THE EUROPEAN UNION

HISTORY• 28 European states• after the second world war in 1951• head office: Brussels• 24 different languages

Austria joined 1995

FOUNDING MEMBERS

Belgium

France

Germany

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

• 1973 Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom• 1981 Greece• 1986 Portugal, Spain• 1995 Finland, Austria, Sweden• 2004 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia,

Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus• 2007 Bulgaria, Romania• 2013 Croatia

19 MEMBERS OF THE EURO ZONE

BelgiumThe NetherlandsGermanyEstoniaSpainCyprusFinlandFranceLithuaniaLuxembourg

PortugalSlovakiaSloveniaMaltaAustriaGreeceIrelandItalyLatvia

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

• successful economic cooperation• EU promotes young people• strict consumer protection • safety and mobility • same currency• better living-standards and workplaces

for EU citizens

OUR FUTURE IS EUROPE