European Union

The European Union is a hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization, which consist of 27 European states.

History

The devastating wars of the first half of the 20th century convinced some European politicians that some form of cooperation was needed, so that future wars could be avoided. One of the main proponents was Robert Schuman, foreign minister of France. Schuman proposed an European federation, and the first step would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The first step was the European Coal and Steel Community, formed in 1951.

Member states

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom