What does the European Union do? Which countries are part of the European Union

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Accession to the EU

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

What are the requirements for candidates for entry?

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

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

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

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

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

Candidates for accession to the European Union in 2019

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

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

REFERENCE: Serbia and Montenegro even have an approximate entry date of 2025.

There are also potential candidates:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Republic of Kosovo

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

Which countries were the first to join the European Union?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which country was the last to join the EU?

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

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

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

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

European countries outside the EU

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

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

Czech Republic;

Sweden.

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

60 years have passed since its creation. However, a year earlier, Great Britain presented a “surprise”: a national referendum revealed the British desire to secede from this interethnic organization. On March 29, 2019, the Kingdom of Great Britain will become the first and so far only country in history to leave the European Union. Which countries are part of the European Union? What are its prospects?

Which countries are part of the European Union? List

№	Country	Capital	Year of entry	Head of Government
1	Austria	Vein	1995	Chancellor - Sebastian Kunz
2	Belgium	Brussels	1957	Prime Minister - Charles Michel
3	Bulgaria	Sofia	2007	Prime Ministers - Boyko Borisov and Tsveta Karayancheva
4	Hungary	Budapest	2004	Prime Minister - Viktor Orban
5	United Kingdom	London	1973	Prime Minister - Theresa May
6	Greece	Athens	1981	Prime Minister - Alexis Tsipras
7	Germany	Berlin	1957	Chancellor - Angela Merkel
8	Denmark	Copenhagen	1973	Prime Minister - Lars Rasmussen
9	Italy	Rome	1957	Prime Minister - Giuseppe Conte
10	Ireland	Dublin	1973	Prime Minister - Leo Vardkar
11	Spain	Madrid	1986	Prime Minister - Pedro Sanchez
12	Cyprus	Nicosia	2004	President - Nikos Anastasiades
13	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	1957	Prime Minister - Xavier Bettel
14	Latvia	Riga	2004	Prime Minister - Maris Kucinskis
15	Lithuania	Vilnius	2004	Prime Minister - Saulius Skvernelis
16	Malta	La Valletta	2004	Prime Minister - Joseph Muscat
17	Netherlands (Holland)	Amsterdam	1957	Prime Minister - Mark Rügge
18	Portugal	Lisbon	1986	Prime Minister - Antonio Costa
19	Poland	Warsaw	2004	Prime Minister - Mateusz Morawiecki
20	Romania	Bucharest	2007	Prime Minister - Viorica Dancila
21	Slovenia	Ljubljana	2004	Prime Minister - Miroslav Cerar
22	Slovakia	Bratislava	2004	Prime Minister - Peter Pellegrini
23	France	Paris	1957	Prime Minister - Edouard Philippe
24	Finland	Helsinki	1995	Prime Minister - Juha Sipilä
25	Croatia	Zagreb	2013	Prime Minister - Andrej Plenkovich
26	Czech Republic	Prague	2004	Prime Minister - Andrey Bibish
27	Sweden	Stockholm	1995	Prime Minister - Stefan Löfven
28	Estonia	Tallinn	2004	Prime Minister - Jüri Ratas

Having compiled such a table, we think we have answered the question of how many countries and which ones are included in the European Union.

"Non-European" European Union

But the European Union also includes those not located within Europe, the following overseas territories of the European Union countries that have a special status are:

Despite these precedents, similar territories of Great Britain, Holland and Denmark are not included in the European Union.

Eurosceptics

However, this is not surprising. After all, not even everyone strives to become its members. Northern Scandinavians treat him coldly. For example, Sweden and Denmark did not completely switch to the euro, retaining their national currencies. Which Scandinavian country is not part of the European Union? There are even two of them - Norway and Iceland. Norway was not satisfied with the restrictions imposed by the entry conditions, although the country applied for participation three times. Today Norway is part of other European agreements like Schengen, but nothing more. For Iceland this is not at all current question. Especially after the negotiations that have already taken place.

Also, the eternally neutral Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. The government was thinking about joining, but the population in the 1992 referendum clearly said: “No!” Belarus and Russia are Eurosceptics and do not look to the West.

The dwarf Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Liechtenstein do not consider the prospects of becoming “uniform Europeans”. But, however, it does not prevent those who wish to connect. This - Balkan countries.

"School" of the European Union

Here is a list of countries that have an association agreement with here - candidates for joining it. But the association is much broader than Europe.

Country	Capital	Part of the world	Year of signing the contract	Head of Government
Albania	Tirana	Europe	2009	Chairman - Edi Rama
Algeria	Algeria	Africa	2005	Prime Minister - Ahmed Uyahya
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo	Europe	2008	Chairman - Denis Zvizdich
Georgia	Tbilisi	Asia	2014	Prime Minister - Mamuka Bakhtadze
Egypt	Cairo	Africa	2004	Prime Minister - Sherif Ismail
Israel	Tel Aviv	Asia	2000	Prime Minister - Benjamin Netanyahu
Jordan	Amman	Asia	2002	Prime Minister - Hani Al-Mulki
Canada	Ottawa	America	2013	Prime Minister - Justin Trudeau
Kosovo	Pristina	Europe	2015	Prime Minister - Ramush Haradinaj
Lebanon	Beirut	Asia	2006	Prime Minister - Saad Hariri
Macedonia	Skopje	Europe	2001	Prime Minister - Zoran Zaev
Morocco	Rabat	Africa	2000	Prime Minister - Saad ad-Din Al-Othmani
Moldova	Kishinev	Europe	2014	Prime Minister - Pavel Filip
Mexico	Mexico City	America	2000	President - Enrique Peña Nieto
Serbia	Belgrade	Europe	2011	Prime Minister - Ana Brnabic
Tunisia	Tunisia	Africa	1998	Prime Minister - Youssef Shahed
Türkiye	Ankara	Europe, Asia	1963	President - Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Ukraine	Kyiv	Europe	2014	Prime Minister - Vladimir Groysman
Montenegro	Podgorica	Europe	2010	Prime Minister - Dusko Markovic
Chile	Santiago	America	2003	President - Sebastian Pinera
South Africa	Pretoria	Africa	2000	President - Cyril Ramaphosa

These are the countries that are included in the “school” of the European Union. After all, in order to become a member, you need to meet the requirements, that is, in fact, undergo training and pass “exams.”

Three graduates

Today it is held in Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo. In Tirana and Skopje, they are still frozen at the stage of the middle “classes”: they have the status of candidates. Belgrade, Podgorica and Ankara at the “graduation”: they are negotiating with Brussels (the capital of the European Union). Moreover, the Turkish “repeater” has been doing this for almost ten years (since 1999), but he constantly fails in “exams”. In Sarajevo and Pristina - "low school students". The former have just submitted an application to join, and the latter have so far only verbally announced their intentions.

Changes are also possible in reverse side. For example, there is talk about an “anti-EU” referendum in Holland.

So perhaps the answer to the question “which countries are part of the European Union?” in a few decades it will sound completely different. The composition may change.

Which countries were the first to join the European Union?

The history of the creation of this national association goes back to 1951, when Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland and Italy established the “European Coal and Steel Community”, designed to improve the development of these

In 1957, these same countries decided to expand the “platform” to the EEC (European economic community). Now cooperation concerned not only metallurgy and coal mining and everything else. Then the answer to the question of which countries are members of the European Union was brief. In the 60s, trade duties between the member countries of the Union were removed. And then there were: 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2007, 2013. During these years, other countries joined the European Union. On full blast The European Union began operating in the period from 1995 to 1999, when the “Schengen zone” became not a project, but a reality, when a new common European currency, the “euro,” was introduced into circulation, when supranational political bodies authorities.

Should there be an European Union?

Unfortunately, recent developments in the global economy and politics have added significant weight to the Eurosceptic scale. The global financial crisis, poorly controlled migration of the population from war-torn Libya and Syria to the countries of the European Union, chronic economic lag behind the northerners and social institutions southerners who cannot be overcome, the default in Greece, the difficulties of newcomers to the European Union, who were hoping for their quick economic growth, and not stagnation, or, in general, degradation. Sanctions against Russia also added problems, since significant volumes of entire sectors of the economy of the European Union countries were oriented to the east.

Europeans are also concerned about the statement of American President Donald Trump about a possible review of relations within the NATO military bloc. Create your own army? For what money? Who will command her?

Nietzsche knows

Now the EU is going through a crisis, and this is good for it. “What does not kill us makes us stronger,” German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used to say. Today poses a challenge to the European Union; if it survives it, it will become much stronger than it was before.

Should there be an European Union? Time will tell, but it is unlikely to collapse overnight. Its backbone - the same six founding countries - did and are doing everything to ensure that the European Union lives and develops.

This state association includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia , Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Sweden and Estonia.

At the very beginning of intra-European unification, back in the 90s of the last century, the first members of the European Union were six states: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. Then the remaining 22 joined them.

The main factors or rules for joining the organization are compliance with the criteria established in 1993 in Copenhagen and approved at a meeting of the Union members in Madrid two years later. States must observe the basic principles of democracy, respect freedom and rights, as well as the foundations of a law-based state. A potential member of the organization must have a competitive market economy and recognize those already adopted in the European Union general rules and standards.

The European Union also has its own motto - “Harmony in Diversity”, as well as an anthem “Ode to Joy”.

European countries that are not members of the European Union

European countries that are not members of the organization include the following:
- Great Britain, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland in Western Europe;
- Belarus, Russia, Moldova and Ukraine in Eastern Europe;
- Northern European Iceland, Norway;
- Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican City, Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro in Southern Europe;
- Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Türkiye, partially located in Europe;
- and also unrecognized states Republic of Kosovo and Transnistria.

Currently, Turkey, Iceland, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro are potential candidates for membership in the European Union.

The Western Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo - are already included in this expansion program. However, the latter state is not yet recognized by the European Union as independent due to the fact that the separation of Kosovo from Serbia is not yet recognized by all members of the organization.

Several so-called “dwarf” states - Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino, although they use the euro, still maintain relations with the European Union only through partial cooperation agreements.

Against the backdrop of the collapse of the largest association in Eurasia - the USSR, 28 European powers organized their own unification - European Union. What it is today is known, perhaps, to all more or less literate people. However, there are a number of subtleties in the relations of the countries within it, as well as in the relations of this association with the Russian Federation.

How was the European Union formed?

The European Union combines both the characteristics of a state and international organization. However, in fact, he is neither one nor the other. It is not legally established as a subject international law, but actually takes part in international relations.

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

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

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

		Entry date
	Republic of Austria
	Bulgaria
	United Kingdom
	Germany
	Ireland
	Republic of Cyprus
	Luxembourg
	Netherlands
	Portugal
	Slovenia
	Slovakia
	Finland
	Croatia

The complexity of the existence of this association is largely due to the inability of states to observe only their own interests in economic and political terms. All participating countries are obliged to act on the agreement, and any of them can impose a ban on a particular proposal.

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

Who left the European Union?

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

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

Political scientists predict imminent exit from the European Union and some other states:

• Sweden . Due to the fact that it is the prototype of Great Britain in Scandinavian world and does not agree with some EU decisions. In addition, a single currency was never established on its territory;
• Denmark . Since in 2015 a referendum was held there on the integration of the legal settlement. However, the people voted against the majority, which indicates an unwillingness to rejoin the organization for precautionary reasons;
• Greece , whose economy is not in better position, in connection with which many participating countries are in favor of its exclusion from membership;
• Netherlands , because many residents, according to the results of a survey, would like to leave the ranks of the union following Great Britain;
• Hungary does not agree with the EU policy towards refugees and is ready to decide in a referendum the issue of subordination to it in this direction;
• France , namely, the majority of its population considers the EU to be the culprit for many of its problems, which allows us to talk about Euroscepticism in the ranks of the French and their desire to leave the union.

Why is Switzerland not part of the European Union?

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

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

The organization of the European Union is such that:

1. Any country can block the adoption of certain decisions;
2. All members pay contributions to the EU, but the situation is that small powers, such as Poland, get much more from coexistence than large developed economies;
3. States such as Greece, which can be considered “under-integrated,” exist only at the expense of the European Union;
4. In addition, there are a number of countries that are not included in the composition, but conduct payments in Euros or vice versa, which are part of the Single European Space, but are not part of the EU.

All this makes the EU a huge structure with many problems and unresolved issues.

Switzerland, geographically located in the center of Europe, is not interested in the union because:

• Has its own stable, developed economy;
• Own stable currency.

The only direction in which they are ready to cooperate is politics. However, this is not enough to join a structure that is so unstable today.

How to obtain EU citizenship?

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

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

1. Official residence in the territory of the state for a certain amount of time. Each state has its own deadlines. Therefore, if in Belgium three years are enough for this, then in France the period is calculated in a decade;
2. Find ethnic roots in your family. That is, if your grandparents or grandparents were citizens of the chosen state, then you can safely submit documents;
3. Marriage with a citizen of an EU state gives the right to obtain her citizenship after some time of residence on its territory. These terms also vary;
4. The birth of children on the territory of an EU state automatically entitles the newborn to be a citizen of the country of birth.

Thus, when studying the issue of obtaining EU citizenship, it is necessary to be guided by the legislation of a particular country.

• First you need to go there, live there for a while;
• Then get a residence visa;
• If the relevant circumstances described above arise, you can apply for an EU passport.

What can you import into Russia from the European Union?

The rules for importing certain products into Russia are regulated by the Customs Code and other bills. As for the European Union, due to latest events and the sanctions imposed on Russia act as retaliatory measures the following restrictions:

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

As for product names, there is no need to worry. Response measures Russian Federation don't touch individuals. That is a traveler can purchase any product from the list of sanctions for personal use or consumption, or as a gift. The main thing is that its quantity does not exceed the norms described above.

In addition, when traveling to a certain country, you should study its customs relations with the Russian Federation, since between us there may be individual rules. All necessary information contained on the Rosselkhoznadzor website.

Thus, political and economic fusion European countries, which was formed in the early nineties is called the European Union. It is obvious that this association is a huge structure that has an influence on the global economic and political situation. However, not all countries located in the single European space are seeking membership in this organization, and some even declare their readiness to leave it.

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

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

The idea of ​​creating a community of European states appeared after the Second World War. Officially, the countries of the European Union united in 1992, when the Union was legally established. Gradually, the list of EU member countries expanded, and now it already includes 28 states. You can see which countries are currently members of the European Union in the list below.

What is the European Union (EU)

The European powers that have joined this community have state sovereignty and independence, each of them has its own language, its own governing bodies, both local and central. Nevertheless, they have a lot in common. There are certain criteria that they must meet; they must coordinate all important political decisions with each other.

States wishing to join this oasis of prosperity must prove their commitment to the main principles of the Union and European values:

• Democracy.
• Protection of human rights.
• Principles of free trade in a market economy.

The EU has its own governing bodies: the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, the European Commission, as well as a special audit community that controls the budget of the European Union.

With the help general laws The countries that are now part of the EU have effectively created a single market. Many of them use a single monetary currency - the euro. In addition, most of the participating countries are also part of the Schengen zone, which allows their citizens to travel virtually unhindered throughout the European Union.

Countries belonging to the European Union (EU)

Today the EU includes the following countries:

1. Austria.
2. Bulgaria.
3. Belgium.
4. United Kingdom.
5. Germany.
6. Hungary.
7. Greece.
8. Italy.
9. Spain.
10. Denmark.
11. Ireland.
12. Lithuania.
13. Latvia.
14. Republic of Cyprus.
15. Malta.
16. Netherlands.
17. Luxembourg.
18. Slovenia.
19. Slovakia.
20. Poland.
21. Finland.
22. France.
23. Portugal.
24. Romania.
25. Croatia.
26. Sweden.
27. Czech Republic.
28. Estonia.

These are the countries included in the EU list for 2020. In addition, there are several more countries aspiring to join the community: Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Turkey and Albania.

Eat special card of the European Union, where you can clearly see its geography:

The economic activities of the EU countries have much in common. The economy of each state is independent, but they all contribute certain shares that make up the total GDP.

In addition, the EU pursues a customs union policy. This means that its members can trade with other members without any quantitative restrictions and without paying duties. In relation to powers that are not members of the community, a single customs tariff applies.

Since the founding of the EU, not a single member state has yet left it. The only exception was Greenland, a Danish autonomy with fairly broad powers, which left the Union in 1985, outraged by the reduction in fishing quotas. Finally, a sensational event was the referendum in Great Britain held in June 2016, in which the majority of the population voted for the country to leave the Union. This indicates that considerable problems are brewing in this influential community.