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"EU" redirects here. For other uses, see EU (disambiguation).
European Union
Presidency insignia of the European Union
Motto: [In varietate concordia] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)  (Latin)
"United in diversity"
Anthem: Ode to Joy  (orchestral)
Political centresBrussels
Strasbourg
Luxembourg
Official languages
Demonym(s)European
Member states
GovernmentSui generis supranationalism
José Manuel Barroso (EPP)
Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP)
• Council
Portugal
José Sócrates
Formation
25 March 1957
7 February 1992
Area
• Total
4,324,782 km2 (1,669,808 sq mi) (7th1)
• Water (%)
3,08
Population
• 2007 estimate
494,070,000 (3rd1)
• Density
114/km2 (295.3/sq mi) (69th1)
GDP (PPP)2007 (IMF) estimate
• Total
$14,518 billion (1st1)
• Per capita
$$28,213 (14th1)
GDP (nominal)2007 (IMF) estimate
• Total
$15,849 billion (1st1)
• Per capita
$29,476 (13th1)
Currency
Time zoneUTC0 to +2
• Summer (DST)
UTC+1 to +3
Internet TLD.eu
  1. If considered as a single entity.[1]

The European Union (EU) is a unique political and economic community with supranational and intergovernmental dimensions. It is composed of twenty-seven member states primarily located in Europe. In 1957, six European countries formed the European Economic Community (EEC) by the Treaty of Rome. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty established the base of the current legal framework.

The EU created a single market which seeks to guarantee the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital between member states.[2] It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy.[3] In 1999 the EU introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by thirteen member states. It has also developed a role in foreign policy, and in justice and home affairs. Passport control and customs checks between many member states were abolished under the Schengen Agreement.[4]

With over 492 million citizens the EU generates an estimated nominal GDP of €11.6 ($15.7) trillion in 2007.[1] It represents its members in the WTO and observes the G8 summits. Twenty EU countries are members of NATO. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

History

Main article: History of the European Union

After the end of the Second World War the political climate favoured the unification of Europe. It was seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent.[5] One such attempt to unite Europeans was the European Coal and Steel Community which, while having the modest aim of centralised control of the previously national coal and steel industries of the its member states, was declared to be "a first step in the federation of Europe".[6] The founding members of the Community were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and West Germany.[7]

File:Rometreaty.jpg
The signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957

Two additional communities were created 1957: the European Economic Community (EEC) establishing a Customs Union, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for cooperation in nuclear energy.[7] In 1967 the Merger Treaty created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities, although more commonly just as the European Community (EC).[8]

In 1973 the European Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.[9] In 1979 the first direct, democratic, elections of members of the European Parliament were held.[10]

Enlargement, 1957 to 2007.
  European Communities
  European Union

Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s.[11] In 1985 the Schengen Agreement was developed between European states to allow for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries.[12] In 1986 the European flag was adopted and leaders signed the Single European Act which was to reduce trade barriers and introduce European Political Cooperation. In 1990 after the fall of the iron curtain, the former East Germany bacame part of the Community as part of a newly reunited Germany.[13] With enlargement toward eastern Europe on the agenda, the Copenhagen Criteria for candidate members to join the European Union were agreed.

The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993. In 1995 Austria, Sweden and Finland joined the newly established EU. The Amsterdam Treaty, which was signed in 1997, amended the Maastricht treaty in areas such as democracy and foreign policy. Amsterdam was followed by the Treaty of Nice in 2001, which revised the Rome and Maastricht treaties to allow the EU to cope with further enlargement to the east. In 2002 euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. In 2004 ten new countries (eight of which had formerly been communist countries) joined the EU.[14]

Later in 2004, the European Constitution was signed in Rome. It was to replace all previous treaties with a single document, however it never completed ratification after rejection by French and Dutch voters in referenda. In 2007, it was agreed to replace that proposal with a new Reform Treaty, that would amend rather than replace the existing treaties. At the start of 2007 Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU and the euro was adopted by Slovenia.[14]

Geography

Main article: Geography of the European Union
The 66,000 km of coastline influences the climate of 22 member states (Vourvourou, Greece)

The territory of the EU consists of the combined territories of its 27 member states with some exceptions outlined below. The territory of the EU is not the same as that of Europe, as significant parts of the continent, such as Switzerland, Norway and European Russia, are outside the EU, and some overseas territories are part of the EU while not being geographically part of Europe. The EU's member states cover a combined area of 4,422,773 square kilometres (1,707,642 sq mi).[15] The total territory of the EU is the seventh largest territory in the world by area. The landscape, climate and economy of the EU are heavily influenced by its long coastline, which is 65,993 kilometres (41,006 mi) long. The EU has the second longest coastline, after Canada. The combined member states of the EU's share land borders with 21 non-member states for a total of 12,441 kilometres (7,730 mi), the fifth longest border in the world.[16][17][18]

Some parts of member countries are not part of the EU. This is the sometimes the case even when these territories are part of the European continent. Examples include the Channel Islands and Faroe Islands. Several territories associated with member states that are outside geographic Europe are also not part of the EU (such as Greenland, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles and all the non-European territories associated with the United Kingdom). On the other hand, some overseas territories are formally part of the EU even if they are not geographically part of Europe, such as the Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique and Réunion.[19][20][21]

When the overseas territories of member states are included, the EU includes most types of climate from Arctic to tropical, rendering meteorological averages for the EU as a whole meaningless. In practice, the majority of the population lives either in areas with a Mediterranean climate (Southern Europe), a temperate maritime climate (Western Europe), or a warm summer continental or hemiboreal climate (Eastern Europe).[22]

Member states

Main articles: European Union member state and Enlargement of the European Union
The member states of the European Union (European Communities pre-1993), animated in order of accession. Only territories in and around Europe are shown.

The European Union currently has 27 member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.[23] There are currently three official candidate countries, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. In addition the western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia are officially recognised as potential candidates.[24]

To join the EU, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 Copenhagen European Council. These require a stable democracy which respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country's fulfilment of the criteria rests with the European Council.[25]

A number of Western European countries who have chosen not to join the EU have nevertheless been partly integrated into the EU's economy. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are a part of the EU's market through the European Economic Area while Switzerland has similar ties through bilateral treaties. The microstates' relationships[26] include use of the euro and other co-operation.[27][28][29]

Environment

Main article: European Commissioner for the Environment

The first environmental policy of the European Community was launched in 1972. Since then it has addressed issues such as acid rain, the thinning of the ozone layer, air quality, noise pollution, waste and water pollution. The Water framework directive is an example of a water policy, aiming for rivers, lakes, ground and coastal waters to be of "good quality" by 2015. Wildlife is protected through the Natura 2000 programme and covers 30,000 sites throughout Europe.[30] In 2007, the Polish government sought to build a motorway through the Rospuda valley, but the Commission has been blocking construction as the valley is a wildlife area covered by the programme.[31]

The Commission is trying to protect the Rospuda valley in Poland from motorway construction.

The REACH directive is an important EU legislation passed in 2006. REACH is designed to ensure that 30,000 chemicals in daily use are tested for their safety.[32] In 2006, toxic waste spill off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire, from a European ship, prompted the Commission to look into legislation regarding toxic waste. With members such as Spain now having criminal laws against shipping toxic waste, the Commission proposed to create criminal sentences for "ecological crimes". Although the Commission's right to propose criminal law was contested, it was confirmed in this case by the Court of Justice.[33]

The EU was involved in the development of the Kyoto protocol and signed it alongside its member states. One way it has sought to counter climate change was by creating the Emissions Trading Scheme, the world's biggest multinational environmental trading scheme. The EU is also involved in trying to secure a post-Kyoto deal.[30] In 2007, the EU agreed to an energy policy committing members to cut their carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20% from 1990 levels in 2020. If an international treaty can be achieved, the EU is willing to cut emissions further. The use of renewable energy in the EU should be increased to 20%.[34] It is also planned that by 2020, 10% of all automobiles should run on biofuels.[35]

Governance

Main article: Institutions of the European Union
File:Institutions europeennes IMG 4307.jpg
The Parliament in Strasbourg is a legislative chamber of the EU

The government of the EU consists of a number of institutions, primarily the Commission, Council and Parliament.

The European Commission is the EU's executive branch and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the EU. It is currently composed of 27 commissioners, one from each member state. The President of the Commission and all the other commissioners are nominated by the Council. The President and then the Commission in its entirety, need to be confirmed by Parliament.[36]

The Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers) forms one half of the EU's legislative branch. It is composed of the national ministers responsible for the policy area being addressed.[37] In addition to its legislative functions, the Council also exercises executive functions in relations to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Council of the European Union should not be confused with the European Council, which is not an official institution (although the European Council is an important body and shares its presidency with that of the Council of the European Union). The European Council is composed of the heads of government and the President of the European Commission. The European Council meets four times a year.[38]

Brussels home to the Council and Commission.

The other half of the EU's legislative branch is the European Parliament. The 785 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years. Although members of parliament are elected in on a national basis, they sit according to political groups rather than their nationality. Parliament has near-equal legislative powers with the Council in Community matters and has the power to reject or censure the Commission. The speaker of the Parliament, its president, and is elected by MEPs every two and a half years.[39]

The Parliament has its official seat in Strasbourg, with other institutions being located elsewhere. Brussels plays host to the Commission, Council, European Council and some meetings of the Parliament. Hence Brussels is often considered the de facto capital of the EU. However the Courts, and some meetings and departments of the other institutions, are in Luxembourg and other bodies are located in different cities.[40][41]

Politics

Main article: Politics of the European Union
The Commission President José Manuel Barroso

The EU is often described as being divided into three "pillars". Under this conception the European Community, upon which the EU was founded, forms the first pillar of the EU. The second pillar consists of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The third pillar originally consisted of Justice and Home Affairs, however owing to changes introduced by the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, it currently only consists of Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. Broadly speaking, the second and third pillars can be described as the intergovernmental pillars because the supranational institutions of the Commission, Parliament and the Court of Justice play less of a role or none at all, while the lead is taken by the intergovernmental Council (of ministers) and the European Council. Most activities of the EU come under the first, Community pillar. This is mostly economically orientated and the same supranational institutions which are, more or less, excluded from the second and third pillars, have more influence.[42]

The political leadership in the EU is derived from the European Council, consisting of the leaders of each country. The council is currently headed by a rotating presidency, in person the leader of the president country.[37] Another important leader is the president of the commission; in which country appoints one of the 27 commissioners. Citizens are represented directly through the Parliament, through elections every five years. In the Parliament each country has a set number of seats, that is taken up by representatives of the parties that entered in the election in that country. Some parties (most actively the Greens) are forming European parties.[39]

The President-in-Office of the European Council, José Sócrates (Prime Minister of Portugal), helps guide the direction of the EU

Major internal political issues of the EU are the processes of European integration and enlargement. The two processes of integration and enlargement are seen by many as parallel processes, both are important for the EU.[43] Enlargement, the accession of new states to the EU, is a highly politicised issue. Supporters argue it aids democracy in new members, as well as supporting the European economy as a whole. Opponents fear the EU is expanding beyond its current political capabilities, and/or cultural boundaries. Public opinion, and hence political party viewpoint, has been in increased opposition since the simultaneous accession of 10 members in 2004. This is most acute in relation to the candidacy of Turkey.[44][45][46] Integration is another political issue, where national interest in the public view often collides with EU interest. This is caused by the increasing harmonisation between states requiring powers to be transferred to European level. This is criticised by eurosceptics who fear the loss of national sovereignty.[47] In 2004 the European Constitution was signed by government leaders. However it did not come into force after it was rejected in referenda in two states. A new proposal is the similar Reform Treaty. The treaty would introduce more majority voting in the Council and give more powers to the Parliament. More control over Foreign policy would also be transfered to the EU with the abolition of the pillar system.[48][49]

Legal system

Further information: Law of the European Union, European Court of Justice, and Treaties of the European Union
File:EUCoJ.jpg
The Court of Justice in Luxembourg is the highest authority in the EU.

The basis of the EU is the series of treaties. The first treaties established both the European Community and the European Union and subsequent treaties amended those founding treaties.[50] The treaties established institutions and assigned them legal powers to carry out their function.[51] These legal powers include the ability to enact legislation[52] which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants.[53] National courts are required to enforce the EU treaties and the laws enacted under them, even if doing so requires them to ignore their national law and constitution.[54]

EU legislation (other than the treaties themselves) comes in two forms: directives and regulations. Directives require member states to achieve the results outlined in the directive, while leaving them free to choose how to achieve that result. One of the main advantages of directive is thus that high level policy choices can be made at a European level while the details of their implementation are left to national governments.[55] Regulations are legislative acts which become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures to have been taken.[56] The contents of a regulation can be said to be the law of every member state overriding conflicting domestic provisions.[52]

One of the complicating features of the EU's legal system is the multiplicity of legislative procedures used to enact directives and regulations. The treaties micro-manage the EU's powers, indicating different ways of adopting legislation for different policy areas and for different areas within the same policy areas.[57] A common issue in all legislative procedures, however, is that almost all legislation must be proposed by the Commission, rather than member states or European parliamentarians.[58] The two most common procedures to ratify the rules are co-decision, under which the European Parliament can veto proposed legislation, and consultation, under which the Parliament is only permitted to give an opinion which can be subsequently ignored by the European leaders.

The judicial branch of the EU consists of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. Together they interpret and apply the treaties and the law of the EU.[59] The Court of First Instance mainly deals with cases taken by individuals and companies directly before the EU's courts. While the Court of Justice deals with cases taken by member states, the institutions and cases referred to the EU's courts by the courts of member states.[60] Decisions from the Court of First Instance can be appealed to the Court of Justice but only on a point of law.[61]

Foreign relations

Main articles: Foreign relations of the European Union and Common Foreign and Security Policy
The High Representative, Javier Solana, is the EU's spokesperson on foreign policy.

The foreign relations of the EU are primarily dealt with through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Co-operation in international trade negotiations, under the Common Commercial Policy, dates back to the establishment of the Community in 1957.[62] The CFSP itself has its origins in the formation of European Political Co-operation in 1970.[63] European Political Co-operation was an informal consultation process between member states on foreign policy matters, with the aim of forming common policies. It was formally introduced into the then European Community by the Single European Act and subsequently renamed as the "Common Foreign and Security Policy" by the Maastricht Treaty.[63]

The Maastricht Treaty gives the Common Foreign and Security Policy the aims of promoting both the EU's own interests and those of the international community as a whole. This includes promoting international co-operation, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.[64]

The Amsterdam Treaty created the office of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (currently held by Javier Solana) to co-ordinate the EU's foreign policy.[65] The High Representative, in conjunction with the current Presidency, speaks on behalf of the EU in foreign policy matters and can have the task of articulating ambiguous policy positions created by disagreements among member states. The Common Foreign and Security Policy requires unanimity among the now 27 member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular policy. The unanimity and difficult issues treated under the CFSP makes disagreements, such as those which occurred over the war in Iraq,[66] are not uncommon.

The EU participates in all G8 summits (Heiligendamm, Germany)

Besides the emerging international policy of the European Union, the international influence of the EU is also felt through the enlargement and negotiations on enlargement of the EU. The potential benefits of becoming a member are considered a major factor contributing to the reform and stabilisation of former Communist countries in Eastern Europe.[45] This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power".[67] Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, cited the common foreign policy as a factor why Finland is, de facto, no longer a neutral country. It is not known if this view is shared by the leaders of the other neutral countries in the EU.[68]

Besides its own foreign and security policy, the Commission is also gaining greater representation in international bodies. Representation in international bodies is primarily through the European Commissioner for External Relations, who works along side the High Representative. In the UN the EU has gained influence in areas such as aid due to its large contributions in that field (see below).[69] In the G8, the EU has the rights of membership besides that of chairing/hosting summit meetings. The EU is represented at the G8 by the presidents of the Commission and the Council.[70] In the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where all 27 member states are represented, the EU as a body is represented by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.[71]

Humanitarian aid

Further information: ECHO (European Commission)
The EU is the largest contributor of aid in the world.

The European Community humanitarian aid office, or "ECHO", provides humanitarian aid from the EU to developing countries. In 2006 its budget amounted to 671 million euro, 48% of which went to the ACP countries.[72] If the aid given by the member states individually is counted, the EU through its own and its members' policies are the largest aid donor in the world.[73]

The EU's aid has previously been criticised by the think-tank Open Europe for being inefficient, mis-targeted and linked to economic objectives.[74] Furthermore, some charities have claimed European governments have inflated the amount they have spent on aid by incorrectly including money spent on debt relief, foreign students, and refugees. Under the de-inflated figures, the EU did not reach its internal aid target in 2006[75] and the EU would not reach the international target of 0.7% of GNP until 2015. However only a few countries have reached that target. In 2005 EU aid was 0.34% of the GNP which was higher than that of the United States and Japan.[76] The current commissioner for aid, Louis Michel, has called for aid to be delivered more rapidly, to greater effect, and on humanitarian principles.[73]

Security and defence

Main articles: European Security and Defence Policy and Military of the European Union

The EU itself has limited military capability. Member states are responsible for their own territorial defence. Many EU members are also members of NATO. The Western European Union (WEU) is a European security organisation related to the EU. In 1992, the WEU's relationship with the EU was defined, when the EU assigned it the "Petersberg tasks" (humanitarian missions such as peacekeeping and crisis management). These tasks were later transferred from the WEU to the EU by the Amsterdam Treaty; they formed part of the new CFSP and the European Security and Defence Policy. Elements of the WEU are currently being merged into the EU's CFSP, and the President of the WEU is currently CFSP High Representative.[77][78]

File:Eufor222.jpg
EU forces are peacekeeping in areas such as the Balkans.

Following the Kosovo war in 1999, the European Council agreed that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and the readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO." To that end, a number of efforts were made to increase the EU's military capability, notably the Helsinki Headline Goal process. After much discussion, the most concrete result was the EU Battlegroups initiative, each of which is planned to be able to deploy quickly about 1500 men each.[79] EU forces have been deployed on peacekeeping missions from Africa to the former Yugoslavia and the middle east.[80] EU military operations are supported by a number of bodies, including the European Defence Agency, satellite centre and the military staff.[81]

Justice, freedom and security

Main articles: Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters and European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security
Schengen opened borders between its members (blue) prompting cross border police co-operation.

Many of the EU's competence in the justice and home affairs area originates from the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985. The Schengen agreement outlined the gradual abolition of border controls between six of the (at that time ten) European Community member states. In order to implement the Schengen Agreement, the signatory states included measures designed to compensate for effect of the reduced border controls in the areas of asylum, immigration and criminal justice.[82] The Maastricht Treaty transferred many of the Schengen agreements (although not those on the abolition of border controls) to the EU.[83] Additional competencies were assigned to the EU by the Maastricht treaty to facilitate the freedom of movement of people by adopting common rules in civil matters, such as contract and family law.[83]

Amendments to these treaties by the Treaty of Amsterdam added a new aim of the EU as the creation of an "area of Justice, Freedom and Security".[84] That treaty also made it easier to pass laws in the justice and home affairs area and more difficult for member states to veto them. It also increased the powers of the European Parliament in relation to Justice and Home affairs' measures.[85] Recent legislation include the European Arrest Warrant[86] and directives on family law.[87]

The EU has established agencies to co-ordinate its actions in the justice and home affairs area: Europol for co-operation of police forces,[88] Eurojust for co-operation between prosecutors,[89] and Frontex for co-operation between border control authorities.[90] The EU also operates the Schengen Information System[4] which provides a common database for police and immigration authorities.

The EU has developed a role in human rights protection. Prohibitions against sexual and nationality discrimination have a long standing in the treaties.[91] The Amsterdam Treaty supplemented these, by supporting further legislation against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation.[92] Using these powers the EU has enacted legislation on sexual discrimination in the work-place, age discrimination and racial discrimination.[93] In 2000 the EU organised a convention which drew the Charter of Fundamental Rights.[94] Although the charter has not been given the force of law,[94] it is proposed to do so, first in the Constitutional treaty, and also in the current draft of the Reform Treaty.[95]

Economy

Main article: Economy of the European Union
The euro has been adopted by 13 EU states.

The EU was created first and foremost as an economic union. The first, oldest, and largest entity, the European Community, was founded as the European Economic Community. Creating and maintaining the EU's single market has been a prominent goal of the Community, ensuring free movement of people, goods, services and capital.[96] These four freedoms are extended to the non-member states of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway via the European Economic Area.[27]

Considered as a single economy the EU is the largest in the world with a nominal gross domestic product of €11.6 (US$15.7) trillion in 2007.[1] The EU is also the largest exporter in the world,[97] and the second largest importer.[98] It is the biggest trading partner to many countries, among others China[99] and India.[100]

Thirteen members of the EU have adopted a common currency, the euro. Collectively the territories of these countries are called the eurozone. The currency is also used by a number of countries outside of the EU.[29] The euro is controlled by the European Central Bank which sets the eurozone's monetary policy.[101]

The EU also operates a competition policy aimed at furthering its aim of ensuring undistorted competition within the single market.[102] Under the Competition policy the Competition Commissioner exercises the power to put up conditions for or block mergers between companies. The Commissioner can also take action against companies for abusing a dominant position in the marketplace.[103]

Regional development

Main article: Regional policy of the European Union
File:RondoGenMaczka2005.jpg
EU funds finance infrastructure such as this motorway in Katowice.

There are substantial economical disparities across the EU. Even corrected for purchasing power, the difference between the richest and poorest regions (NUTS-2 & 3) is about a factor of ten. On the high end Frankfurt has €68,751 PPP per capita, Paris €67,980,[104] and Inner London €65,138, while Romania's Nord-Est has €5,070 PPP per capita and Bulgaria's Severozapaden has €5,502 PPP per capita.[105] Compared to the EU average, the United States GDP per capita is 35% higher and the Japanese GDP per capita is approximately 15% higher.[106]

To support development of underdeveloped areas of the EU, there are a number of Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds aimed at promoting development of these regions. These regions are primarily located in the new member states of eastern Europe.[107] Several funds provide emergency aid, support for candidate members to transform their country to conform to the EU's standard (Phare, ISPA, and SAPARD), and support to the commonwealth of independent states (TACIS). Furthermore the EU Framework Programmes, sponsors research conducted by consortia from all EU members to work towards a single European Research Area.[108]

Agriculture

Main article: Common Agricultural Policy

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one the oldest policies of the European Community and was one of its core aims.[109] The policy has the objectives of providing certain of food supplies, increasing agricultural production, ensuring a high quality of life for farmers, stabilising markets, and insuring reasonable prices for consumers (article 33 of the Treaty of Rome).[20] It was, until recently, operated by a system of subsidies and market intervention. Until the 1990s these policies accounted for over half of the then European Communities' annual budget, and it still accounts for around forty percent of the EU's budget.[109]

EU farms are supported by the CAP, the largest budgetary expenditure (Burgas, Bulgaria).

The Agricultural Policy ensured a minimum price, which led to overproduction, which was bought by the Community at the minimum price levels. The storage of these products created the so-called wine and milk lakes and butter and beef mountains. In order to reduce the stored goods, agricultural produce was dumped on the world market at prices considerably below cost, or farmers were offered subsidies (amounting to the difference between the Community minimum and world market prices) to export their produce outside the Community. This system has been criticised for under-cutting farmers in the developing world.[110] The overproduction has also been criticised on environmental grounds as it encourages large volume production regardless of environmentally unfriendly intensive farming methods.[110] Supports of CAP say that the economic support it provides farmers to a reasonable standard of living in what would otherwise be an economically inviable way of life. Although currently the EU's small farmers only receive 8% of CAP's available subsidies.[110]

Since the 1990s CAP has been subject to a series of reforms. Initially these reforms included the introduction of milk quotas (by the McSharry reforms in 1992)[109] and, more recently, the 'de-coupling' (or disassociation) of the money farmers receive from the EU and the amount they produce (by the Fischler reforms in 2004),[109] with the aim of reducing oversupply while maintaining income levels. The most recent reform entailed the abolition of the EU's sugar regime which previously involved the taxing and subsidiaries in the sugar market, giving an advantage to sugar production within member states and, through privileged relations, a few African-Caribbean nations.[111]

Energy

Main article: Energy policy of the European Union
The EU is dependent on import of fuel, for example through Pipelines from Russia.

The EU has been a legislative power in the area of energy policy for most of its existence. This involvement has its roots in the original European Coal and Steel Community. The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the European Council in October 2005. The first draft policy was published in January 2007.[112]

The EU currently imports 82% of its oil and 57% of its gas, making it the world's leading importer of these fuels.[113] In 2007, member states legally agreed the EU to use 20% renewable energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels.[34] This includes measures that in 2020, one-tenth of all cars and trucks in EU 27 should be running on biofuels. This is considered to be one of the most ambitious moves of an important industrialised region to fight global warming.[114]

Besides concerns about global warning there are concerns that the EU is largely dependent on other countries, primarily Russia for its energy. This concern has grown following a series of clashes between Russia and its neighbours, threatening the flow of gas. As a result the EU is attempting to diversify its energy supply.[115] The EU is involved with six other countries to develop ITER, a fusion reactor which will be built in the EU at Cadarache. ITER builds on the previous project, Joint European Torus, which is currently the largest nuclear fusion reactor in the world.[115]

Infrastructure

Further information: European Commissioner for Transport and European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry

The EU is working to improve cross-border infrastructure within the EU, for example through the Trans-European Networks (TEN). Projects under TEN include the Channel Tunnel, TGV Est, the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, the Oresund bridge and the Brenner Base Tunnel. In 2001 it was estimated that by 2010 the network would cover: 75,200 km of roads; 78,000 km of railways; 330 airports; 270 maritime harbours; and 210 internal harbours.[116][117]

Infrastructure, such as the Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden, is a priority to increase trade and mobility.

The developing European transport policies will increase the pressure on the environment in many regions by the increased transport network. In the pre-2004 EU members, the major problem in transport deals with congestion and pollution. After the recent enlargement, the new states that joined since 2004 added the problem of solving accessibility to the transport agenda.[118] The Polish road network in particular was in poor condition. At the time of Poland's accession to the EU, 4,600 roads needed to be upgraded to EU standards demanding an approximate expenditure of 17 billion euro.[119]

Another infrastructure project is the Galileo positioning system. Galileo is a proposed Global Navigation Satellite System, to be built by the EU and launched by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Galileo project was launched to reduce the EU's dependency on the US-operated Global Positioning System. Galileo extends its co-operation to other nations outside the EU and is to be operational by 2010.[120] It has been criticised by some due to costs, delays, and the perception of redundancy due to the existing GPS system.[121]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the European Union
With 114 people per km² the EU is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.
Population of the 5 largest cities in the EU
City City limits
(2006) 		Density/km²
(city limits) 		Urban area
(2005) 		LUZ
(2001)
Berlin 3,405,000 3,815 3,761,000 4,935,524
London 7,512,400 4,761 9,332,000 11,624,807
Madrid 3,228,359 5,198 4,858,000 5,372,433
Paris 2,153,600 24,672 9,928,000 10,952,011
Rome 2,705,603 2,105 2,867,000 3,700,424

The combined population of all 27 member countries was approximately 493 million in 2006.[122] There is some increase in population expected, primarily be due to net immigration, present in most European countries.[123][124]

The EU's population is 7.3% of the world total, yet the EU covers just 3% of the earth's land, amounting to a population density of 114/km² making the EU one of the most densely populated regions of the world. Eighty percent of EU citizens live in an urban area and a third live in cities of over a million people.[125] The EU is home to more global cities than any other region in the world[126] and 16 cities with populations of over one million (using city proper figures).

Besides many large cities, the EU also includes several densely populated regions that have no single core but have emerged from the connection of several cites and are now encompassing large metropolitan areas. The largest are Rhine-Ruhr having approximately 10.5 million inhabitants (Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf et al.), Randstad approx. 7 million (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht et al.), Frankfurt Rhine Main Area approx. 5.8 million (Frankfurt, Wiesbaden et al.) and the Upper Silesian Industry Area approx. 3.5 million. (Katowice, Sosnowiec et al.).[127]

Languages

Main article: Languages of the European Union
Languages (2006)[128]
1. Language Language Total
English 13% 51%
German 18% 32%
French 12% 26%
Italian 13% 16%
Spanish 9% 15%
Polish 9% 10%
Dutch 5% 6%
Greek 3% 3%
Swedish 2% 3%
Czech 2% 3%
Portuguese 2% 2%
Hungarian 2% 2%
Other EU Languages ~6%
Minority Languages ~16%

The EU has 23 official and working languages: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.[129] Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language. The European Parliament provides translation into all languages for documents and its plenary sessions. Some institutions use only a handful of languages as internal working languages.[130] Language policy is the responsibility of member states, but EU institutions promote the learning of other languages.[131][132]

German is the most widely spoken mother tongue (about 88.7 million people as of 2006), followed by English, French and Italian. English is by far the most spoken foreign language, with German and French following suit. 56% of European citizens are able to engage in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.[128] Most official languages of the EU belong to the Indo-European language family, except Estonian, Finnish, and Hungarian, which belong to the Uralic language family, and Maltese, which is a Semitic language. Most EU official languages are written in the Latin alphabet except Bulgarian, written in Cyrillic, and Greek, written in the Greek alphabet.[133]

Besides the 23 official languages, there are about 150 regional and minority languages, spoken by up to 50 million people.[133] Of these, only the Spanish regional languages: Catalan, Galician, and Basque can be used in the communication with the Council of the European Union, the Commission, the Economic and Social Committee, the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman, as well as in the Committee of the Regions.[134] Although EU programmes can support regional and minority languages, the protection of linguistic rights is a matter for the individual member states.
Besides the many regional languages a broad variety of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in the Member States. Turkish, Maghreb Arabic, Russian, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Balkan languages are spoken in many parts of the EU. Many older immigrant communities are bilingual, being fluent in both the local (EU) language and in that of their ancestral community. Migrant languages have no formal status or recognition in the EU or in the EU countries, although from 2007 they are eligible for support from the language teaching section of the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013.[133]

Religion

Further information: Religion in the European Union
Percentage of Europeans in each state who believe in a god.

The EU is a secular body, with no formal connections to any religion and no mention of religion in any current or proposed treaty.[20] Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the Reform Treaty have included proposals to mention Christianity and/or God in the preamble of the text. However this idea has faced opposition and has thus been dropped.[135] Reference to Christianity stems from Christianity being the dominant religion in Europe, and thus the EU. Christianity in the EU can be roughly divided into Roman Catholicism, a wide range of Protestant churches (especially in northern Europe) and Eastern Orthodoxy (in south eastern Europe).[136] Other religions such as Judaism and Islam are also represented in the EU population. In 2002 the EU had an estimated Jewish population of roughly over a million[137] and a Muslim population in 2006 of 16 million people.[138]

Finding by Eurostat, the EU statistics agency which monitors the religious beliefs of EU citizens as part of its Eurobarometer opinion polls, show that the majority of EU citizens have some form of belief system but that only 21% see it as important. There is increasing atheism or agnosticism among the general population in Europe, with falling attendance and membership in many countries.[139] The 2005 Eurobarometer show that of the European citizens (of the 25 members at that time), 52% believe in a god, 27% in some sort of spirit or life force and 18% had no form of belief. The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were the Czech Republic (19%) and Estonia (16%).[140] In these countries, those who reported a faith can be wary of an organised religious movement.[141] The most religious societies are those in Malta (95%; predominantly Roman Catholic), and Cyprus and Romania both with about 90% of citizens believing in a god. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, increased with age, those with religious upbringing, those with the lowest levels of formal education, those leaning towards right-wing politics, and those reflecting more upon philosophical and ethical issues.[140]

Culture

Further information: Culture of Europe and Cultural policies of the European Union
File:800px-Sb-kl-ring.jpg
Sibiu is one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2007.

EU culture is intertwined with the culture of Europe and its specific national heritage; many of the policies on culture are with the individual member states. Cultural co-operation between member states has become a community competency since its inclusion in the Maastricht Treaty.[142] Actions taken in the cultural area by the EU include the Culture 2000 7-year programme,[142] the European Cultural Month event,[143] the Media Plus programme,[144] orchestras such as the European Union Youth Orchestra[145] and the European Capital of Culture programme – where one or more cities in the EU are selected for one year to assist the cultural development of the city.[146] In addition, the EU gives grants to cultural projects (totalling 233 in 2004) and has launched a Web portal dedicated to Europe and culture, responding to the European Council's expressed desire to see the Commission and the member states "promote the networking of cultural information to enable all citizens to access European cultural content by the most advanced technological means."[147]

Within the EU, supporters of European integration often appeal to a shared European historical/cultural heritage, typically including Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the feudalism of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, 19th century Liberalism and (sometimes) negative elements such as the World Wars. European values are assumed to be grounded in this shared heritage.[148]

Education and research

Main articles: Education in the European Union and Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development
File:Windkraftanlagen Dänemark.jpg
Renewable energy is one priority in transnational research activities such as the (FP7).

Education and science are areas where the EU's role is limited to supporting national governments. In education, the policy was mainly developed in the 1980s in programmes supporting exchanges and mobility. The most visible of these has been the ERASMUS programme, a university exchange programme which began in 1987. In its first 20 years it has supported international exchange opportunities for well over 1.5 million university and college students and has become a symbol of European student life.[149] There are now similar programmes for school pupils and teachers, for trainees in vocational education and training, and for adult learners in the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013. These programmes are designed to encourage a wider knowledge of other countries and to spread good practices in the education and training fields across the EU.[150] Through its support of the Bologna process the EU is supporting comparable standards and compatible degrees across Europe.

Scientific development is facilitated through the EU's Framework Programmes, the first of which started in 1984. The aims of EU policy in this area are to co-ordinate and stimulate research. The independent European Research Council allocates EU funds to European or national research projects.[151] Since January 2000 the European Commission has set its sights on a more ambitious objective, known as the European Research Area; extensively funding research in a few key research areas. This has the support of all member states, and extends the existing financing structure of the frameworks. It aims to focus on co-ordination, sharing knowledge, ensuring mobility of researchers around Europe, improving conditions for researchers and encouraging links with business and industry as well as removing any legal and administrative barriers.[152]

Sports

Further information: Sport policies of the European Union
Football is the most popular sport in the EU (Camp Nou in Barcelona)

As in other cultural issues, many of the sports policies are with the individual members. However, policies of the EU have had an impact on sports, such as the freedom of employment which was at the core of the Bosman ruling, which prohibited national football leagues from imposing quotas on foreign players with European nationality.[153] Furthermore, the EU recently launched an anti-doping convention. The role of the EU might increase in the future if the Reform Treaty is ratified by all member states. This treaty would add further competencies over sports policy to the EU.[154]

Sports, including spectator sports, are popular in EU countries, the most popular being football. Other sports are favourites in fewer countries, such as basketball, ice hockey, rugby, handball, and motorsports. In the Olympics of 2004, EU teams won 280 medals. In that same year, commission President Romano Prodi proposed that the national teams entering the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and subsequent Olympics should carry the European flag in addition to their national flag as a show of unity.[155]

See also

Template:European Union-related topics Template:Supranav

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  118. ^ "Transport – How Quickly will Polish Roads Improve After Accession". Urząd Komitetu Integracji Europejskiej. 2003-05-29. Retrieved 2007-08-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  119. ^ Barrot, Jacques. "Jacques Barrot Home Page". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  120. ^ McKie, Robin (2007-07-15). "Sat-nav rival could crash and burn". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-08-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  121. ^ "Total population". Eurostat. Retrieved 2007-07-14. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  122. ^ "EU25 population rises until 2025, then falls" (PDF). Eurostat. 2005-04-08. Retrieved 2007-07-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  123. ^ Muenz, Rainer (2006). "Europe: Population and Migration in 2005". Migration Information. Retrieved 2007-07-14. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  124. ^ "A densely populated area". Telsat Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
    114/km² density figure: 494,070,000 / 4,324,782 = 114 people/km2. Population figure is from 2006, see ref: "Eurostat Population".
  125. ^ "The World According to GaWC". Loughborough University. Retrieved 2007-06-29. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  126. ^ "Indicators for larger urban zones 1999 - 2003". Eurostat. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  127. ^ a b "Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Survey)" (PDF). European Commission. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
    "Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summery)" (PDF). European Commission. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  128. ^ "Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006". Official Journal of the European Union. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2007-02-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  129. ^ "Europa:Languages and Europe. FAQ: Is every document generated by the EU translated into all the official languages?". Europa (web portal). 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  130. ^ "Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Articles 149 to 150". Official Journal of the European Union. 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  131. ^ "European Parliament Fact Sheets: 4.16.3. Language policy". European Parliament. 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  132. ^ a b c "Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union" (PDF). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 2004. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  133. ^ "Mercator Newsletter - n. 29". Mercator Central. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  134. ^ Rettman, Andrew (2006-09-12). [euobserver.com/15/24066 "Merkel gives up on God in EU treaty"]. EU Observer. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  135. ^ "Chrisianity". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  136. ^ Jewish population figures may be unreliable. These estimates are taken from: Sergio DellaPergola. "World Jewish Population (2002)". American Jewish Year Book. The Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  137. ^ "In Europa leben gegen­wärtig knapp 53 Millionen Muslime". Islam.de. 2006-02-25. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); soft hyphen character in |title= at position 22 (help)
  138. ^ Cline, Austin (2005-02-28). "Secularism in Europe". About.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  139. ^ a b "Eurobarometer 225: Social values, Science & Technology" (PDF). Eurostat. 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  140. ^ Cline, Austin (2006-02-25). "Czech Republic: Most Atheist Country in Europe?". About.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  141. ^ a b Bozoki, Andras. "Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  142. ^ "European Culture Month". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  143. ^ "Media programme". Philatelism.com. 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  144. ^ "An Overture to the European Union Youth Orchestra". The European Youth Orchestra. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  145. ^ Bozoki, Andras. "European Capitals of Culture". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  146. ^ "Cultural heritage as a vehicle of cultural identity". philatelism.com. 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  147. ^ For example: Hans-Gert Poettering (2007-02-13). "Priority is dialogue for partnership and tolerance". Inaugural speech by the new president of the European Parliament. European Parliament. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  148. ^ "The Erasmus programme celebrates its 20th anniversary". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21.; Jean-Sébastien, Lefebvre (2007-01-22). "Erasmus turns 20 - time to grow up?". Café Babel. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  149. ^ "Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21.; "Lifelong Learning Programme". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  150. ^ "European Research Council: What is the ERC?". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  151. ^ "What is the European Research Area?". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  152. ^ Fordyce, Tom (2007-07-11). "10 years since Bosman". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  153. ^ Goldirova, Renata (2007-07-11). "Brussels' first-ever move into sport area set to spark controversy". EU Observer. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  154. ^ "Olympic Games 2004 - Congratulations from President Prodi". European Commission. 2004-08-30. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Further reading

  • EU Law, Text, Cases and Materials, by Paul Craig and Grainne De Burca, 3rd ed., (Oxford University Press 2003) ISBN 0198765096
  • The Economist Guide to the European Union (Profile Books 2005) ISBN 978-1-86197-930-8
  • Access to European Union: law, economics, policies by Nicholas Moussis (European Study Service, 2007 — 16th ed.) ISBN 978-2-930119-43-4
  • Europe Recast: A History of European Union by Desmond Dinan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) ISBN 978-0-333-98734-6
  • Understanding the European Union 3rd ed by John McCormick (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) ISBN 978-1-4039-4451-1
  • The Institutions of the European Union edited by John Peterson, Michael Shackleton, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2006) ISBN 0198700520
  • The Government and Politics of the European Union by Neill Nugent (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 978-0-333-98461-1
  • The European Union: A Very Short Introduction by John Pinder (Oxford, 2001) ISBN 978-0-19-285375-2
  • The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the end of American Supremacy by T.R. Reid (Penguin Press, 2004) ISBN 978-1-59420-033-5
  • This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair by Hugo Young (Macmillan, 1998) ISBN 978-0-333-57992-3
  • The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream by Jeremy Rifkin (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004) ISBN 978-1-58542-345-3
  • Template:PDFlink by Hans Köchler, Singapore Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 9 (2005), Accessed January 25, 2007

External links

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
 table code?†
 Responsive/
Mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
{{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} 		{{col-end}}

† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Template:Link FA Template:Link FA Template:Link FA Template:Link FA Template:Link FA Template:Link FA

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Union&oldid=164982527

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