author
European Union
A unique political and economic union of 27 European countries, it grew out of postwar efforts to make peace and cooperation durable. Today it shapes everything from trade and travel to lawmaking, climate policy, and the shared euro used by many of its members.
1 Audiobook
The Treaty of the European Union, Maastricht Treaty, 7th February, 1992
by European Union
About the author
Its roots go back to the years after World War II, when European leaders began building institutions meant to tie countries together through practical cooperation. Early communities for coal, steel, and economic integration gradually expanded, and the European Union itself was formally established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993.
Today, the EU brings together 27 member states and operates through shared institutions including the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union. It supports free movement across much of the bloc, sets common rules in many policy areas, and plays a major role in trade, regulation, environmental policy, and human rights.
The EU is often described as an unusual project: not a country, but more integrated than a typical international organization. That mix of national sovereignty and shared decision-making has made it one of the most influential political experiments in modern Europe.