Portal:European Union

Introduction

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Institutions Competences Structural evolution Member states

Welcome to the European Union Portal!

The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of 4,233,255 km² (1,634,469 sq mi) and an estimated population of over 450 million as of 2025. The EU is often described as a sui generis political entity combining characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.

Containing 5.5% of the world population in 2023, EU member states generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of around €17.935 trillion in 2024, accounting for approximately one sixth of global economic output. Its cornerstone, the Customs Union, paved the way to establishing an internal single market based on standardised legal framework and legislation that applies in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where the states have agreed to act as one. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market; enact legislation in justice and home affairs; and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Passport controls have been abolished for travel within the Schengen Area. The eurozone is a group composed of the 20 EU member states that have fully implemented the EU's economic and monetary union and use the euro currency. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the union has developed a role in external relations and defence. It maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7 and the G20.

In 2020, the United Kingdom became the only member state to leave the EU; ten countries are aspiring or negotiating to join it. (Full article...)

Selected article

The Treaty of Lisbon or Lisbon Treaty (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement which amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Lisbon Treaty was signed by the EU member states on 13 December 2007, and entered into force on 1 December 2009. It amends the Maastricht Treaty (also known as the Treaty on European Union) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC; also known as the Treaty of Rome). In this process, the Rome Treaty was renamed to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

Prominent changes included the move from unanimity to qualified majority voting in several policy areas in the Council of Ministers, a change in calculating such a majority to a new double majority, a more powerful European Parliament forming a bicameral legislature alongside the Council of ministers under the ordinary legislative procedure, a consolidated legal personality for the EU and the creation of a long-term President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Treaty also made the Union's bill of rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding.

Selected picture

House of the Blackheads (Riga)

Photograph: David Iliff

The House of the Blackheads is a building in the old town of Riga, Latvia. The original building was erected during the early 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, with major work completed in 1580 and 1886. In 1941, the original building was bombed by the Germans; the ruins were demolished by the Soviets seven years later. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999.

Did you know?

...that Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the European Union on January 1, 2007?

...that the European Union's member states combined represent the world's largest economy by GDP, larger than the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Japan, the seventh largest territory in the world by area and the third largest by population after China and India?

Selected city

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and the country's largest city, with a population of some 450,000. Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, parliament and government as well as home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other national economic, cultural and educational institutions. Most of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions have their headquarters in Bratislava. The city's past has been characterized by the strong influence of various peoples, including Slovaks, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Austrians and Jews. Bratislava still retains its cosmopolitan spirit. It hosts many festivals and trade shows and it is famous for its night life and leisure facilities.

General images

The following are images from various European Union-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Kaja Kallas, High Representative Vice President (from Politics of the European Union)
Image 2Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission
(since 1 December 2019) (from History of the European Union)
Image 3Logo of the European Council and the Council of the European Union (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 4The ordinary legislative procedure of the European Union (from Politics of the European Union)
Image 51922 European flag of the Paneuropean Union (from History of the European Union)
Image 6Donald Trump President of the United States (from History of the European Union)
Image 7The fertility rate in the EU was 1.38 in 2023 (Kindergarten in France). (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 8Mario Draghi (from History of the European Union)
Image 9A cartogram depicting the population distribution between old EU-27 member states in 2008 (including the UK and excluding Croatia). 57.8% of all citizens of the EU live in the four largest member states: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 10Logo of the European Commission (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 11The Schuman Parade in Warsaw has been organised by the Schuman Foundation since 1999 (2008 photograph). (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 12Europa regina in Sebastian Münster's "Cosmographia", 1570 (from History of the European Union)
Image 13The population density of the EU is 106 people per km². Note that the lights in the North Sea are from oil platforms. (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 14Flag of the Western Union (from History of the European Union)
Image 15Logo of the Court of Justice of the European Union (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 16Political groups of the European Parliament in the Louise Weiss building after the election 2024:
  Group of the European People's Party (EPP)
  Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)
  Patriots for Europe (PfE)
  European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
  Renew Europe (Renew)
  The Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)
  The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL (The Left)
  Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN)
  Non-Inscrits (NI)
  Vacant (1)
(from Politics of the European Union)
Image 17Coins and banknotes of the Euro, the single-currency introduced from 1999 (from History of the European Union)
Image 18Elaboration by sex (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 19Logo of the European Parliament (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 20Aristide Briand (from History of the European Union)
Image 21Organigram of the political system. The seven organs of the Union are in blue, national / intergovernmental elements in orange. (from Politics of the European Union)
Image 22The Frankish Empire at its greatest extent, ca. 814 AD (from History of the European Union)
Image 23Signatories of the 2007 declaration in dark blue. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 24After two devastating world wars, the political climate favoured an international unity that could preserve peace in Europe effectively (Hamburg, after a massive Allied bombing in 1943 in the picture). (from History of the European Union)
Image 25Logo of the European Central Bank (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 26José Manuel Barroso President of the European Commission (2004–2014) (from History of the European Union)
Image 27Konrad Adenauer, Walter Hallstein and Antonio Segni, signing the European customs union and Euratom in Rome in 1957 (from History of the European Union)
Image 28A piece from the original manuscript. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 29Logo of the European Court of Auditors (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 30Population pyramid of the EU 27 in 2023 (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 31Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the European Union in 2019 (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 32The European Coal and Steel Community's flag. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 33Meeting in the Hall of Knights in The Hague, during the Congress of Europe (9 May 1948) (from History of the European Union)
Image 34The Euro symbol shown as a sculpture outside the European Central Bank (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 35Percentage responding that their country on balance benefited from being a member of the EU at Eurobarometer 2023:

  91–100%

  81–90%

  71–80%

  61–70%

  51–60%

(from Politics of the European Union)
Image 36The flag of Europe, emblem of both the Council of Europe and the European Union. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 37Newest state in yellow (from History of the European Union)
Image 38Boris Johnson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022 (from History of the European Union)
Image 39Winston Churchill (right, during the Atlantic Conference), consistent advocate of continental European integration, later along with his son-in-law Duncan Sandys (from History of the European Union)