E.U.
EEA
EUROZONE
EEA
E.U.
EUROZONE
EUROZONE
E.U.
EEA
E.U. and its branches
E.U. (European Union)
A political and economic union between 28 member states. It was formally founded in 1993 with the Treaty of Maastricht, which built upon a number of previous supranational organizations that were formed in the 1950s: the European Economic Community (EEC), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
The European Union has 28 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Euro zone
The monetary union of 19 European Union states who all use the euro as their sole currency. Other E.U. member states are obliged to eventually join the euro zone, though Denmark and Britain have opted out and Sweden has intentionally avoided fulfilling the adoption requirements. The union came into force in 2002.
The euro zone has 19 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
EEA (European Economic Area)
An area that has agreed to the free movement of people, goods and services within the European Union’s common market. It was established in 1994 and includes all E.U. member states as well as members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
The European Economic Area has 31 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
SCHENGEN
COMMON TRAVEL AREA
SCHENGEN
COMMON TRAVEL AREA
SCHENGEN
COMMON TRAVEL AREA
Border control/travel
Schengen zone
Twenty-six European countries that have abolished their controls at their mutual borders with the aim of creating easier freedom of movement. It is based on the Schengen Agreement, which was signed in 1985 by five states. While it was initially separate from the E.U., it became part of it with the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997.
The Schengen zone has 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Common travel area
An agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, to have minimal or non-existent border controls. The agreement was reached after the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom in 1922.
The common travel area has four countries: Channel Islands, Ireland, Isle of Man, United Kingdom.
EFTA
CEFTA
EU CUSTOMS
EFTA
EU CUSTOMS
CEFTA
CEFTA
EFTA
EU CUSTOMS
Customs/trade
E.U. Customs Union
E.U. countries along with Turkey, San Marino, Monaco and a number of overseas British territories within which goods are allowed to move freely. All the countries also agree to a common external tariff on goods entering the union.
The E.U. Customs Union has 31 countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom.
CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement)
A trade bloc between Balkan and Eastern European states that are so far not included in the European Union.
The Central European Free Trade Agreement has seven countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia.
EFTA (European Free Trade Association)
Four European states that are either unable or unwilling to join the E.U. Its members are party to the Agreement on a European Economic Area, which allows them to participate in the E.U.’s single market without being E.U. member states.
The European Free Trade Association has four countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.
NATO
NATO
NATO
Military
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
The pre-eminent military alliance of the West now counts 28 members. It existed for most of the past half-century as a U.S.-led bulwark against the Soviet Union; now, while still checking Russia, it has been recast as an alliance of democracies, working for Europe’s collective security and against large-scale terrorist threats elsewhere.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has 28 countries: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
NORDIC
COUNCIL
Visegrad
Group
BENELUX
BALTIC
ASSEMBLY
BSEC
UNION
STATES
GUAM
NORDIC
COUNCIL
Visegrad Group
BENELUX
BALTIC
ASSEMBLY
GUAM
BSEC
UNION
STATES
UNION
STATES
GUAM
Visegrad Group
BENELUX
BALTIC
ASSEMBLY
NORDIC COUNCIL
BSEC
Regional unions
Nordic Council
An inter-parliamentary forum that aims to improve cooperation between the Nordic countries. It was established in 1953 to help provide security for the Nordic nations and also allows passport-free travel between the countries.
The Nordic Council has five countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
Benelux
Established toward the end of World War II, the customs union between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg is seen as one of the precursors to the E.U.
The Benelux has three countries: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg.
Visegrad Group
An alliance of four Central European states named after a castle town in Hungary, the group would represent one of Europe’s largest economies if seen as a unitary bloc. In the past year, leaders in all four countries have been particularly opposed to Europe allowing an influx of migrants and refugees from the Middle East.
The Visegrad Group has four countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia.
BSEC (Black Sea Economic Cooperation)
The group threads together states around the rim of the Black Sea as well as other regional partners. It has a modest development bank and serves as a forum for multilateral dialogue.
The Black Sea Economic Cooperation has 12 countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Baltic Assembly
A political bloc linking the parliaments of the three Baltic States and based in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
The Baltic Assembly has three countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.
Union States
A political and economic union between Russia and Belarus, it’s a precursor to the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union that also includes a number of post-Soviet states to the east.
The Union States has two countries: Belarus, Russia.
GUAM
The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development gathers four post-Soviet states together that all have tensions with Moscow and struggle with Russian-backed separatists in their midst.
The GUAM has four countries: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova.
Council
of Europe
Council
of Europe
Council of Europe
Humanitarian
Council of Europe
(Not to be confused with the European Council or the Council of the European Union, both of which are part of the E.U.) An international organization that promotes democracy, human rights and more. It was founded before the E.U. in 1949 and includes 47 member states, including a number not in the E.U., such as Turkey and Russia. In fact, the only two countries in Europe not in the council are Belarus and Kosovo. The council cannot make binding laws, but it works to promote common standards.
The Council of Europe has 47 countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom..
Sources: European Union, gov.uk, EFTA, NATO, Norden, Visegrad Group, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Baltic Assembly, CEFTA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, BSEC, soyuz.by and Council of Europe.
