The European Union, or
EU for short, is a political and social organizational form consisting of
27 member states. The majority of the territories of the member states are on the European continent.
Member states of the European Union are: Austria, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Cyprus, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Kingdom.
It was established in
1992 with the adoption of the
Maastricht Treaty, also known as the
Treaty on European Union, by assigning new tasks to the previously existing
European Economic Community.
With its population of 500 million, it constitutes
30% of the world's gross domestic product.
15 of the member states in the Union use a common currency called the Euro. The Union also pursues a common trade policy. All 27 members of the Union are also members of
NATO. With the
Schengen Agreement, the member countries of the Union have also abolished passport controls among themselves. The
EU norms are taken as a basis in many judicial, political, and social matters of the Union member states.
Our country's
EU adventure first began in
1963 with an association agreement with the
European Economic Community, and our country gained full membership in
1987. In
1999, our country was considered an
EU candidate, and in
2005, we started the full negotiation process.
