New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyhas signed an application for Ukraine's accession to the European Union amid Russian attacks. Notably, after the attack on Ukraine, the European Union had expressed its displeasure with Russia. After this the European Union imposed sanctions and following this the Russia's banking system was pulled out of SWIFT. Apart from this, its airspace has also been closed for Russian planes.
After Russia's attack on Ukraine, the European Union has made a big announcement said that it wants to provide arms to Ukraine soon.
Since, the name of European Union can be heard continuously amid the Russia-Ukraine war, so today we will discuss here in detail about what is the European Union?
The European Union (EU) is a group of 27 countries of the world. Although, the number of its members was 28, as Britain left EU in January 2020, the number came to 27. The currency of the European Union is Euro (EURO). Of 27 countries, 19 use EURO as their official currency, while 8 EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Sweden, do not use the euro.
In the European Union, the chairman is appointed for every 6 months.
The European Union is a group of 27 countries that are economically and politically strong and it has been developed through several treaties. It was formed in the year 1957 by the Treaty of Rome by the European Economic Council (EEC). The EEC was formed by 6 countries together. Its purpose was to ease trade in the minerals and coal and steel industries. With this, a single market has been made available to all these countries, in which the facility of doing business has been provided freely.
The main goals of European Union are to promote peace, values and the well-being of all citizens of EU. Apart from these, its goals also include to offer freedom, security and justice without internal borders.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden are counteries in European Union.
-- Germany was partitioned after World II. It was known as 'East Germany' and 'West Germany'. At that time the European Economic Council was established to prevent mutual conflict for Europe's coal and steel industry, its founding countries were France, West Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
-- The European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community were formed in 1957.
-- In 1967, the European Economic Community, the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Council were merged to form the European Community (EC).
-- Its membership was accepted by Denmark, Ireland and Britain in the year 1973, Norway could not become a part of it due to the referendum.
-- In the year 1979, the European Parliament was formed, a provision was made to elect its members by democratic method.
-- In the year 1980, Greece, Spain and Portugal took its membership.
-- In 1985, the Schlagen Treaty was signed between its member countries. According to this, the citizens of the member countries were allowed to go to each other country without a passport.
-- In the year 1986, the Single European Act was created, under which a provision was made for the flag of the European Union.
-- In the year 1990, the Berlin Wall was toppled and East Germany and West Germany were unified.
-- The Treaty of Mastrich came into force on 1 November 1993. Accordingly, the European Communities were officially declared as European Communities. Now by this the same policy was implemented for all its member countries for foreign policy, police and justice system.
-- Austria, Sweden and Finland also became its members in the year 1995.
-- In the year 1997, Amsterdam Treaty was implemented, according to this, extensive changes were made in foreign policy and democratic policies.
-- According to the Treaty of Nice in 2001, the treaties of Rome and Egypt were improved and expanded.
-- In the year 2002, 12 member countries of the European Community accepted the euro as their national currency.
-- In the year 2004, 10 new countries of Europe joined it.
-- In the year 2004, Malta and Cyprus also became a part of it. In the same year 2004, a treaty was made in Rome, according to which a single document was to be prepared for all the countries, but it was not accepted in the public opinion.
-- In the year 2007, Romania and Bulgaria became its members. Euro was accepted as the national currency by Slovenia.
-- The Lisbon Agreement was signed in the year 2007, under which the previous treaties were improved.
-- In the year 2009, the provisions of the treaty were fully implemented.