Is Sweden a member of the European Union? European Union (EU): general characteristics. Criteria for joining the EU

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EU member states have common governing bodies that ensure decision-making at a single level. Let's look at the list of members of the European Union in 2019.

History of the EU As a result of two world wars, chapters European countries

came to a general agreement that in order to ensure development and stability on the European continent it is necessary to join forces.

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

In 1951, an agreement was signed on the unification of the coal and steel industries, the participants of which were Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Having achieved success, these states continued their cooperation in the future. Further, in 1957, the EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community were approved by the Rome Agreement. These associations aim main goal

the formation of a community in the customs sphere and the abolition of all trade bans within the association, peaceful cooperation in the nuclear field. In 1967, the institutions were merged executive power

3 associations, the result of which was the formation of the main structure, where the main bodies were the European Commission, the Council, the Parliament and the Court. The next step in the history of the EU can be considered the formation of the Maastricht Agreement in 1992, the basis of which was the identification of three basic levels of the EU - the European Community and interstate interaction in political sphere

A few years later, an Intergovernmental Meeting was held in Turin in 1996, resulting in the signing of the Amsterdam Agreement in the summer of 1997.

With the advent of the new millennium, the main goals of the EU are to improve areas of interaction and increase the number of new participants; the countries of central and eastern parts Europe.

States that are part of the European Union table

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

As of today, their number is 28. Let us list the countries that are members of the European Union at the beginning of 2019.

During the entire existence of the European Union, not a single state has left its composition. The only exception is Greenland, which left the EU due to a reduction in fishing quotas in 1985.

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

What do you need to join?

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

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

The main conditions of membership are:

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

In the process of carrying out reforms in potential candidate states, the EU exercises its control.

When all the necessary criteria reach the established level, the EU holds a meeting to decide on the possibility of including the country in the European Union.

Features of economic activity

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

The main goal economic policy is to create favorable conditions for the implementation entrepreneurial activity and relationships with EU citizens.

An important component in this case is a single financial system and monetary policy.

Along with this, a single currency unit is not able to function when the level of inflation and interest rates in states differ to a large extent.

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

Important Features economic activity is the regulation of price levels, inflation, financial and credit operations, tourism, implementation of mining, etc.

In the event that one of the EU Member States does not adhere to the course economic development, The EU Council has the right to approve measures in relation to a given country and control the process of their implementation.

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

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

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

Taking into account all the components economic activity volumes can be determined natural resources in a single country.

Possible candidates for membership

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina are also possible contenders. Many states are not included in the circle of likely candidates for membership because they do not meet the stated criteria.

Video: comparing countries

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

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

The main idea when creating the European Union (EU, European Union) in 1951 (then the European Coal and Steel Community) was to organize a single platform for trade and economic cooperation 6 states without the risk of military action from each other. The European Union itself was legally established when the Maastricht Treaty was signed by 12 states in 1992. Countries within the EU are independent, but are subject to common laws regarding education, health care, pensions, justice and other systems.

Definition and objectives of the European Union

The European Union is a unique organization that integrates European states that have signed an accession treaty with the goal of improving the lives of their citizens in all spheres of public life.

Goals of EU activities in different areas:

1. Human rights and freedoms:

• promoting the preservation of peace and welfare of peoples;
• ensuring citizens freedom, security and legality;
• promoting and protecting one’s interests in relations with other countries.

1. Economy:

• creation of a common internal market;
• maintaining healthy competition;
• socially oriented market economy;
• promoting employment;
• social progress;
• improving the quality of the natural environment;
• scientific and technical progress.

1. Social sphere:

• combating discrimination, including gender discrimination;
• social protection of the population;
• ensuring justice;
• protection of children's rights.

If the founding countries of the EU were aimed mainly at creating common market steel and coal, which would solve the problems of employment in these industries and increase production efficiency, then today the aspirations of the European Union have expanded significantly.

The European Union is called upon to ensure maximum cohesion and solidarity of the Commonwealth countries in terms of economic development, territorial organization and social order.

EU member states are obliged to respect the richness and diversity of each other's national cultures, as well as to ensure the protection of objects of pan-European cultural heritage.

List of EU countries for 2019

Since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union has been actively developing: the number of participating countries is increasing, a single European currency is being introduced, and changes are being made to treaties. To find out how many countries there are in the EU in 2019, you need to analyze the number of countries that joined the 12 EU states after 1992:

• 1995 – plus 3 countries (Austria, Finland, Sweden);

• 2004 – plus 10 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta);
• 2007 – plus 2 countries (Bulgaria, Romania);
• 2013 – plus 1 country (Croatia).

Thus, the number of countries in the EU in 2019 is 28.

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Speaking about which countries are part of the EU, in addition to those listed above, we will name the following:

• Germany;
• Belgium;
• Italy;
• Luxembourg;
• Netherlands;
• France;
• Great Britain;
• Denmark;
• Ireland;
• Greece;
• Spain;
• Portugal.

A standardized system of laws has been adopted on the territory of the European Union countries, a common market has been created, and passport control has been abolished within the Schengen zone, which also includes some other European countries that are not members of the EU.

All EU member states are obliged to coordinate their political decisions with other members of the union. The monetary currency of the European Union is the euro. To date, 19 EU countries have introduced the euro into circulation, thereby forming a single eurozone.

Economy of the European Union: features and principles of operation

The economy of the European Union consists of the economic systems of all 28 member countries, the level of which varies significantly. At the same time, weaker states are supported through the effective redistribution of funds and resources between countries. This happens through a common treasury, to which each state contributes its share of funds depending on the volume of gross domestic product (GDP). This policy is one of the main principles of the functioning of the EU (the principle of cohesion or cohesion).

On the one hand, such coordination of the economy promotes social integration in the labor market, prevents and reduces unemployment, eliminates regional imbalances in the European Union, on the other hand, it can lead to aggravation and mutual accusations of donor and recipient countries.

Thus, the most developed EU donor countries, that is, those who invested more funds into the treasury than they received from there, which in 2015 were Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Cyprus, were unhappy that the new members of the Union actually live at their expense. This fact, as well as the increase in cheap labor coming from Eastern European countries, were one of the main reasons for the UK's intention to leave the EU.

The UK's exit from the EU: the situation for 2019

Brexit (from two words: Br - Britain - Britain, exit - exit), which was activated by Great Britain during the referendum on the country's membership in the European Union in 2016, is expected in 2019-2020. There is a two-year transition period, so in 2019 Britain is still an active member of the EU.

Possible consequences of Brexit

Globally, Brexit could have a negative impact on official development assistance (ODA) as Britain's contribution to the EU budget decreases and the EU is the world's fourth largest ODA donor.

Restrictions on freedom of movement and trade following Brexit will damage the UK financial sector. Predicted reasons for this: problems in the tourism industry and the outflow of qualified personnel. Brexit could also result in a significant reduction in the incomes of the working population - according to experts, losses British families will amount to almost one and a half thousand euros annually.

Another possible consequence Brexit is the separation of Scotland from Great Britain. As you know, back in 2014, the Scots raised the issue of secession from Britain, and the votes for and against were then divided almost equally - 44.7% and 55.3%, respectively. And since Scotland, unlike England, intends to remain in the EU, Brexit may speed up the process of gaining independence.

Causes and consequences of the 2017 referendum in Catalonia

The main reason for modern separatism in Catalonia, one of the richest and most developed regions of Spain, lies in the dissatisfaction of the local government and the population with the distribution of state budget funds. The catch is that Catalonia pays significantly more into the country's general treasury than it gets back.

On October 1, 2017, the Catalan authorities organized and held a referendum on Catalonia’s secession from Spain. However, the country's authorities declared this procedure illegal. Despite the actions of the Spanish police aimed at blocking the vote, the poll still took place. 43% of voters managed to vote, of which 90.2 were in favor of secession, and 7.8% were against.

The Spanish authorities never officially recognized the results of the referendum. Instead, the then-current Parliament of Catalonia was dissolved, the Generalitat led by leader Carles Puigdemont was removed, and early parliamentary elections were scheduled for December.

To date, it has not been precisely determined which party will form the government. However, according to experts, Madrid is committed to an uncompromising resolution of the conflict in favor of preserving the integrity of Spain.

Copenhagen EU accession criteria

Accession to the European Union is not available to all countries. Only states that clearly meet the Copenhagen criteria adopted in 1993 at the EU meeting in Copenhagen can count on membership in the EU. So, within the applicant country they must:

1. Comply with the principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
2. Have a market economy capable of competing in the European market.
3. Recognize the rules and standards of the European Union.

Negotiations are held with a candidate country for accession to the EU, then checks for compliance with the above criteria. Based on a thorough analysis of the data, a decision is made on the possibility (or impossibility) of membership in the Union.

Countries applying to join the European Union

Among those wishing to join the EU are not only developed countries, but also countries with developing economies. In 2019, the following official candidate countries for accession to the EU were identified:

1. Türkiye – application since 1987.
2. Macedonia - 2004.
3. Montenegro - 2008.
4. Albania - 2009.
5. Serbia - 2009.

Accession negotiations are already underway with three of these countries – Turkey, Montenegro and Serbia. All candidates except Turkey have signed an association agreement, which usually precedes EU membership.

And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

The European Union is not all of Europe. To answer in detail the question of which countries are part of this association and which are not, consider the EU as a union of united European countries to simplify trade, political, financial and other relations.

The world is moving towards globalization, and such associations are no better proof of this. What more does this process have - pros or cons, so far no one can answer unequivocally, because the almost complete destruction of the cultural diversity of countries stands against the establishment of connections and simplification of trade between members of associations. However, let's try to evaluate European Union impartially, from all points of view.

Currency within the European Union

To achieve full economic harmonization within the EU, a single currency was created, the euro. On this moment It ranks first in the world in terms of the number of banknotes printed and coins minted.

The euro as a currency has existed in non-cash form longer than as banknotes and coins. Non-cash payments in euros have become available to citizens of EU countries from January 1, 1999, and cash - exactly 3 years later. The euro replaced the previously used standard EU unit of account. Some EU countries use the euro for foreign trade, maintaining their own banknotes within the territory.

EU countries

The European Union is involved in many issues, including those related to the control of the common market, customs union, agricultural policy and other things.

At the moment The EU includes 28 European countries, they are divided not only by territorial location, but also by the date of their becoming members of the EU.

Gradation of countries by year of accession to the EU

• 1957 - Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and France;
• 1973 - Ireland, Denmark and the UK (the latter currently preparing for their EU exit);
• 1981 - Greece;
• 1986 - Spain and Portugal;
• 1995 - Austria, Sweden and Finland;
• 2004 - Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonia;
• Bulgaria and Romania;
• 2013 - Croatia.

Applicants for membership in the Union those applying for membership in the European Union are Türkiye, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Iceland. According to analysts, Türkiye will be the first to join the EU. It is expected that the signing necessary documents, agreements and other official procedures will be completed by 2025.

Most of the states listed below that are not members of the association have at some time expressed a desire to join it.

Which countries are not in the EU?

Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland, located in the territory Western Europe , contrary to popular belief, are not EU members, and were never included in its composition.

States, all or part of which lies V Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) are also not members of the European Union.

It is not part of the EU, remaining a completely autonomous state with its own currency and system of government.

Southern European countries that have not joined the EU are mostly dwarf countries - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andorra, Vatican City (which lies entirely within Rome) and San Marino. Larger independent countries in this region include Albania and Macedonia, which due to internal territorial disputes cannot become full rights members of the European Union.

There are countries that lie in Europe only partly- Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. It is interesting that this arrangement of countries is not an obstacle to joining the EU, but no actions have yet been taken to integrate the countries, on either side.

Kosovo at the moment, although it is a separate state, cannot apply for membership in the European Union due to the fact that not all countries of the commonwealth recognize its independence from Serbia. The situation is the same with Transnistria - the fact of its secession from Moldova is still a controversial issue.

The above-mentioned “dwarf” states of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican still maintain contractual relations with EU countries and partially cooperate with them. In addition, in countries The main currency is the euro.

Discussion of the European Union is almost main theme for discussion in the highest circles of society. Below we consider a selection of publicly available and little-known, and sometimes unexpected facts about the European Union:

1 The number of citizens of countries under the EU union is still in 2010 exceeded half a billion. Germany is recognized as the record holder for the number of inhabitants, followed by France, and the top three is completed by France. The last one, however, is already expected in 2018 will leave the EU;

2 According to statistical surveys, only 44% of residents Latvia trusts the rule of the EU. The rest of the respondents, with the exception of 1% who abstained, believe that the countries did not receive any benefits from joining the Union;

3 According to the most conservative estimates, by 2050 the EU population will be consist of 20% followers of Islam. This is facilitated by the incredibly rapid growth of immigration;

4 Some countries have chosen very exotic methods to get rid of old banknotes - for example, in addition to switching to the euro, state level, the Germans used old banknotes as fuel for cement factories. The Irish simply buried the pressed packs in landfills for rotting waste. Meanwhile, the euro has broken all records in terms of the number of banknotes printed - if all the banknotes are laid out in a row, the length of the line will exceed 15 (!) times the distance from the Earth to the Moon;

The countries of the European Union did not immediately count the number in which they are represented today. The union expanded gradually thanks to common goals and worldviews.

European Union countries - sounds proud

Europe, as a geographical location, has concentrated quite a lot of countries, or rather, all the countries of the European Union, which differ from other states in their individual high development in absolutely all directions. At the moment, the countries of the European Union 2016 are 28 independent states with their own diverse focus. Back in 1992, the EU countries determined for themselves main goals, which should positively affect not only the growth rate of each EU country in 2016, but also other countries in the world.

Full list of EU countries 2016:

Based on which countries are members of the European Union, you can roughly formulate the main positions of this union. But you should not confuse the countries of the European Union and the Schengen zone, although most states can be found in both. For example, having a Schengen visa, it is impossible to cross the border of such EU countries as: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Great Britain, Romania and Ireland. A Schengen countries Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, in turn, are not members of the European Union in 2016.

Why there was a goal to unite the countries of the European Union 2016

The idea of ​​creating a list of EU countries in 2014 arose immediately after the end of World War II. The countries of the European Union were supposed to be exclusively capitalist in nature. Countries belonging to the European Union began to unite looking at the created NATO, Soviet Union and the Council of Europe.

At first, EU countries pursued clean economic purpose and proclaimed themselves a coal and metallurgical association in 1951 in Luxembourg. But already 1957 presented the countries of the European Union as states nuclear powered. It was 1957 that became the root cause for the creation of the modern European Union.

Since 1951, today's countries of the European Union 2014 have been “growing up” gradually. With the entry of each state, the union became stronger and stronger. As a result, the countries of the European Union began to play a significant role in foreign relations in 2013; they began to adopt common laws and regulations. The countries of the European Union, the list of which is presented above, have become powerful political and economic association with its own unique strategy and views on current events in the world.

1973 is the time when Great Britain decided to join the European Union, followed by Denmark and Ireland.

1981 was the year Greece rejoined the union.

1986 became a landmark year for countries such as Portugal and Spain.

1995 was the year of the unification of the former European Union with Sweden, Austria and Finland.

2004 - the accession of Malta and Cyprus, as well as those countries that were in the past socialist camps and former Soviet republics: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia.

Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, followed by Croatia in 2013.

Now knowing for sure what countries are in the European Union today, we can say that the population here is 500 million people. Of the existing 28 states, 17 of them have entered the Eurozone, where the euro is considered the formal sole currency.

EU COUNTRIES. LIST OF EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES 2016.

Finland – economically developed country V Northern Europe, bordering Russia, Sweden and Norway. Finland has a high standard of living, so many foreigners flock here. Potential tourists and migrants are often looking for an answer to the question of whether Finland is part of the European Union.

Let's consider what unions and associations this northern European state belongs to. First, let's find out what the European Union is and what countries are included in it. European Union is an organization consisting of independent states that have developed common political and economic rules for themselves, have a common monetary unit– euro. Also, many European countries are part of the Schengen zone. How are these associations different?

Finland's membership in the European Union and Schengen

The European Union was legally established in 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, giving rise to a large common market that is very convenient for its members. Finland joined the European Union back in 1995. Now citizens of this state can move freely throughout Europe. Until 2002, the national currency of Finland was the Finnish mark. Now the country's single currency is the euro. After World War II, the economy and industry of this state developed greatly, especially the timber industry, steel production and tourism.

Finland is also a member of the Schengen area. The Schengen Union was concluded in the spring of 1995 with the aim of unifying the borders between European states. The Schengen Agreement has significantly simplified movement between participating countries. On the borders between these states there is no passport control. Citizens of countries outside the Schengen area only need to open one general Schengen visa to visit several countries.

The internal market, free of visas and duties, has made trading in the euro area easier for Finnish companies. The Prime Minister of Finland is a permanent member of the European Council of the EU. Finland in the European Union has big influence, it is represented in the European Parliament by 13 deputies. Finns can travel and work freely in all countries of the European Union and the Schengen area.

EU member states, potential members for accession

Today the European Union includes 28 member countries, home to more than 500 million inhabitants. Of these, 19 states entered the Eurozone with a single currency - the euro. The first countries joined this association back in 1973. The last addition was in 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. Below is a list of participating countries as of 2018:

• Germany;
• Finland;
• Poland;
• Portugal;
• Spain;
• Slovenia;
• Slovakia;
• Croatia;
• Denmark;
• Bulgaria;
• Romania;
• Sweden;
• Norway;
• Greece;
• Malta;
• Croatia;
• Cyprus;
• Italy;
• Austria;
• France;
• Holland;
• Ireland;
• Estonia;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Luxembourg;
• Belgium.

Today, 26 countries are members of the Schengen area. There are a number of candidate countries for membership in the European Union - Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. The Schengen Union and the European Union should not be confused. These are different associations, they have different functions, they have different composition. 4 countries that are part of the Schengen area are not members of the European Union.

Interesting! There is also a candidate to leave the EU! This is Great Britain, which, after the famous referendum, is going to leave this association. A process called “Brexit” has now been launched, as a result of which Great Britain may soon leave the European Union.

As we see, this state consists simultaneously of several public associations. Finland is an important and significant member of the EU. Finns are proud that they can influence European affairs. Unlike neighboring Scandinavian countries, Finland is not a member of NATO. In all military relations it remains neutral. Finland, although a small country, is capable of influencing internationally.