1990: The collapse of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany’s Central and Eastern European countries become independent: a united Europe seems possible.

1993: The Treaty of Maastricht (also known as the Treaty on European Union) enters into force on 1 November in force.

1995: Enlargement: With the accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland, the EU now has 15 Member States.

1999: The euro becomes the first currency in the world. First introduced as book money in 11 EU countries on 1 January

2004: First eastward enlargement: Cyprus, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Malta and the Czech Republic join. With this largest wave of enlargement to date, the EU now includes 25 Member States.

2007: Second enlargement to the east: the accession of Bulgaria and Romania brings the number of members to 27. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary join the Schengen area.             

2013: Croatia joins the European Union, making it 28 countries in the European Union.

Political system

Greece is a parliamentary republic with a head of government - the prime minister - who has the most political power, and the head of state - the president - whose duties are largely ceremonial. The executive power is exercised by the government.

Trade and economy

The most important sectors of Greece’s economy in 2018 were wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (25.1%), public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (20.3%) and real estate activities (16.3%).

Intra-EU trade accounts for 53% of Greece’s exports (Italy 10% and Germany and Cyprus 6%), while outside the EU 6% go to Turkey and 4% to Lebanon.

In terms of imports, 51% come from EU Member States (Germany 11% and Italy 8%), while outside the EU 8% come from both Iraq and Russia and 7% from China.

 

Greece in the EU

There are 21 members of the European Parliament from Greece. 

In the Council of the EU, national ministers meet regularly to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Council meetings are regularly attended by representatives from the Greek government, depending on the policy area being addressed.

The Council of the EU doesn't have a permanent, single-person president (like e.g. the Commission or Parliament). Instead, its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months.

During these 6 months, ministers from that country's government chair and help determine the agenda of Council meetings in each policy area, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions.

Dates of Greek presidencies:

Jul-Dec 1983 | Jul-Dec 1988 | Jan-Jun 1994 | Jan-Jun 2003 | Jan-Jun 2014

The Commissioner nominated by Greece to the European Commission is Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life

The Commission is represented in each EU country by a local office, called a "representation".

Greece has 12 representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee. This advisory body – representing employers, workers and other interest groups – is consulted on proposed laws, to get a better idea of the possible changes to work and social situations in member countries.

Greece has 11 representatives on the European Committee of the Regions, the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. This advisory body is consulted on proposed laws, to ensure these laws take account of the perspective from each region of the EU.

Greece also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels. As Greece's "embassy to the EU", its main task is to ensure that the country's interests and policies are pursued as effectively as possible in the EU.

Budgets and Funding

How much each EU country pays into the EU budget is calculated fairly, according to means. The larger your country's economy, the more it pays – and vice versa.

The EU budget doesn't aim to redistribute wealth, but rather focuses on the needs of Europeans as a whole. 

2018 figures for Greece:

Chrysanthi Anagnostopoulou

 

  The current European Union is a direct result of an effective decision made by European politicians in order to prevent prospective violent conflicts in Europe after the end of the WWII. Their prior aim was to bring together the countries with the creation of a union that will have a close industrial and financial partnership. Ever since, the responsibilities of the E.U. manifested an upsurge, facing every challenge and setback.

  Greece joined the E.U. in 1981 participating actively in most European initiatives. Several and tangible are the reasons why Greece took this big step in her finance and political area. Not only were the causes economic and developmental but the protection of the civil and human rights as well.

  First and foremost, after the end of the WWII Greece had suffered all the consequences of a war and especially poverty. Having the desire to assume their responsibilities as politicians and bounce the economics of the country rapidly decided to integrate the Greek community into E.U. By entering this Union all the participant countries were privileged with the exchange of commerce and most products could circulate freely.

  Furthermore, the development of the state constituted another factor why Greece joined E.U. In order the state of the country to be improved E.U. gave a generous amount of money that subsequently would be expended; thus, all the countries of the European Union constitute the major doner in the whole world.

  Moreover, Greece having her cultural heritage encroached decided that it is imperative government take some measures in order no more sculptures or marbles be stolen and initiate herself into E.U. Based on this and similar facts the EU seeks to preserve the cultural heritage of each participant country and make it accessible to all.

   Last but not least, after the consequences that the war left behind the people was devastated and frightened by what they will face in the foreseeable future. European Union supporting all the nations incorporated some values such as Human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law and respect for human rights constituting another factor why Greece joined E.U. in order her people to feel safe.

   All things considered, Greece joined this Union in order to overcome all the difficulties that faced in the 20th century and flourish from her ashes to provide a better life to her citizens.

Litaina Vasiliki

Spain's entry into the European Union became effective in 1986, but the signing of the Accession Treaty in Madrid took place in June 1985. Furthermore, the first request to join the European Economic Community was made in 1962 by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando María Castella.

Being in the EU means being part of a single market (the so-called internal market), in which goods, services, workers and capital circulate freely, without obstacles and without being subject to discrimination.

The report reflects how Spain is situated with 12,207.82 million euros in the fifth position in the contribution of the member states to the budgets of the European Union for 2019.

The European Parliament has been chaired by Spaniards on three occasions: Enrique Barón (1989-1992), José María Gil-Robles (1997-1999) and Josep Borrell (2004-2007).

Spain ranks 17th in purchasing power out of a list of 42 European countries.

David Sassoli was born in Florence on May 30, 1956.

He started working as a journalist at small newspapers and news agencies, before moving to the editorial office of Il Giorno in Rome, where he worked for seven years. In 1992, he began working as a television news reporter and correspondent for TG3. 

Subsequently he worked on news programmes on Rai Uno and Rai Due, before joining the editorial staff of TG1 in 1999 as a special correspondent. Over the next 10 years, he was responsible for managing prime time news broadcasts, and covering major national and international events. In 2007, he became Deputy Director of TG1 and responsible for in-depth programmes TV7 and TG1 Special. 

Since a young age, he was involved in educational associations, such as the Scouts and Catholic youth movements. 

When the Partito Democratico (PD) was formed in 2007, he was considered in the right place for his political commitment. On 7 June 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament as a member for central Italy. In the 2009-2014 legislature, he was head of delegation of the Partito Democratico in the European Parliament.

In 2014, he was re-elected as an MEP and was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament, with responsibility for Mediterranean Policy, the budget, and buildings. He was a member of the Committee for Transport and Tourism, and led on European railway reform (4th Railway Package), and the Single European Sky.

In May 2019, he began his third term as an MEP for central Italy and on 3 July, he was elected President of the European Parliament.  

When did Romania enter the EU?
Well, Romania entered the EU on 1st of January 2007

But why?
Romania entered because they wanted to:

1.       Improve their economy.

2.       Consolidate the rule of law, democracy and their position as Western allies.

3.       Create a solid identity as “Europeans”.

BUCHAREST, Romania — More than 12 years after joining the European Union, Romanians are getting increasingly grumpy.

Romania pulled off a successful six-month presidency of the European Union, its first time in that role, and has made considerable progress integrating into Europe. Romanian officials have important jobs in Brussels, including Mircea Geoana, who was just named deputy secretary general of NATO, the first person from the old Eastern Bloc to have the job.

 

Hello everybody, my name is Kun Dominic Matei, I'm from Romania and today I am going to present some fun facts and information about E.U history. Let’s get into it

Everything started between years 1945-1959. Wow, that’s 14 years of starting.E.U. Was founded to end the unnecessary bloody and frequent wars between neighbours. More simply, they wanted peace between European neighbours.

So E.U. was founded by 6 countries.Those 6 countries are:Belgium ,France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Sadly, the 1950s were dominated by a cold war between east and west. So let's get into 1960s, which have been good years for Europe.

These years were amazing years for the economy. WHY? Because of the E.U. countries agree joint control over food production, so that everybody now has enough to eat. And this was just the start of E.U.

THE 1970s the first enlargement

WHY DO WE CALL 1970S THE FIRST ENLARGEMENT ?

​​Well 3 countries joined E.U. on January the 1st of year 1973. THAT'S AMAZING!

NOPE. In the same year, in the month October the short but brutal Arab-Israeli war comes in and makes problems for Europe. ECONOMY PROBLEMS.

More and more countries are joining the E.U.

In 1981 Greece becomes the 10th E.U . member. In 1986 Portugal and Spain join E.U.

in 1989 the border between east and west Germany is opened for the first tim in 28 YEARS.the wall is finally destroyed.:only one Germany from now on.

 Communication is made easier as more and more people start using mobile phones and the internet.

The euro is now the new currency for many Europeans. During the decade more and more countries adopt the euro. 11 September 2001 becomes synonymous with the 'War on Terror' after hijacked airliners are flown into buildings in New York and Washington.Scary fact.

EU in 2004, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. A financial crisis hits the global economy in September 2008. The Treaty of Lisbon is ratified by all EU countries before entering into force in 2009.

from now on it's not history anymore.I'm happy to finish my project.i'm really tired.Anyway I hope you enjoyed my project and I am happy to take part of it!

1. The European Union has its own flag, complete with twelve stars. It is often thought that they originally meant to symbolize the first twelve countries to join the EU, but no correlation has ever truly been confirmed, especially since there are more than double that amount of members today. The twelve stars are generally thought of as a symbol of unity and perfection.

2. The European Union has a motto. It reads: United in Diversity. The motto signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent’s many different cultures, traditions, and languages. The EU also has its own anthem “Ode to Joy”, from Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony”, composed way back in 1823.

3. There are 24 official languages in the European Union. The most commonly used are English, French, and German. Other languages include Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish. If there are European Parliament debates, sessions, and conferences, official transcripts and documents are translated into all these languages. The European Parliament is the biggest employer of interpreters in the world with 350 permanent interpreters, joined by about 400 free-lancers during peak periods. The interpreters make it possible for members of Parliament to speak their own language and still be understood.

4. The main currency in the EU is the Euro, but not every country has adopted it. Today, it is the official currency of 19 countries. It was first introduced in 2002. It was a so exciting event  when many countries switched from their own currency to the Euro. Many people rushed to a cash point at midnight on the 1st January 2002 to withdraw their first Euros.

The euro coins have a standard print on one side and a country-specific design on the other. But you can use them in any country where the Euro is in circulation. It is really fun to have different coins from different countries in your purse. The different banknotes have different colours and represent different architectural styles throughout European history.

5. Member countries aren’t forced to remain in the European Union. Any country is allowed to leave if they so choose, but they obviously must notify the EU of that decision. Arrangements have to be made in order for a country to leave, with decisions made as to how any dealings between that country and the Union in the future would be taken care of. It is a really complicated process (as is joining) as we can see today with the Brexit situation.

6. EU countries also have something else in common: their passports. All European Union countries have a red passport, with “European Union” written at the top, followed by the country the person is the citizen of. There is no European citizenship (yet?) though more and more people feel they are European citizens as they can move around freely to live in any of its countries.

7. The European Union has won the Nobel Peace Prize. It was awarded to the EU in 2012 based on its contributions towards peace and reconciliation. This was a wonderful achievement considering the fact that it was created originally for that exact purpose, amongst other things, after the Second World War.

8.  The European Parliament is the largest and only directly-elected international body in the world. With more than 700 members representing over 500 million citizens from 28 EU member states, no other international body in the world can beat the size of the European Parliament. Since the first parliamentary elections of 1979, the European Parliament has also become the only international assembly with directly-elected members, both in the EU and in the whole world. Its first president ever, back in 1979, was a woman: Simone Veil.

9.  The European Union also runs a network of schools for its staff and others who may want to benefit from a European education. There are currently 13 official European Schools (as of May 2019). The European Baccalaureate cycle consists of a multilingual curriculum. Pupils must always follow a combination of language, humanities and scientific subjects with subjects taught through more than one language. 

10.  The EU has facilitated the daily life of its citizens in many ways. One of the latest benefits, we, as European citizens, can really experience, is roaming. As someone living in Germany, I have a German mobile phone. When I travel to Spain or Latvia, I can use my mobile phone as if I was home. No extra charges, no special contract. The European Health Insurance Card offered free of charge to all residents of the European Union is another wonderful invention. The idea is that all citizens, no matter what participating European country they are in, can access the health care they need, if they need it.

Living in the European Union is a really wonderful thing.

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The European Union is set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbours, which culminated in the Second World War. As of 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community begins to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace. The six founding countries are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. 

The 1960s is a good period for the economy, helped by the fact that EU countries stop charging custom duties when they trade with each other. 

Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Union on 1 January 1973, raising the number of Member States to nine. The short, yet brutal, Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 results in an energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. 

The Polish trade union, Solidarność, and its leader Lech Walesa, become household names across Europe and the world following the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980.

With the collapse of communism across central and eastern Europe, Europeans become closer neighbours. In 1993 the Single Market is completed with the 'four freedoms' of: movement of goods, services, people and money.

The global economic crisis strikes hard in Europe. The EU helps several countries to confront their difficulties and establishes the 'Banking Union' to ensure safer and more reliable banks. In 2012, the European Union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Vlad and Domi