European Union

BACKGROUND:

What is European Union?
The European Union or EU is an inter-governmental and supra-national organization, made up of European countries, which currently has 27 member states. The Union was established under the name the “Treaty on European Union” in 1992. However, many aspects of the EU existed before that date through a series of predecessor organizations, dating back to the 1950s.

Where did the EU get started?
The idea for forming the European Union was originally proposed on September 19, 1946, by Winston Churchill in a speech at Zurich University during which he called for a "kind of United States of Europe.” December 17 of that year, the European Federalists Union was set into place in Paris, France. The early United Europe Movement was created in 1947, and was in favor of intergovernmental cooperation as opposed to supranational control.

In 1948, the Western Union Treaty was signed by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was created. From 1950 till 1986 different councils and committees were created, certain treaties were signed, and finally this union evolved into tighter political alignment, eventually becoming the European Union on 1st November 1993.

Europe is a continent with many different traditions and languages, but also with shared values such as democracy, freedom and social justice. The EU defends these values. It fosters cooperation among the peoples of Europe, promoting unity while preserving diversity and ensuring that decisions are taken as close as possible to the citizens.