The European Union comprises 27 Member States, united in an effort to safeguard peace and promote economic and social progress, and incorporates three Communities, which have common institutions. The Coal and Steel Community was the first to be set up (by the Treaty of Paris, 1951), followed by an Economic Community and an Atomic Energy Community (Treaties of Rome, 1957). Under the Single European Act (1986), the Communities finally dismantled all internal borders to establish a single market. The Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht in 1992, created a European Union combining a Community moving towards economic and monetary union with intergovernmental cooperation in certain areas. During the 1990s it became increasingly easy for people to move around in Europe, as passport and customs checks were abolished at most of the EU's internal borders. One consequence is greater mobility for EU citizens. A common currency, the euro, was adopted by 12 Member States on 1 January, 2002. Slovenia became the 13th member of the eurozone on 1 January, 2007, Cyprus and Malta the 14th and 15th on 1 January, 2008, and Slovakia adopted the euro on 1 January 2009.
The Union is managed by these institutions: a democratically elected Parliament, a Council representing the Member States and composed of government ministers, a European Council of Heads of State or Government, a Commission which acts as guardian of the Treaties and has the power to initiate and implement legislation, a Court of justice which ensures that Community law is observed and a Court of Auditors which monitors the financial management of the Union. In addition, there are a number of advisory bodies, which represent economic, social and regional interests. The European Investment Bank was set up to facilitate the financing of projects, which contribute to the balanced development of the Union.
- The European Commission
- The European Parliament
- The European Council
- The Council of the European Union
- The Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance
- The European Court of Auditors
- The Economic and Social Committee and the ECSC Consultative Committee
- The Committee of the Regions
- The European Investment Bank
- The European Central Bank
- Agencies of the European Community