EU referendum 2016: What is the EU and why was it created? | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

What is the EU and why was it formed?

BREXIT supporters are campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union after an in/out referendum this summer. But what is the EU and why was it created?

EU leaders Getty

Jean-Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk, Frans Timmermans, Martin Schulz, Mario Draghi, Federica Mogherini

Eurosceptics want to leave the EU in order to end centrist control by Brussels and to set Britain free to manage its own affairs.

Here is a look at the EU and how it started.   

What is the EU? 

The European Union is an economic and political partnership between 28 member countries that covers much of Europe.

The EU has created a single currency, the Euro, and has built a single market for goods and services that spans European countries with more than 500million citizens. 

EU citizens are allowed to move freely between member states and can live and work wherever they want within the EU.   

The union’s founding principles, known as the four freedoms, guarantee the free movement of people, goods, services and capital.  

Why was the EU created? 

The EU was created in the wake of the Second World War in order to foster economic cooperation and to prevent further conflict between European countries.

The union traces its origins back to the European Coal and Steel Community, which was established in 1951 as way to integrate coal and steel industries. 

In 1958 the European Economic Community (EEC) was formed in a bid to improve cooperation between Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. 

The EEC changed its name to the European Union (EU) in 1993 to reflect its growing involvement in policy areas such as development aid and the environment. 

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European Parliament and flags of member countries

Which countries are in the EU? 

The UK, Denmark and Ireland joined the EU – which was initially made up of the six founding countries – in 1973.  

Greece then Spain and Portugal joined later, followed by the Western European countries of Austria, Sweden and Finland in 1995. 

The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. 

The Eastern European countries of Bulgaria and Romania became EU members in 2007 and Croatia was the last country to join in 2013. 

The EU has promised to "re-energise" Turkey’s bid to join the EU as part of a deal amid the migrant crisis. Turkey first applied to join in 1987.

How much does the EU cost Britain.mp4

Which countries have the Euro? 

The single currency has been adopted by 19 of the EU member states and the Euro is used by more than 330million people every day. 

The UK, Denmark, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Croatia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden do not have the Euro. 

In addition 22 of the EU member states also belong to the Schengen Area, which is made up of European countries that have abolished passport controls on common borders.

Who leads the EU? 

Jean-Claude Juncker is President of the European Commission – the EU’s executive branch – and his right-hand man Frans Timmermans is its First Vice President. 

Donald Tusk is President of the European Council – a summit of leaders of EU member states – and MEP Martin Schulz is President of the European Parliament. 

Mario Dragi is European Central Bank President and Federica Mogherini is the EU’s foreign affairs chief, known as the High Representative. 

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