The European Union is an economic and political union of twenty-eight European states. The European Union was secured in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty.
It is necessary
Scientific literature on political science, map of Europe
Instructions
Step 1
The Maastricht Treaty, enshrined in 1992, identified the European community as the key pillar of the European Union. In addition, it described the general foreign and security policy, as well as cooperation in the field of internal affairs.
Step 2
The history of the creation of the EU began in 1951, when the European Coal and Steel Community was created. It then included 6 countries: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Belgium. Within this union of countries, quantitative and tariff restrictions on trade in coal and steel were removed.
Step 3
In 1957, an agreement was signed in Rome to create a European Economic Community based on the atomic energy community. In 1967, the above-mentioned communities merged into a single European Community.
Step 4
In 1985, the Schengen Agreement was concluded, which allowed the free movement of goods and capital, as well as the free travel of the citizens themselves. In addition, this agreement provided for the abolition of any customs barriers in the EU. At the same time, the controls on the external borders of the European Community were tightened. This agreement entered into force only in 1995.
Step 5
In the Dutch city of Maastricht on February 7, 1992, an agreement was signed for the creation of the European Union. It entered into force on November 1, 1993. The Treaty marked the end of a long-term business of regulating the monetary and political system of European countries. In order to achieve the highest form of integration between European states, a single currency was created - the euro. On January 1, 1999, the euro was introduced for non-cash payments, and cash banknotes appeared on January 1, 2002. This currency replaced the ECU, which was used in the European Community.
Step 6
In 1992, 12 countries joined the European Union, namely France and Portugal, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Italy and Spain, Ireland and Denmark, Greece and Germany, Great Britain and Belgium. In 1994, Austria, Norway, Finland and Sweden also joined the European Union. Currently, the European Union includes 27 European countries. In 2007, Hungary and Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania, Malta and Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania also joined it.
Step 7
In 1992, the EU countries pledged to pursue a joint course in foreign and security policy, jointly determine domestic economic policy and environmental issues.
