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20th Anniversary of the European Union

Monday, 2 January 2012 - 02:28 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Knut Wingsch
Category/Kategorie: General, Editorial, EU blog post series, European Union Reading Time:  5 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post Not only this year, but especially this year, it’s time to celebrate the 20th Anniverary of the European Union. The more the better ;-)

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In the intervening years the EU has grown in size by the accession of new member states, and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993. The last amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.

The Flag of Europe is the flag and emblem of the European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE). It consists of a circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background. The number of stars is traditionally the symbol of perfection, completeness and unity. It was created in 1955 by the CoE and adopted by the EU, then the European Communities, in the 1980s. The CoE and EU are distinct in membership and nature. The CoE is a 47-member international organisation dealing with human rights and rule of law, while the EU is a quasi-federal union of 27 states focused on economic integration and political cooperation. Today, the flag is mostly associated with the latter. It was the intention of the CoE that the flag should come to represent Europe as a whole, and since its adoption the membership of the CoE covers nearly the entire continent. This is why the EU adopted the same flag. The flag has been used to represent Europe in sporting events and as a pro-democracy banner outside the Union.

The EU operates through a hybrid system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmentally made decisions negotiated by the member states. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area (which includes EU and non-EU states) passport controls have been abolished. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, enacts legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. A monetary union, the eurozone, was established in 1999 and is currently composed of 17 member states. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy the EU has developed a limited role in external relations and defence. Permanent diplomatic missions have been established around the world and the EU is represented at the United Nations, the WTO, the G8 and the G-20.

Read more on European Union and Wikipedia European Union.

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Overview EU series:

• The European Union
• The European Union: Café Europe
• The European Garden Heritage Network
• European Route of Industrial Heritage
• European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture
• European Historic Thermal Towns Association
• House of European History
• Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations
• Museum of European Cultures
• The Way of St. James
• European Day of Jewish Culture
• Routes of El legado andalusi/Al-Andalus
• 20th Anniversary of the European Union
• The Europa Building, a new home for the European Council
• The European Union: Presidency of the Council of the European Union
• The European Union: Blessing or curse? Past or future?
• The European Union: Common Trade and Economic Policy
• The European Union: Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy
• The European Union: Regional Policy
• The European Union: Eastern Partnership
• The European Union: Institutions
• The European Union: Bon appétit!
• The European Union: The Budget
• The European Union: Quo vadis
• The European Union: Bon voyage!
• The European Union: Real Estate and Demography
• The European Union: 2019 European Parliament election
• The European Union: The Brexit
• The European Union: Migration debate, xenophobia, racism and right-wing extremism
• The European Union: Climate Policy
• The European Union: Coronavirus Pandemic
• Transatlantic relations

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