The European Union

Facts and Figures

Prepared by Aurika Peleckaite

European Union

 Basic information on the EU

 Member countries
 EU institutions and financial bodies
 The European Union:
500 million people – 27 countries

Member states of the European Union

Candidate countries
The EU symbols

The European anthem

The European flag

Europe Day, 9 May

The motto: United in diversity
Europe Day
 When do we celebrate ‘Europe Day’?

- The idea of the European home was

suggested on 9 May 1950.

- In 1985 it was decided to celebrate 9 May as

‘Europe Day’.
The European Flag
 The blue flag with 12 stars

- It became the flag of the EU on 26 May

1986.

 The 12 stars symbolise perfection and

plenitude.
The European Anthem
 The Ode to Joy by Ludwig wan
Beethoven

- Recognised as the anthem of the

European Union in 1985.
EU population in the world
Population in millions, 2009

1339

500

307

128 142

EU China Japan Russia United States

Member States
 6 founding members:
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands.

The Treaty of Paris (1951) – the European Coal and

Steel Community

The Treaty of Rome (1957) – the European Economic

Community
Enlargements
 1973Denmark, Ireland, the UK

 1981Greece

 1986Portugal, Spain

 1995Austria, Finland, Sweden

Enlargements
 2004The Czech Republic, Cyprus,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland,
Slovakia, Slovenia

 2007Bulgaria, Romania
Candidate Countries

 Croatia
 Turkey
 FYR Macedonia
 Iceland
EU-27 + 2

 The EU is often referred to as:

EU-27 + 2
(Switzerland and Norway)
???

 The language of the EU?

 The currency of the EU?

 The “capital city” of the EU?

The EU institutions
The EU institutions

European Council (summit)

Council of Ministers
European Parliament (Council of the EU) European Commission

Court of Court of Economic and Social

Justice Auditors Committee Committee of the Regions

European Investment Bank Agencies European Central Bank

EU Institutions
 The European Council
 The European Parliament
 The Council of the European Union
 The European Commission
 The Court of Justice
 The European Court of Auditors
 The European Central Bank (ECB)
 The European Investment Bank (EIB)
 The European Investment Fund
EU Institutions

 The European Council

It sets the general political direction and

priorities of the EU.
EU Institutions

 The European Parliament

It represents the EU’s citizens and is

directly elected by them every five
years.
EU Institutions

 The Council of the European

Union

It represents the individual member

states.
EU Institutions

 The European Commission

It seeks to uphold the interests of the

Union as a whole.
EU Institutions

 The Court of Justice

It upholds the rule of European law.

EU Institutions

 The Court of Auditors

It reviews the financing of the Union’s

activities.
EU Institutions

 The European Central Bank

It is responsible for European monetary

policy.
EU Institutions

 The European Investment

Bank

It finances EU investment projects and

helps small businesses
through
EU Institutions

 The European Investment Fund

Key Points
EU is:

 An economic and political union of 27

member states which are located
primarily in Europe.
Key Points

At present:

 There are 4 candidate countries.

Key Points

 Lithuania joined the EU

in the year 2004

Key Points

 The population of the EU is

around 500 million.

Key Points
The EU traces its origins from the:

 European Coal and Steel Community

formed among six countries in 1951
and
 The Treaty of Rome signed in 1957 by
the same states.
Key Points
The EU is governed by 7 institutions in the
following order:
 The European Parliament

 The European Council

 The Council of the European Union

 The European Commission

 The Court of Justice

 The European Central Bank

 The Court of Auditors

Thank you for your attention