The European Union is an association of states primarily located in Europe, created in February 1992 by signing the Maastricht Treaty, which came into force on November 1, 1993. Read about how many countries there are in the European Union in 2024 in the ICTV Facts material.
What is the European Union
The European Union is an international entity that combines the characteristics of an international organization and a state, but from a legal point of view, it is neither one nor the other.
This association of countries pursues a policy aimed at integrating the European region. The EU has a standardized system of laws and a common market, a common foreign and security policy. 20 EU countries have introduced a single currency – the euro.
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The EU is home to about 450 million residents who can move freely within the Schengen area without passport control, as well as live and work freely in any EU country.
The European Union is a subject of public international law and has the following institutions of power:
- European Parliament;
- European Commission;
- European Council;
- ECJ;
- European Court of Auditors;
- European Central Bank.
Enlargement of the European Union
The Maastricht Treaty establishing the European Union was signed by 12 states on February 7, 1992. However, the initiators of the creation of a European international education were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands back in 1957, establishing the European Economic Community.
Over the 32 years of its existence, the EU member states have expanded four times:
- 1995 – entry of Austria, Finland, Sweden;
- 2004 – the largest expansion, the entry of Malta, Cyprus and 8 countries of Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania);
- 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania were admitted to the EU;
- 2013 – currently the last expansion, Croatia joined the EU.
During the entire existence of the EU, only Great Britain left its membership. The so-called Brexit occurred on December 31, 2020.
How many countries are in the European Union – 2024
On the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union includes 27 states. This is:
- Belgium – March 25, 1957;
- Germany – March 25, 1957;
- France – March 25, 1957;
- Italy – March 25, 1957;
- Luxembourg – March 25, 1957;
- Netherlands – March 25, 1957;
- Ireland – January 1, 1973;
- Denmark – January 1, 1973;
- Greece – January 1, 1981;
- Spain – January 1, 1986;
- Portugal – January 1, 1986;
- Finland – January 1, 1995;
- Sweden – January 1, 1995;
- Austria – January 1, 1995;
- Estonia – May 1, 2004;
- Latvia – May 1, 2004;
- Lithuania – May 1, 2004;
- Poland – May 1, 2004;
- Czech Republic – May 1, 2004;
- Slovakia – May 1, 2004;
- Hungary – May 1, 2004;
- Slovenia – May 1, 2004;
- Cyprus – May 1, 2004;
- Malta – May 1, 2004;
- Bulgaria – January 1, 2007;
- Romania – January 1, 2007;
- Croatia – July 1, 2013.
The EU also includes the French overseas territories and the Spanish semi-enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, located outside Europe.
