Portal:European Union

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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 449 million as of 2024. 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. Due to its global influence, the European Union has been described by some scholars as an emerging superpower.^{[needs update]}

In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 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...)

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Hungary /ˈhʌŋɡəri/ ^ⓘ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ^ⓘ), officially the Republic of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Köztársaság listen^ⓘ, literally "Hungarian Republic"), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Pannonian Basin and it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The capital and largest city is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, which is part of the Uralic family and is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe.

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Europa and the bull as seen in Nova et accurata totius Europæ descriptio by Fredericus de Wit (1700).

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Did you know?

... that the presidency of the EU Council rotates every half year?

... that the EU parliamentary election is the world's biggest transnational election?

... that the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012?

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Ljubljana is the capital and largest city in Slovenia. The city of Ljubljana is the cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative center of Slovenia. It is situated in central Slovenia, between the Alps and the Mediterranean. The city is divided into several quarters, formerly municipalities, the main ones being Šiška, Bežigrad, Vič, Moste, and Center, which also correspond to the main electoral constituencies of the city.

Its transport connections, concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position. Ljubljana is the seat of the central government, administrative bodies and all government ministries. It is also the seat of Parliament and the Office of the President of Slovenia.

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General images

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

Percentage 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 2After 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 3Flag of the Western Union (from History of the European Union)
Image 4Donald Trump President of the United States (from History of the European Union)
Image 5The 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 6José Manuel Barroso President of the European Commission (2004–2014) (from History of the European Union)
Image 7Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission
(since 1 December 2019) (from History of the European Union)
Image 8Logo of the Court of Justice of the European Union (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 91922 European flag of the Paneuropean Union (from History of the European Union)
Image 10The Euro symbol shown as a sculpture outside the European Central Bank (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 11The European Coal and Steel Community's flag. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 12Aristide Briand (from History of the European Union)
Image 13Logo of the European Council and the Council of the European Union (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 14The Frankish Empire at its greatest extent, ca. 814 AD (from History of the European Union)
Image 15Newest state in yellow (from History of the European Union)
Image 16Kaja Kallas, High Representative Vice President (from Politics of the European Union)
Image 17Europa regina in Sebastian Münster's "Cosmographia", 1570 (from History of the European Union)
Image 18The fertility rate in the EU was 1.46 in 2022 (Kindergarten in France). (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 19Meeting in the Hall of Knights in The Hague, during the Congress of Europe (9 May 1948) (from History of the European Union)
Image 20Logo of the European Central Bank (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 21The ordinary legislative procedure of the European Union (from Politics of the European Union)
Image 22Elaboration by sex (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 23Political 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 24Coins and banknotes of the Euro, the single-currency introduced from 1999 (from History of the European Union)
Image 25Winston Churchill (right, during the Atlantic Conference), consistent advocate of continential European integration, later along with his son-in-law Duncan Sandys (from History of the European Union)
Image 26Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the European Union in 2019 (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 27A piece from the original manuscript. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 28Signatories of the 2007 declaration in dark blue. (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 29The Schuman Parade in Warsaw has been organised by the Schuman Foundation since 1999 (2008 photograph). (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 30Konrad Adenauer, Walter Hallstein and Antonio Segni, signing the European customs union and Euratom in Rome in 1957 (from History of the European Union)
Image 31Mario Draghi (from History of the European Union)
Image 32Population pyramid of the EU 27 in 2023 (from Demographics of the European Union)
Image 33Logo of the European Court of Auditors (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 34Logo of the European Commission (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 35Organigram 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 36Boris Johnson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022 (from History of the European Union)
Image 37Logo of the European Parliament (from Symbols of the European Union)
Image 38A 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 39The flag of Europe, emblem of both the Council of Europe and the European Union. (from Symbols of the European Union)