European Union 9317 226084680 2008-07-16T19:30:15Z 86.43.68.170 /* Legal system */ {{redirect|EU}} {{Infobox Geopolitical organization |native_name = <div class="NavFrame" style="border-style:none;padding:0;"> <div class="NavHead" style="font-size:1.1em; background:#f9f9f9;text-align:center;">European Union</div><div class="NavContent" style="text-align:center; display:none; line-height: 0.8em;"> {{lang|bg|''Европейски съюз''}} {{bg icon}}<br /> {{lang|cs|''Evropská unie''}} {{cs icon}}<br /> {{lang|da|''Den Europæiske Union''}} {{da icon}}<br /> {{lang|nl|''Europese Unie''}} {{nl icon}}<br /> {{lang|et|''Euroopa Liit''}} {{et icon}}<br /> {{lang|fi|''Euroopan unioni''}} {{fi icon}}<br /> {{lang|fr|''Union européenne''}} {{fr icon}}<br /> {{lang|de|''Europäische Union''}} {{de icon}}<br /> {{lang|el|''Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση''}} {{el icon}}<br /> {{lang|hu|''Európai Unió''}} {{hu icon}}<br /> {{lang|ga|''An tAontas Eorpach''}} {{ga icon}}<br /> {{lang|it|''Unione Europea''}} {{it icon}}<br /> {{lang|lv|''Eiropas Savienība''}} {{lv icon}}<br /> {{lang|lt|''Europos Sąjunga''}} {{lt icon}}<br /> {{lang|mt|''L-Unjoni Ewropea''}} {{mt icon}}<br /> {{lang|pl|''Unia Europejska''}} {{pl icon}}<br /> {{lang|pt|''União Europeia''}} {{pt icon}}<br /> {{lang|ro|''Uniunea Europeană''}} {{ro icon}}<br /> {{lang|sk|''Európska únia''}} {{sk icon}}<br /> {{lang|sl|''Evropska unija''}} {{sl icon}}<br /> {{lang|es|''Unión Europea''}} {{es icon}}<br /> {{lang|sv|''Europeiska unionen''}} {{sv icon}} </div></div> |linking_name = the European Union |image_flag = Flag of Europe.svg |image_coat = French European Union presidency 2008.svg |symbol_width = 95px |symbol_type = Presidency insignia |motto = {{lang|la|''[[European symbols#Motto|In varietate concordia]]''}}{{spaces|2}}<small>([[Latin]])<br />"United in diversity"<ref name="EU-Symbols">{{cite web| title = Symbols of the EU| url = http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/index_en.htm| publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| accessdate = 2008-01-09}}</ref></small> |anthem = ''[[Anthem of Europe|Ode to Joy]]''<ref name="EU-Symbols"/>{{spaces|2}}<small>(orchestral)</small> |image_map = Location European Union.svg |map_caption = |admin_center_type = [[Location of European Union institutions|Political centres]] |admin_center = [[Brussels]]<br />[[Strasbourg]]<br />[[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg]]<br /> |largest_metropolitan_area = [[London]] |languages_type = [[Official language]]s |languages = {{Collapsible list |title=[[Languages of the European Union|23]] |[[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] |[[Czech language|Czech]] |[[Danish language|Danish]] |[[Dutch language|Dutch]] |[[English language|English]] |[[Estonian language|Estonian]] |[[Finnish language|Finnish]] |[[French language|French]] |[[German language|German]] |[[Greek language|Greek]] |[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] |[[Irish language|Irish]] |[[Italian language|Italian]] |[[Latvian language|Latvian]] |[[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] |[[Maltese language|Maltese]] |[[Polish language|Polish]] |[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] |[[Romanian language|Romanian]] |[[Slovak language|Slovak]] |[[Slovene language|Slovenian]] |[[Spanish language|Spanish]] |[[Swedish language|Swedish]]}} |demonym = [[Citizenship of the European Union|European]] |membership_type = [[Member State of the European Union|Member States]] |membership = {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of European Union member states|27]] |{{flagicon|Austria}}[[Austria]] |{{flagicon|Belgium}}[[Belgium]] |{{flagicon|Bulgaria}}[[Bulgaria]] |{{flagicon|Cyprus}}[[Cyprus]] |{{flagicon|Czech Republic}}[[Czech Republic]] |{{flagicon|Denmark}}[[Denmark]] |{{flagicon|Estonia}}[[Estonia]] |{{flagicon|Finland}}[[Finland]] |{{flagicon|France}}[[France]] |{{flagicon|Germany}}[[Germany]] |{{flagicon|Greece}}[[Greece]] |{{flagicon|Hungary}}[[Hungary]] |{{flagicon|Ireland}}[[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] |{{flagicon|Italy}}[[Italy]] |{{flagicon|Latvia}}[[Latvia]] |{{flagicon|Lithuania}}[[Lithuania]] |{{flagicon|Luxembourg}}[[Luxembourg]] |{{flagicon|Malta}}[[Malta]] |{{flagicon|Netherlands}}[[Netherlands]] |{{flagicon|Poland}}[[Poland]] |{{flagicon|Portugal}}[[Portugal]] |{{flagicon|Romania}}[[Romania]] |{{flagicon|Slovakia}}[[Slovakia]] |{{flagicon|Slovenia}}[[Slovenia]] |{{flagicon|Spain}}[[Spain]] |{{flagicon|Sweden}}[[Sweden]] |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}}[[United Kingdom]]}} |ethnic_groups = |ethnic_groups_year = |denonym = European |government_type = [[Sui generis]] |leader_title1 = [[President of the European Commission|Commission]] |leader_name1 = [[José Manuel Barroso]] [[European People's Party|(EPP)]] |leader_title2 = [[President of the European Parliament|Parliament]] |leader_name2 = [[Hans-Gert Pöttering]] [[European People's Party|(EPP)]] |leader_title3 = [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|Council]] |leader_name3 = [[France]] |leader_title4 = [[President of the European Council|{{nowrap|European Council}}]] |leader_name4 = [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] [[European People's Party|(EPP)]] |sovereignty_type = [[History of the European Union|Formation]] |sovereignty_note = |established_event1 = [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Paris Treaty]] |established_date1 = [[18 April]] [[1951]] |established_event2 = [[Treaty of Rome|Rome Treaty]] |established_date2 = [[25 March]] [[1957]] |established_event3 = [[Maastricht Treaty]] |established_date3 = [[7 February]] [[1992]] |area_rank = 7th¹ |area_magnitude = 1 E12 |area_km2 = 4,324,782 |area_sq_mi = 1,669,807 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]--> |percent_water = 3.08 |population_estimate = 497,198,740 |population_estimate_rank = 3rd¹ |population_estimate_year = 2008 |population_census = |population_census_year = |population_density_km2 = 114<!--494,070,000 / 4,324,782 = 114 people/km2 (figures are those used in infobox on August 21st 2007 (2007 figures)--> |population_density_sq_mi = 289 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]--> |population_density_rank = 69th¹ |GDP_PPP = $14.712 trillion |GDP_PPP_rank = <!--For comparison only, rank order non sensical please do not add--> |GDP_PPP_year = 2007 ([[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]) |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $28,213<!--2006 figure, anyone have 2007--> |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = $16.830 trillion |GDP_nominal_rank = <!--For comparison only, rank order non sensical please do not add--> |GDP_nominal_year = 2007 ([[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]) |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $33,482<!--2007--> |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |HDI = |HDI_rank = |HDI_year = |HDI_category = |currency = {{Collapsible list |title=[[Eurozone#Enlargement|Euro + 12]] |Euro (€) <code>([[ISO 4217|EUR]])</code>&nbsp;(''[[de jure]]'') |---- |[[Pound sterling|British pound]] |[[Bulgarian lev]] |[[Czech koruna]] |[[Danish krone]] |[[Estonian kroon]] |[[Hungarian forint]] |[[Latvian lats]] |[[Lithuanian litas]] |[[Polish złoty]] |[[Romanian leu]] |[[Slovak koruna]] |[[Swedish krona]]}} |currency_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset = +0 to +2 |time_zone_DST-BST-GMT = |DST_note = |utc_offset_DST = +1 to +3 |cctld = [[.eu]] |calling_code = |footnote1 = If listed among entities with traditional [[nation state]] status.<ref name="GDP IMF"/><!--Source of GDP information--> }} The '''European Union''' ('''EU''') is a political and economic union of twenty-seven [[European Union member state|member states]], located primarily <!-- please do not remove this. Parts of Spain and France are outside Europe, and the geographical location of Cyprus is not clear. This word has been extensively discussed .-->in [[Europe]]. It was established by the [[Treaty of Maastricht]] in 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing [[European Community]]. With almost 500&nbsp;million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal [[gross domestic product]] ([[United States dollar|US$]]16.8 trillion in 2007).<ref name="GDP IMF"/> The EU has developed a [[single market]] through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the [[Four Freedoms (European Union)|freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital]].<ref name="Europa Internal Market">{{cite web |title=The EU Single Market: Fewer barriers, more opportunities |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]], European Commission |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-09-27}} {{cite web|title=Activities of the European Union: Internal Market |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://europa.eu/pol/singl/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref> It maintains a common trade policy, [[Common Agricultural Policy|agricultural]] and [[Common Fisheries Policy|fisheries]] policies, and a [[Regional policy of the European Union|regional development policy]].<ref name="Farah">{{cite web|last=Farah|first=Paolo|title=Five Years of China WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives about China's Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism|publisher=[[Social Science Research Network]]|date=2006|url=http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=916768|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref> Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the [[euro]]. It has developed a role in [[Common Foreign and Security Policy|foreign policy]], representing its members in the [[World Trade Organisation]], at [[G8]] summits and at the [[United Nations]]. 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]].<ref name="Internal borders"> {{cite web|title=Abolition of internal borders and creation of a single EU external frontier|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|date=2005|url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/freetravel/frontiers/fsj_freetravel_schengen_en.htm|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> Operation of the Union is a hybrid of [[intergovernmentalism]] and [[supranationalism]]. In certain areas it depends upon agreement between the member states. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of members. 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]]. [[Citizenship of the European Union|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. ==History== {{main|History of the European Union}} [[Image:Schuman Declaration.jpg|thumb|[[Robert Schuman]] [[Schuman Declaration|proposing]] the [[European Coal and Steel Community|Coal and Steel Community]] in 1950]] After the end of the [[Second World War]] the political climate favoured the unification of Europe. It was seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of [[nationalism]] which had devastated the continent.<ref>{{cite web |title=The political consequences |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.ena.lu/?doc=242&lang=3 |accessdate=2007-09-05}}</ref> One such attempt to unite Europeans was the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] which while having the modest aim of centralised control of the previously national coal and steel industries of the its member states was declared to be "a first step in the federation of Europe".<ref>{{cite web |title=Declaration of 9 May 1950 |url=http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/9-may/decl_en.htm |publisher=European Commission |accessdate=2007-09-05}}</ref> The founding members of the Community were [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Netherlands]] and [[West Germany]].<ref name="Europa History 45-59">{{cite web |title=A peaceful Europe - the beginnings of cooperation |publisher=European Commission |url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/1945-1959/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> Two additional communities were created in 1957: the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC) establishing a [[customs union]] and the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (Euratom) for cooperation in developing [[nuclear energy]].<ref name="Europa History 45-59"/> In 1967 the [[Merger Treaty]] created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the ''European Communities'', although more commonly just as the ''[[European Community]]'' (EC).<ref name="ENA Merge">{{cite web |title=Merging the executives |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=473 |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> [[Image:Rometreaty.jpg|thumb|left|The 1957 [[Treaty of Rome|Rome Treaty]] created the [[European Community|European Economic Community]].]] In 1973 the Communities enlarged to include [[Denmark]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="ENA First enlargement">{{cite web |title=The first enlargement |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=555 |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> [[Norway]] had negotiated to join at the same time but a referendum rejected membership and so it remained outside. In 1979 the [[European Parliament election, 1979|first direct, democratic elections]] to the European Parliament were held.<ref name="ENA New Parliament">{{cite web |title=The new European Parliament |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=571 |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> [[Greece]], [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]] joined in the 1980s.<ref name="ENA Enlargement negotiations">{{cite web |title=Negotiations for enlargement |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=6525 |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> In 1985 the [[Schengen Agreement]] created largely [[Border control|open borders]] without [[passport]] controls between most member states.<ref name="Europa History 90-99">{{cite web |title=A Europe without frontiers |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/1990-1999/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> In 1986 the [[Flag of Europe|European flag]] began to be used by the EC and leaders signed the [[Single European Act]]. [[Image:Thefalloftheberlinwall1989.JPG|thumb|The [[Iron Curtain]]'s fall enabled eastward [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]]. ([[Berlin Wall]])]] In 1990, after the fall of the [[Iron Curtain]], the former [[East Germany]] became part of the Community as part of a newly united Germany.<ref name="Europa History 80-89">{{cite web |title=1980-1989 The changing face of Europe - the fall of the Berlin Wall |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/1980-1989/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> With enlargement toward [[eastern Europe]] on the agenda, the [[Copenhagen criteria]] for candidate members to join the European Union were agreed. The European Union was formally established when the [[Maastricht Treaty]] came into force on [[1 November]] [[1993]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Treaty of Maastricht on European Union |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/treaties/maastricht_en.htm |work=Activities of the European Union |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| accessdate=2007-10-20}}; {{cite book |last=Craig |first=Paul |coauthors=Grainne De Burca , P. P. Craig |title=EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials |edition = 4th ed. |year = 2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location = Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-927389-8 |pages=p15 }}</ref> and in 1995 [[Austria]], [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] joined the newly established EU. In 2002 [[euro]] notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. Since then, the [[Eurozone]] has increased to encompassing fifteen countries. In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when ten new countries, most of which former parts of the [[Eastern Bloc]], joined the Union.<ref name="Europa History 00">{{cite web |title=A decade of further expansion |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> On [[1 January]] [[2007]], [[Romania]] and [[Bulgaria]] became the EU's newest members and [[Slovenia]] adopted the euro.<ref name="Europa History 00"/> In December of that year European leaders signed the [[Lisbon Treaty]] which is was hoped would replace the earlier, failed [[European Constitution]], which never came into force after being rejected by French and Dutch voters. However uncertainty now clouds the prospects of the latter Treaty coming into force as result of its [[Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland Bill, 2008|rejection by Irish voters]] in June 2008. ==Member states== {{main|European Union member state|Enlargement of the European Union}} {{European Union Labelled Map (blue)}} The European Union is composed of 27 [[Independence|independent]] [[sovereignty|sovereign]] [[country|countries]] which are known as member states: [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[Hungary]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Malta]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Portugal]], [[Romania]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], and the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web |title=European Countries |url=http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-05}}</ref> There are three official candidate countries, [[Croatia]], the former Yugoslav [[Republic of Macedonia]], and [[Turkey]]; the western Balkan countries of [[Albania]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Montenegro]], and [[Serbia]] are officially recognised as potential candidates.<ref name="Europa Enlargement">{{cite web |title=European Commission - Enlargement - Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries |publisher= [[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> [[Kosovo]] has been granted similar status.<ref name="EU Council on Kosovo">{{cite web |title=EU/Kosovo Factsheet |publisher= European Union - Delegation of the European Commission to the United States|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/98770.pdf |accessdate=2007-03-27|format=PDF}}</ref> To join the EU, a country must meet the [[Copenhagen criteria]], defined at the 1993 [[Copenhagen]] European Council. These require a stable democracy which respects [[human rights]] and the [[rule of law]]; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country's fulfillment of the criteria is the responsibility of the [[European Council]].<ref name="Accession Criteria">{{cite web |title=Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria) |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/accession_criteria_copenhague_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> The current framework does not specify how a country could exit the Union (although [[Greenland]] withdrew in 1985), but the proposed [[Treaty of Lisbon]] contains a formal procedure for withdrawing. Four Western European countries that have chosen not to join the EU have partly committed to the EU's economy and regulations: [[Iceland]], [[Liechtenstein]], and [[Norway]] are a part of the [[single market]] through the [[European Economic Area]], and [[Switzerland]] has similar ties through [[bilateralism|bilateral]] treaties.<ref name="EEA"/><ref name="CH">{{cite web |title=The EU's relations with Switzerland|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/switzerland/intro/index.htm |accessdate=2007-09-16}}</ref> The relationships of the [[Microstates and the European Union| European microstates]] [[Andorra]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Monaco]], [[San Marino]], and [[Vatican City]] include the use of the [[euro]] and other co-operation.<ref name="euro use world"/> ===Geography=== {{main|Geography of the European Union}} [[Image:Mont Blanc depuis la gare des glaciers.jpg|thumb|[[Mont Blanc]] in the [[Alps]] is the highest peak in the EU.]] The territory of the EU consists of the combined territories of its 27 member states with some exceptions outlined below. The territory of the EU is not the same as that of [[Geography of Europe|Europe]], as parts of the continent are outside the EU, such as [[Iceland]], [[Switzerland]], [[Norway]], and European [[Russia]]. Some parts of member countries are not part of the EU, despite forming part of the European continent (for example the [[Channel Islands]] and [[Faroe Islands]]). Several territories associated with member states that are outside geographic Europe are also not part of the EU (such as [[Greenland]], [[Aruba]], the [[Netherlands Antilles]], and all the non-European territories associated with the [[United Kingdom]]). Some [[Special member state territories and the European Union|overseas territories]] are part of the EU even if they are not geographically part of Europe, such as the [[Azores]], the [[Canary Islands]], [[French Guiana]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Madeira]], [[Martinique]], [[Réunion]], [[Saint Barthélemy]], and [[Saint Martin]].<ref name="Amsterdam">{{cite web|title=Treaty of Amsterdam|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[EUR-Lex]]: Official Journal|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref><ref name="Consolidated Treaties">{{cite web|title=Consolidated Treaties on European Union and establishing the European Community|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|author=[[EUR-Lex]]|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:321E:0001:0331:EN:pdf|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref><ref name="ECB where euro">{{cite web|title=Where is the euro legal tender?|publisher=[[European Central Bank]]|date=2006|url=http://www.ecb.int/bc/faqbc/circulation/html/index.en.html#q2|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> [[Image:Bay of Balos.jpg|thumb|left|The EU's climate is influenced by its 69,000 km [[coast]]line. ([[Crete]])]] The EU's member states cover a combined area of {{convert|4422773|km2|sqmi|0}}.<ref name="Area.and.population.figure">Figure including the four [[overseas department|French overseas departments]] ([[French Guiana]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Martinique]], [[Réunion]]) which are an integral part of the EU, but excluding the [[Overseas collectivity|French overseas collectivities]] and [[Overseas territory (France)|territories]], which are not part of the EU.</ref> The total territory of the EU is larger than all but [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|six countries]] and its highest peak is [[Mont Blanc]] in the [[Graian Alps|Graian]] [[Alps]], 4807&nbsp;metres above sea level. The landscape, climate, and economy of the EU are influenced by its coastline, which is {{convert|69342|km|mi|0}} long. The EU has the world's second longest coastline, after [[Canada]]. The combined member states share [[countries bordering the European Union|land borders]] with 21 non-member states for a total of {{convert|12441|km|mi|0}}, the fifth longest border in the world.<ref name="Europa Members">{{cite web|title=European countries|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|date=2007|url=http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm|accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref><ref name="CIA">{{cite web|title=European Union|publisher= [[Central Intelligence Agency]]|work=[[The World Factbook]]|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ee.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-08}}</ref><ref name="Longest coasts">{{cite web|title=Countries of the Earth|publisher=home.comcast.net|date=2006|url=http://home.comcast.net/~igpl/Countries.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-08}}<!--If anyone has a more academic source, please replace this--></ref> Including the overseas territories of member states, the EU experiences most [[Köppen climate classification|types of climate]] from [[Polar climate|Arctic]] to [[Tropical climate|tropical]], rendering meteorological averages for the EU as a whole meaningless. In practice, the majority of the population lives either in areas with a [[Mediterranean climate]] (Southern Europe), a temperate [[oceanic climate|maritime climate]] (Western Europe), or a warm summer continental or [[hemiboreal]] climate (Eastern Europe).<ref name="Humid Continental climate">{{cite web|title=Humid Continental Climate| work=The physical environment| publisher=[[University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point]]| date=2007|url=http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/humid_continental.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref> ==Governance== {{main|Politics of the European Union}} <imagemap> Image:Pillars of the European Union.svg||thumb||The three pillars constituting the European Union (clickable) rect 3 41 54 170 [[European Community]] rect 65 42 115 170 [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] rect 126 42 176 170 [[Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters]] </imagemap> The EU is often described as being divided into three areas of responsibility, called '[[Three pillars of the European Union|pillars]]'. The original European Community policies form the first pillar, while the second consists of [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]]. The third pillar originally consisted of Justice and Home Affairs, however owing to changes introduced by the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, it currently only consists of [[Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters]]. Broadly speaking, the second and third pillars can be described as the intergovernmental pillars because the supranational institutions of the Commission, Parliament and the Court of Justice play less of a role or none at all, while the lead is taken by the intergovernmental Council of Ministers and the European Council. Most activities of the EU come under the first, Community pillar. This is mostly economically oriented and the supranational institutions have more influence.<ref name="Glossary Pillars">{{cite web |title=Pillars of the European Union |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/eu_pillars_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> The activities of the EU are regulated by a number of institutions and bodies. They carry out the tasks and policies set out for them in the treaties. The EU receives its political leadership from the [[European Council]], which is composed of one representative per member state — either its [[President]] or [[Prime Minister]] — plus the [[President of the European Commission|President of the Commission]]. Each member states' representative is assisted its [[Foreign Minister]]. The Council uses its leadership role to sort out disputes which have arisen between member states and the institutions, and to resolve political crises and disagreements over controversial issues and policies. The Council is headed by a [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|rotating presidency]], with every member state taking the helm of the EU for a period of six months during which that country's representatives chair meetings of the European Council and the Council of Ministers. The member state holding the presidency typically uses it to drive a particular policy agenda such as economic reform, reform of the EU itself, enlargement or furthering European integration. The Council usually meet four times a year at European Summits. The European Council should not be mistaken for the [[Council of Europe]], an international organisation independent from the EU. ===Institutions=== {{Main|Institutions of the European Union}} [[Image:European Commission outside.jpg|thumb|The [[Berlaymont building|Berlaymont]] in [[Brussels]] houses the [[European Commission]].]] The [[European Commission]] acts as the EU's [[Executive (government)|executive arm]] and is responsible for [[Legislative initiative|initiating legislation]] and the day-to-day running of the EU. It is intended to act solely in the interest of the EU as a whole, as opposed to the Council which consists of leaders of member states who reflect national interests. The commission is also seen as the motor of [[European integration]]. It is currently composed of 27 [[European Commissioner|commissioners]] for different areas of policy, one from each member state. The [[President of the European Commission|President of the Commission]] and all the other commissioners are nominated by the Council. Appointment of the Commission President, and also the Commission in its entirety, have to be confirmed by Parliament.<ref name="Europa Institutions Commission">{{cite web |title=Institutions: The European Commission |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/comm/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> [[Image:EP Strasbourg hemicycle l-gal.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Hemicycle (chamber)|hemicycle]] of the Parliament's [[Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg#Louise Weiss|Louise Weiss building]] in Strasbourg]] The [[European Parliament]] forms one half of the EU's [[legislature]]. The 785 [[Member of the European Parliament|Members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs) are directly elected by [[Citizenship of the European Union|EU citizens]] every five years. Although MEPs are elected on a national basis, they sit according to [[Political groups of the European Parliament|political groups]] rather than their nationality. Each country has a set number of seats. The Parliament and the Council form and pass legislation jointly, using [[co-decision procedure|co-decision]], in certain areas of policy. This procedure will extend to many new areas under the proposed [[Treaty of Lisbon]], and hence increase the power and relevance of the Parliament. The Parliament also has the power to reject or censure the Commission and the EU budget. The [[President of the European Parliament]] carries out the role of [[speaker (politics)|speaker]] in parliament and represents it externally. The president and vice presidents are elected by MEPs every two and a half years.<ref name="Europa Institutions Parliament">{{cite web |title=Institutions: The European Parliament |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliament/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> The [[Council of the European Union]] forms the other half of the EU's [[legislature]]. It is an organised platform where national ministers responsible for the area of policy being addressed, meet. Although the Council meets in different compositions, it is considered to be one single body.<ref name="Europa Institutions Council">{{cite web |title=Institutions: The Council of the European Union |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/council/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> In addition to its legislative functions, the Council also exercises executive functions in relations to the [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]]. The judicial branch of the EU consists of the [[European Court of Justice]] (ECJ) and the [[Court of First Instance]]. Together they interpret and apply the treaties and the law of the EU.<ref name="art220 Rome"> {{cite web |title=European Community consolidated treaty, (article 220, The court of Justice) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2007-11-08|format=PDF}}</ref> The Court of First Instance mainly deals with cases taken by individuals and companies directly before the EU's courts, and the ECJ primarily deals with cases taken by member states, the institutions and cases referred to the EU's courts by the courts of member states.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Court of Justice of the European Communities |url=http://curia.europa.eu/en/instit/presentationfr/cje.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-14}};{{cite web |title=The Court of First Instance |url=http://curia.europa.eu/en/instit/presentationfr/tpi.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|accessdate=2007-09-14}}; {{cite web |title=Institutions: Court of Justice |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/justice/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-25}}</ref> Decisions from the Court of First Instance can be appealed to the Court of Justice but only on a point of law.<ref name="art225(1) Rome"> {{cite web |title=European Community consolidated treaty, (article 225 (1), The court of First Instance) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2007-11-08|format=PDF}}</ref> ===Legal system=== {{see|Law of the European Union|Treaties of the European Union|European Union legislative procedure}} The EU is based on a series of treaties. These first established the European Community and the EU, and then made amendments to those founding treaties.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sources of EU law |url=http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/general_information/legal_information_and_eu_law/sources_eu_law/index_en.htm |publisher=European Commission |accessdate=2007-09-05}}</ref> These are power giving treaties which set broad policy goals and establish institutions with the necessary legal powers to implement those goals. These legal powers include the ability to enact legislation<ref name="art249">{{cite web |title=European Union consolidated treaty, (article 249, provisions for making regulations) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=European Commission|accessdate=2007-11-08|format=PDF}}</ref> which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants.<ref name="Direct Effect">According to the principle of [[Direct Effect]] first invoked in the Court of Justice's decision in {{cite court|litigants=Van Gend en Loos v. Nederlanse Administratie Der Belastingen |reporter=Eur-Lex |court=European Court of Justice |date=1963 |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:61962J0026:EN:HTML}}. See: Craig and de Búrca, ch. 5.</ref> National courts are required to enforce the treaties that their member states have ratified, and thus the laws enacted under them, even if doing so requires them to ignore conflicting national law, and (within limits) even constitutional provisions.<ref name="Supremacy">According to the principle of [[European Union law#Supremacy|Supremacy]] as established by the ECJ in Case 6/64, ''Falminio Costa v. ENEL'' [1964] ECR 585. See Craig and de Búrca, ch. 7. See also: [[Factortame case|''Factortame Ltd. v. Secretary of State for Transport (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603'']], ''Solange II'' (''Re Wuensche Handelsgesellschaft'', BVerfG decision of 22 Oct. 1986 [1987] 3 CMLR 225,265) and ''Frontini v. Ministero delle Finanze'' [1974] 2 CMLR 372; ''Raoul George Nicolo'' [1990] 1 CMLR 173.</ref> [[Image:EUCoJ.jpg|thumb|left|The [[European Court of Justice|ECJ]] in [[Luxembourg]] can judge member states over EU law.]] The main legislative acts of the EU come in two forms: [[Regulation (European Union)|Regulation]]s and [[Directive (European Union)|Directive]]s. Regulations become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures,<ref>See: Case 34/73, ''Variola v. Amministrazione delle Finanze'' [1973] ECR 981</ref> and automatically override conflicting domestic provisions.<ref name="art249"/> Directives require member states to achieve a certain result while leaving them discretion as to how to achieve the result. The details of how they are to be implemented are left to member states.<ref>To do otherwise would require the drafting of legislation which would have to cope with the frequently divergent legal systems and administrative systems of all of the now 27 member states. See Craig and de Búrca, p. 115</ref> When the time limit for implementing directives passes, they may, under certain conditions, have [[direct effect]] in national law against Member States. [[European Union decision|Decisions]] offer an alternative to the two above modes of legislation. They are legal acts which only apply to specified individuals or companies. They are most often used in Competition Law, or on rulings on State Aid, but are also frequently used for procedural or administrative matters within the institutions. Regulations, directives and decisions are of equal legal value and apply without any formal hierarchy. One of the complicating features of the EU's legal system is the multiplicity of legislative procedures used to enact legislation. The treaties micro-manage the EU's powers, indicating different ways of adopting legislation for different policy areas and for different areas within the same policy areas.<ref>For a good example of this see Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty of Rome, Council Decision (2004/927/EC) of 22 December 2004 providing for certain areas covered by Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community to be governed by the procedure laid down in Article 251 of that Treaty and the Protocol on Article 67 of the Treaty establishing the European Community attached to the Nice Treaty.</ref> A common feature of the EU's legislative procedures, however, is that almost all legislation must be initiated by the Commission, rather than member states or European parliamentarians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decision-making in the European Union |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/decision-making /index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-09-14}}. See: [[European Union legislative procedure]].</ref> The two most common procedures are co-decision, under which the European Parliament can veto proposed legislation, and consultation, under which Parliament is only permitted to give an opinion which can be ignored by European leaders. In most cases legislation must be agreed by the council.<ref name="decision making">{{cite web| title=Decision-making in the European Union|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://europa.eu/institutions /decision-making/index_en.htm| accessdate=2007-09-18}}</ref> National courts within the Member States play a key role in the EU as enforcers of EU law, and a "spirit of cooperation" between EU and national courts is laid down in the Treaties. National courts can apply EU law in domestic cases, and if they require clarification on the interpretation or validity of any EU legislation related to the case it may make a reference for a preliminary ruling to the ECJ. The right to declare EU legislation invalid however is reserved to the EU courts. ===Political issues=== {{See also|European integration|Enlargement of the European Union}} [[Image:José Manuel Barroso MEDEF 2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[President of the European Commission|Commission President]] [[José Manuel Barroso]]]] Two major political issues for the EU are [[European integration]] and [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]]. Enlargement, the accession of new states to the EU, is a highly politicised issue. Supporters such as the European Commission, argue it aids democracy in new members, as well as supporting the European economy as a whole.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/questions_and_answers/myths_en.htm|title=Myths and Facts about Enlargement|accessdate=2008-07-09|publisher=European Communities}}</ref> Opponents{{Who|date=July 2008}} fear the EU is expanding beyond its current political capabilities, and/or cultural boundaries. Public opinion{{Fact|date=July 2008}}, and hence some political party viewpoint, has been more sceptical towards enlargement since the simultaneous accession of 10 members in 2004.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} This is most acute in relation to the [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|candidacy of Turkey]].<ref name="IHT fatigue">{{cite web|last=Smale|first=Alison|last2=Bilefsky|first2=Dan|title=Fighting EU 'enlargement fatigue'|publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]]|date=[[2006-06-19]]|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/19/news/eu.php|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-14}}</ref><ref name="Enlargement voice">{{cite web|title=EU enlargement - voices from the debate|publisher=British [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1139992114487|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref><ref name="BBC Turkey">{{cite web|title=Q&A: Turkey's EU entry talks|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=[[2006-12-11]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4107919.stm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-14}}</ref> Integration is another political issue, where the public view is sometimes that national interest conflicts with that of the Union as a whole.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} The aim of increasing harmonisation between states has meant that national powers have been pooled at the European level. This aim is criticised by [[Euroscepticism|eurosceptics]] who fear the loss of national [[sovereignty]].<ref name="Anti-EU">{{cite web|title=FAQs on the EU, from the campaign trail|publisher=Sovereignty|date=2001|url=http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/articles/campquest.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref> ==Foreign relations== {{see|Foreign relations of the European Union|Common Foreign and Security Policy}} [[Image:Javier Solana (2007).jpg|thumb|[[Javier Solana]] is the EU's [[High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy|High Representative]] in foreign policy.]] Foreign policy cooperation between member states dates from the establishment of the Community in 1957, when member states negotiated as a block in international trade negotiations under the Common Commercial Policy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qualified-Majority Voting: Common commercial policy |url=http://ec.europa.eu/archives/igc2000/geninfo/fact-sheets/fact-sheet6/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-09-03 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]}}</ref> Steps for a more wide ranging coordination in foreign relations began in 1970 with the establishment of [[European Political Cooperation]] which created an informal consultation process between member states with the aim of forming common foreign policies. It was not, however, until the 1987, when European Political Cooperation was introduced on a formal basis by the [[Single European Act]]. EPC was renamed as the ''Common Foreign and Security Policy'' (CFSP) by the Maastricht Treaty.<ref name="EPC">{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/european_political_cooperation_en.htm |title=European political co-operation (EPC) |accessdate=2007-09-03 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=The European commission |work= Europa Glossary }}</ref> The Maastricht Treaty gives the CFSP the aims of promoting both the EU's own interests and those of the [[international community]] as a whole. This includes promoting international co-operation, respect for [[human rights]], [[democracy]], and the [[rule of law]].<ref name="art11 Union"> {{cite web |title=European Union consolidated treaty, (article 11, common foreign policy) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2007-11-08|format=PDF}}</ref> The Amsterdam Treaty created the office of the [[High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy]] (currently held by [[Javier Solana]]) to co-ordinate the EU's foreign policy.<ref name="Europa CFSP">{{cite web|title=Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - Overview|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|date=2002|url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cfsp/intro/index.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> The High Representative, in conjunction with the current [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|Presidency]], speaks on behalf of the EU in foreign policy matters and can have the task of articulating ambiguous policy positions created by disagreements among member states. The Common Foreign and Security Policy requires unanimity among the now 27 member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular policy. The unanimity and difficult issues treated under the CFSP makes disagreements, such as those which occurred over the war in Iraq,<ref name="BBC Iraq statement">{{cite web|title=Divided EU agrees Iraq statement|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|date=2003|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2697667.stm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> not uncommon. [[Image:33rdG8Leaders.jpg|thumb|left|The EU participates in all [[G8]] summits. ([[33rd G8 summit|Heiligendamm, Germany]])]] Besides the emerging international policy of the European Union, the international influence of the EU is also felt through [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]]. The perceived benefits of becoming a member of the EU act as an incentive for both political and economic reform in states wishing to fulfil the EU's accession criteria, and are considered a major factor contributing to the reform of former Communist countries in Eastern Europe.<ref name="Enlargement voice"/> This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "[[soft power]]", as opposed to military "hard power".<ref name="Soft Power">{{cite web|last=Bildt|first=Carl|authorlink=Carl Bildt|title=Europe must keep its 'soft power'|publisher=[[Financial Times]] on [[Centre for European Reform]]|date=2005|url=http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/bildt_ft_1june05.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> [[Prime Minister of Finland|Finnish Prime Minister]], [[Matti Vanhanen]], cited the common foreign policy as a factor why [[Finland]] is, de facto, no longer a [[neutral country]].<ref name="Finnish presidency">{{cite web|title=Presentation of the programme of the Finnish presidency|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Parliament]] |date=[[2006-07-05]]|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+CRE+20060705+ITEM-002+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> Ireland has an explicit recognition of its neutrality since the [[Treaty of Nice]]. (Denmark, though not neutral, has an explicit opt out since the [[Treaty of Maastricht]]). Besides the CFSP, the Commission also has its own representation in international organisations. This is primarily through the [[European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy|European Commissioner for External Relations]], who works alongside the High Representative. In the UN the EU has gained influence in areas such as aid due to its large contributions in that field (see below).<ref name="EUObserver UN Seat">{{cite web|title=EU heading for single UN seat, UN official says|publisher=[[EUobserver]]|date=2007|url=http://euobserver.com/24/22553|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> In the [[G8]], the EU has rights of membership besides chairing/hosting summit meetings and is represented at meetings by the presidents of the Commission and the Council.<ref name="EC G8">{{cite web|title=EU and the G8|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=Delegation of the European Commission to Japan |url=http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-09-26}}</ref> In the [[World Trade Organization|World Trade Organisation]] (WTO), where all 27 member states are represented, the EU as a body is represented by [[European Commissioner for Trade|Trade Commissioner]] [[Peter Mandelson]].<ref name="Europa Trade">{{cite web|title=The EU and the world trade organisation |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/newround/index_en.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> ===Humanitarian aid=== {{see|ECHO (European Commission)}} [[Image:ECHO plane.jpg|thumb|The EU member states and the EU collectively are the largest contributor of foreign aid in the world.]] The [[ECHO (European Commission)|European Community humanitarian aid office]], or "ECHO", provides [[humanitarian aid]] from the EU to developing countries. In 2006 its budget amounted to 671&nbsp;million euros, 48% of which went to the [[ACP countries]].<ref name="ECHO 2006">{{cite web |title=DG for humanitarian aid - ECHO, financial report 2006 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |date=2006 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/echo/pdf_files/financial_report.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> Counting the EU's own contributions and those of its member states together, the EU is the largest aid donor in the world.<ref name="Aid Consensus">{{cite web |title=Commission calls for a European consensus to boost impact of humanitarian aid |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |date=[[2007-06-13]] |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/814&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en |accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> The EU's aid has previously been criticised by the eurosceptic think-tank [[Open Europe]] for being inefficient, mis-targeted and linked to economic objectives.<ref name="BBC Aid Inefficient">{{cite web|last=Mulvey|first=Stephen |title=EU attacked for 'inefficient' aid |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=[[2007-05-30]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6705773.stm |accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> Furthermore, some charities have claimed European governments have inflated the amount they have spent on aid by incorrectly including money spent on debt relief, foreign students, and refugees. Under the de-inflated figures, the EU did not reach its internal aid target in 2006<ref name="Indy Inflated Aid">{{cite web|last=Taylor|first=Jerome |title=EU accused of artificially inflating its aid figures |publisher=[[The Independent]] |date=[[2007-05-11]] |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-accused-of-artificially-inflating-its-aid-figures-448343.html |accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> and the EU would not reach the international target of 0.7% of [[Measures of national income and output|GNP]] until 2015. However only a few countries have reached that target. In 2005 EU aid was 0.34% of the GNP which was higher than that of the United States and [[Japan]].<ref name="ECHO Overview">{{cite web |title=Overviews of the European Union activities: Development |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://europa.eu/pol/dev/overview_en.htm |accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref> The current [[European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid|commissioner for aid]], [[Louis Michel]], has called for aid to be delivered more rapidly, to greater effect, and on humanitarian principles.<ref name="Aid Consensus"/> ===Military and defence=== {{main|European Security and Defence Policy|Military of the European Union}} [[Image:Eufor222.jpg|thumb|[[Common Foreign and Security Policy|CFSP]] forces are peacekeeping in parts of the [[Balkans]] and [[Africa]].]] Member states are responsible for their own territorial defence. Many EU members are also members of [[NATO]]. The [[Western European Union]] (WEU) is a European security organisation related to the EU. In 1992, the WEU's relationship with the EU was defined, when the EU assigned it the "[[Petersberg tasks]]" (humanitarian missions such as peacekeeping and crisis management). These tasks were later transferred from the WEU to the EU by the Amsterdam Treaty; they formed part of the new CFSP and the [[European Security and Defence Policy]]. Elements of the WEU are currently being merged into the EU's CFSP, and the President of the WEU is currently CFSP High Representative.<ref name="Europa ESDP">{{cite web|title=EU Security Police & the role of the European Commission|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cfsp/esdp/index.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref><ref name="Europa Chronology">{{cite web|title=EU Security Police & the role of the European Commission: Chronology|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cfsp/esdp/chrono.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> Following the [[Kosovo War]] in 1999, the European Council agreed that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and the readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO". To that end, a number of efforts were made to increase the EU's military capability, notably the [[Helsinki Headline Goal]] process. After much discussion, the most concrete result was the [[European Union Battlegroups|EU Battlegroups]] initiative, each of which is planned to be able to deploy quickly about 1500&nbsp;men.<ref name="Council Capabilities">{{cite web|title=Military Capabilities|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Council of the European Union]] |url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=1349&lang=EN |accessdate=2007-10-09}}</ref> EU forces have been deployed on [[peacekeeping]] missions from [[Africa]] to the former [[Yugoslavia]] and the [[Middle East]].<ref name="Council Operations">{{cite web|title=EU security and defence Operations |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Council of the European Union]]|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=268&lang=EN&mode=g |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> EU military operations are supported by a number of bodies, including the [[European Defence Agency]], [[European Union Satellite Centre|satellite centre]] and the [[European Union Military Staff|military staff]].<ref name="Council Structures">{{cite web|title=ESPD Structures|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Council of the European Union]]|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=279&lang=EN&mode=g|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> ==Justice, freedom, and security== {{see|Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters|European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security}} [[Image:SchengenGrenzeBayern-Tirol.jpg|thumb|150px|The [[Schengen Agreement]] has ensured open borders between most member states. (Austro-German border)]] Much of the EU's competence in the justice and home affairs area originates from the signing of the [[Schengen Agreement]] in 1985 on the gradual abolition of border controls between six of the then ten European Community member states. In order to implement the Schengen Agreement, the signatory states included measures designed to compensate for the effect of reduced border controls in the areas of [[right of asylum|asylum]], immigration and criminal justice.<ref name="EC Schengen">{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l33020.htm |title=The Schengen ''acquis'' and its integration into the Union |accessdate=2007-09-01 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]}}</ref> The Maastricht Treaty transferred many of these competences (although not those on the abolition of border controls) into the European Union,<ref name="Maastricht IV">By Title IV of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] as originally enacted.</ref> along with new competencies to facilitate the freedom of movement of people by adopting common rules in civil matters, such as contract and family law.<ref name="Maastricht IV">By Title IV of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] as originally enacted.</ref> The Maastricht Treaty also introduced the concept of [[citizenship of the European Union]], which is complementary to national citizenship.<ref name="art17 Rome"> {{cite web |title=European Community consolidated treaty, (article 17), European Citizenship) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2008-02-28|format=PDF}}</ref> The [[Amsterdam Treaty]] gave the EU the new aim of creating an "area of freedom, security and justice".<ref name="art1(3) Amsterdam"> {{cite web |title=Amsterdam treaty article 1 s.3 amending European Union consolidated treaty article 2, creating an area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ)) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2008-02-28}}</ref> That treaty also made it easier to pass laws in the justice and home affairs area and more difficult for member states to veto them. It also increased the powers of the European Parliament in relation to Justice and Home affairs' measures, with decisions in certain matters coming to be decided by [[Codecision procedure|codecision]]. Recent legislation includes the [[European Arrest Warrant]]<ref>{{cite web |title=European arrest warrant replaces extradition between EU Member States |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/extradition/fsj_criminal_extradition_en.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> and directives on family law.<ref>Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of [[27 November]] [[2003]] concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility.</ref> The EU has established agencies to co-ordinate its actions in the justice and home affairs area: [[Europol]] for co-operation of police forces,<ref>{{cite web |title=European police office now in full swing |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/police/europol/fsj_police_europol_en.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> [[Eurojust]] for co-operation between prosecutors,<ref>{{cite web |title=Eurojust coordinating cross-border prosecutions at EU level |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/eurojust/fsj_criminal_eurojust_en.htm |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> and [[Frontex]] for co-operation between border control authorities.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Frontex? |url=http://www.frontex.europa.eu/ |author=[[Frontex]] |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> The EU also operates the [[Schengen Information System]]<ref name="Internal borders">{{cite web |title=Abolition of internal borders and creation of a single Union external frontier |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |date=2005 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/freetravel/frontiers/fsj_freetravel_schengen_en.htm |accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> which provides a common database for police and immigration authorities. ===Fundamental rights=== The EU has developed a role in [[human rights]] protection. Prohibitions against sexual and nationality discrimination have a long standing in the treaties.<ref name="art39/141 Rome"> {{cite web |title=European Community consolidated treaty, (articles 39 and 141), prohibition of national or sexual discrimination) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2008-02-28|format=PDF}}</ref> The Amsterdam Treaty supplemented these, by supporting further legislation against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation.<ref name="art2(7) Amsterdam"> {{cite web |title=Amsterdam treaty article 2 s.7 amending European Community consolidated treaty article 13, combatting discrimination) |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[EUR-Lex]] |accessdate=2008-02-28}}</ref> Using these powers the EU has enacted legislation on [[Sexism|sexual discrimination]] in the work-place, [[Ageism|age discrimination]] and [[Racism|racial discrimination]].<ref>Council Directive 2000/43/EC of [[29 June]] [[2000]] implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22–26); Council Directive 2000/78/EC of [[27 November]] [[2000]] establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16–22).</ref> All EU states have abolished [[capital punishment]] for all crimes and the EU has been a prominent campaigner for global abolition.<ref name="DP">{{cite web|title=Launching the European Day against the Death Penalty|date=[[2007-06-19]]|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/850|accessdate = 2007-11-12 }}</ref> Although signing the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] (ECHR) is a condition for EU membership,<ref>It is effectively treated as one of the Copenhagen criteria [http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1610.htm]. It should be noted that this is a political and not a legal requirement for membership.</ref> the EU itself is not covered by the convention as it is neither a state<ref>The European Convention on Human Rights is currently only open to members of the [[Council of Europe]] (Article 59.1 of the Convention) [http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/005.htm], and only states may become member of the Council of Europe (Article 4 of the Statute of the Council of Europe) [http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/001.htm].</ref> nor has the competence to accede.<ref>Opinion (2/92) of the European Court of Justice on "Accession by the Community to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:61994V0002:FR:HTML 1996 E.C.R. I-1759] (in French), ruled that the European Community did not have the competence to accede to the ECHR.</ref> Nonetheless the Court of Justice and [[European Court of Human Rights|Court of Human Rights]] co-operate to ensure their case-law does not conflict.<ref name="Juncker Council">{{cite web|last=Juncker|first=Jean-Claude|authorlink=Jean-Claude Juncker|title =Council of Europe - European Union: "A sole ambition for the European continent"|date=2006|publisher=[[Council of Europe]]|url=http://assembly.coe.int/Sessions/2006/speeches/20060411_report_JCJuncker_EN.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate = 2007-07-28 }}</ref> In 2000 the EU drew up the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union|Charter of Fundamental Rights]] which is based in part on the Convention but also other international human rights documents. The Charter is not legally binding at present and would only become so if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force.<ref>By virtue of Article 1(8) of the Lisbon Treaty</ref> Under that treaty the EU would be required to accede to the ECHR.<ref>By virtue of Article 1(8) of the Lisbon Treaty, however this will only become possible when Protocol 14 of the ECHR, which allows for EU accession to the ECHR, comes into force.</ref> ==Economy== {{see|Economy of the European Union}} [[Image:Nokia HQ.jpg|thumb|163 of the world´s [[Fortune Global 500|500 largest]] corporations are headquartered in EU countries. ([[Nokia]], [[Finland]])]] Since its origin, the EU has established a single economic market across the territory of all its members. Currently a single currency is in use between the 15 members of the [[eurozone]].<ref name="euro website"/><ref name="Europa Single Market"/> Considered as a single economy, the EU generated an estimated nominal [[gross domestic product]] (GDP)of [[United States dollar|US$]]16,830&nbsp;billion in 2007, amounting to 31% of the world's total economic output,<ref name="GDP IMF"> {{cite web | url = http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2008&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=998&s=NGDPD%2CPPPGDP&grp=1&a=1&pr.x=46&pr.y=7| title = Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects (European Union)| accessdate = 2008-05-03| year = 2008 | month = April| work = World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008 Edition| publisher = International Monetary Fund|quote= Gross domestic product, current prices; U.S. dollars, Billions; 2007 = 16,830.100, 2008=18,493.009. Gross domestic product based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) valuation of country GDP; Current international dollar, Billions; 2007 = 14,712.369;2008 = 15,282.118 }}</ref> which makes it the largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the second largest [[trade bloc]] economy in the world by PPP valuation of GDP. It is also the largest exporter of goods,<ref name="CIA exports">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html| title =Rank Order - Exports |publisher = [[Central Intelligence Agency]] | work= [[The World Factbook]] |accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> the second largest importer,<ref name="CIA imports">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2087rank.html| title =Rank Order - Imports |publisher =[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |work=[[The World Factbook]] |accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> and the biggest trading partner to several large countries such as [[India]], and [[People's Republic of China|China]].<ref name="Trade China">{{cite web |title=China now EU's biggest import market |publisher=People's Daily Online |date=[[2007-01-31]] |url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/31/eng20070131_346408.html |accessdate=2007-07-22}}</ref><ref name="Trade China-EU">{{cite web |title=EU now biggest trading partner of China |publisher=Chinese Embassy |date=[[2006-09-15]] |url=http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/xw/t272113.htm |accessdate=2008-04-04}}</ref><ref name="Trade India-EU">{{cite web |title=India and the EU: strategic partners? |publisher=Centre for European Reform |date=February/March 2006 |url=http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/46_grant.html |accessdate=2008-04-04}}</ref> 163 of the top 500 largest corporations measured by revenue ([[Fortune Global 500]]) have their headquarters in the EU.<ref name="Fortune 500">{{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2007/countries/US.html|title=Fortune Global 500: Countries|date=[[2007-07-23]]|publisher = [[CNN]] Money|accessdate = 2007-08-24}}</ref> In May 2007 unemployment in the EU stood at 7%<ref name="UNEMP">{{cite web|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_07/3-03072007-EN-AP.PDF|format=PDF|title =Euro area and EU 27 unemployment down to 7.0%| date=[[2007-07-03]]| publisher = [[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| accessdate = 2007-11-01}}</ref> while investment was at 21.4% of GDP, inflation at 2.2% and public deficit at -0.9% of GDP.<ref name="IMF all but GDP">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/data/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=80&pr1.y=6&c=998&s=NID_NGDP%2CNGSD_NGDP%2CPCPIPCH%2CGGB_NGDP%2CBCA%2CBCA_NGDPD&grp=1&a=1|title =Eur4. Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects|date=April 2007|publisher = [[International Monetary Fund]]|accessdate = 2007-11-29}}</ref> ===Single market=== {{see|Four Freedoms (European Union)}} Two of the original core objectives of the European Economic Community were the development of a [[common market]], subsequently renamed the [[single market]], and a [[customs union]] between its member states. The single market involves the free circulation of [[good (economics and accounting)|good]]s, [[capital (economics)|capital]], [[Freedom of movement for workers|people]] and [[service (economics)|service]]s within the EU,<ref name="Europa Single Market">{{cite web|title=The Single Market |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> and the customs union involves the application of a common external tariff on all goods entering the market. Once goods have been admitted into the market they can not be subjected to [[customs duties]], discriminatory taxes or [[import quota]]s, as they travel internally. The non EU member states of [[Iceland]], [[Norway]], [[Liechtenstein]] and [[Switzerland]] participate in the single market but not in the customs union. [[Image:Pasas2008.gif|thumb|130px|left| EU member states have a standardised passport design with the relevant national emblem at the centre, and with the name of the state and "European Union" given in the national language(s).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euro.lt/en/news/lithuanias-membership-in-the-eu/news/2333/ |title=New-generation passports to appear in Lithuania starting New Years |publisher=|accessdate = 2008-03-17}}</ref>]] Free movement of capital is intended to permit movement of investments such as property purchases and buying of shares between countries.<ref name="Europa Single Market C">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for Capital|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_42_en.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> Until the drive towards Economic and Monetary Union the development of the capital provisions had been slow. Post-Maastricht there has been a rapidly developing corpus of ECJ judgments regarding this initially neglected freedom. The free movement of capital is unique insofar as that it is granted equally to non-member countries. The free movement of persons means [[Citizenship of the European Union|citizens]] can move freely between member states to live, work, study or retire in another country. This required the lowering of administrative formalities and recognition of professional qualifications of other states.<ref name="Europa Single Market P">{{cite web|title=Living and working in the Single Market| publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_15_en.htm| author=[[European Commission]] |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> Traditionally the economically active were granted a much greater level of freedom than others. The extension to the non-economically active was first recognised in 1999 when the concept of Community Citizenship was introduced to the EU. In addition to extending the scope of the free movement of persons, it also grants certain social and political rights to the citizens of the EU. The free movement of services and of establishment allows self-employed persons to move between member states in order to provide services on a temporary or permanent basis. Services account for between sixty and seventy percent of GDP, although legislation is not as developed as in other sectors. This has been addressed by the recently passed [[Directive on services in the internal market]] which aims to liberalise this area of the market.<ref name="Europa Single Market S">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for Services|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_19_en.htm| author=[[European Commission]] |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> According to the Treaty the provision of services is a residual freedom that only applies if no other freedom is being exercised. The freedoms are not absolute in nature. Member states may interfere with their exercise on the specific grounds laid down in the Treaty, or can rely on the case law of the European Courts for more general justifications. For example, the Treaty allows member states to restrict movements that would pose a real threat to public policy or public security. In the absence of Community legislation it is for the member states to decide the scope of the exceptions. The European Courts will arbitrate as to whether the actions of the member state are proportionate and in conformity with Community law. The freedoms are extended to the non-member states of [[Iceland]], [[Liechtenstein]] and [[Norway]] via the [[European Economic Area]].<ref name="EEA">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/eea/index.htm| title =The European Economic Area (EEA)|publisher = [[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |accessdate = 2007-07-21}}</ref> Half the trade in the EU is covered by legislation harmonised by the EU.<ref name="Europa Single Market G">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for goods|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_18_en.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> ===Monetary union=== {{see|Euro|Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union}} [[Image:European Central Bank 041107.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[European Central Bank]] in [[Frankfurt]] governs the [[Eurozone]] monetary policy.]] The creation of a European single currency became an official objective of the EU in 1969. However, it was only with the advent of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 that member states were legally bound to start the monetary union no later than [[1 January]] [[1999]]. On this date the [[euro]] was duly [[Introduction of the euro|launched by eleven]] of the then fifteen member states of the EU. It remained an accounting currency until [[1 January]] [[2002]], when euro notes and coins were issued and national currencies began to phase out in the [[eurozone]], which by then consisted of twelve member states. The eurozone has since grown to fifteen countries, the most recent being [[Cyprus]] and [[Malta]] which joined on [[1 January]] [[2008]]. All other EU member states, except Denmark and the United Kingdom, are legally bound to join the euro when the economic conditions are met. Public opinion in these countries is, however, mostly against joining, with only the Danes<ref name="EU Business, June 2008">{{cite web|url=http://eubusiness.com/news-eu/1213010235.83| title= Growing number of Danes oppose switching to euro, poll shows | publisher=EU Business |accessdate = 2008-06-25}}</ref> and Romanians<ref name="Open Europe EU-wide poll, March 2007">{{cite web | title = Poll on the future of Europe: Main findings report | date=2007-03-23 | publisher=Open Europe | format=PDF | url = http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/mainfindings.pdf |accessdate = 2008-06-25}}</ref> in favour. Sweden has circumvented the requirement to join the euro area by not meeting the membership criteria. A number of other countries outside the EU, such as [[Montenegro]], use the euro unofficially.<ref name="euro use world">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/euro_in_world9369_en.htm| title= Use of the euro in the world | publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |work=The euro outside the euro area |accessdate = 2008-02-27}}</ref> The euro, and the monetary policies of those who have adopted it, are under the control of the [[European Central Bank]] (ECB).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecb.int/ecb/orga/escb/html/index.en.html |title=ECB, ESCB and the Eurosystem |publisher=[[European Central Bank]]|accessdate = 2007-09-15}}</ref> There are [[Euro#Future prospects (2008–)|twelve other currencies]] used in the EU.<ref name="euro website">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/our_currency_en.htm| title=The Euro: our currency | publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> The euro is designed to help build a single market by, for example: easing travel of citizens and goods, eliminating exchange rate problems, providing price transparency, creating a single financial market, price stability and low interest rates, and providing a currency used internationally and protected against shocks by the large amount of internal trade within the eurozone. It is also intended as a political symbol of integration and stimulus for more.<ref name="euro website"/> ===Competition=== {{see|European Community competition law|European Commissioner for Competition}} The EU operates a competition policy intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market.<ref>Article 3(1)(g) of the Treaty of Rome</ref> The Commission as the [[competition regulator]] for the single market is responsible for [[competition law|antitrust]] issues, approving [[mergers and acquisitions|mergers]], breaking up [[cartel]]s, working for [[economic liberalism|economic liberalisation]] and preventing [[subsidy|state aid]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] title=Competition: making markets work better| author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/index_en.html|accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> The [[European Commissioner for Competition|Competition Commissioner]], currently [[Neelie Kroes]], is one of the most powerful positions in the Commission, notable in effecting trans-national corporations.<ref>{{cite web|last =Lungescu| first=Oana| publisher=[[BBC News]]|title =Examining the EU executive|date=[[2004-07-23]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/letter_from_america/3921303.stm|accessdate = 2007-09-18}}</ref> For example, in 2001 the Commission for the first time prevented a merger between two companies based in the [[United States]] which had already been approved by their national authority.<ref>{{cite web| publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| title =The Commission prohibits GE's acquisition of Honeywell|date=[[2001-07-03]]| url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/01/939|accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> Another high profile case, [[European Union v. Microsoft]], resulted in the Commission fining [[Microsoft]] over €777&nbsp;million following nine years of legal action.<ref>{{cite web|last =Gow| first=David| publisher=[[The Guardian]]|title =Microsoft caves in to European commission|date=[[2007-10-22]]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/oct/22/microsoft.microsoft|accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> In negotiations on the Treaty of Lisbon, [[President of France|French President]] [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] succeeded in removing the words "free and undistorted competition" from the treaties. However, the requirement is maintained in an annex and it is unclear whether this will have any practical effect on EU policy.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[BBC News]]|title =EU competition to remain in place|date=[[2007-06-22]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6231684.stm|accessdate = 2007-11-12}}</ref> ===Budget=== {{main|Budget of the European Union}} [[Image:EU Budget 2006 - Total expenditure.png|thumb|2006 EU total expenditure.<ref name="ECDetail20002007">{{cite web |title=Detailed data 2000-2007 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/publications/fin_reports/fin_report_07_data_en.pdf |accessdate=2008-07-07|format=PDF}}</ref> {{legend|#990000|Agriculture: 46.7%}} {{legend|#FF0000|Structural Actions: 30.4%}} {{legend|#FF9900|Internal Policies: 8.5%}} {{legend|#FFFF00|Administration: 6.3%}} {{legend|#00FF00|External Actions: 4.9%}} {{legend|#3399FF|Pre-Accession Strategy: 2.1%}} {{legend|#0000FF|Compensations: 1.0%}} {{legend|#000000|Reserves: 0.1%}}]] The twenty-seven member state EU had an agreed budget of €120.7 billion for the year 2007 and €864.3 billion for the period 2007-2013,<ref> {{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/204&format=HTML |title=Q&A on Interinstitutional Agreement on Budgetary Discipline and Sound Financial Management 2007-2013}}</ref> representing 1.10% and 1.05% of the EU-27's [[Gross National Income|GNI]] forecast for the respective periods. By comparison, the UK's expenditure for 2004 was estimated to be €759&nbsp;billion, and France was estimated to have spent €801&nbsp;billion. In 1960, the six member state [[European Community|EEC]] (the predecessor of the EU) budget was 0.03% of GDP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euro-know.org/articles/wew.html |title=Will Europe Work? |publisher=Euro-know |accessdate=2008-02-29}}</ref> In the 2006 budget, the largest single expenditure item was [[Common Agricultural Policy|agriculture]] (direct aid, export refunds, storage, rural development and other) with around 46.7% of the total budget. Next came structural actions (Objective 1, Objective 2, Objective 3, other structural measures, community initiatives, innovatory measures and technical assistance, other specific structural operations and the cohesion fund) with approximately 30.4% of the total. Internal policies (training, youth, culture, audiovisual, media, information, energy, Euratom nuclear safeguards and environment, consumer protection, internal market, industry and Trans-European networks, research and technological development, other internal policies) took up around 8.5%. Administration accounted for around 6.3%. External actions, the pre-accession strategy, compensations and reserves brought up the rear with approximately 4.9%, 2.1%, 1% and 0.1% respectively. ==Development== ===Agriculture=== {{main|Common Agricultural Policy}} The [[Common Agricultural Policy]] (CAP) is one the oldest policies of the European Community and was one of its core aims.<ref name="stead">{{cite web|last=Stead|first=David|coauthors=Robert Whaples (eds)|title=Common Agricultural Policy|publisher=EH.Net Encyclopedia|date=[[2007-06-22]]|url=http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Stead.CAP |accessdate=2007-08-30}}</ref> The policy has the objectives of increasing agricultural production, providing certainty in food supplies, ensuring a high quality of life for farmers, stabilising markets and ensuring reasonable prices for consumers (article 33 of the Treaty of Rome).<ref name="Consolidated Treaties"/> It was, until recently, operated by a system of subsidies and market intervention. Until the 1990s the policy accounted for over 60% of the then [[European Community]]'s annual budget, and still accounts for around 35%.<ref name="stead"/> [[Image:ClosLaPlanaEdit.jpg|thumb|left|EU farms are supported by the [[Common Agricultural Policy|CAP]], the largest [[Budget of the European Union|budgetary]] expenditure. ([[Vinyard]] in Spain)]] The policy's price controls and market interventions led to considerable overproduction, resulting in so-called ''butter mountains'' and ''wine lakes''. These were [[Intervention storage|intervention stores]] of produce bought up by the Community to maintain minimum price levels. In order to dispose of surplus stores, they were often sold on the world market at prices considerably below Community guaranteed prices, or farmers were offered subsidies (amounting to the difference between the Community and world prices) to export their produce outside the Community. This system has been criticised for under-cutting farmers in the developing world.<ref name="Guardian CAP">{{cite web|last=Jeffery|first=Simon|title=The EU common agricultural policy|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|date=[[2007-06-26]]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/jun/26/eu.politics1 |accessdate=2007-08-30}}</ref> The overproduction has also been criticised on environmental grounds in that it encourages environmentally unfriendly intensive farming methods.<ref name="Guardian CAP"/> Supporters of CAP say that the economic support which it gives to farmers provides them with a reasonable standard of living, in what would otherwise be an economically unviable way of life. However, the EU's small farmers only receive 8% of CAP's available subsidies.<ref name="Guardian CAP"/> Since the beginning of the 1990s the CAP has been subject to a series of reforms. Initially these reforms included the introduction of [[set-aside]] in 1988, where a proportion of farm land was deliberately withdrawn from production, milk quotas (by the McSharry reforms in 1992) and more recently, the 'de-coupling' (or disassociation) of the money farmers receive from the EU and the amount they produce (by the Fischler reforms in 2004). It is intended to move away from subsidy payments linked to specific produce, toward direct payments based on farm size. This is intended to have the effect of allowing the market to dictate production levels while maintaining agricultural income levels.<ref name="stead"/> The most recent reform entailed the abolition of the EU's sugar regime which previously involved the carving up of the sugar market between member states and certain African-Caribbean nations with a privileged relationship with the EU.<ref name="EC CAP">{{cite web |title=Sugar: Commission proposes more market-, consumer- and trade-friendly regime |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |date=[[2007-04-14]] |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/915&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en |accessdate=2007-08-30}}</ref> ===Energy=== {{main|Energy policy of the European Union}} [[Image:RF NG pipestoEU.gif|thumb|upright|Many EU members import oil and gas from Russia.]] The EU has been a legislative power in the area of energy policy for most of its existence: this has its roots in the original [[European Coal and Steel Community]]. The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the [[European Council]] in October 2005, and the first draft policy was published in January 2007.<ref name="Energy Q&A">{{cite web|title=Q&A: EU energy plans |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=[[2007-03-09]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4783996.stm|accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> The Commission has five key points in its energy policy: increase competition in the internal market, encourage investment and boost interconnections between [[Electricity distribution|electricity grid]]s; diversify energy resources with better systems to respond to a crisis; establish a new treaty framework for energy co-operation with Russia while improving relations with energy-rich states in [[Central Asia]] and [[North Africa]]; use existing energy supplies more efficiently while increasing use of renewable energy; and finally increase funding for new energy technologies.<ref name="Energy Q&A"/> The EU currently imports 82% of its [[petroleum|oil]] and 57% of its [[natural gas|gas]], making it the world's leading importer of these fuels.<ref name="low carb prop">{{cite web|title='Low-carbon economy' proposed for Europe|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16560106/ |accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> There are concerns that the EU is largely dependent on other countries, primarily [[Russia]], for its energy. This concern has grown following a series of [[Russia-Ukraine gas dispute|clashes]] between Russia and its neighbours, threatening the flow of gas. As a result the EU is attempting to diversify its energy supply.<ref name="Energy Russia">{{cite web |title=Ukraine-Russia gas dispute{{ndash}} call for stronger EU energy policy |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Parliament]]|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20060112STO04233&secondRef=0|accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref> ===Infrastructure=== {{see|European Commissioner for Transport|European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry}}<!--Galileo comes under the latter, not Transport--> [[Image:Oresundsbroen HCS.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Oresund Bridge]] between Denmark and Sweden is part of the [[Trans-European Networks]]]] The EU is working to improve cross-border [[infrastructure]] within the EU, for example through the [[Trans-European Networks]] (TEN). Projects under TEN include the [[Channel Tunnel]], [[LGV Est]], the [[Fréjus Rail Tunnel]], the [[Oresund Bridge]] and the [[Brenner Base Tunnel]]. In 2001 it was estimated that by 2010 the network would cover: {{convert|75200|km}} of roads; {{convert|78000|km}} of railways; 330 airports; 270 maritime harbours; and 210 internal harbours.<ref>{{cite web|title=The trans-European transport network: new guidelines and financial rules|European Commission]]|date=[[2003-10-01]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/ten/transport/revision/doc/revision_1692_memo_en.pdf| format=PDF |accessdate=2007-08-15 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mirea|first=Silvia|title=The trans-European transport network: new guidelines and financial rules|publisher=The Railway Journal|url=http://www.cfr.ro/jf/engleza/0304/ten-t.htm|accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> The developing European transport policies will increase the pressure on the environment in many regions by the increased transport network. In the pre-2004 EU members, the major problem in transport deals with congestion and pollution. After the recent enlargement, the new states that joined since 2004 added the problem of solving accessibility to the transport agenda.<ref>{{cite web|title=White Paper on Transport|publisher=Euractiv |date=[[2004-09-22]]|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/transport/white-paper-transport/article-129628 |accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> The [[Roads and expressways in Poland|Polish road network]] in particular was in poor condition: at Poland's accession to the EU, 4,600 roads needed to be upgraded to EU standards, demanding approximately 17&nbsp;billion euros.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transport – How Quickly will Polish Roads Improve After Accession|publisher=Urząd Komitetu Integracji Europejskiej|date=[[2003-05-29]]|url=http://www.ukie.gov.pl/WWW/en.nsf/0/574AB36381D2F551C1256E82004F9470?Open|format=|accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> Another infrastructure project is the [[Galileo (satellite navigation)|Galileo positioning system]]. Galileo is a proposed [[Global Navigation Satellite System]], to be built by the EU and launched by the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA), and is to be operational by 2010. The Galileo project was launched to reduce the EU's dependency on the US-operated [[Global Positioning System]], which will extend to nations outside the EU.<ref name="Barrot">{{cite web |last=Barrot |first=Jacques |title=Jacques Barrot Home Page, Commission vice president for transport|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/barrot/index_en.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> It has been criticised by some due to costs, delays, and their perception of redundancy given the existence of that system.<ref>{{cite web|last=McKie| first=Robin| title=Sat-nav rival could crash and burn|publisher=[[The Guardian]]| date=[[2007-07-15]]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/jul/15/spaceexploration.europeanunion|accessdate=2007-08-11}}</ref> ===Regional development=== {{see|Regional policy of the European Union}} [[Image:Dálnice D8 u Lovosic.jpg|thumb|[[Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds|EU funds]] finance infrastructure such as the motorway Prague-Berlin. ([[Lovosice]], [[Czech Republic]])]] There are substantial economical disparities across the EU. Even corrected for purchasing power, the difference between the richest and poorest regions (NUT-2 and NUT-3 of the [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics]]) is about a factor of ten. On the high end [[Frankfurt]] has €68,751 [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] per capita, [[Paris]] €67,980, and [[Inner London]] €65,138, while [[Nord-Est (development region)|Romania's Nord-Est]] has €5,070 PPP per capita and [[Bulgaria]]'s [[Severozapaden]] has €5,502 PPP per capita.<ref name="London_Nord-Est_Severozapaden">{{cite web|title=Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU 27|author=[[Eurostat]] |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_02/1-19022007-EN-AP.PDF|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate=2007-03-01}}</ref> Compared to the EU average, the United States GDP per capita is 35% higher and the Japanese GDP per capita is approximately 15% higher.<ref name="STAT/06/166">{{cite web |title=GDP per capita in the Member States ranged from 48% to 251% of the EU25 average in 2005 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|author=[[Eurostat]] |date=[[2006-12-18]] |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/06/166&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> There are a number of [[Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds]] to support development of underdeveloped regions of the EU. Such regions are primarily located in the new member states of eastern Europe.<ref name="Business2000 Funds">{{cite web |title=EU Structural and Cohesion Funds |publisher=Business 2000 |url=http://www.business2000.ie/cases/cases_8th/case12.htm |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> Several funds provide emergency aid, support for candidate members to transform their country to conform to the EU's standard ([[Phare]], [[Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession|ISPA]], and [[Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development|SAPARD]]), and support to the former USSR [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] ([[Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States|TACIS]]). TACIS has now become part of the worldwide [[EuropeAid Co-operation Office|EuropeAid]] programme. The EU [[Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)]] sponsors research conducted by consortia from all EU members to work towards a single [[European Research Area]].<ref name="Euractiv FP7">{{cite web |title=7th Research Framework Programme (FP7) |publisher=Euractiv |date=2004 |url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/7th-research-framework-programme-fp7/article-117494 |accessdate=2007-06-27}}</ref> ===Environment=== {{see|European Commissioner for the Environment|European Climate Change Programme}} The first environmental policy of the European Community was launched in 1972. Since then it has addressed issues such as [[acid rain]], the thinning of the [[ozone layer]], [[Air Quality Index|air quality]], [[noise pollution]], [[waste]] and [[Water supply and sanitation in the European Union|water pollution]]. The [[Water framework directive]] is an example of a water policy, aiming for rivers, lakes, ground and coastal waters to be of "good quality" by 2015. Wildlife is protected through the [[Natura 2000]] programme and covers 30,000 sites throughout Europe.<ref name="BBC Dimas">{{cite web|last=Dimas|first=Stavros|title=Celebrating the Environmental Union|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=[[2007-03-23]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6476273.stm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> In 2007, the Polish government sought to build a motorway through the [[Rospuda River|Rospuda valley]], but the Commission has been blocking construction as the valley is a wildlife area covered by the programme.<ref name="FT Respuda">{{cite web|last=Easton|first=Adam|title=Poland ends stand-off with EU over road plans|publisher=[[Financial Times]]|date=[[2007-07-31]]|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/640968f2-3f5b-11dc-b034-0000779fd2ac.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> [[Image:Rospudavalley.jpg|left|thumb|The Commission is trying to protect the [[Rospuda River|Rospuda valley]] in Poland.]] The [[Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals|REACH regulation]] was a piece of EU legislation designed to ensure that 30,000 chemicals in daily use are tested for their safety.<ref name="RTE REACH">{{cite web |title=EU chemicals directive agreed| publisher=[[RTÉ News And Current Affairs]]|date=[[2006-12-01]]|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1201/reach.html |accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> In 2006, [[2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste spill|toxic waste spill off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire]], from a European ship, prompted the Commission to look into legislation regarding toxic waste. With members such as Spain now having criminal laws against shipping toxic waste, the Commission proposed to create criminal sentences for "ecological crimes". Although the Commission's right to propose criminal law was contested, it was confirmed in this case by the Court of Justice.<ref name="E!Sharp0507 Legal">{{cite news| last=Charter| first=David| title=A new legal environment| work=E!Sharp|pages=23&ndash;5|language=English|publisher=People Power Process|date=2007|}}</ref> In 2007, member states agreed that the EU is to use 20% [[renewable energy]] in the future and that is has to reduce [[carbon dioxide]] [[Greenhouse gas|emissions]] in 2020 by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels.<ref name="EUO energy">{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/23/climatechange.eu1 |title=EU sets 20% target for carbon cuts |accessdate=2008-02-29 |publisher= [[The Guardian|guardian.co.uk]] |first=Jessica |last=Aldred}} </ref> This includes measures that in 2020, one-tenth of all cars and trucks in [[Treaty of Accession 2005|EU 27]] should be running on [[biofuel]]s. This is considered to be one of the most ambitious moves of an important industrialised region to fight [[global warming]].<ref name="Discovery energy">{{cite web| last=Ames|first=Paul| title=European Union agrees on ambitious plan to fight global warming|publisher=[[Discovery Channel]], on Valcent Products website|date=[[2007-03-09]]|url=http://www.valcent.net/s/RelatedArticles.asp?ReportID=183114&_Type=Related-Articles&_Title=European-Union-agrees-on-ambitious-plan-to-fight-global-warming |accessdate=2007-03-09}}</ref> At the [[2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference]], dealing with the successor to the [[Kyoto Protocol]], the EU has proposed at 50% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050.<ref name="PostKyoto">{{cite web|title=In Bali, EU Floats 50% Greenhouse Gas Cut|publisher=[[BusinessWeek]]|date=[[2007-12-04]]|url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2007/gb2007124_968205.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_top+stories|accessdate=2007-12-07}}</ref> The EU's attempts to cut its [[carbon footprint]] appear to have also been aided by an expansion of Europe's [[forest]]s which, between 1990 and 2005, grew 10% in western Europe and 15% in Eastern Europe. During this period they soaked up 126&nbsp;million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 11% of EU emissions from human activities.<ref name="PostKyoto">{{cite web|title=Expanding EU forests may aid climate goals|publisher=[[Reuters]]|date=[[2007-11-29]]|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL2920316220071129|accessdate=2007-12-07}}</ref> ===Education and research=== {{see|Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union|Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development}} [[Image:Windkraftanlagen Dänemark gross.jpg|thumb|[[Renewable energy]] is one priority in transnational research activities such as the [[Seventh Framework Programme|FP7]].]] Education and science are areas where the EU's role is limited to supporting national governments. In education, the policy was mainly developed in the 1980s in programmes supporting exchanges and mobility. The most visible of these has been the [[ERASMUS programme]], a university exchange programme which began in 1987. In its first 20&nbsp;years it has supported international exchange opportunities for well over 1.5&nbsp;million university and college students and has become a symbol of European student life.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Erasmus programme celebrates its 20th anniversary |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html |accessdate=2007-07-21}}; {{cite web|last=Jean-Sébastien|first=Lefebvre |title=Erasmus turns 20 - time to grow up? |date=[[2007-01-22]]|publisher=Café Babel |url=http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T&Id=9702 |accessdate=2007-08-10}}</ref> There are now similar programmes for school pupils and teachers, for trainees in vocational education and training, and for adult learners in the [[Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013]]. These programmes are designed to encourage a wider knowledge of other countries and to spread good practices in the education and training fields across the EU.<ref>{{cite web |author=EACEA |title=About the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm |accessdate=2007-07-21}}; {{cite web |title=Lifelong Learning Programme |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html |accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> Through its support of the [[Bologna process]] the EU is supporting comparable standards and compatible degrees across Europe. Scientific development is facilitated through the EU's [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|Framework Programmes]], the first of which started in 1984. The aims of EU policy in this area are to co-ordinate and stimulate research. The independent [[European Research Council]] allocates EU funds to European or national research projects.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the ERC? |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]| author=[[European Research Council]] |url=http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=12 |accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> The [[Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)]] deals in a number of areas, for example energy where it aims to develop a diverse mix of [[renewable energy]] for the environment and to reduce dependence on imported fuels.<ref>{{cite web |title=Energy|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm?pg=energy |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> Since January 2000 the [[European Commission]] has set its sights on a more ambitious objective, known as the [[European Research Area]], and has extensively funded research in a few key areas. This has the support of all member states, and extends the existing financing structure of the frameworks. It aims to focus on co-ordination, sharing knowledge, ensuring mobility of researchers around Europe, improving conditions for researchers and encouraging links with business and industry as well as removing any legal and administrative barriers.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the European Research Area? |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.html |accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> The EU is involved with six other countries to develop [[ITER]], a [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] [[nuclear reactor technology|reactor]] which will be built in the EU at [[Cadarache]]. ITER builds on the previous project, [[Joint European Torus]], which is currently the largest nuclear fusion reactor in the world.<ref name="ITER">{{cite web |title=ITER fusion research project |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|url=http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/3_2_iter_en.htm |author=Fusion for energy |accessdate=2007-09-24}}</ref> The Commission foresees this technology to be generating energy in the EU by 2050.<ref name="Energy Q&A"/><!-- is this part of "European Research Area" collaboration?--> It has observer status within [[CERN]], there are various agreements with [[European Space Agency|ESA]] and there is collaboration with [[European Southern Observatory|ESO]].<ref name="ESO"> {{cite web |title=Astronomical research collaborations |url=http://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/collaborations.html |publisher=[[European Southern Observatory|ESO]] |accessdate=2008-02-29}}</ref> Theses organizations are not under the framework of the EU, but membership heavily overlaps between them. ==Demographics== {{main|Demographics of the European Union}} <!-- The above are in alphabetical order. Please note that the design of this table was agreed after considerable discussion. Please submit proposed changes to the discussion page before editing. --> {| class="wikitable sortable" align=right style="text-align: right; line-height: 1.4em; margin-left: 20px;" |+ {{nowrap|Population of the 5 largest cities in the EU<ref>LUZ figures all for 2001{{cite web| url = http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityCountryPDFLongList.aspx| title = City Profiles List| accessdate = 2008-02-06| work = Urban Audit| publisher = European Commission, Directorate-General Regional Policy, Unit D2 Urban Actions}}<br> Urban areas: all figures for 2005 (est.): {{cite web | url = http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/chifcle_fiche.asp?ref_id=CMPTEF01103&tab_id=18| title = Pays, villes d'Europe et du monde| accessdate = 2008-02-06| publisher = InsInstitut National de la Statistiqueet des Études Économiques}}<br> City limits figures: <br> London as at 1 July 2006: {{cite web| url = http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D9664.csv | title = Mid-2006 Population Estimates |format=CSV |accessdate = 2008-02-06|| publisher =[[Office for National Statistics]] }}<br> Berlin as at September 2007: {{cite web| url = http://www.statistik-portal.de/Statistik-Portal/de_zs01_bl.asp | title =Bevölkerung Berlin | accessdate = 2008-02-06|| publisher = Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (German statistics office)}}<br> Madrid as at 1 january 2007: {{cite web| url = http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do | title =Cifras de población | accessdate = 2008-02-06|| publisher =Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spanish national statistics office) }}<br> Paris as at 1 July 2005: {{cite web| url = http://www.insee.fr/fr/recensement/nouv_recens/resultats/grandes-villes.htm#P | title =Résultats des enquêtes annuelles de recensement de 2004 à 2007 pour les grandes villes | accessdate = 2008-02-06|| publisher =Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (French national institute for statistics) }}<br> Rome as at 31 December 2007 {{cite web| url = http://demo.istat.it/bilmens2007gen/index02.html| title = Bilancio demografico Anno 2007 | accessdate = 2008-02-06|| publisher = ISTAT (Italian national statistics office)}}<br> </ref> }} | style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |'''City''' ! style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |[[Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits|'''City limits''']]<br /><small>(2006)</small><br> ! style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |'''Density <center>/km²</center>''' <small>(city limits)</small><br> ! style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |'''Density <center>/sq&nbsp;mi</center>''' <small>(city limits)</small><br> ! style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |[[Largest urban areas of the European Union|Urban area]] <br /><small>(2005)</small> ! style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center" align=center |[[Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) in the European Union|LUZ]]<br /><small>(2001)</small> |- ! align=left | '''[[Berlin]]''' |align=right | 3,410,000|| 3,815<!--/km2-->||9,880<!--/sqmi-->|| 3,761,000|| 4,935,524 |- ! align=left | '''[[London]]''' |align=right | 7,512,400|| 4,761<!--/km2-->||12,330<!--/sqmi-->|| 9,332,000|| 11,624,807 |- ! align=left | '''[[Madrid]]''' |align=right | 3,228,359|| 5,198<!--/km2-->||13,460<!--/sqmi-->|| 4,858,000|| 5,372,433 |- ! align=left | '''[[Paris]]''' |align=right | 2,153,600||24,672<!--/km2-->||63,900<!--/sqmi-->|| 9,928,000|| 10,952,011 |- ! align=left | '''[[Rome]]''' |align=right | 2,708,395 || 2,105<!--/km2-->||5,450<!--/sqmi-->|| 2,867,000|| 3,700,424 |} The combined population of all 27 member countries has been estimated at 495,128,529 in January 2007,<ref name="Eurostat Population">{{cite web |title=Total population|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Eurostat]] |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=Yearlies_new_population&root=Yearlies_new_population/C/C1/C11/caa10000 |accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref> this in comparison to approximately 710&nbsp;million [[Demography of Europe|Europeans]] on the continent as a whole. There is some increase in population expected, primarily due to net [[immigration]], present in most European countries.<ref name="Press Pop Eurostat">{{cite web| title=EU25 population rises until 2025, then falls| publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author= [[Eurostat]]| date=[[2005-04-08]]|url=http://intranet.icea.es/pensiones/documentacion/Proy_demog_2004_2050.pdf|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref><ref name="Migration Info">{{cite web| last=Muenz| first=Rainer| title=Europe: Population and Migration in 2005| publisher=Migration Information| date=2006| url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=402 |accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref> The EU's population is 7.3% of the world total, yet the EU covers just 3% of the earth's land, amounting to a [[population density]] of {{convert|114|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}} (2006) making the EU one of the [[List of countries by population density|most densely populated regions of the world]]. One third of EU citizens live in cities of over a million people, rising to 80% living in [[urban area]]s generally.<ref name="urban dens">{{cite web |title=A densely populated area|publisher=Telsat Guide |url=http://telsat.belspo.be/beo/en/profs/europe-population.asp?section=6.3.3 |accessdate=2007-07-22}}</ref> The EU is home to more [[Global city|global cities]] than any other region in the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=The World According to GaWC| publisher=Loughborough University| url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citymap.html |accessdate=2007-06-29}}</ref> It contains 16&nbsp;cities with populations of over one million. Besides many large cities, the EU also includes several densely populated regions that have no single core but have emerged from the connection of several cites and are now encompassing large metropolitan areas. The largest are [[Rhine-Ruhr]] having approximately 10.5&nbsp;million inhabitants ([[Cologne]], [[Dortmund]], [[Düsseldorf]] et al.), [[Randstad]] approx. 7&nbsp;million ([[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]], [[The Hague]], [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]] et al.), [[Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region]] approx. 5.8&nbsp;million ([[Frankfurt]], [[Wiesbaden]] et al.), the [[Flemish diamond]] (urban area in between [[Antwerp]], [[Brussels]], [[Leuven]] and [[Ghent]]), approx. 5.5&nbsp;million inhabitants, and the [[Upper Silesian Industrial Region]] approx. 3.5&nbsp;million ([[Katowice]], [[Sosnowiec]] et al.).<ref name="Eurostat Urban zones">{{cite web |title=Indicators for larger urban zones 1999 - 2003 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Eurostat]] |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,45323734&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=welcomeref&open=/&product=EU_MASTER_urban_audit&depth=2 |accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref> ===Languages=== {{main|Languages of the European Union}} {| class="wikitable sortable" style="line-height: 0.9em; border:1px #000000;" cellspacing="0" align="right" style="margin-left: 1em; text-align:right;" |+ '''Languages''' (2006)<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages"/> |- ! width="40px" | Language ! width="40px" | [[First language|L1]] ! width="40px" | Total |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[English language|English]] |13% |51% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[German language|German]] |18% |32% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[French language|French]] |13% |26% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Italian language|Italian]] |13% |16% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Spanish language|Spanish]] |9% |15% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Polish language|Polish]] |9% |10% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Romanian language|Romanian]] |7% |8% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Dutch language|Dutch]] |5% |6% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Greek language|Greek]] |3% |3% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Swedish language|Swedish]] |2% |3% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Czech language|Czech]] |2% |3% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] |2% |2% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] |2% |2% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] |2% |2% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" |align=left |[[Slovak language|Slovak]] |1% |1% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" class="sortbottom" | align=left colspan="2"|{{nowrap|Other EU Languages}} | ~6% |- style="line-height: 1.1em" class="sortbottom" | align=left colspan="2"|Minority Languages | ~16% |- style="line-height:1em; background:#F2F2F2" class="sortbottom" | colspan=3 align="left"|<small>L1: Native language<br> Total: EU citizens able to conduct<br />conversation in this language</small> |} Among the many languages and dialects used in the EU, it has 23 [[official language|official]] and [[working language]]s: [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Irish language|Irish]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovene language|Slovenian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]].<ref name="Official Languages">{{cite web |title=Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of [[20 November]] [[2006]]|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[EUR-Lex]] |work=[[Official Journal of the European Union]] |date=[[2006-12-12]] |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31958R0001:EN:NOT |accessdate=2007-02-02}}</ref> Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language. The European Parliament provides translation into all languages for documents and its plenary sessions. Some institutions use only a handful of languages as internal working languages.<ref>{{cite web|title=Languages and Europe. FAQ: Is every document generated by the EU translated into all the official languages?|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|date=2004|url=http://europa.eu/languages/en/document/59#5 |accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> [[Language policy]] is the responsibility of member states, but EU institutions promote the learning of other languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Articles 149 to 150 |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[EUR-Lex]] |work=[[Official Journal of the European Union]] |date=2004|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/12002E/htm/C_2002325EN.003301.html#anArt150 |accessdate=2007-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=European Parliament Fact Sheets: 4.16.3. Language policy|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Parliament]]|date=2004|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_16_3_en.htm|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> German is the most widely spoken mother tongue (about 88.7&nbsp;million people [[2006|as of 2006]]), followed by English, French, and Italian. English is by far the most spoken foreign language at over half (51%) of the population, with German and French following. 56% of European citizens are able to engage in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages">{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Survey)|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]|date=2006|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf| format=PDF |accessdate=2007-02-03}}<br />{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary)|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]|date=2006|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> Most official languages of the EU belong to the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] [[language family]], except Estonian, Finnish, and Hungarian, which belong to the [[Uralic languages|Uralic]] language family, and Maltese, which is a [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]]. Most EU official languages are written in the [[Latin alphabet]] except Bulgarian, written in [[Cyrillic alphabet|Cyrillic]], and Greek, written in the [[Greek alphabet]].<ref name="Many tongues, one family">{{cite web|title=Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]] |date=2004|url=http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf|format=PDF |accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> Besides the 23 official languages, there are about 150 [[regional language|regional]] and [[minority language]]s, spoken by up to 50&nbsp;million people.<ref name="Many tongues, one family"/> Of these, only the Spanish regional languages ([[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Basque language|Basque]] and [[Galician language|Galician]]) can be used by citizens in communication with the main European institutions.<ref name="Mercator">{{cite web|title=Mercator Newsletter - n. 29|publisher=Mercator Central|date=2006|url=http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter29.htm#2|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-02-01}}</ref> Although EU programmes can support regional and minority languages, the protection of [[linguistic rights]] is a matter for the individual member states. Besides the many regional languages, a broad variety of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by [[immigration|immigrant]] communities in the member states: [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Maghrebi Arabic]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Urdu]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Modern Standard Hindi|Hindi]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], and [[Languages of the Balkans|Balkan languages]] are spoken in many parts of the EU. Many older immigrant communities are [[Multilingualism|bilingual]], being fluent in both the local (EU) language and in that of their ancestral community. Migrant languages have no formal status or recognition in the EU or in the EU countries, although from 2007 they are eligible for support from the language teaching section of the EU's [[Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013]].<ref name="Many tongues, one family"/> ===Religion=== {{main|Religion in the European Union}} The EU is a [[secularity|secular]] body, with no formal connections to any [[religion]] and no mention of religion in any current or proposed treaty.<ref name="Consolidated Treaties"/> Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the Treaty of Lisbon included proposals to mention [[Christianity]] and/or [[God]] in the preamble of the text, but the idea faced opposition and was dropped.<ref name="EUO Merkel God">{{cite web |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-celebrates-its-50th-birthday--with-a-row-about-religion-440976.html |title=EU celebrates 50th birthday-with a row about religion | publisher= [[The Independent]] |first=Stephen |last=Castle |date=2007-03-21| accessdate=2008-03-04 }}</ref> [[Image:EU belief in god.png|thumb|left|Percentage of Europeans in each Member State who believe in some deity<!---"a god" lowercase as it is not a specific god (i.e. The Christian God)--->]] Emphasis on Christianity stems from this being the dominant [[religion in Europe]], and thus of the EU. It divides between [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]], a wide range of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches (especially in northern Europe) and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] (in south eastern Europe). Other religions such as [[Judaism]] and [[Islam]] are also represented in the EU population; in 2002 the EU had an estimated [[Jewish population]] of over a million<ref>Jewish population figures may be unreliable. These estimates are taken from: {{cite web| url = http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/concepts/demography/demjpop.html | title = World Jewish Population (2002)| accessdate = 2007-05-03| author = Sergio DellaPergola| work = American Jewish Year Book| publisher = The Jewish Agency for Israel}}</ref> and a Muslim population in 2006 of 16&nbsp;million people.<ref name="Islam.de SecE">{{cite web|title=In Europa leben gegen­wärtig knapp 53&nbsp;millionen Muslime|publisher=Islam.de|date=[[2006-02-25]]|url=http://islam.de/8368.php|format=|doi=|accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> [[Eurobarometer]] opinion polls organised by [[Eurostat]] show that the majority of EU citizens have some form of belief system but that only 21% see it as important. There is increasing [[atheism]] or [[agnosticism]] among the general population in Europe, with falling church attendance and membership in many countries.<ref name="About SecE">{{cite web |publisher=[[USA Today]] |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-21-god-europe_x.htm |title=What place for God in Europe |accessdate=2008-03-04 |date=2005-02-22 |first=Peter |last=Ford}}</ref> The 2005 Eurobarometer showed that of the European citizens (of the 25 members at that time), 52% believed in ''a'' god, 27% in ''some sort of spirit or life force'' and 18% had no form of belief. The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were the Czech Republic (19%) and Estonia (16%),<ref name="Eurostat Religion">{{cite web|title=Eurobarometer 225: Social values, Science & Technology|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[Eurostat]]|date=2005 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf|format=PDF |accessdate=2007-07-21}}</ref> The most religious societies are those in Malta (95%; predominantly Roman Catholic), and Cyprus and Romania both with about 90% of citizens believing in a god. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, increased with age, those with religious upbringing, those with the lowest levels of formal education, those leaning towards [[right-wing politics]], and those reflecting more upon philosophical and ethical issues.<ref name="Eurostat Religion"/> Other significant religions present in the EU territories are [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]] (with a strong presence in the [[United Kingdom]]<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=954 UK 2001 census]</ref>) and [[Neopaganism]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/ BBC section on Neopaganism]</ref> Neopaganism is a fast-growing movement that revives and reinvents (in its [[polytheistic reconstructionism|reconstructionistic]] approach) the ancient [[paganism|pagan spiritualities]] of the [[European ethnic groups|European peoples]].<ref>Strmiska, Michael F. (2005). Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.</ref> Neopagan religions are legally recognised by the governments of the [[United Kingdom]], [[Denmark]],<ref>[http://www.fornsidr.dk/dk/60 Forklaring til Forn Siðr´s ansøgning om godkendelse som trossamfund.]</ref> [[Sweden]], and [[Spain]].<ref>[http://www.asatru.es/paginas/legalization.htm Odinist and Asatruar Community of Spain - legalization]</ref> ==Culture== {{see|Culture of Europe|Cultural policies of the European Union}} [[Image:Liverpool 2008 Flag.jpg|thumb|[[Liverpool]] is one of the two [[European Capital of Culture|European Capitals of Culture]] for 2008.]] EU culture is intertwined with the [[culture of Europe]] and its specific national heritages; policies affecting cultural matters are mainly set by individual member states. Cultural co-operation between member states has been a concern of the EU since its inclusion as a community competency in the [[Maastricht Treaty]].<ref name="Bozoki">{{cite web |last=Bozoki |first=Andras |title=Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union |publisher=IECOB, Institute for Central Eastern and Balkan Europe |url=http://137.204.115.130/activities/download/Bozoki/Cultural%20Policy%20and%20Politics%20in%20the%20European%20Union.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> Actions taken in the cultural area by the EU include the [[Culture 2000]] 7-year programme,<ref name="Bozoki"/> the [[European Cultural Month]] event,<ref name="Culture Month">{{cite web |title=European Culture Month |author=[[European Commission]]|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/ecocs/present_cap/retrospective_en.html |accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref> the [[Media Plus]] programme,<ref name="Media Plus">{{cite web |title=Media programme |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |date=[[2007-07-05]] |author=[[European Commission]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/index_en.htm |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> orchestras such as the [[European Union Youth Orchestra]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euyo.org.uk/about/history.htm |title=An Overture to the European Union Youth Orchestra |publisher=The European Youth Orchestra |accessdate=2007-08-12}}</ref> and the [[European Capital of Culture]] programme{{ndash}} where one or more cities in the EU are selected for one year to assist the cultural development of that city.<ref name="Capital Culture">{{cite web| title=European Capitals of Culture |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |author=[[European Commission]]|url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/ecocs/present_cap/present_cap_en.html |accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref> In addition, the EU gives grants to cultural projects (totalling 233 in 2004) and has launched a Web portal dedicated to Europe and culture, responding to the European Council's expressed desire to see the Commission and the member states "promote the networking of cultural information to enable all citizens to access European cultural content by the most advanced technological means".<ref name="Culture Portal">{{cite web |title=Cultural heritage as a vehicle of cultural identity |publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]] |date=2006-05-03 |accessdate=2008-03-04 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/portal/activities/heritage/cultural_heritage_vehic_en.htm }}</ref> Within the EU, supporters of [[European integration]] often appeal to a shared European historical/cultural heritage, typically including [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]], the [[feudalism]] of the [[Middle Ages]], the [[Renaissance]], the [[Age of Enlightenment]], 19th century [[Liberalism]] and negative elements such as the [[World war]]s. European values are assumed to be grounded in this shared heritage.<ref>For example: {{cite web | url = http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20070208IPR02888| title =Priority is dialogue for partnership and tolerance | accessdate = 2008-02-27 | author = Hans-Gert Poettering| authorlink = Hans-Gert Pöttering| date = 2007-02-13 | work = Inaugural speech by the new president of the European Parliament | publisher = [[Europa (web portal)|Europa]], [[European parliament]] | quote = }}</ref> ===Sport=== {{see|Sport in Europe|Sport policies of the European Union}} [[Image:Campnoumatch.jpg|thumb|Spectator sports are popular in many EU member states ([[Camp Nou]], [[Barcelona]])]] Sport is mainly the responsibility of individual member states or other international organisations rather than that of the EU. However, some EU policies have had an impact on sport, such as the free movement of workers which was at the core of the [[Bosman ruling]], which prohibited national football leagues from imposing quotas on foreign players with European citizenship.<ref name="BBC Boseman">{{cite web|last=Fordyce|first=Tom|title=10&nbsp;years since Bosman |publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=[[2007-07-11]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4528732.stm |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref> Under the proposed [[Treaty of Lisbon]] sports would be given a special status which would exempt this sector from much of the EU's economic rules. This followed lobbying by governing organisations such as the [[International Olympic Committee]] and [[FIFA]], due to objections over the applications of free market principles to sport which led to an increasing gap between rich and poor clubs.<ref name="IHT RT">{{cite web| title=IOC, FIFA presidents welcomes new EU treaty, call it breakthrough to give sports more power|publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]]|date=[[2007-10-19]]|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/19/sports/EU-SPT-OLY-EU-Treaty.php |accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> Several European sports associations are consulted in the formulation of the EU's sports policy, including [[International Basketball Federation|FIBA]], [[UEFA]], [[European Handball Federation|EHF]], [[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]], [[FIRA - Association of European Rugby|FIRA]] and [[Confédération Européenne de Volleyball|CEV]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement of European team sports |publisher=UEFA.com|date=[[2007-10-19]]|url=http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/uefa/keytopics/560675_download.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> All EU member states and their respective national sport associations participate in European sport organisations such as [[UEFA]].<ref>{{cite web|title=UEFA |publisher=UEFA.com|date=[[2007-10-19]] |url=http://www.uefa.com/ |accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> ==See also== {{European Union topics}} ==References== <!-- Please DO NOT use a scroll template/form/table for the reflink, please read warning on the scroll template page. Thank you. --> {{reflist|3}} ==Further reading== <div class="references-small"> *{{cite book | last = Craig | first = Paul | authorlink = Paul Craig | coauthors = Gráinne de Búrca| title = EU Law, Text, Cases and Materials | edition = 4th ed.| year = 2007| publisher = Oxford University Press | location = Oxford, New York | isbn = 978-0-19-927389-8}} *{{cite book | last = Steiner | first = Josephine | coauthors = Lorna Woods; Christian Twigg-Flesner | title = EU Law | edition = 9th ed. | year = 2006 | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = Oxford, New York | isbn = 978-0-19-927959-3 }} *{{cite book | last = Barnard | first = Catherine | title = The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms | edition = 2nd ed. | year = 2007 | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = Oxford, New York | isbn = 978-0-19-929839-6 }} * {{cite web | url = http://aei.pitt.edu/455/01/Jenson-Saint-Martin-EUSA_2003_1_.pdf |title = Is Europe still sui generis?, 27-29 March 2003, Nashville, Tennessee|accessdate = 2007-11-13 | last = Jenson | first = Jane | coauthors = Denis Saint-Martin | year = 2003 | month = March |format=PDF| publisher = Eighth Biennial International Conference, European Union Studies Association}} * ''Access to European Union: law, economics, policies'' by Nicholas Moussis (European Study Service, 2007 – 16th ed.) ISBN 978-2-930119-43-4 * ''Europe Recast: A History of European Union'' by [[Desmond Dinan]] (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) ISBN 978-0-333-98734-6 * ''Understanding the European Union 3rd ed'' by [[John McCormick]] (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) ISBN 978-1-4039-4451-1 * ''The Institutions of the European Union'' edited by John Peterson, Michael Shackleton, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2006) ISBN 0198700520 * ''The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream'' by Jeremy Rifkin (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004) ISBN 978-1-58542-345-3 * ''The European Union Collective: Enemy of its Member States'' by [[Christopher Story]] (Edward Harle Limited, 2002) ISBN 1-899798-01-3 * {{PDFlink|[http://hanskoechler.com/Koechler_EU_Constitution-SYBIL-2005.pdf ''The European Constitution and the Imperatives of Transnational Democracy'']|132&nbsp;KB}} by [[Hans Köchler]], Singapore Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 9 (2005), Accessed [[January 25]], [[2007]] </div> ==External links== {{sisterlinks}} {| |valign="top"|'''<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Government</span>''' * <span class="plainlinks">[http://europa.eu/index_en.htm EUROPA]</span> – [[Europa (web portal)|official web portal]] * <span class="plainlinks">[http://europa.eu/institutions/index_en.htm EU Institutions]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm Commission]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.ASP?lang=EN Council]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.curia.europa.eu/en/ Court of Justice]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/default_en.htm Parliament]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://europa.eu/agencies/index_en.htm Agencies]</span> * <span class="plainlinks">[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm EUR-Lex]</span> – [[EUR-Lex|EU Laws]] | width="50"| |valign="top"| '''<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Overviews and data</span>''' * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.oecd.org/eu European Community]</span> – [[OECD]] data * <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ee.html European Union]</span> – [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]] entry * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ena.lu European NAvigator]</span> – [[European NAvigator|Website on EU history]] * <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ina.fr/europe-des-cultures/En/Html/PrincipaleAccueil.php Europe of cultures]</span> 50 years of artistic creation and cultural life from the 27 countries of the European Union |} {{Supranationalism/World government topics|state=collapsed}} {{G8 nations|state=collapsed}} {{Quartet on the Middle East|state=collapsed}} {{South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)|state=collapsed}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:European Union| ]] [[Category:Supranational unions]] [[Category:Continental unions]] [[Category:Federalism]] [[Category:Political systems]] [[Category:International organizations of Europe]] [[Category:1951 establishments]] {{Link FA|hu}} {{Link FA|pt}} {{Link FA|ro}} {{Link FA|sco}} {{Link FA|sv}} <!--Other languages--> [[af:Europese Unie]] [[am:አውሮፓ ህብረት]] [[ang:Europisc Gesamnung]] [[ar:الاتحاد الأوروبي]] [[an:Unión Europeya]] [[roa-rup:Unia europeanã]] [[frp:Union eropèèna]] [[ast:Xunión Europea]] [[az:Avropa İttifaqı]] [[bm:Eropaka Jɛkulu]] [[bn:ইউরোপীয় ইউনিয়ন]] [[zh-min-nan:Europa Liân-bêng]] [[be:Еўрапейскі Саюз]] [[be-x-old:Эўрапейскі Зьвяз]] [[bar:Europäische Unjon]] 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