The European Union, from an original membership of six countries, is now formed by 27 sovereign nation members, which means 27 different cultures, languages, costumes and centuries of old histories united by common interests.
The most recent member states are Bulgaria and Romania, that joined on 2007 opening the European doors to the western Balkans, but the European integration is an ongoing process as there still are negotiations with other states: Macedonia, Turkey and Croatia for example, who are acknowledged candidates.
To be part of the EU the states have to satisfy conditions that are known as Copenhagen Criteria; economical and political conditions: stability, free market, liberal democracy, set of laws, the respect for human rights, the willingness to join the euro and to adopt all the membership’s obligations.
You could find interesting and artistic places to visit and to live all around the twenty republics, the six kingdoms and the only grand duchy that is why Unesco declared a wide number of European cultural or historical sites World Heritage Sites.
The European Union has also other partner countries:
European Free Trade Association states
Eastern partnership states
Published on 08/07/2010
Last modified on 21/09/2010
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