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EUROPEAN UNION
¦ te of found tion: 1st November, 1993.

The Europe n Union (EU) is union of twenty-seven independent st tes b sed on

the Europe n Communities nd founded to enh nce politic l, economic nd soci l
co-oper tion. Formerly known s Europe n Community (EC) or Europe n
Economic Community (EEC).

With 27 member countries nd popul tion of ne rly h lf billion, the Europe n

Union covers l rge p rt of Europe. Since its cre tion, it h s worked to bring
prosperity nd st bility to its citizens. Its policies nd ctions ffect us ll directly
nd indirectly.

The Europe n Union ims to be f ir nd c ring society, committed to promoting

economic prosperity nd cre ting jobs by m king comp nies more competitive nd
giving workers new skills.

With its neighbours nd others, the EU works to spre d prosperity, democr tic
progress, the rule of l w nd hum n rights beyond its frontiers. The Europe n
Union is the world¶s biggest tr ding power nd m jor donor of fin nci l nd
technic l ssist nce to poorer countries.

Using ch rts, gr phs nd entert ining illustr tions, this website sets out b sic f cts
nd figures bout the Europe n Union nd its member st tes.The countries th t re
c ndid tes for EU membership re lso included, in sep r te section.For
simplicity, some figures h ve been rounded up.

Member states (EUR: Euro currency):

c Austri u


 (EUR)
c elgium (EUR)
c ulg ri u




c Cyprus (Greek p rt) u




 (EUR: 2008-01-01)
c Czech Republic u





c ¦enm rk
c Estoni u





c Finl nd u


 (EUR)
c Fr nce (EUR)
c Germ ny (EUR)
c Greece (EUR)
 c Xung ry u





c Irel nd (EUR)
c It ly (EUR)
c o tvi u





c oithu ni u





c ouxembourg (EUR)
c   lt u




 (EUR: 2008-01-01)
c Netherl nds (EUR)
c ~ol nd u





c ~ortug l (EUR)
c Rom ni u




c Slov ki u




 (EUR: 2009-01-01)
c Sloveni u




 (EUR)
c Sp in (EUR)
c Sweden u



c United Kingdom of Gre t rit in nd Northern Irel nd

The History of European Union

A peaceful Europe ± the beginnings of cooperation

The Europe n Union is set up with the im of ending the frequent nd bloody w rs
between neighbours, which culmin ted in the Second World W r. As of 1950, the
Europe n Co l nd Steel Community begins to unite Europe n countries
economic lly nd politic lly in order to secure l sting pe ce. The six founders re
elgium, Fr nce, Germ ny, It ly, ouxembourg nd the Netherl nds. The 1950s re
domin ted by cold w r between e st nd west. ~rotests in Xung ry g inst the
Communist regime re put down by Soviet t nks in 1956; while the following
ye r, 1957, the Soviet Union t kes the le d in the sp ce r ce, when it l unches the
first m n-m de sp ce s tellite, Sputnik 1. Also in 1957, the Tre ty of Rome cre tes
the Europe n Economic Community (EEC), or µCommon   rket¶.
The µSwinging Sixties¶ ± a period of economic growth

The 1960s sees the emergence of 'youth culture¶, with groups such s The e tles
ttr cting huge crowds of teen ge f ns wherever they ppe r, helping to stimul te
cultur l revolution nd widening the gener tion g p. It is good period for the
economy, helped by the f ct th t EU countries stop ch rging custom duties when
they tr de with e ch other. They lso gree joint control over food production, so
th t everybody now h s enough to e t - nd soon there is even surplus gricultur l
produce.   y 1968 becomes f mous for student riots in ~ ris, nd m ny ch nges
in society nd beh viour become ssoci ted with the so-c lled µ68 gener tion¶.

A growing Community ± the first Enlargement

¦enm rk, Irel nd nd the United Kingdom join the Europe n Union on 1 J nu ry
1973, r ising the number of member st tes to nine. The short, yet brut l, Ar b-
Isr eli w r of October 1973 result in n energy crisis nd economic problems in
Europe. The l st right-wing dict torships in Europe come to n end with the
overthrow of the S l z r regime in ~ortug l in 1974 nd the de th of Gener l
Fr nco of Sp in in 1975. The EU region l policy st rts to tr nsfer huge sums to
cre te jobs nd infr structure in poorer re s. The Europe n ~ rli ment incre ses
its influence in EU ff irs nd in 1979 ll citizens c n, for the first time, elect their
members directly.

The changing face of Europe - the fall of the Berlin Wall

The ~olish tr de union, Solid rność, nd its le der oech W les , become
household n mes cross Europe nd the world following the Gd nsk shipy rd
strikes in the summer of 1980. In 1981, Greece becomes the 10th member of the
EU nd Sp in nd ~ortug l follow five ye rs l ter. In 1987 the Single Europe n
Act is signed. This is tre ty which provides the b sis for v st six-ye r
progr mme imed t sorting out the problems with the free-flow of tr de cross EU
borders nd thus cre tes the µSingle   rket¶. There is m jor politic l uphe v l
when, on 9 November 1989, the erlin W ll is pulled down nd the border
between E st nd West Germ ny is opened for the first time in 28 ye rs, this le ds
to the reunific tion of Germ ny when both E st nd West Germ ny re united in
October 1990.

A Europe without frontiers

With the coll pse of communism cross centr l nd e stern Europe, Europe ns
become closer neighbours. In 1993 the Single   rket is completed with the the
'four freedoms' of: movement of goods, services, people nd money. The 1990s is
lso the dec de of two tre ties, the µ  stricht¶ Tre ty on Europe n Union in 1993
nd the Tre ty of Amsterd m in 1999. ~eople re concerned bout how to protect
the environment nd lso how Europe ns c n ct together when it comes to
security nd defence m tters. In 1995 the EU g ins three more new members,
Austri , Finl nd nd Sweden. A sm ll vill ge in ouxembourg gives its n me to the
µSchengen¶ greements th t gr du lly llow people to tr vel without h ving their
p ssports checked t the borders.  illions of young people study in other countries
with EU support. Communic tion is m de e sier s more nd more people st rt
using mobile phones nd the internet.

A decade of further expansion

The euro is the new currency for m ny Europe ns. 11 September 2001 becomes
synonymous with the 'W r on Terror' fter hij cked irliners re flown into
buildings in New York nd W shington. EU countries begin to work much more
closely together to fight crime. The politic l divisions between e st nd west
Europe re fin lly decl red he led when no fewer th n 10 new countries join the
EU in 2004.   ny people think th t it is time for Europe to h ve constitution but
wh t sort of constitution is by no me ns e sy to gree, so the deb te on the future
of Europe r ges on.
 Institutions and bodies of the European Union
c EU institutions
c Europe n Council
Sets the gener l politic l direction nd priorities of the Europe n Union
c Europe n ~ rli ment
 embers of the Europe n ~ rli ment ( E~s) re directly elected by EU voters
every five ye rs
c Council of the Europe n Union
N tion l ministers meet to discuss nd ± together with ~ rli ment ± dopt EU
l ws
c Europe n Commission
Appointed Commissioners nd the EU¶s civil service. The Commission
proposes EU legisl tion nd checks it is properly pplied cross the EU. Works
in the interests of the EU s whole.
c Court of Justice of the Europe n Union
EU l w courts
c Europe n Court of Auditors
Reviews the fin ncing of the EU¶s ctivities
c Europe n Centr l  nk
Responsible for Europe n monet ry policy
c Europe n Ombudsm n
Investig tes compl ints bout m l dministr tion by EU institutions nd bodies
c Europe n ¦ t ~rotection Supervisor
Supervises d t protection in EU institutions nd bodies nd dvises on d t
protection legisl tion
c inancial bodies
c Europe n Investment  nk
Arr nges fin ncing for EU investment projects
c Europe n Investment Fund
Xelp for sm ll businesses
c Advisory bodies
c Europe n Economic nd Soci l Committee
Represents civil society, employers nd employees
c Committee of the Regions
Represent tion for region l nd loc l uthorities
c Interinstitutional bodies
c Europe n Extern l Action service
c ~ublic tions Office of the Europe n Union
~ublishes EU document tion
 c A job with the EU - E~SO
Recruitment of st ff for the EU institutions nd other bodies
c Eurost t
Offici l EU st tistics homep ge
c Europe n Administr tive School
Core tr ining for EU st ff
c EU agencies
c Common foreign nd security policy
Agencies set up to c rry out specific technic l, scientific nd m n gement t sks
c ~olice nd judici l cooper tion in crimin l m tters
Xelps EU member countries co-oper te in the fight g inst org nised
intern tion l crime
c Other policy re s
'Community¶ gencies
c Executive gencies
Set up to m n ge EU progr mmes
c EURATO  gencies nd bodies
Cre ted to support the ims of the Europe n Atomic Energy Community
c Europe n Institute of Innov tion nd Technology (EIT)
~ools the best scientific, business nd educ tion resources to boost the Union's
innov tion c p city

The European Union ± a growing family

The EU beg n life in the 1950s s the Europe n Economic Community with six
founding members ² elgium, Germ ny, Fr nce, It ly, ouxembourg nd the
Netherl nds. They cre ted new w y of coming together to m n ge their joint
interests, b sed essenti lly on economic integr tion. They were joined by
¦enm rk, Irel nd nd the United Kingdom in 1973, Greece in 1981, nd Sp in nd
~ortug l in 1986. Unific tion of Germ ny in 1990 brought in the o nder from
e stern Germ ny.

In 1992, new tre ty g ve more responsibilities to the Community institutions nd

introduced new forms of cooper tion between n tion l governments, thus cre ting
the Europe n Union s such. The EU w s enl rged in 1995 to include Austri ,
Finl nd nd Sweden.

The Czech Republic, Estoni , Cyprus, o tvi , oithu ni , Xung ry,   lt , ~ol nd,
Sloveni nd Slov ki joined in 2004, followed in 2007 by ulg ri nd Rom ni .
Three c ndid tes, Cro ti , the former Yugosl v Republic of   cedoni nd
Turkey, h ve pplied for membership.

Europe h s lw ys been home to different peoples nd cultures. Every member

st te includes people from other countries ² usu lly with close historic l ties to
the host country. The EU sees ethnic nd cultur l diversity s n sset, nd
promotes toler nce, respect nd mutu l underst nding.

Size and population

The Europe n Union is less th n h lf the size of the United St tes, but its
popul tion is over 50% l rger. In f ct, the EU popul tion is the world¶s third
l rgest fter Chin nd Indi . irth r tes in the EU re f lling nd Europe ns re
living longer. These trends h ve import nt implic tions for the future.

How big is the EU?

The Europe n Union covers more th n 4 million km . Seen on m p of the world,

this is not huge re but it embr ces 27 countries. Their size v ries widely,
with Fr nce the biggest nd   lt the sm llest.

c Surf ce re in thous nds of squ re kilometres

c Surf ce re in millions of squ re kilometres

How many people live in the EU?

The Europe n Union h s 495 million inh bit nts ² the world¶s third l rgest
popul tion fter Chin nd Indi .

The developed world¶s sh re of the glob l popul tion is shrinking ² from 30% in
1960 to 16% in 2005. Four out of every five people on the pl net now live in the
developing world. To support poorer countries, the EU ctively promotes glob l
development. It is the world¶s le ding provider of development id.

c ~opul tion in millions, 2007

The EU¶s 495 million people re not spre d evenly cross the continent: some
countries ( nd regions) re more densely popul ted th n others. A l rge surf ce
re does not necess rily equ te with l rge popul tion.
 c EU popul tion on 1 J nu ry 2007

Europeans are living longer

oife expect ncy in the Europe n Union is rising. Those born in 1960 could expect
to survive to the ge of bout 67 (men) nd 73 (women). For b bies born in 2004
the figures re ne rly 76 for men nd ne rly 82 for women.

y w y of comp rison, figures from the United N tions show th t b bies born
between 2000 nd 2005 in Som li , one of the world¶s poorest countries, c n
expect to live until the ge of 46 (men) nd 49 (women).

c oife expect ncy t birth for men nd women in the EU-25 (1962±2004)

In 1960, most women in the EU h d two or more children. In st tistic l terms,

there were more th n 2.5 children per wom n. y 2004, the tot l fertility r te h d
f llen to bout 1.5 children per wom n. Fr nce nd Irel nd h ve the highest
fertility r tes t slightly under two children per wom n. The lowest (less th n 1.25)
re in the Czech Republic, o tvi , ~ol nd nd Slov ki .

With fewer young people, the EU workforce is shrinking. Fewer workers will h ve
to support more nd more pensioners, s this gr ph shows. The number of over-80s
is forec st to re ch 6.3% of the popul tion by 2025.

To boost the working popul tion, Europe needs more people of working ge to
t ke jobs, to h ve them retire l ter, to get more women to work, to upd te workers¶
skills through life-long le rning progr mmes nd to promote t rgeted immigr tion.
 ore b bies would lso help!

c ~ercent ge of the EU-27 popul tion ged 80 nd over (1963±2004)

Population growth

Europe¶s popul tion incre ses through combin tion of n tur l growth (i.e. more
people re born th n die) nd net migr tion (i.e. bec use more people settle in the
EU th n le ve it).

Tod y, most of the EU¶s tot l popul tion growth is due to net migr tion. Indeed,
without immigr tion, the popul tions of Germ ny, Greece nd It ly would h ve
f llen in 2003. Immigr tion brings much-needed young people into the EU
workforce.
 c Tot l popul tion growth (blue line) nd net migr tion (red line) in the EU-
25, per 1 000 inh bit nts (1992±2004)

Europe h s long tr dition of hospit lity nd of giving refuge to people fleeing

w r or persecution in the world¶s troubled re s. The number of sylum seekers
incre ses in times of w r, such s during the  lk n conflicts in the e rly 1990s.
The number of sylum pplic tions in the EU h s f llen since those d ys nd in
2006 it w s lower th n t ny time in the previous 15 ye rs.

c Asylum pplic tions in the EU in thous nds (1990±2006)

Education, research and the information society

The EU¶s mbition is to become the world¶s most dyn mic knowledge-b sed
economy. Th t me ns investing he vily in rese rch (the source of new knowledge)
nd in educ tion nd tr ining, which give people ccess to th t new knowledge.

~ rticul rly import nt is tr ining the workforce in inform tion technology skills,
nd providing e sier nd f ster ccess to the Internet for schools, businesses nd
people t home.

A thriving economy needs people to st y in work longer nd to le rn new skills

throughout their working lives. µoifelong le rning¶ is the w tchword. In the EU,
the number of dults t king p rt in le rning ctivities h s been rising ² re ching
9.6% of people ged between 25 nd 64 in 2006.

As it competes for economic success in the glob l m rketpl ce, the Europe n
Union is up g inst µtr dition l¶ riv ls such s J p n nd the United St tes nd
newer ones like Chin nd Indi .

Education: investing in people

Educ tion is the key to success ± for individu ls nd for the EU s whole. Xow
much of its we lth does e ch EU country spend on educ ting its people?

c Tot l public spending on educ tion s percent ge of G¦~ (2004)

Educ tion beyond the minimum school le ving ge ² nd especi lly t university
level ² is the key to s tisfying c reer for m ny people, nd is essenti l in giving
the EU well-qu lified workforce. In tod y¶s EU, the v st m jority of young
people h ve been educ ted to upper second ry level or beyond.
 c ~ercent ge of 20 to 24-ye r-olds completing t le st upper second ry
educ tion (2006)

The subjects Europeans study

Women, whose educ tion l tt inments were below men¶s in Europe gener tion
go, h ve now c ught up. In 2004, ne rly 55% of young people gr du ting from
higher educ tion in the EU were women.

The subjects Europe ns choose to study tend to differ ccording to their gender:
more men choose science, computing nd engineering, while more women choose
the rts, hum nities nd l w.

Europe needs well-qu lified people in ll w lks of life. In p rticul r, it needs more
women in profession l c reers, nd more scientists (of both genders) to c rry out
vit l rese rch.

c Higher education graduates by gender and field of study, EU-25 (2004)

Better education means better job prospects

On the whole, the less educ ted you re, the more likely you re to be unemployed.
If you h ve completed µterti ry¶ educ tion (e.g. university degree course), your
risk of being out-of-work is less th n h lf th t of someone who never got beyond
prim ry or lower second ry schooling.

c Unemployment r te by educ tion l level for people ged 25 to 64, EU-27

(2006)

Information technology: an essential tool

All over the EU, more nd more firms nd households re connected to the
Internet, nd more business is being done online ² which boosts efficiency. y
2007, most of businesses nd 54% of households in the EU-27 h d ccess to the
Internet.

Xowever, there re big n tion l differences. For ex mple, 83% of households in

the Netherl nds h d Internet ccess in 2007 while in ulg ri this figure w s only
19%. One of the EU¶s priorities is to ensure th t ll its citizens h ve f st, reli ble
ccess to the Internet nd the skills to h ndle inform tion technology. The µdigit l
divide¶ between people in different countries nd regions must be n rrowed.
 c ~ercent ge of households with ccess to the Internet (2007)

Rese rch: key to the future

Rese rch nd development (R&¦), especi lly in new technologies, holds the key
to future economic growth nd jobs. The EU¶s im is to invest more in rese rch to
bring its R&¦ spending in line with th t of the United St tes nd J p n. In 2004,
J p n spent the equiv lent of 3.15% of its gross domestic product (G¦~) on R&¦
nd the US 2.67%, comp red with the EU ver ge of 1.83%.

ut the EU figure m sks consider ble difference between n tion l perform nces.
Figures for 2005 show th t Sweden nd Finl nd lre dy outspend J p n, while
other EU countries spend less th n 1%.

c Tot l spending on R&¦ s percent ge of G¦~ (2006)

Economic activity and trade

One of the EU¶s m in ims is economic progress. Over the l st 50 ye rs, nd
especi lly since the 1980s, much h s been done to bre k down the b rriers between
the EU¶s n tion l economies nd to cre te single m rket where goods, people,
money nd services c n move round freely. Tr de between EU countries h s
gre tly incre sed nd, t the s me time, the EU h s become m jor world tr ding
power.

How much does the EU produce?

The EU¶s gross domestic product (G¦~) ² i.e. the economy¶s output of goods nd
services ² is ste dily growing. Following the entry of new member st tes in 2004,
the EU¶s G¦~ is now gre ter th n th t of the United St tes.

c G¦~ in billions of euro (2007)

In ll EU countries, over 60% of G¦~ is gener ted by the service sector (this
includes things such s b nking, tourism, tr nsport nd insur nce). Industry nd
griculture, lthough still import nt, h ve declined in economic import nce in
recent ye rs. Although the Union¶s G¦~ continues to rise, it h s grown more
slowly th n th t of the United St tes in recent ye rs, but f ster th n th t of J p n.

c G¦~ growth (percent ge ch nge over previous ye r)

¦elivering value for money

The single m rket is one of the EU¶s gre test chievements. It h s broken down
economic frontiers in Europe nd h s incre sed competition, which h s resulted in
better qu lity nd lower prices for goods nd services. Some of the most dr m tic
price reductions h ve been in re s like ir tr vel nd communic tions. T ke the
c se of 10-minute telephone c ll to the United St tes. ~rices in the Netherl nds
fell by 90% between 1997 nd 2006. C llers from o tvi h ve been less fortun te.

c The cost in euro of 10-minute phone c ll to the US: st nd rd weekd y

t riffs, including t x

A major trading power

Although the EU m kes up only 7% of the world¶s popul tion, its tr de with the
rest of the world ccounts for pproxim tely fifth of glob l exports nd imports.

Tr de between EU countries themselves represents two thirds of ll EU tr de,

lthough levels v ry between the member st tes. The single m rket h s m de tr de
between them much e sier s goods, services, c pit l nd people c n now move
freely cross n tion l borders.

The gr ph below shows how much EU countries exported to e ch other in 2005 s

sh re of their tot l exports. ouxembourg comes first, followed by Slov ki nd
the Czech Republic.

c Exports to other EU members s percent ge of e ch country¶s tot l exports

(2005)

The EU is the m in exporter in the world nd the second biggest importer. The
United St tes is the EU¶s most import nt tr ding p rtner, followed by Chin . In
2005, the EU ccounted for 18.1% of world exports nd 18.9% of glob l imports.

The Europe n Union is lso n import nt tr ding p rtner for less developed
countries, most of whose exports enter the EU duty-free or t reduced r tes of duty.
This preferenti l ccess to the EU m rket is imed t boosting the economic
growth of poorer countries round the world..

c Intern tion l tr de in goods, in billions of euro (2005)

The EU: fighting world poverty

~overty is still glob l problem, in spite of progress over recent dec des.  ore
th n 1 billion people round the world, one third of them in sub-S h r n Afric ,
live on less th n doll r d y.

As m jor economic power, the EU pl ys its p rt through tr de nd id to fight

world poverty nd promote glob l development. It seeks to use its influence within
the World Tr de Org nis tion to ensure f ir rules for world tr de nd to m ke
glob lis tion benefit ll n tions, including the poorest. It is the world¶s biggest
donor of offici l development ssist nce.

Transport, energy and the environment

Tr nsport nd energy re vit l to the EU economy. Europe ns nd the products
they consume in ever incre sing qu ntity nd v riety re c rried cross the
continent by ll modes of tr nsport ² but most of ll by ro d.

As the economy grows, so does the dem nd for tr nsport nd energy. ut this
growth me ns incre sing congestion nd fuel consumption, which in turn cre te
more pollution. These re Europe-wide problems th t require Europe-wide
solutions which re decided t EU level.

Sust in ble development is top priority for the EU, which t kes environment l
concerns into ccount in ll its policym king.

Going places

R ilw ys nd inl nd w terw ys (i.e. rivers nd c n ls), once so import nt for

moving goods nd p ssengers round Europe, now c rry only sm ll percent ge
of the tot l. Three qu rters of the Europe n Union¶s freight now goes by ro d ² s
do more th n three qu rters of tr vellers in the EU.

Forec sts predict th t ro d tr nsport will rem in by f r the most import nt mode of
tr vel for p ssengers nd th t ir tr vel will continue to boom.

To e se congestion on the ro ds nd improve the environment, the EU is

encour ging people to tr vel by public tr nsport nd urging tr nsport firms to
move freight to tr ins, b rges nd ships.
To t ckle congestion t Europe¶s irports, the EU is cre ting unified Europe-wide
system of ir tr ffic m n gement (the µsingle Europe n sky¶).

c Use of four me ns of p ssenger tr nsport in the EU-25 s percent ge of

tot l p ssenger tr nsport, me sured in p ssenger-kilometres (2000, 2010 nd
2030)

Secure energy supplies

EU countries depend on imports for more th n h lf the energy they consume.

Xowever, the level of import-dependence differs gre tly, with Cyprus,
ouxembourg nd   lt lmost tot lly reli nt on imports, while ¦enm rk is
ctu lly net exporter of energy nd ~ol nd nd the UK h ve rel tively low levels
of import dependence.

The over ll level of the EU¶s reli nce on imported energy w s 52.3% in 2005 nd
is forec st to rise s domestic resources dwindle. At present, the EU gets bout
50% of the g s it consumes from just three sources ² Russi , Norw y nd
Algeri .

To h ndle its growing import dependence, the EU is working h rd to incre se

energy efficiency, develop renew ble resources nd diversify its r nge of outside
suppliers.

c Net dependence on energy imports s percent ge of tot l consumption,

EU-27 (2005)

Using energy more efficiently nd switching to low-polluting renew ble resources

lso m ke sense s p rt of the EU¶s str tegy to comb t glob l w rming resulting
from burning fossil fuels, especi lly co l nd oil. Using fossil fuels to produce
energy rele ses c rbon dioxide into the tmosphere, contributing to glob l
w rming. The EU h s set t rget of gener ting 21% of its electricity from
renew ble sources such s wind, sol r, hydro, geotherm l nd biom ss by 2010.

c ~ercent ge of electricity produced from renew ble energy sources, EU-27

(2006)
Protecting the environment

As Europe ns grow more prosperous, they h ve responsibility to produce less

w ste nd to m n ge it more efficiently. At present, e ch citizen in the EU-27
produces on ver ge just over h lf tonne of municip l w ste ye r. This w ste
h s to be recycled or disposed of in l ndfills or by inciner tion.

In most EU countries the mount of municip l w ste from households, offices nd

public institutions h s st bilised in recent ye rs or is f lling, ut it is still rising in
others. Irel nd h s the highest level of w ste per c pit nd ~ol nd the lowest.

c Annu l municip l w ste in kg per person, EU-27 (2006)

A m in c use of glob l w rming re the so-c lled greenhouse g ses emitted by

power pl nts, f ctories, f rms, the tr nsport sector nd households. These include
c rbon dioxide, princip lly from the use of fossil fuels (co l, oil nd g s), nd
meth ne.

Under the intern tion l Kyoto ~rotocol, the EU-15 must cut its glob l greenhouse
g s emissions by 8% (comp red with levels in 1990, which serves s the b se ye r)
by 2008±12. To re ch this t rget, EU-15 countries h ve greed burden-sh ring
rr ngement whereby the economic lly less- dv nced c n still incre se emissions
while the rest reduce theirs. The individu l n tion l t rgets re set out in the t ble.

Ten countries th t h ve joined the EU since 2004 h ve individu l emission

reduction t rgets. Cyprus nd   lt do not.

Under Kyoto, J p n is committed to 6% reduction. The United St tes h s not

r tified the Kyoto ~rotocol.

c Greenhouse g s emissions in 2005 s percent ge of the b se ye r

The candidate countries

If country h s pplied to join the Europe n Union nd its pplic tion h s been
offici lly ccepted, it becomes µc ndid te country¶. At present there re three
c ndid te countries ² Cro ti , the former Yugosl v Republic of   cedoni nd
Turkey.

efore c ndid te country c n join the EU it must h ve st ble system of

democr tic government, institutions th t ensure the rule of l w nd respect for
hum n rights. It must lso h ve functioning m rket economy nd n
dministr tion c p ble of implementing EU l ws nd policies. The specific
membership terms for e ch c ndid te country re worked out in negoti tions with
the Europe n Commission. Negoti tions gener lly t ke sever l ye rs to complete.

Size and population

The c ndid te countries differ in size, with Turkey by f r the l rgest. Its popul tion
is bigger th n ny current EU member except Germ ny. Together, the three
c ndid tes would incre se the tot l EU popul tion by 16%.

c Surf ce re , in thous nds of squ re kilometres

c ~opul tion on 1 J nu ry 2007 in millions

Xow we lthy re they?

When you comp re their G¦~ in ~~S per inh bit nt, the c ndid te countries re
consider bly less we lthy th n the EU ver ge. Xowever, Cro ti h s per c pit
G¦~ which is higher th n those of ulg ri nd Rom ni , who bec me EU
members in 2007.

c G¦~ in ~~S per inh bit nt s percent ge of the EU-27 ver ge (2005)

~eople t work

Economic reforms in recent ye rs h ve brought gre t ch nges in the c ndid te

countries, helping to cre te new jobs. ut employment r tes mong people of
working ge in the c ndid te countries re lower th n the EU ver ge.

c Employment r te for 15 to 64-ye r-olds (2006)

In the c ndid te countries, s in the EU, services (including tourism) re n

import nt p rt of the economy. As with the countries th t h ve joined the EU since
2004, the c ndid te countries h ve l rger sh re of the popul tion employed in
griculture th n the EU-15.

c Employment by sector (2004)

Policies and activities of the European Union
The EU member countries h ve tr nsferred some of their l w-m king uthority to
the EU in cert in policy re s, such s griculture nd fisheries. In other re s,
such s culture, policy-m king is sh red between the EU nd n tion l
governments. Find below more inform tion bout EU ctivities nd det ils on
gr nts nd funding.

Policy areas of the European Union

The EU is ctive in wide r nge of policy re s, from hum n rights to tr nsport
nd tr de. Click on policy title below for summ ry of wh t the EU does in th t
re , nd for useful links to relev nt bodies, l ws nd documents.
Agriculture Region l policy
Audiovisu l nd medi Rese rch nd innov tion
udget T x tion
Competition Tr nsport
Consumers
Culture
Customs
¦evelopment
Economic nd monet ry ff irs
Educ tion, tr ining, youth
Employment nd soci l ff irs
Energy
Enl rgement
Enterprise
Environment
Extern l rel tions
Extern l tr de
Fight g inst fr ud
Food s fety
Foreign nd security policy
Xum nit ri n id
Xum n rights
Inform tion society
Institution l ff irs
Intern l m rket
Justice, freedom nd security
  ritime ff irs nd fisheries
~ublic he lth
Rese rch nd innov tion
T x tion
Tr nsport