View source for European integration

{{Short description|Process of integration of states in and around Europe}}
{{about|the process of state integration into Europe|other meanings|European values|and|Member state of the European Union|and|Foreign relations of the European Union}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
<!-- This article is not about the EU {{Politics of the European Union}}. -->

'''European integration''' is the process of political, legal, social, [[regional integration|regional]] and [[economic integration]] of states wholly or partially in [[Europe]], or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the [[European Union]] and its policies, and can include [[cultural assimilation]] and [[centralisation]].

The history of European integration is marked by the [[Roman Empire]]'s consolidation of European and Mediterranean territories, which set a precedent for the notion of a unified Europe. This idea was echoed through attempts at unity, such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]], the [[Hanseatic League]], and the [[Napoleonic Empire]]. The devastation of World War I reignited the concept of a unified Europe, leading to the establishment of international organizations aimed at political coordination across Europe. The interwar period saw politicians such as [[Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi]] and [[Aristide Briand]] advocating for European unity, albeit with differing visions.

Post-World War II Europe saw a significant push towards integration, with [[Winston Churchill]]'s call for a "United States of Europe" in 1946 being a notable example. This period saw the formation of theories around European integration, categorizing into proto-integration, explaining integration, analyzing governance, and constructing the EU, reflecting a shift from viewing European integration as a unique process, to incorporating broader [[international relations]] and [[comparative political theory|comparative politics theories]].

Citizens' organizations have played a role in advocating further European integration, exemplified by the [[Union of European Federalists]] and the [[European Movement International]]. Various agreements and memberships demonstrate the web of relations and commitments between European countries, showing the multi-layered nature of integration.
{{TOC limit}}

==History==
{{further|Ideas of European unity before 1948}}
In antiquity, the [[Roman Empire]] brought about integration of multiple European and Mediterranean territories. The numerous subsequent claims of [[succession of the Roman Empire]], even the iterations of the Classical Empire and its ancient peoples, have occasionally been reinterpreted in the light of post-1950 European integration as providing inspiration and historical precedents. Important examples include the [[Holy Roman Empire]], the [[Hanseatic League]], the [[Peace of Westphalia]], the [[First French Empire|Napoleonic Empire]], and the unification of [[Unification of Germany|Germany]], [[Unification of Italy|Italy]], and [[Yugoslavia|the Balkans]] as well as the [[Latin Monetary Union]].

[[File:Europa_1928_RV.jpg|thumb|A 1928 [[Europa (currency)|Europa]] coin for the hypothetical "Federated States of Europe" (''États fédérés d'Europe'')]]
Following the catastrophe of the [[First World War]] of 1914–1918, thinkers and visionaries from a range of political traditions again began to float the idea of a politically unified Europe. In the early 1920s a range of international organisations were founded (or re-founded) to help like-minded political parties to coordinate their activities. These ranged from the [[Communist International|Comintern]] (1919), to the [[Labour and Socialist International]] (1921) to the [[Radicalism (historical)|Radical and Democratic Entente]] of centre-left progressive parties (1924), to the [[International Agrarian Bureau|Green International]] of farmers' parties (1923), to the centre-right International Secretariat of [[Christian democracy|Democratic Parties inspired by Christianity]] (1925).<ref>{{cite book
 |last1             = Kosowska-Gąstoł
 |first1            = Beata
 |editor-last1      = Kosicki
 |editor-first1     = Piotr H.
 |editor-last2      = Łukasiewicz
 |editor-first2     = Sławomir
 |date              = 6 November 2017
 |chapter           = A Truly 'European' Christian Democracy? The European People's Party
 |title             = Christian Democracy Across the Iron Curtain: Europe Redefined
 |url               = https://books.google.com/books?id=mu09DwAAQBAJ
 |publication-place = Cham, Zug
 |publisher         = Springer
 |page              = 129
 |isbn              = 9783319640877
 |access-date       = 13 August 2023
 |quote             = [...] forerunners of contemporary Christian Democracy had pioneered transnational cooperation beginning in 1925 with the International Secretariat of Democratic Parties of Christian Inspiration.
 |archive-date      = 13 August 2023
 |archive-url       = https://web.archive.org/web/20230813053716/https://books.google.com/books?id=mu09DwAAQBAJ
 |url-status        = live
}}</ref>
While the remit of these international bodies was global, the predominance of political parties from Europe meant that they facilitated interaction between the adherents of a given ideology across European borders. Within each political tradition, voices emerged advocating not merely the cooperation of various national parties, but the pursuit of political institutions at the European level.

One of the first to articulate this view was [[Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi]], who outlined a conservative vision of European unity in his [[Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi#Pan-European political activist|Pan-Europa manifesto]] (1923).<ref>Ben Rosamond, Theories of European Integration, Palgrave Macmillan, 2000, pp. 21–22.</ref> The First [[Paneuropean]] Congress took place in [[Vienna]] in 1926, and the association possessed 8000 members by the time of the 1929 [[Wall Street crash of 1929|Wall Street crash]]. They envisaged a specifically Christian, and by implication Catholic, Europe. The British civil-servant and future Conservative minister [[Arthur Salter, 1st Baron Salter|Arthur Salter]] published a book advocating ''The United States of Europe'' in 1933.<ref>{{cite book
 |last1        = Salter
 |first1       = James Arthur
 |author-link1 = Arthur Salter, 1st Baron Salter
 |year         = 1933
 |title        = The United States of Europe: And Other Papers
 |url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=ehrchL7zd4kC
 |series       = Essay index reprint series
 |publisher    = Books for Libraries Press
 |isbn         = 9780836917185
 |access-date  = 13 August 2023
 |archive-date = 13 August 2023
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230813053716/https://books.google.com/books?id=ehrchL7zd4kC
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>

In contrast the Soviet commissar (minister) [[Trotsky|Leon Trotsky]] raised the slogan "For a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] United States of Europe" in 1923, advocating a Europe united along communist principles.<ref>''The Slogan of the Soviet United States of Europe'' by Leon Trotsky. From ''The Draft Program of the Communist International'', 1936. Retrieved through https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/socialist-viewpoint-us/feb_05/feb_05_22.html</ref>

Among liberal-democratic parties, the French centre-left undertook several initiatives to group like-minded parties from the European states. In 1927, the French mathematician and politician [[Émile Borel]], a leader of the centre-left Radical Party and the founder of the Radical International, set up a French Committee for European Cooperation, and a further twenty countries set up equivalent committees. However, it remained an élite venture: the largest committee, the French one, possessed fewer than six-hundred members, two-thirds of them parliamentarians.<ref>{{Cite journal|last= Guieu|first= Jean-Michel|date= 2003|title= Le Comité fédéral de coopération européenne|journal= Organisations Internationales et Architectures Européennes (1929–1939)|pages= 73–91}}</ref> Two centre-left French prime ministers went further.  In 1929 [[Aristide Briand]] gave a speech in the presence of the [[League of Nations]] Assembly in which he proposed the idea of a federation of European nations based on solidarity and in the pursuit of economic prosperity and political and social co-operation. In 1930, at the League's request, Briand presented a ''Memorandum on the organisation of a system of European Federal Union''.<ref>D. Weigall and P. Stirk, editors, ''The Origins and Development of the European Community'', Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1992, pp.&nbsp;11–15.</ref> The next year the future French prime minister [[Édouard Herriot]] published his book [[European Federation|''The United States of Europe'']]. Indeed, a template for such a system already existed, in the form of the 1921 [[Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union|Belgian and Luxembourgish customs and monetary union.]]

Support for the proposals by the French centre-left came from a range of prestigious figures. Many eminent economists, aware that the economic race-to-the-bottom between states was creating ever-greater instability, supported the view: these included [[John Maynard Keynes]]. The French political scientist and economist [[Bertrand de Jouvenel|Bertrand Jouvenel]] remembered a widespread mood after 1924 calling for a "harmonisation of national interests along the lines of European union, for the purpose of common prosperity".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Un Voyageur dans le Siècle|last=Jouvenel|first=Bertrand|year=1980|location=Paris|pages=79}}</ref> The Spanish philosopher and politician, [[José Ortega y Gasset|Ortega y Gasset]], expressed a position shared by many within [[Second Spanish Republic|Republican Spain]]: "European unity is no fantasy, but reality itself; and the fantasy is precisely the opposite: the belief that France, Germany, Italy or Spain are substantive & independent realities."<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Revolt of the Masses|last= Ortega y Gasset|first= José|publisher= Editorial Castalia|year= 1998 |orig-year= 1929 |location= Madrid}}</ref> [[Eleftherios Venizelos]], Prime Minister of [[Second Hellenic Republic|Greece]], outlined his government's support in a 1929 speech by saying that "the [[European Federation|United States of Europe]] will represent, even without Russia, a power strong enough to advance, up to a satisfactory point, the prosperity of the other continents as well".<ref>{{cite book|title= Eleftherios K. Venizelos – A Biography|last= Emm. Papadakis|first= Nikolaos|publisher= National Research Foundation "Eleftherios K. Venizelos"|year=2006|pages=48–50}}</ref>

[[Interwar period|Between the two world wars]], the Polish statesman [[Józef Piłsudski]] (1867–1935) envisaged the idea of a European federation that he called ''[[Międzymorze]]'' ("Intersea" or "Between-seas"), known in English as ''[[Intermarium]]'', which was a Polish-oriented version of [[Mitteleuropa]].

The [[Great Depression]], the rise of [[fascism]] and [[communism]] and subsequently [[World War II]] prevented{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} the inter-war movements from gaining further support: between 1933 and 1936 most of Europe's remaining democracies became dictatorships, and Ortega's Spain and Venizelos's Greece had both plunged into civil war. But although the social-democratic, liberal or Christian-democratic supporters of European unity were out of power during the 1930s and unable to put their ideas into practice, many would find themselves in power in the 1940s and 1950s, and better-placed to put into effect their earlier remedies against economic and political crisis.

During World War II (1939–1945) [[Nazi Germany]] came to dominate – [[German-occupied Europe|directly]] or [[Axis powers|indirectly]] – much of Europe at various times. The plans for German-oriented political, social, and economic integration of Europe – such as the [[New Order (Nazism)|New Order]], the [[Greater Germanic Reich]] and {{lang | de | [[Generalplan Ost]]}} – did not survive the war.

At the end of World War II, the continental political climate favoured unity in democratic European countries, seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of [[nationalism]] which had devastated the continent.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.cvce.eu/en/collections/unit-content/-/unit/02bb76df-d066-4c08-a58a-d4686a3e68ff/aa27f99a-e21e-418d-9bfb-a95d4d183724/Resources#bafcfa2d-7738-48f6-9b41-3201090b67bb_en&overlay|title= The political consequences|website= Cvce.eu|access-date= 16 January 2015|archive-date= 7 January 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150107021512/http://www.cvce.eu/en/collections/unit-content/-/unit/02bb76df-d066-4c08-a58a-d4686a3e68ff/aa27f99a-e21e-418d-9bfb-a95d4d183724/Resources#bafcfa2d-7738-48f6-9b41-3201090b67bb_en&overlay|url-status= live}}</ref> In a speech delivered on 19 September 1946 at the [[University of Zürich]] in Switzerland, [[Winston Churchill]] postulated a [[European Federation|United States of Europe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.zeit.de/reden/die_historische_rede/200115_hr_churchill1_englisch|title= Ein britischer Patriot für Europa: Winston Churchills Europa-Rede, Universität Zürich, 19. September 1946|newspaper= Zeit Online|access-date= 13 January 2010|trans-title= A British Patriot for Europe: Winston Churchill's Speech on Europe University of Zurich, 19 September 1946|archive-date= 22 December 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171222143525/http://www.zeit.de/reden/die_historische_rede/200115_hr_churchill1_englisch|url-status= live}}</ref> The same speech however contains remarks, less-often quoted, which make it clear that Churchill did not initially see Britain as being part of this United States of Europe:
{{Blockquote
|text= We British have our own Commonwealth of Nations{{nbsp}}... And why should there not be a European group which could give a sense of enlarged patriotism and common citizenship to the distracted peoples of this turbulent and mighty continent and why should it not take its rightful place with other great groupings in shaping the destinies of men?{{nbsp}}... France and Germany must take the lead together. Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America[,] and I trust Soviet Russia—for then indeed all would be well—must be the friends and sponsors of the new Europe and must champion its right to live and shine.
We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only, will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.
|author= Winston Churchill<ref>{{Cite speech | last = Churchill | first = Winston | title = Speech to the Academic Youth | date = 1946 | location = Zürich, Switzerland | url = http://www.europa-web.de/europa/02wwswww/202histo/churchill.htm | access-date = 3 December 2009 | archive-url = http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515133233/http://www.europa-web.de/europa/02wwswww/202histo/churchill.htm | archive-date = 15 May 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
|multiline=yes
}}

==Theories of integration==
European integration scholars Thomas Diez and Antje Wiener identify the general tendencies in the development of European integration theory and suggest to divide theories of integration into three broad phases, which are preceded by a normative proto-integration theory period.<ref name="Diez 2019">Diez, Thomas, and Antje Wiener. 2019. 'Introducing the Mosaic of Integration Theory'. Pp. 1–24 in ''European integration theory'', edited by A. Wiener, T. A. Börzel, and T. Risse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref> There's a gradual shift from theories studying European integration as [[sui generis]] towards new approaches that incorporate theories of International Relations and Comparative politics.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Saurugger, Sabine |title=Theoretical approaches to European integration |date=30 August 2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-137-36724-2 |oclc=967394091}}</ref>

=== Proto-integration period ===
The question of how to avoid wars between the nation-states was essential for the first theories. [[Federalism]] and [[Functionalism in international relations|functionalism]] proposed the containment of the nation-state, while [[transactionalism]] sought to theorise the conditions for the stabilisation of the nation-state system. Early federalism was more like a political movement calling for European federation by various political actors, for example, [[Altiero Spinelli]] calling for a federal Europe in his [[Ventotene Manifesto]], and [[Paul Valéry]] envisioning European civilization for unity.<ref>Ginsberg, Roy H. 2010. ''Demystifying the European Union the Enduring Logic of Regional Integration / Roy H. Ginsberg.'' 2nd ed. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.</ref> State sovereignty was an issue for federalists who hoped political organizations at higher regional level would solve the issue.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> A representative scholar of functionalism was [[David Mitrany]], who also saw states and their sovereignty as a core problem and believed that one should restrain states to prevent future wars. However, Mitrany disagreed with regional integration as he viewed it as mere replication of the state-model.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> Transactionalism, on the other hand, sees increased cross-border exchanges as promoting regional integration so that the risk of war is reduced.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kuhn |first=Theresa |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199688913.001.0001 |title=Experiencing European Integration |date=15 January 2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199688913.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-968891-3 |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222112840/https://academic.oup.com/book/12849 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== First phase: explaining integration, 1960s onwards ===
European integration theory initially focused on explaining integration process of [[Supranational union|supranational]] institution-building.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> One of the most influential theories of European integration is [[neofunctionalism]], influenced by functionalist ideas, developed by [[Ernst B. Haas]] (1958) and further investigated by [[Leon Lindberg]] (1963). This theory focuses on spillovers of integration, where well-integrated and interdependent areas led to more integration.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Policy-making in the European Union |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |others=Wallace, Helen (Helen S.), Wallace, William, 1941–, Pollack, Mark A., 1966– |isbn=0199276129 |edition=5th |location=Oxford |pages=16–19 |oclc=58828845}}</ref><ref>Niemann, Arne, and Philippe C. Schmitter. 2009. 'Neofunctionalism'. Pp. 45–66 in ''European integration theory'', edited by A. Wiener and T. Diez. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref> Neofunctionalism well captures the spillover from the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] to the European Economic Community established in the 1957 Treaties of Rome. Transfers of loyalties from the national level to the supranational level is expected to occur as integration progresses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Risse |first=Thomas |date=April 2005 |title=Neofunctionalism, European identity, and the puzzles of European integration |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501760500044033 |journal=Journal of European Public Policy |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=291–309 |doi=10.1080/13501760500044033 |s2cid=144529861 |issn=1350-1763 |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-date=3 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603182907/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13501760500044033 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The other big influential theory in Integration Studies is [[Intergovernmentalism]], advanced by [[Stanley Hoffmann]] after the [[Empty chair crisis|Empty Chair Crisis]] by French President [[Charles de Gaulle|Charles De Gaulle]] in the 1960s. Intergovernmentalism and later, [[Liberal intergovernmentalism|Liberal Intergovernmentalism]], developed in the 1980s by [[Andrew Moravcsik]] focus on governmental actors' impacts that are enhanced by supranational institutions but not restrained from them.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> The important debate between neofunctionalism and (liberal) intergovernmentalism still remains central in understanding the development and setbacks of the European integration.

=== Second phase: analyzing governance, 1980s onwards ===
As the empirical world has changed, so have the theories and thus the understanding of European Integration. The second generation of integration theorists focused on the importance of institutions and their impacts on both integration process and European governance development.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> The second phase brought in perspectives from comparative politics in addition to traditional International Relations theoretical references. Studies attempted to understand what kind of polity the EU is and how it operates.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> For example, new theory [[multi-level governance]] (MLG) was developed to understand the workings and development of the EU.

=== Third phase: constructing the EU, 1990s onwards ===
The third phase of integration theory marked a return of International Relations theory with the rise of critical and constructivist approaches in the 1990s.<ref name="Diez 2019" /> Perspectives from social constructivists, post-structuralists, critical theories, feminist theories are incorporated in integration theories to conceptualize European integration process of widening and deepening.<ref name="Diez 2019" />

==Citizens' organisations calling for further integration==
Various federalist organisations have been created over time supporting the idea of a federal Europe. These include the [[Union of European Federalists]], the [[Young European Federalists]], the [[European Movement International]], the [[European Federalist Party]], and [[Volt Europa]]. The [[Union of European Federalists]] (UEF) is a European non-governmental organisation, campaigning for a Federal Europe. It consists of 20 constituent organisations and it has been active at the European, national and local levels for more than 50 years. The [[European Movement International]] is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it. The [[European Federalist Party]] is a [[pro-European]], pan-European and federalist political party which advocates further integration of the EU and the establishment of a Federal Europe. Its aim is to gather all Europeans to promote European federalism and to participate in all elections all over Europe.  It has national sections in 15 countries. [[Volt Europa]] is a pan-European and European federalist political movement that also serves as the pan-European structure for subsidiary parties in EU member states. It is present in 29 countries and participates in elections all over the EU on the local, national and European level.

==Overlap of membership in various agreements==
{{further|List of European countries by membership in international organisations|Multi-speed Europe}}
{{Supranational European Bodies|size=580px|align=right}}
There are various agreements with overlapping membership. Several countries take part in a larger number of agreements than others.

===Common membership of member states of the European Union===
Each [[member states of the European Union|member state of the European Union]] (EU) is:
#a member state of the:
#* [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE), Secretariat: Vienna, Austria
#* [[European Political Community]] (EPC)
#* [[Council of Europe]] (CoE), HQ: Strasbourg, France
#* [[European Civil Aviation Conference]] (ECAC), HQ: Neuilly-sur-Seine/Paris, France
#* [[European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation]] (Eurocontrol), HQ: Brussels, Belgium
#* [[European Committee for Standardization]] (CEN), HQ: Brussels, Belgium
#* [[European Telecommunications Standards Institute]] (ETSI), HQ: Sophia Antipolis, France
#* [[European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization]] (CENELEC), HQ: Brussels, Belgium
#* [[European Union Customs Union]] (EUCU)
#* [[European Olympic Committees]] (EOC), HQ: Rome, Italy
#* [[European Patent Convention]] (EPC)/European Patent Organisation (EPOrg)
#* [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (EAEC, Euratom)
#* [[Single Euro Payments Area]] (SEPA)
#* [[European Common Aviation Area]] (ECAA)
#* [[European Higher Education Area]] (EHEA) – Belgium as [[Flemish Community]] and [[French Community of Belgium|French Community]], i.e. the [[German-speaking Community of Belgium]] is not included.
# home to organizations that are members of the:
#* [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU), HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
#* [[Union of European Football Associations]] (UEFA), HQ: Nyon, Switzerland
#* [[European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity]], HQ: Brussels, Belgium
# home to organisations that are members, associated partners or observers of the
#* [[European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas]], HQ: Brussels, Belgium
# located in the [[European Broadcasting Area]] (EBA)

===Membership in European Union agreements===
{{For|participation of non-EU countries in EU integration initiatives|Multi-speed Europe#Participation of European countries in EU integration initiatives}}
[[File:EU-Agreements current.svg|upright=1.45|thumb|{{legend|#000080|EU, Schengen, EMU, AFSJ (All agreements): 18 c.}}
{{legend|#008080|EU, Schengen, AFSJ: 6 c.}}
{{legend|#008000|EU, EMU, AFSJ: 1 c.}}
{{legend|#00ffff|EU, Schengen: 1 c.}}
{{legend|#0000ff|EU, EMU: 1 c.}}
{{legend|#800080|EEA, Schengen: 3 c.}}
{{legend|#803300|Schengen, Bilateral treaties: 1 c.}}
{{legend|#FF6600|Candidates, some agreements: 9 c.}}
{{legend|#F5FF52|Microstates, some agreements: 4 c.}}
{{legend|#000000|Association Agreement: 1 c.}}
{{legend|grey|some agreements: 0 c.}}]]
A small group of EU member states have joined all European treaties, instead of opting out on some. They drive the development of a federal model for the European integration. This is linked to the concept of [[Multi-speed Europe]] where some countries would create a core union; and goes back to the [[Inner Six]] references to the founding member states of the [[European Communities]].

At present, the formation of a formal Core Europe Federation ("a federation within the confederation") has been held off at every occasion where such a federation treaty had been discussed.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} Instead, supranational institutions are created that govern more areas in "Inner Europe" than existing European integration provides for.

Among the 27 EU state members, 18 states have signed all integration agreements: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. The agreements considered include the fifth stage of economic integration or [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|EMU]], the [[Schengen agreement]], and the [[Area of freedom, security and justice]] (AFSJ).

Thus, among the 27 EU countries, 21 have joined the Eurozone, 25 have joined Schengen, and also 25 have no opt-outs under AFSJ.

Further, some countries which do not belong to the EU have joined several of these initiatives, albeit sometimes at a lower stage such as the [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]], the [[European Economic Area|Common Market (EEA)]], or even unilaterally adopting the euro, and by taking part in [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen]], either as a signatory state, or ''de facto.''

Thus, 6 non-EU countries have adopted the euro (4 through an agreement with the EU and 2 unilaterally), and 4 non-EU states have joined the Schengen agreement officially.

The following table shows the status of each state membership to the different agreements promoted by the EU. It lists 47 countries, including the 27 EU member states, 9 candidate states, 3 members of the [[European Economic Area|EEA]] and Switzerland, Kosovo which has applied for membership, 4 microstates, and the United Kingdom and Armenia as special cases.

Hence, this table summarises some components of EU laws applied in most European states. Some territories of EU member states also have a [[Special Member State territories and the European Union#Summary|special status]] in regard to EU laws applied. Some territories of EFTA member states also have a [[EFTA and the European Union|special status]] in regard to EU laws applied as is the case with some [[Microstates and the European Union#Summary|European microstates]]. For member states that do not have special-status territories the EU law applies fully with the exception of the [[opt-outs in the European Union]] and [[Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification|states under a safeguard clause]] or alternatively some states participate in [[enhanced co-operation]] between a subset of the EU members. Additionally, there are various examples of non-participation by some EU members and non-EU states participation in particular [[Agencies of the European Union]], the programmes for [[European Higher Education Area]], [[European Research Area]] and [[Erasmus Mundus]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float: center; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;"
|+ style="font-size: 130%;" | European Union Agreements
! State
! Map
! EU
! [[European Economic Area|EEA]]
! [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]]
! [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen]]
! [[Eurozone|EMU (Euro)]]
! [[AFSJ]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Austria}} Austria
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Belgium|state}} Belgium
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} Bulgaria
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Croatia}} Croatia
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Estonia}} Estonia
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Finland}} Finland
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|France}} France
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Germany}} Germany
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]<ref>3 October 1990 for East Germany</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Greece}} Greece
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Italy
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Latvia}} Latvia
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Lithuania}} Lithuania
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Luxembourg}} Luxembourg
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Malta}} Malta
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Netherlands
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Portugal}} Portugal
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Slovakia}} Slovakia
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Slovenia}} Slovenia
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Spain}} Spain
| style="background:navy;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone#European Union member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} Czech Republic
| style="background:teal;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Czech Republic and the euro|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} Hungary
| style="background:teal;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Hungary and the euro|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Poland}} Poland
| style="background:teal;" |
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | [[Poland and the euro|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" | [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union#The UK and Polish protocol|CFR partial opt-out]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Romania}} Romania
| style="background:teal;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Romania and the euro|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden
| style="background:teal;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Sweden and the euro|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Cyprus}} Cyprus
| style="background:green;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Schengen Area#Prospective members|Obliged to join]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[AFSJ|Yes]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Denmark}} Denmark
| style="background:#00ffff;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Opt-outs in the European Union#Economic and Monetary Union – Denmark|Opt-out]], [[ERM II]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[AFSJ#Opt-outs|Opt-out]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Ireland}} Ireland
| style="background:#0000ff;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Member state of the European Union|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Opt-outs in the European Union#Schengen Agreement – Ireland|Opt-out]], [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Eurozone member states|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[AFSJ#Opt-outs|Opt-out (Opt-in)]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Liechtenstein}} Liechtenstein
| style="background:#800080;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Liechtenstein–European Union relations|No]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No ([[Liechtenstein–Switzerland relations|Swiss-Liecht CU]])
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Norway}} Norway
| style="background:#800080;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Norway–European Union relations|Applications withdrawn]]<ref>accession suspended (1962 and 1967). Then rejected in two referendums (1972 and 1994)</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Iceland}} Iceland
| style="background:#800080;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Iceland–European Union relations|Applications withdrawn]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dw.de/iceland-withdraws-eu-accession-bid/a-18313183 |title=Iceland withdraws EU accession bid &#124; News &#124; DW.COM &#124; 12.03.2015 |publisher=Dw.de |access-date=6 January 2016 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110223/http://www.dw.de/iceland-withdraws-eu-accession-bid/a-18313183 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| Yes
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Switzerland
| style="background:#803300;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Switzerland–European Union relations|Application withdrawn]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/dea/fr/documents/bundesrat/160727-Lettre-retrait-adhesion-CH_fr.pdf|date=27 July 2016|access-date=13 September 2016|publisher=[[Swiss Federal Council]]|title=Retrait de la demande d'adhesion de la Suisse a l'UE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022054616/https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/dea/fr/documents/bundesrat/160727-Lettre-retrait-adhesion-CH_fr.pdf|archive-date=22 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Switzerland–European Union relations|Bilateral treaties]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/switzerland/|title=Trade – Switzerland|access-date=15 September 2012|publisher=[[European Commission]]|archive-date=25 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325033255/http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/switzerland/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No ([[Liechtenstein–Switzerland relations|Swiss-Liecht CU]])
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[Schengen Area#Current members|Yes]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Albania}} Albania
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Accession of Albania to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} Bosnia and Herzegovina
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" | [[Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
|-
| {{flagicon|Georgia}} Georgia
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" | [[European Union-Georgia relations|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | No
|-
| {{flagicon|Moldova}} Moldova
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Moldova–European Union relations|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Montenegro}} Montenegro
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Accession of Montenegro to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| [[Montenegro and the euro|Unilaterally adopted]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|North Macedonia}} North Macedonia
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Serbia}} Serbia
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Accession of Serbia to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Turkey}} Turkey
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]]{{refn|In a customs union with the EU.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_412_en.htm |title=Andorra : Customs Unions and preferential arrangements |publisher=[[European Commission]] |access-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026034312/http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_412_en.htm |archive-date=26 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_413_en.htm|title=San Marino : Customs Unions and preferential arrangements|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=12 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026034319/http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_413_en.htm|archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/countries/turkey/index_en.htm|title=Trade : Turkey|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=12 September 2012|archive-date=2 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302094003/http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/countries/turkey/index_en.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_414_en.htm|title=Turkey : Customs Unions and preferential arrangements|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=12 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730093911/http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/rules_origin/customs_unions/article_414_en.htm|archive-date=30 July 2012}}</ref>|name=CU|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Ukraine}} Ukraine
| style="background:#f60;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[European Union–Ukraine relations|Candidate]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Andorra}} Andorra
| style="background:#F5FF52;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Andorra–European Union relations|No]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]]{{refn|name=CU|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Schengen Area#Status of the European microstates|No]], [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|Yes]]{{refn|Formal [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|agreement]] with the EU to issue euros.|name=euros|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} Monaco
| style="background:#F5FF52;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Monaco–European Union relations|No]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| ''de facto'', with France
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| [[Schengen Area#Status of the European microstates|''de facto'', with France]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|Yes]]{{refn|Formal [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|agreement]] with the EU to issue euros.|name=euros|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|San Marino}} San Marino
| style="background:#F5FF52;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[San Marino–European Union relations|No]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]]{{refn|name=CU|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| [[Schengen Area#Status of the European microstates|Open border]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|Yes]]{{refn|name=euros|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Vatican City}} Vatican City
| style="background:#F5FF52;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Holy See–European Union relations|No]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| [[Schengen Area#Status of the European microstates|Open border]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;"| [[International status and usage of the euro#Sovereign states|Yes]]{{refn|name=euros|group=Note}}
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Kosovo}} Kosovo 
| style="background:#000;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| [[Accession of Kosovo to the European Union|Applicant, SAA signed]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;" | No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa_exemptions|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#bbf;"| [[Kosovo and the euro|Unilaterally adopted]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|Armenia}} Armenia
| style="background#000;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Armenia–European Union relations|No]] ({{hilite | [[Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement|CEPA signed]] | #fdb}})
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Energy Community|EC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|-
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
| style="background#000;"|
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| [[Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union|No]] ([[Brexit|withdrew]])
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No (withdrew)
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdb;"| No, [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area#Visa requirements for the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania|Visa Free]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;"| No
|}

Notes:
{{Reflist|group="Note"|2}}

===Most integrated countries===
<mapframe text="Map of Eurozone and ERM II without opt-out" latitude="55" longitude="17" zoom="3" width="420" height="420" align="right">
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</mapframe>
21 states are part of the [[Eurozone]] or in ERM II without Euro opt-out.

These are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

They are all members of or take part in:
* the [[European Union]]
* the [[European Defence Agency]] (EDA)
* the [[European Economic Area]] (EEA)

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%"
|+ Countries in the [[Eurozone]] or in [[ERM II]] without Euro opt-out
|-style="font-size:90%"
! [[Eurozone]] since: || || || ||  || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 1999 || 2001 || 2007 || 2008 || 2008 || 2009 || 2011 || 2014 || 2015 || 2023 || 
|-style="font-size:90%"
! Benelux/ WU/ WEU/ EC/ EU since: !! !! !! !!  !! 1948 !! 1948 !! 1948 !! 1948 !! 1951 !! 1951 !! 1973 !! 1986 !! 1986 !! 1995 !! 1995 !! 1981 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2004 !! 2013 !! 2007
|-syle="font-size:90%;"
! Rule not met || EU only || Comment || || Qty || [[Belgium|BE]] || [[Luxembourg|LU]] || [[Netherlands|NL]] || [[France|FR]] || [[Germany|DE]] || [[Italy|IT]] || [[Republic of Ireland|IE]] || [[Spain|ES]] || [[Portugal|PT]] || [[Austria|AT]] || [[Finland|FI]] || [[Greece|GR]] || [[Slovenia|SI]] || [[Cyprus|CY]] || [[Malta|MT]] || [[Slovakia|SK]] || [[Estonia|EE]] || [[Latvia|LV]] || [[Lithuania|LT]] || [[Croatia|HR]] || [[Bulgaria|BG]]
|- style="font-size:80%;"
! &nbsp; || || || ||  || || || || || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|- class="sorttop" style="background-color:#"
! Quantity total: || || || || 245 || 4 || 10 || 6 || 1 || 3 || 5 || 21 || 3 || 8 || 9 || 12 || 11 || 10 || 24 || 24 || 11 || 14 || 17 || 17 || 19 || 16
|-
| [[PESCO]] 
| yes
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Permanent_Structured_Cooperation_in_Defence_member_states.svg|50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| is a member state of the [[Council of Europe Development Bank]] 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:BDCE pays.PNG|50x50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| did implement the [[EUCARIS]] system 
| no
| PT is preparing, AT is not party to the EUCARIS Treaty (2000) as such 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[European Public Prosecutor's Office]] (EPPO)
| yes
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European_Public_Prosecutor_member_states.svg|50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[AFSJ]] 
| yes
| IE has flexible opt-in 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Area_of_freedom,_security_and_justice_participation.svg|50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| uses [[UIC gauge]] for existing or planned high-speed rail 
| no
| 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">
[[File:Rail gauge world.svg|50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| is part of [[EUMETNET]] 
| no
| BG is a partner state 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:EUMETNET_Members_map.svg|50px]]</div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
|-
| is a member state of the [[European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission]] (EIFAAC) 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[Schengen Agreement]] 
| no
| IE has an opt-out, CY is committed to join
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Map of the Schengen Area.svg|50px]]</div>
| 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| is party to the [[European Social Charter|Revised European Social Charter]]
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European Social Charter member states.svg|50px]]</div>
| 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| did sign the [[Agreement on a Unified Patent Court]] 
| yes
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:EUpatent.svg|50px]]</div>
| 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| [[Istanbul Convention]] 
| no
| SK, LT, BG signed but not ratified
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Istanbul Convention (2011) participation map, current.svg|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1
|-
| is a member of [[European Molecular Biology Laboratory]] (EMBL) 
| no
|BG has been a prospect member since 2024
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:EMBL Member States 2020.svg|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
|-
| does use the [[Latin script]] for the main language resulting in "EURO" on Euro banknotes
| yes
| GR,CY use Greek "ΕΥΡΩ", BG uses Cyrillic "ЕВРО"
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Latin alphabet world distribution.svg|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
|-
| is a member of the [[International Whaling Commission]] 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:International Whaling Commission members.svg|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| does use an [[Indo-European language]] as the main language
| no
| EE, FI finno-ugric, MT semitic 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Indo-European Language Family Branches in Eurasia.png|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[right hand traffic]] 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European countries with left-hand or right-hand traffic.png|50px]]</div>
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[OECD]] 
| no
| BG and HR are applicants
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:OECD members applicants map.svg|50px]]</div>
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
| did join the RG Continental Europe of the [[European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity]], managing the [[synchronous grid of Continental Europe]] (UCTE) 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European electricity grid.svg|50px]]</div>
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[Finabel]] 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:FINABEL Countries 2024.png|50x50px]]</div>
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[NATO]] 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Member states of NATO - Europe.png|50px]]</div>
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| Property regimes of international couples 
| ?
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European Union international couples property regime.svg|50px]]</div>
| 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
| is a member state of the [[International Energy Agency]] 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">
[[File:IEA International Energy Agency Map.png|50px]]</div>
| 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
| is a member state of the [[Nuclear Energy Agency]] (NEA) 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">
[[File:OECD-NEA Membership March 2023.png|50px]]
</div>
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
|-
| is part of [[European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts]] (ECMWF) 
| no
| SK, LV, LT, BG signed a co-operation agreement, MT, CY not 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European_forecasting.svg|50px]]</div>
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1
|-
| does participate in the [[European Union Divorce Law Pact]] 
| yes
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:EU_Divorce.svg|50px]]</div>
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| did sign the Declaration 52 on [[symbols of the European Union]] 
| yes
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:European_Union_symbols.svg|50px]]</div>
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| is member of the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) 
| no
| LV, LT, SK are associates 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Location_ESA_member_countries.svg|50px]]</div>
| 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| does have 1435&nbsp;mm UIC [[standard gauge]] as the main railway track gauge if it does have operational railway
| no
| PT, ES use 1668&nbsp;mm Iberian gauge, EE, LV, LT use 1520&nbsp;mm Russian gauge, FI uses 1524&nbsp;mm Russian gauge, IE uses 1600&nbsp;mm; (CY, MT without operational railway)
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">
[[File:Rail gauge world.svg|50px]]</div>
| 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
| did ratify the [[Oviedo Convention]] 
| no
| LU, NL, IT signed 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 8 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| is part of [[European Organization for Nuclear Research]] (CERN) 
| no
| CY, SL are associate states in the pre-stage to membership. HR is an associate state
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"> </div>
| 8 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
|-
| did sign the [[Prüm Convention]] 
| yes
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Prüm_Convention.svg|50px]]</div>
| 9 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
|-
| does use the [[Central European Time]] (CET) 
| no
| PT, IE are in WET, the others in EET 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Time_Zones_of_Europe.svg|50px]]</div>
| 9 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1
|-
| [[European Sky Shield Initiative]] (ESSI) 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Teilnehmer European Sky Shield 2024-2.png|50px]]</div>
| 9 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| is party to the [[Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe]] 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 10 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
|-
| is member of the [[International Council for the Exploration of the Sea]] 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 10 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1
|- 
| does participate in the [[European Southern Observatory]] (ESO) 
| no
|
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:ESO_member_states.svg|50px]]</div>
| 11 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| is member of the [[Paris Club]] 
| no
|PT is an ad hoc participant
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Paris Club Map.png|50px]]
</div>
| 12 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| does participate in the [[Institut Laue–Langevin]] (ILL) 
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Institut Laue Langevin Map.png|50px]]</div>
| 14 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| does participate in the [[European Gendarmerie Force]] 
| yes
| LT is an associate member
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Eurogendfor_members.svg|50px]]</div>
| 16 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| is a member state of the [[Eurocorps]] 
| ?
| AT, GR, IT are associated states 
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto"></div>
| 16 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
| does participate in the [[European Maritime Force]] (Euromarfor or EMF)
| no
|  
| <div style="background-color:#fff;width:50px;margin:auto">[[File:Paesi_membri_dell’EUROMARFOR.svg|50px]]</div>
| 17 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
|}
{{Clear}}

==Geographic scope==
<div class="right" style="float:right;">
<div class="thumbinner overflowbugx" style="overflow:auto;">
<small>Clickable map of Europe, showing one of the most commonly used [[Boundaries between the continents of Earth|continental boundaries]]<ref>The map shows one of the most commonly accepted delineations of the geographical boundaries of Europe, as used by [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]] and [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. Whether countries are considered in Europe or Asia can vary in sources, for example in the classification of the [[CIA World Factbook]] or that of the [[BBC]]. Certain countries in Europe, such as France, have [[List of countries spanning more than one continent#Non-contiguous|territories lying geographically outside Europe]], but which are nevertheless considered integral parts of that country.</ref> <br/>'''Key:''' <span style="color:blue">'''blue'''</span>: [[List of transcontinental countries|states which straddle the border between Europe and Asia]];
<br/><span style="color:green">'''green'''</span>: countries not geographically in Europe, but closely associated with the continent
</small>
</div>
{{Europe and seas labelled map}}
</div>
For the purpose of this section Europe is defined as territories of countries:
* completely inside geographic Europe
* transcontinental countries (marked blue in the map: Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey)
* culturally and geographically close (marked green in the map: Cyprus, Armenia)

===Europe-centered but including countries outside Europe===
Some agreements that are mostly related to countries of the European continent, are also valid in territories outside the continent.

Not listed below are agreements if their scope is beyond geographic Europe only because the agreement includes:
* Territories of transcontinental countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia contain some territory in Europe and some in Asia
* The EU uses bilateral Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements as an integration tool.<ref name="epca_kz">{{Cite web|url=http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2016/123/oj/eng|title=EUR-Lex – 32016D0123 – EN – EUR-Lex|access-date=2 November 2022|archive-date=22 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222112855/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2016/123/oj/eng|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Special territories of European countries, e.g. [[Special territories of member states of the European Union]]
* Cyprus, which is a member of the Council of Europe and several other agreements

List:
* NATO contains USA and Canada, but has a European focus, Article 10 of the [[North Atlantic Treaty]] describes how non-member states may join: "The Parties may [...] invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty"<ref>{{cite web|title=The North Atlantic Treaty|url=http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/treaty.htm|access-date=15 September 2008|date=29 November 2007|archive-date=30 January 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980130060520/http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/treaty.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) contains the United States, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia
* [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) contains North African and Middle East countries
* [[European Olympic Committees]] (EOC) contains [[Israel]]

===Limited to Europe but not to regions within it===
* [[Council of Europe]]
* [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA)
* [[European Communities]]
* [[European Union]]

===Limited to regions within geographic Europe===
Several [[regional integration]] efforts have effectively promoted intergovernmental cooperation and reduced the possibility of regional armed conflict. Other initiatives have removed barriers to free trade in European regions, and increased the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across national borders.

====Nordic countries====
Since the end of the Second World War, the following organisations have been established in the [[Nordic region]]:

The [[Nordic Council]] and the Nordic Council of Ministers is a co-operation forum for the parliaments and governments of the [[Nordic countries]] created in February 1953. It includes the states of [[Denmark]], [[Finland]], [[Iceland]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], and their autonomous territories ([[Greenland]], [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Åland]]).

The [[Nordic Passport Union]], created in 1954 but implemented on 1 May 1958, establishes free movement across borders without passports for the countries' citizens. It comprises Denmark, Sweden and Norway as foundational states; further, it includes Finland and Iceland since 24 September 1965, and the Danish autonomous territories of [[Faroe Islands]] since 1 January 1966.

====Baltic Sea region====
The following political and/or economic organisations have been in the [[Baltic region]] in the [[postmodernity|post-modern era]]:

The [[Baltic Assembly]] aims to promote co-operation between the parliaments of the [[Baltic states]], namely the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The organisation was planned in [[Vilnius]] on 1 December 1990, and the three nations agreed to its structure and rules on 13 June 1994.

The [[Baltic Free Trade Area]] (BAFTA) was a trade agreement between Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. It was signed on 13 September 1993 and came into force on 1 April 1994. The agreement was later extended to apply also to agricultural products, effective from 1 January 1997. BAFTA ceased to exist when its members joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

The [[Council of the Baltic Sea States]] (CBSS) was founded in 1992 to promote intergovernmental cooperation among [[Baltic Sea]] countries in questions concerning economy, civil society development, human rights issues, and nuclear and radiation safety. It has 12 members including [[Denmark]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Germany]], [[Iceland]] (since 1995), [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]], Russia, [[Sweden]] and the [[European Commission]].

In 2009 the [[European Council]] approved the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) following a communication from the [[European Commission]]. The EUSBSR was the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. The Strategy aims to reinforce cooperation within the Baltic Sea Region, to address challenges together, and to promote balanced development in the Region. The Strategy contributes to major EU policies, including [[Europe 2020]], and reinforces integration within the Region.<ref>[http://balticsea-region-strategy.eu/pages/what-is-the-eusbsr What is the EUSBSR : EUSBSR : GroupSpaces] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702112935/http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/pages/what-is-the-eusbsr |date=2 July 2013 }}. Balticsea-region-strategy.eu. Retrieved on 19 July 2013.</ref>

====Nordic-Baltic Eight====
{{main|Nordic-Baltic Eight}}

====Low Countries region (Benelux)====
Since the end of the First World War the following unions have been set in the [[Low Countries]] region:

The [[Benelux]] is an economic and political union between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. On 5 September 1944, a treaty establishing the Benelux Customs Union was signed. It entered into force in 1948, and ceased to exist on 1 November 1960, when it was replaced by the [[Benelux Economic Union]] after a treaty signed in The Hague on 3 February 1958. A [[Benelux Parliament]] was created in 1955.

The [[Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union]] (BLEU) can be seen as a forerunner of the Benelux. BLEU was created by the treaty signed on 25 July 1921. It established a [[single market]] between both countries, while setting the [[Belgian franc]] and [[Luxembourgian franc]] at a fixed parity.

====Black Sea region====
Several regional organisations have been founded in the [[Black Sea]] region since the fall of the Soviet Union, such as:

The [[Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation]] (BSEC) aims to ensure peace, stability and prosperity by encouraging friendly and good-neighbourly relations among the 12 state members, located mainly in the Black Sea region. It was created on 25 June 1992 in Istanbul, and entered into force on 1 May 1999. The 11 founding members were Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Serbia (then Serbia and Montenegro) joined in April 2004.

The [[GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development]] is a regional organisation of four post-Soviet states, which aims to promote cooperation and democratic values, ensure stable development, enhance international and regional security, and stepping up European integration. Current members include the four founding ones, namely, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Uzbekistan joined in 1999, and left in 2005.

====United Kingdom and Ireland====
Since the end of the First World War, the following agreements have been signed in the United Kingdom and Ireland region:

The [[British–Irish Council]] was created by the [[Good Friday Agreement]] in 1998 to ''"promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands"''. It was formally established on 2 December 1999. Its membership comprises Ireland, the United Kingdom, three of the [[countries of the United Kingdom|countries of the UK]] ([[Northern Ireland]], Scotland and Wales), and three British [[Crown dependencies]] ([[Guernsey]], the [[Isle of Man]] and [[Jersey]]). Because England does not have a [[devolved English parliament|devolved parliament]], it is not represented on the council as a separate entity.

The [[Common Travel Area]] is a passport-free zone established in 1922 that comprises Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. Under Irish law, all British citizens are exempt from immigration control and immune from deportation.<ref>Per the provisions of the [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/si/0097.html S.I. No. 97/1999 – Aliens (Exemption) Order, 1999] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617095206/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/si/0097.html |date=17 June 2014 }} and [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/act/pub/0022/print.html Immigration Act 1999] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016151857/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/act/pub/0022/print.html |date=16 October 2014 }}.</ref> They are entitled to live in Ireland without any restrictions or conditions.<ref name="Residence rights of UK citizens">{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/ireland_and_the_uk/residence_rules_UK_citizens.html|title=Residence rights of UK citizens|website=citizensinformation.ie|access-date=22 December 2020|archive-date=31 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231150209/https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/ireland_and_the_uk/residence_rules_UK_citizens.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Under [[Immigration Act 1971|British law]], Irish citizens are entitled to enter and live in the United Kingdom without any restrictions or conditions. They also have the right to vote, work, study and access welfare and healthcare services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2020-0350/Kevin_Foster_to_Stuart_C_McDonald.pdf|title=Letter from Kevin Foster MP to Stuart McDonald MP, 22 June 2020|website=data.parliament.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923160110/http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2020-0350/Kevin_Foster_to_Stuart_C_McDonald.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-21/immigrationandsocialsecuritycoordinationeuwithdrawal.html|title=Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 – UK Parliament|website=services.parliament.uk|access-date=28 November 2020|archive-date=15 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115152153/https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2019-21/immigrationandsocialsecuritycoordinationeuwithdrawal.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2020, [[Brexit|the United Kingdom left the EU]], reversing most aspects of its 40+ years of participation in EU integration. Ireland continues to remain an enthusiastic member of the Union and participates in some elements of the Schengen Agreement other than the common visa policy [a position likely to remain for as a long as [[Northern Ireland]] remains part of the United Kingdom]. The Common Travel Area continues to operate though, {{as of|June 2022|lc=on}}, other aspects of the relationship are [[Northern Ireland Protocol Bill#Irish government|encountering difficulties]].

====Central Europe====
[[File:V4 Sunday.jpg|thumb|Flags of Visegrád Group countries]]
The following cooperation agreements have been signed in Central Europe:

The [[Visegrád Group]] is a Central-European alliance for cooperation and European integration, based on an ancient strategic alliance of core Central European countries. The Group originated in a summit meeting of [[Czechoslovakia]], Hungary and Poland held in the Hungarian castle town of [[Visegrád]] on 15 February 1991. The Czech Republic and Slovakia became members after the [[dissolution of Czechoslovakia]] in 1993.

In 1989, the [[Central European Initiative]], a forum of regional cooperation in [[Central and Eastern Europe]] with 18 member states, was formed in [[Budapest]]. The CEI headquarters have been in [[Trieste]], Italy, since 1996.

The [[CEFTA|Central European Free Trade Agreement]] (CEFTA) is a trade agreement between countries in Central Europe and the Balkans, which works as a preparation for full European Union membership. {{As of|2013}}, it has 7 members: [[North Macedonia]], Albania, [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Moldova]], [[Montenegro]], [[Serbia]] and the [[UNMIK]] (as [[Kosovo]]).

It was established in 1992 by Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland, but came into force only in 1994. Czechoslovakia had in the meantime split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Slovenia joined in 1996, while Romania did the same in 1997, Bulgaria in 1999, and Croatia in 2003. In 2004, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia left the CEFTA to join the EU. Romania and Bulgaria left it in 2007 for the same reason. Subsequently, North Macedonia joined it in 2006,{{efn|name="FYROM"}} and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and [[UNMIK]] (on behalf of Kosovo) in 2007. In 2013, Croatia left the CEFTA to join the EU.

'''Switzerland and Liechtenstein''' participate in a [[customs union]] since 1924, and both employ the [[Swiss franc]] as national currency.

====Eastern Europe ====
The effects of the EU integration process of the countries from the former [[Eastern Bloc|Eastern bloc]] are still debated. As a result, the relationship between immigration levels and EU public support remains uncertain. Through the integration, the countries in Eastern Europe have experienced growth of the economy, benefits of the free market agreements and freedom of the labor movement within the EU.<ref>Alsasua, Jesús, Javier Bilbao‐Ubillos, and Jon Olaskoaga. "The EU integration process and the convergence of social protection benefits at national level." ''International Journal of Social Welfare'' 16.4 (2007): 297–306.</ref> However, the results of the empirical socioeconomic analyses{{which|date=June 2016}} suggest that in [[Spain]], [[France]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[Netherlands]], the immigration from CEE had negative effects on support for European integration in the host societies.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} The research{{which|date=June 2016}} also implies that the immigration from the CEE seems to undermine the long-term effects of the integration.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} There are theories{{which|date=June 2016}} for the programs of social development that range in views from: an extended contact with the immigrants from [[Eastern Europe]] might help forge a common European identity and it could also lead to a potential national isolation, caused by tightening support mechanisms for the labor immigration.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} Equal amount of research also implies that the internal migration of the countries within the EU is necessary for the successful development of its economic union.<ref>Toshkov, Dimiter, and Elitsa Kortenska. "Does immigration undermine public support for integration in the European Union?." ''JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies'' 53.4 (2015): 910–925.</ref>

====Danube region====
The EU Strategy for the Danube Region was endorsed by the European Council in 2011 and is the second macro-regional strategy in Europe. The Strategy provides a basis for improved cooperation among 14 countries along the [[Danube River]]. It aims to improve the effectiveness of regional integration efforts and leverage the impact of policies at the EU, national and local levels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://files.groupspaces.com/EUStrategyfortheDanubeRegion/files/720746/TOmnsaHj4huI83uSbzat/Pamphlet.pdf|title=EU STRATEGY FOR THE DANUBE REGION|website=Files.groupspaces.com|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417082241/http://files.groupspaces.com/EUStrategyfortheDanubeRegion/files/720746/TOmnsaHj4huI83uSbzat/Pamphlet.pdf|archive-date=17 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Balkans====

The [[Craiova Group]], Craiova Four, or C4 is a cooperation project of four European states – Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia – for the purposes of furthering their European integration as well as economic, transport and energy cooperation with one another.

==Council of Europe==
{{Main|Council of Europe}}
[[File:Council of Europe (blue).svg|upright=1.15|right|thumb|{{legend|#039|Blue: Council of Europe member states}}{{legend|#ccced1|Light-grey: Non-member states}}]]

Against the background of the devastation and human suffering during the Second World War as well as the need for reconciliation after the war, the idea of European integration led to the creation of the [[Council of Europe]] in [[Strasbourg]] in 1949.

The most important achievement of the Council of Europe is the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] of 1950 with its [[European Court of Human Rights]] in Strasbourg, which serves as a ''de facto'' supreme court for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout Europe. Human rights are also protected by the Council of Europe's [[Committee for the Prevention of Torture]] and the [[European Social Charter]].
[[File:Istanbul Convention (2011) participation map, current.svg|thumb|[[Istanbul Convention]]]]
Most conventions of the Council of Europe pursue the aim of greater legal integration, such as the conventions on legal assistance, against corruption, against [[money laundering]], against [[doping in sport]], or [[internet crime]].

Cultural co-operation is based on the [[Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict|Cultural Convention of 1954]] and subsequent conventions on the recognition of university studies and diplomas as well as on the protection of minority languages.

After the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], former communist European countries were able to accede to the Council of Europe, which now comprises 46 states in Europe. Therefore, European integration has practically succeeded at the level of the Council of Europe, encompassing almost the whole European continent, with the exception of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Russia, and the Vatican City.

European integration at the level of the Council of Europe functions through the accession of member states to its conventions, and through political coordination at the level of ministerial conferences and inter-parliamentary sessions. In accordance with its Statute of 1949, the Council of Europe works to achieve greater unity among its members based on common values, such as human rights and democracy.

==European Political Community==
{{Main|European Political Community}}
[[File:European Political Community.svg|thumb|[[European Political Community]] member states]]
The European Political Community (EPC) is an [[Intergovernmental organization|intergovernmental]] forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe.<ref name="euronews">{{Cite news |last=Tidey |first=Alice |date=5 October 2022 |title=What we know and don't know about the new European Political Community |language=en |work=euronews |url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/10/05/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-the-european-political-community |access-date=6 October 2022 |archive-date=18 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018060311/https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/10/05/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-the-european-political-community |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[1st European Political Community Summit|inaugural summit]] was held on 6 October 2022 in [[Prague]], with participants from 44 [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe|European countries]], as well as the [[President of the European Council|Presidents of the European Council]] and the [[President of the European Commission|European Commission]].<ref name="consilium6oct">{{cite news |title=Meeting of the European Political Community, 6 October 2022 |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2022/10/06/ |access-date=6 October 2022 |work=consilium.europa.eu |date=6 October 2022 |language=en |archive-date=28 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028164448/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2022/10/06/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe==
[[Image:Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (orthographic projection).svg|thumb|upright=0.5|OSCE, orthographic projection]]

The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) is a trans-Atlantic [[intergovernmental organization|intergovernmental organisation]] whose aim is to secure stability in Europe. It was established as the [[Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (CSCE) in July 1973, and was subsequently transformed into its current form in January 1995. The OSCE has 56 member states, covering most of the [[Northern Hemisphere]].

The OSCE develops three lines of activities, namely the ''Politico-Military Dimension'', the ''Economic and Environmental Dimension'' and the ''Human Dimension''. These respectively promote (i) mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution; (ii) the monitoring, alerting and assistance in case of economic and environmental threats; and (iii) full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
[[File:OSCE map.svg|thumb|centre|upright=2.75|[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]]]]
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==European Free Trade Association==
[[File:EFTA AELE countries.svg|upright=0.9|thumb|EFTA members]]
The [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA) is a European [[trade bloc]] which was established on 3 May 1960 as an alternative for European states who did not join the [[European Economic Community|EEC]]. EFTA currently has four member states: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein; just Norway and Switzerland are founding members.

The EFTA Convention was signed on 4 January 1960 in [[Stockholm]] by seven states: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Finland became an associate member in 1961 and a full member in 1986; Iceland joined in 1970 and Liechtenstein did the same in 1991. A revised Convention, the [[Vaduz]] Convention, was signed on 21 June 2001 and entered into force on 1 June 2002.

The United Kingdom and Denmark left in 1973, when they joined the [[European Community]] (EC). Portugal left EFTA in 1986, when it also joined the EC. Austria, Finland and Sweden ceased to be EFTA members in 1995 by joining the European Union, which superseded the EC in 1993.
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==European Broadcasting Union==
{{Main|European Broadcasting Union}}
[[File:EBU enlargement animation.gif|thumb|upright=0.9|Countries with Active EBU Membership coloured in order of accession from 1950]]
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is an alliance of public service media entities, established on 12 February 1950. {{As of|2022}}, the organisation comprises 112 active members in 54 countries,<ref name="EBU Active2">{{cite web |title=EBU Active Members |url=https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=active |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026150313/https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=active |archive-date=26 October 2021 |access-date=9 June 2015 |website=ebu.ch |publisher=EBU}}</ref> and 30 associate members from a further 19 countries.<ref name="EBU Associates2">{{cite web |title=EBU Associate Members |url=https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=associate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027212426/https://www.ebu.ch/about/members?type=associate |archive-date=27 October 2021 |access-date=9 June 2015 |website=ebu.ch |publisher=EBU}}</ref> Most EU states are part of this organisation, and therefore the EBU has been subject to [[Supranational legislature|supranational]] legislation and regulation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-00-472_en.htm?locale=it|title=European Commission – PRESS RELEASES – Press release – Commission approves the EBU-Eurovision system|publisher=europa.eu|access-date=24 October 2016|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080638/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-00-472_en.htm?locale=it|url-status=live}}</ref> It also hosted debates between candidates for the [[European Commission]] [[President of the European Union|presidency]] for the [[2014 European Parliament election|2014 parliamentary elections]], but is unrelated to the EU itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.ebu.ch/calendar/the-eurovision-debate|title=EBU – Eurovision Debate|publisher=EBU|access-date=24 October 2016|archive-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019105511/http://www3.ebu.ch/calendar/the-eurovision-debate|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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==European Patent Convention==
{{Main|European Patent Convention}}
[[File:Office europeen brevets.svg|thumb|upright=0.9|EPC contracting states and the extension state Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
The European Patent Convention (EPC), also known as the Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 5 October 1973, is a multilateral [[treaty]] instituting the [[European Patent Organisation]] and providing an autonomous legal system according to which European patents are granted. As of 2022, there are 39 parties to the European Patent Convention. The Convention on the Grant of European Patents was first signed on 5 October 1973.

==European Communities==
In 1951, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany agreed to confer powers over their steel and coal production to the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC) in the [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]], which came into force on 23 July 1952.

Coal and steel production was essential for the reconstruction of countries in Europe after the Second World War and this sector of the national economy had been important for warfare in the First and Second World Wars. Therefore, France had originally maintained its occupation of the [[Saarland]] with its steel companies after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) in 1949. By transferring national powers over the coal and steel production to a newly created ECSC Commission, the member states of the ECSC were able to provide for greater transparency and trust among themselves.

This transfer of national powers to a "Community" to be exercised by its commission was paralleled under the 1957 [[Treaty of Rome]] establishing the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (or Euratom) and the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC) in Brussels.

In 1967, the [[Merger Treaty]] (or '''Brussels Treaty''') combine the institutions of the ECSC and Euratom into that of the EEC. They already shared a [[European Parliament|Parliamentary Assembly]] and [[European Court of Justice|Courts]]. Collectively they were known as the [[European Communities]]. In 1987, the [[Single European Act]] (SEA) was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome that formally established the single European market and the European Political Cooperation. The Communities originally had independent personalities although they were increasingly integrated, and over the years were transformed into what is now called the European Union.

The six states that founded the three Communities were known as the "[[inner six]]" (the "outer seven" were those countries who formed the [[European Free Trade Association]]). These were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The first enlargement was in 1973, with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Greece joined in 1981, and Portugal and Spain in 1986. On 3 October 1990 East Germany and West Germany were reunified, hence East Germany became part of the Community in the new reunified Germany (not increasing the number of states).

A key person in the Community creation process was [[Jean Monnet]], regarded as the "founding father" of the European Union, which is seen as the dominant force in European integration.

==European Union==
{{See also|Enlargement of the European Union|Potential enlargement of the European Union}}
[[File:European Single Market integration.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[European Single Market]] integration:{{Leftlegend|#039|[[Member states of the European Union|European Union member states]] form the [[European Single Market]]}}{{Leftlegend|#a050ff|Non-EU states that participate in the EU Single Market with exceptions: [[Iceland]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Norway]] and [[Switzerland]] (see also [[European Free Trade Association|EFTA]])}}{{Leftlegend|#c39467|Part of a former EU state that remains partially aligned to the EU Single Market on goods: [[Northern Ireland]] in the United Kingdom (see also [[Brexit and the Irish border]])}}{{Leftlegend|#46a43b|Non-EU states with a [[Stabilisation and Association Process|Stabilisation and Association Agreement]] with the EU allowing for participation in selected sectors of the Single Market: EU accession candidates [[Albania]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Montenegro]], [[North Macedonia]] and [[Serbia]]; EU accession potential candidate [[Kosovo]]}}{{Leftlegend|#F29527|Non-EU states with a [[Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area]] agreement with the EU allowing for participation in selected sectors of the Single Market: [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Moldova]] and [[Ukraine]]}}{{Leftlegend|#ffd617|Non-EU states which have a bilateral Customs Union arrangement with the EU:  [[Turkey]] ([[European Union–Turkey relations|an accession candidate]]), [[Andorra]] and [[San Marino]]}}]]

The European Union (EU) is an association of 27 sovereign [[member states of the European Union|member states]], that by treaty have delegated certain of their competences to common institutions, in order to coordinate their policies in a number of areas, without however constituting a new state on top of the member states. Officially established by the [[Treaty of Maastricht]] in 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing [[European Economic Community]].

Thus, 12 states are founding members, namely, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden entered the EU. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined in 2004. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007. Croatia acceded in 2013. The United Kingdom withdrew in 2020 after 47 years of membership. Official candidate states include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia,{{efn|name="FYROM"|Until February 2019, officially referred to by the EU and most other European organisations by the provisional appellation "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", due to a [[Macedonia naming dispute|naming dispute]].}} Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Morocco's application was rejected by the EEC. Iceland and Switzerland have withdrawn their respective applications. Norway rejected membership in two referendums. The [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|membership negotiations process between the EU and Turkey]], which started on 3 October 2005, has been suspended since 2019. 

The institutions of the European Union, its parliamentarians, judges, commissioners and secretariat, the governments of its member states as well as their people, all play a role in European Integration. Nevertheless, the question of who plays the key role is disputed as there are different theories on European Integration focusing on different actors and agency.

The European Union has a number of relationships with nations that are not formally part of the Union. According to the European Union's official site, and a statement by Commissioner Günter Verheugen, the aim is to have a ring of countries, sharing EU's democratic ideals and joining them in further integration without necessarily becoming full member states.

===Competences===
{{Main|Member state of the European Union}}
Whilst most responsibilities ('competences') are retained by the member states, some competences are conferred exclusively on the Union for collective decision, some are shared pending Union action and some receive Union support.  These are shown on this table:
{{EU competences}}

===Economic integration===
{{Further|Economy of the European Union}}
{{Further|Third country economic relationships with the European Union}}
The European Union operates a single economic market across the territory of all its members, and uses a single currency between the [[Eurozone]] members. Further, the EU has a number of economic relationships with nations that are not formally part of the Union through the [[European Economic Area]] and customs union agreements.

====Free trade area====
[[File:EU FTAs.svg|thumb|EU free trade agreements
{{legend|#003399ff|European Union}}
{{legend|#007300ff|Agreement in force}}
{{legend|#22b14cff|Agreement (in part) provisionally applied}}]]
The creation of the EEC eliminated tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods among member states, which are the requisites to define a [[free trade area]] (FTA). The United Kingdom remains part of the FTA during the transition period of the [[Brexit withdrawal agreement]].

Numerous countries have signed a [[European Union Association Agreement]] (AA) with FTA provisions. These mainly include Mediterranean countries (Algeria in 2005, Egypt in 2004, Israel in 2000, Jordan in 2002, Lebanon in 2006, Morocco in 2000, [[Palestinian National Authority]] in 1997, and Tunisia in 1998), albeit some countries from other trade blocs have also signed one (such as Chile in 2003, Mexico in 2000, and South Africa in 2000).

Further, many Balkan states have signed a [[Stabilisation and Association Process|Stabilisation and Association Agreement]] (SAA) with FTA provisions, such as Albania (signed 2006), Montenegro (2007), North Macedonia{{efn|name="FYROM"}} (2004), Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia (both 2008, entry-into-force pending).

In 2008, Poland and Sweden proposed the [[Eastern Partnership]] which would include setting a FTA between the EU and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,<ref>[http://telegraf.by/en/2011/10/belarus-sohranila-uchastie-v-vostochnom-partnerstve Belarus still Participating in "Eastern Partnership," FM] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615203243/http://telegraf.by/en/2011/10/belarus-sohranila-uchastie-v-vostochnom-partnerstve |date=15 June 2012 }}. Telegraf.by. Retrieved on 19 July 2013.</ref> Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |url =http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3357563,00.html |title =EU Looks East as Foreign Policy Council Convenes |work =Deutsche Welle |location =Bonn |date =25 May 2008 |access-date =25 May 2008 |archive-date =15 October 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081015044836/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3357563,00.html |url-status =live }}</ref>

====Customs union====
The [[European Union Customs Union]] defines an area where no customs are levied on goods travelling within it. It includes all [[member states of the European Union]]. The abolition of internal tariff barriers between [[European Economic Community|EEC]] member states was achieved in 1968.

Andorra and San Marino belong to the EU customs unions with third states. Turkey is linked by the [[European Union–Turkey Customs Union]].
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====European Single Market====
{{main|European Single Market}}
A prominent goal of the EU since its creation by the [[Maastricht Treaty]] in 1992 is establishing and maintaining a [[single market]]. This seeks to guarantee the [[Four Freedoms (European Union)|four basic freedoms]], which are related to ensure the free movement of goods, services, capital and people around the EU's internal market.

The United Kingdom remained part of the single market during the transition period of the [[Brexit withdrawal agreement]]. The [[European Economic Area]] (EEA) agreement allows Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to participate in the European Single Market without joining the EU. The four basic freedoms apply. However, some restrictions on fisheries and agriculture take place. Switzerland is linked to the European Union by [[Switzerland and the European Union|Swiss-EU bilateral agreements]], with a different content from that of the EEA agreement.
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====Eurozone====
[[File:Europäische Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion.svg|thumb|[[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union]]
{{legend|#003399|Members of the Eurozone}}
{{legend|#e8984d|ERM-II member with opt-out (Denmark)}}
{{legend|#704c4c|The rest of the EU-members, which are obliged to join}}]]

The [[Eurozone]] refers to the European Union member states that have adopted the euro [[currency union]] as the third stage of the [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|European Economic and Monetary Union]] (EMU). Further, certain states outside the EU have adopted the euro as their currency, despite not belonging to the EMU. Thus, a total of 26 states, including 20 European Union states and six non-EU members, currently use the euro.

The Eurozone came into existence with the official launch of the euro on 1 January 1999. Physical [[Euro coins|coins]] and [[Euro banknotes|banknotes]] were introduced on 1 January 2002.

The original members were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Greece adopted the euro on 1 January 2001. Slovenia joined on 1 January 2007, Cyprus and Malta were admitted on 1 January 2008, Slovakia joined on 1 January 2009, Estonia on 1 January 2011, Latvia on 1 January 2014, Lithuania on 1 January 2015 and Croatia on 1 January 2023.

Outside the EU, agreements have been concluded with Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City for formal adoption, including the right to issue their own coins. Montenegro and Kosovo} unilaterally adopted the euro when it launched.
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====Fiscal union====
{{main|European Fiscal Union}}
There has long been speculation about the possibility of the European Union eventually becoming a [[fiscal union]]. In the wake of the [[European debt crisis]] that began in 2009, calls for closer fiscal ties, possibly leading to some sort of fiscal union have increased; though it is generally regarded as implausible in the short term, some analysts regard fiscal union as a long-term necessity.<ref>{{Cite news|title =Fiscal union is crucial to the euro's survival|author =Münchau, Wolfgang|url =https://www.ft.com/content/ceca784c-f02a-11df-88db-00144feab49a|newspaper =Financial Times|location =London|date =10 November 2010|access-date =20 January 2011|quote =The establishment of a fiscal union would require such a massive change in the European treaties that it is hard to see how it could be done.|archive-date =20 January 2011|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110120200139/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ceca784c-f02a-11df-88db-00144feab49a.html#axzz1BYYp0bwj|url-status =live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title =How a mini fiscal union could end instability |author =Münchau, Wolfgang |url =https://www.ft.com/content/d55ec168-061e-11e0-976b-00144feabdc0 |newspaper =Financial Times |location =London |date =12 December 2010 |access-date =20 January 2011 |quote =Yet almost all political and legal experts who specialise in the European Union believe a fiscal union is Utopian. If both are right a fiscal union is simultaneously necessary and impossible. |archive-date =15 January 2011 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110115040331/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d55ec168-061e-11e0-976b-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1 |url-status =live }}</ref> While stressing the need for coordination, governments have rejected talk of fiscal union or harmonisation in this regard.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Tighter Fiscal Union in Europe? Not So Fast, Says French Finance Minister | author = Saltmarsh, Matthew | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/business/global/25iht-euro25.html?src=busln | newspaper = The New York Times | date = 24 January 2011 | access-date = 24 January 2011 | archive-date = 11 November 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121111011306/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/business/global/25iht-euro25.html?src=busln | url-status = live }}</ref>

====Aviation====
[[File:European aviation organisations members.svg|thumb|right|{{legend|#000080|[[European Civil Aviation Conference|ECAC]], [[Eurocontrol]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]], [[European Union|EU]]}}
{{legend|#0000ff|[[European Civil Aviation Conference|ECAC]], [[Eurocontrol]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]}}
{{legend|#7dffff|[[European Civil Aviation Conference|ECAC]], [[Eurocontrol]]}}
{{legend|#ff0101|[[European Civil Aviation Conference|ECAC]], [[European Common Aviation Area|ECAA]]}}
{{legend|#ffff7d|[[European Civil Aviation Conference|ECAC]]}}]]

There are three main aviation related institutions present in Europe:
* [[European Civil Aviation Conference|European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)]]
* [[Eurocontrol]]
* [[European Common Aviation Area|European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)]]
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====Energy====
[[File:Energy Community Map.svg|thumb|[[Energy Community]] in 2023 – Contracting Parties in blue and purple, Observers in yellow]]
The transnational energy related structures present in Europe are:
* [[Energy Community]]
* [[European Atomic Energy Community]]
* [[European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity]]
* [[European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas]]
* [[INOGATE]]
* [[Energy Charter Treaty]]
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====Standardisation====
The transnational standardisation organisations present in Europe are:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[European Telecommunications Standards Institute|European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)]]
* [[European Committee for Standardization|European Committee for Standardization (CEN)]]
* [[European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization|European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC)]]
* [[Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements|Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM)]]
{{div col end}}

===Social and political integration===

====Education====
The [[ERASMUS programme]] ('''E'''uropean '''R'''egion '''A'''ction '''S'''cheme for the '''M'''obility of '''U'''niversity '''S'''tudents) seeks to encourage and support free movement of the academic community. It was established in 1987.

A total of 33 states (including all European Union states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) are involved.
[[File:EHEA map.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|[[European Higher Education Area]]]]

The [[European Higher Education Area]] ('''EHEA''') aims to integrate education systems in Europe. Thus, degrees and study periods are recognised mutually. This is done by following the [[Bologna process]], and under the [[Lisbon Recognition Convention]] of the [[Council of Europe]].

The Bologna declaration was signed in 1999 by 29 countries, all EU members or candidates at the moment (except Cyprus which joined later) and three out of four EFTA countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and Turkey joined in 2001. In 2003, Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the [[Holy See]] (a Council of Europe permanent observer), North Macedonia,{{efn|name="FYROM"}} Russia, and Serbia signed the convention. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine followed in 2005. Montenegro joined in 2007. Finally, Kazakhstan (not a member of the Council of Europe) joined in 2010. This makes a total of 47 member states. Monaco and San Marino are the only members of the Council of Europe which have not adopted the convention. The other European nation that is eligible to join, but has not, is Belarus.

====Research====
There are a number of multinational research institutions based in Europe.

*In the [[EIROforum]] collaboration:
** [[European Space Agency]] 
** [[European Molecular Biology Laboratory]] 
** [[European Fusion Development Agreement]] 
** [[European Southern Observatory]] 
** Particle physics:
*** [[CERN]]
*** [[European Synchrotron Radiation Facility]]
*** [[Institut Laue–Langevin]]
*** [[European XFEL]]
*Meteorology:
** [[EUMETSAT]]
** [[European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts]]
** [[EUMETNET]]

====Health====
{{multiple image
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| caption1 = EHIC participating nations (EU members in blue, non-members in green)
| image2 = Smart Open Services nations.svg
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| caption2 = epSOS participating nations
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}}
The [[European Health Insurance Card]] (or '''EHIC''') is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the [[European Economic Area|EEA]] countries and [[Switzerland]] to receive medical treatment in another member state for free or at a reduced cost, if that treatment becomes necessary during their visit (for example, due to illness or an accident), or if they have a chronic [[pre-existing condition]] which requires care such as [[kidney dialysis]].

The '''epSOS''' project, also known as ''Smart Open Services for European Patients'', aims to promote free movement of patients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epsos.eu/home.html|title=epSOS: Home|website=Epsos.eu|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228194137/http://www.epsos.eu/home.html|archive-date=28 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> It will allow health professionals to electronically access the data from patients from another country, to electronically process prescriptions in all involved countries, or to provide treatment in another EU state to a patient on a waiting list.

The project has been launched by the EU and 47 member institutions from 23 EU member states and 3 non-EU members. They include national health ministries, national competence centres, social insurance institutions and scientific institutions as well as technical and administrative management entities.

====Charter of Fundamental Rights====
The [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] is a document enshrining certain [[fundamental rights]]. The wording of the document has been agreed at ministerial level and has been incorporated into the [[Treaty of Lisbon]]. Poland has negotiated an opt out from this Charter, as had the United Kingdom before the latter's [[Brexit|withdrawal from the European Union]].

====Right to vote====
The European integration process has extended the [[right of foreigners to vote]]. Thus, European Union citizens were given [[voting rights]] in [[local election]]s by the 1992 [[Maastricht Treaty]]. Several member states (Belgium, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Slovenia) have extended since then the right to vote to all foreign residents. This was already the case in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Further, voting and eligibility rights are granted among citizens of the [[Nordic Passport Union]], and between numerous countries through bilateral treaties (i.e. between Norway and Spain, or between Portugal and Brazil, Cape Verde, Iceland, Norway, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina), or without them (i.e. Ireland and the United Kingdom). Finally, within the [[European Economic Area|EEA]], Iceland and Norway also grant the right to vote to all foreign residents.

====Schengen Area====
{{main|Schengen Area}}
[[File:Schengenzone.svg|thumb|230px|Members of the [[Schengen Agreement]]

{{legend|#ffd617|Future members (Cyprus)}}
{{legend|#F29527|Cooperating countries (Ireland)}}]]
The main purpose of the establishment of the [[Schengen Agreement]] is the abolition of physical borders among European countries. A total of 30 states, including 26 European Union states (all except Ireland, which is part of the [[Common Travel Area]] with the United Kingdom) and four non-EU members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), are subject to the Schengen rules. Its provisions have already been implemented by 29 states, leaving just Cyprus to do so among signatory states.

Further, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are ''de facto'' members.

====Visa policy in EU====
{{main|Visa policy of the Schengen Area}}
European Union has visa-free regime agreements with some European countries outside EU and discussing such agreements with others; Armenia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armradio.am/en/4916|title=Armenia starts visa liberalization dialogue with EU member states|date=18 January 2019|access-date=7 May 2019|publisher=[[Public Radio of Armenia]]|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119075713/https://armradio.am/en/4916|url-status=live}}</ref> Russia,<ref>{{Cite news |url =http://www.eu-russiacentre.org/2010/09/09 |title =Visa-free travel between Russia and the EU? Yes, but not yet |work =European Voice |location =Brussels |date =9 September 2010 |url-status =dead |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100914063926/http://www.eu-russiacentre.org/2010/09/09 |archive-date =14 September 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url =http://euobserver.com/24/30726 |title =Russia optimistic on EU visa-free travel |date =3 September 2010 |work =EU Observer |access-date =15 September 2010 |archive-date =9 September 2010 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100909090818/http://euobserver.com/24/30726 |url-status =live }}</ref> Ukraine,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Ukraine Reconfirms its Aspiration for Closer Integration With the European Union |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukraine-reconfirms-its-aspiration-for-closer-integration-with-the-european-union-102782244.html |agency=[[PR Newswire]] |date=13 September 2010 |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129073046/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukraine-reconfirms-its-aspiration-for-closer-integration-with-the-european-union-102782244.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Moldova.<ref>{{Cite news |url =http://euobserver.com/24/30047 |title =Moldova eyes EU visa-free travel |date =10 May 2010 |work =EU Observer |access-date =15 September 2010 |archive-date =24 September 2010 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100924075128/http://euobserver.com/24/30047 |url-status =live }}</ref> Matters concerning Turkey have also been debated.<ref>[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkeys-visa-policy-has-turkey-given-up-its-demand-of-free-movement-in-the-eu-2010-02-14 Turkey's visa policy: Has Turkey given up its demand of free movement in the EU?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514073410/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkeys-visa-policy-has-turkey-given-up-its-demand-of-free-movement-in-the-eu-2010-02-14 |date=14 May 2010 }}. ''Hurriyet''. 15 February 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanunionplatform.org/category/eu-visa-policy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325025155/http://www.europeanunionplatform.org/category/eu-visa-policy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 March 2010 |title=Turkey – EU Relations |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref> Ireland maintains an independent visa policy in the EU.

===Defence===
{{main|Common Security and Defence Policy|NATO|European Union–NATO relations}}
[[File:Nato-csto.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|[[NATO]] members in blue, [[Collective Security Treaty Organization|CSTO]] members in orange]]
There are a number of multi-national military and peacekeeping forces which are ultimately under the command of the EU, and therefore can be seen as the core for a future European Union army.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6441417.stm|title=New force behind EU foreign policy|date=15 March 2007|access-date=16 December 2017|publisher=BBC News|archive-date=16 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416091335/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6441417.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> These corps include forces from 26 EU states (all except Malta, which currently does not participate in any battlegroup), Norway and Turkey. Denmark used to have an opt-out clause in its accession treaty and was not obliged to participate in the common defence policy, but in 2022 decided to abandon its stance. Further, the '''[[WEU|Western European Union]]''' (WEU) capabilities and functions have been transferred to the European Union, under its developing [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] (CFSP) and [[European Security and Defence Policy]] (ESDP).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weu.int/documents/001113en.pdf|title=Marseille Declaration|website=Weu.int|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-date=8 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708090712/http://www.weu.int/documents/001113en.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The EU also has close ties with the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), according to the [[Berlin Plus agreement]]. This is a comprehensive package of agreements made between NATO and the EU on 16 December 2002. With this agreement the EU is given the possibility to use NATO assets in case it wanted to act independently in an international crisis, on the condition that NATO does not want to act itself – the so-called "right of first refusal".<ref>Bram Boxhoorn, ''Broad Support for NATO in the Netherlands'', 21 September 2005, {{cite web|url=http://www.ataedu.org/article_new.php?id%3D107 |title=Broad Support for NATO in the Netherlands |access-date=19 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218090444/http://www.ataedu.org/article_new.php?id=107 |archive-date=18 February 2007 }} ''www.ataedu.org''</ref>
[[File:European defence integration.svg|thumb|upright=1.45|The participation in European defence organisations]]
In fact, many EU member states are among the 32 NATO members. The [[Treaty of Brussels]] is considered the precursor to NATO. The [[North Atlantic Treaty]] was signed in Washington, D.C., in 1949. It included the five Treaty of Brussels states, as well as the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Greece and Turkey joined the alliance in 1952, and West Germany did the same in 1955. Spain entered in 1982. In 1999, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland became NATO members. Finally, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia joined in 2004. In 2009, Albania and Croatia joined. In 2008, Ukraine and Georgia were told that they will also eventually become members. Montenegro and North Macedonia joined in 2017 and 2020 respectively. In 2023 and 2024, Finland and Sweden joined. Thus, 23 out of 32 NATO states are among the 27 EU members, another two are members of the EEA, and one more is an EU candidate and also a member of the [[European Union Customs Union]].
{{Clear}}

===Space===
{{further|European Space Agency|European Space Agency Science Programme|Enlargement of the European Space Agency|European Union Agency for the Space Programme|European Union Space Programme|European Union Satellite Centre|European Cooperation for Space Standardization|Copernicus Programme|Ariane (rocket family)}}
{{multiple image
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{{legend|#5B9ED7|ESA member countries}}
{{legend|#5FB4A1|ECS states}}
{{legend|#3D9345|signed Cooperation Agreement (CA)}}
| image2            = ESA and EU.png
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{{legend|#81c846|ESA and EU member countries}}
{{legend|#b94954|ESA-only members}}
{{legend|#3b54b1|EU-only members}}
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On 22 May 2007, the member states of the European Union have agreed to create a common political framework for space activities in Europe by unifying the approach of the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) with those of the individual European Union member states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/About_ESA/SEMO78B474F_0.html |title=European Space Policy |publisher=Esa.int |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=21 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121032005/http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/About_ESA/SEMO78B474F_0.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, ESA is an intergovernmental organisation with no formal organic link to the EU; indeed the two institutions have different member states and are governed by different rules and procedures. ESA was created in 1975 by the merger of the two pre-existing European organisations engaged in space activities, [[ELDO]] and [[ESRO]]. The 10 founding members were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Ireland joined on 31 December 1975. In 1987, Austria and Norway became member states. Finland joined in 1995, Portugal in 2000, Greece and Luxembourg in 2005, the Czech Republic in 2008, and Romania in 2011. Currently, it has 20 member states: all the EU member states before 2004, plus Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland. In addition, Canada has had the special status of a Cooperating State under a series of cooperation agreements dating since 1979.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/pdf/evaluation_2010-canada-esa_eng.pdf |title=Canada-ESA Evaluation 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706181404/http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/pdf/evaluation_2010-canada-esa_eng.pdf |archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM8C8SRJHG_Benefits_2.html |title=ESA Portal – Benefits for Europe – ESA and Canada renew partnership in space science and technology – printer version |publisher=Esa.int |date=15 December 2010 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=9 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809052048/http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM8C8SRJHG_Benefits_2.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2007 the political perspective of the European Union was to make ESA an [[Agency of the European Union|agency of the EU]] by 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/esapub/br/br268/br268.pdf |title=ESA BR-268 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307032637/http://www.esa.int/esapub/br/br268/br268.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> ESA is likely to expand in the coming years with the countries which joined the EU in both 2004 and 2007. Currently, almost all EU member states are in different stages of affiliation with ESA. Poland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXT291M9H_index_0.html |title=ESA Portal – Polish flag raised at ESA |publisher=Esa.int |date=19 November 2012 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201232357/http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXT291M9H_index_0.html |url-status=live }}</ref> has joined on 19 November 2012. Hungary<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/Hungary_accedes_to_ESA_Convention2 |title=Hungary accedes to ESA Convention / Welcome to ESA / About Us / ESA |publisher=Esa.int |access-date=6 January 2016 |archive-date=19 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219032724/http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/Hungary_accedes_to_ESA_Convention2 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Estonia<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/Estonia_accedes_to_ESA_Convention |title=Estonia accedes to ESA Convention / Press Releases / For Media / ESA |publisher=Esa.int |access-date=6 January 2016 |archive-date=5 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205011549/http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/Estonia_accedes_to_ESA_Convention |url-status=live }}</ref> have signed ESA Convention. Latvia and Slovenia have started to implement a Plan for European Cooperating State (PECS) Charter. Slovakia, Lithuania and Bulgaria have signed a European Cooperating State (ECS) Agreement. Cyprus,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/About_ESA/SEMTH0I7KYF_0.html |title=ESA – About ESA – Cyprus signs Cooperation Agreement |publisher=Esa.int |date=27 August 2009 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=9 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809052034/http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/About_ESA/SEMTH0I7KYF_0.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Malta and Croatia have signed Cooperation Agreements with ESA.

==Future of European integration==
{{Main| Enlargement of the European Union|Potential enlargement of the European Union|Federal Europe|Eurosphere|Eurasian Economic Union|Enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union}}
[[File:Further European Union Enlargement.svg|thumb|[[De jure]] status of possible [[future enlargement of the European Union]]:{{Leftlegend|#039|Current member states}}{{Leftlegend|#F29527|Former member state which has [[Withdrawal from the European Union|withdrawn from the EU]]: [[Brexit|United Kingdom]]}}{{Leftlegend|#46a43b|Candidates: [[Accession of Albania to the European Union|Albania]], [[Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union|Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Accession of Georgia to the European Union|Georgia]], [[Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union|North Macedonia]], [[Moldova-European Union relations|Moldova]], [[Accession of Montenegro to the European Union|Montenegro]], [[Accession of Serbia to the European Union|Serbia]], [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Turkey]] and [[Accession of Ukraine to the European Union|Ukraine]]<ref name=status1>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/check-current-status/index_en.htm|title=Enlargement – Check current status|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref>}}{{Leftlegend|#ffd617|Potential candidates that have applied for membership: [[Accession of Kosovo to the European Union|Kosovo*]] (''[[International recognition of Kosovo|status disputed]]'').<ref name=status1/>}}{{Leftlegend|#da2131|States that have withdrawn their applications: [[Iceland–European Union relations|Iceland]], [[Norway–European Union relations|Norway]], [[Switzerland–European Union relations|Switzerland]]}}]]
There is no fixed end to the process of integration. The discussion on the possible final political shape or configuration of the European Union is sometimes referred to as the debate on the '''finalité politique''' (French for "political purpose").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_RCN=5908045|title= The debate on the finalité politique of the european union in the applicant countries from central and eastern europe-measures accompanying other eu activities to prepare the igc 2004  |website=European Commission : CORDIS |access-date=16 December 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130701105539/http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_RCN=5908045 |archive-date= 1 July 2013 }}</ref> Integration and [[enlargement of the European Union]] are major issues in the [[politics of Europe]], each at European, national and local level. Integration may conflict with national [[sovereignty]] and [[cultural identity]], and is opposed by [[euroscepticism|eurosceptics]]. To the east of the European Union, the countries of [[Belarus]], [[Kazakhstan]] and Russia launched the creation of the [[Eurasian Economic Union]] in the year 2015, which was subsequently joined by [[Armenia]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. Other states in the region, such as [[Moldova]] and [[Tajikistan]] may also join. Meanwhile, the post-Soviet [[disputed states]] of [[Abkhazia]], [[Republic of Artsakh|Artsakh]], [[South Ossetia]], and [[Transnistria]] have created the [[Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations]] to closer integrate among each other. Some Eastern European countries such as [[Armenia]] have opted to cooperate with both the EU and the Eurasian Union. On 24 February 2017 [[Tigran Sargsyan]], the Chairman of the [[Eurasian Economic Commission]] stated that Armenia's stance was to cooperate and work with both the [[European Union]] and the [[Eurasian Economic Union]]. Sargsyan added that although Armenia is part of the Eurasian Union, a new [[European Union Association Agreement]] between Armenia and the EU would be finalized shortly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/880133/armenia-eu-new-agreement-may-be-signed-soon-%E2%80%93-eec-board-chairman.html|title=Armenia president and European Commission official discuss EU-Armenia talks|date=24 February 2017 |website=ARMENPRESS |access-date=6 March 2017|archive-date=3 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403223503/https://armenpress.am/eng/news/880133/armenia-eu-new-agreement-may-be-signed-soon-%E2%80%93-eec-board-chairman.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Europe economical bloc.PNG|thumb|right|upright=2.05|Economical integration [[trade bloc|blocs]]]]

Several countries in [[Eastern Europe]] have engaged the EU with the aim to grow economic and political ties. The [[Euronest Parliamentary Assembly]], established in 2003, is the inter-parliamentary forum in which members of the [[European Parliament]] and the national parliaments of [[Ukraine]], [[Moldova]], [[Belarus]], [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] participate and forge closer political and economic ties with the European Union.<ref>{{cite web| title =Initial Agreement Reached To Establish Parliamentary Assembly of European Parliament's Eastern Neighbors| url =http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/77332/-initial-agreement-reached-to-establish-parliamentary-assembly-of-european-parliament-s-eastern-neighbors-.html |date=19 May 2009 |agency=Trend News |first1=A. |last1=Huseynbala |first2=J. |last2=Babayeva |website=Turkish Weekly | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110615013815/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/77332/-initial-agreement-reached-to-establish-parliamentary-assembly-of-european-parliament-s-eastern-neighbors-.html| url-status =dead| archive-date =15 June 2011}}</ref> All of these States participate in the EU's [[Eastern Partnership]] program. The [[Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation]] and the [[Community of Democratic Choice]] are other organizations established to promote European integration, stability, and democracy. On 12 January 2002, the [[European Parliament]] noted that Armenia and Georgia may enter the EU in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libertas-institut.com/de/PDF/Armenia%20ante%20portas.pdf |first1=Hans-Juergen |last1=Zahorka |title=How Could America Approach the European Union?|website=Libertas-institut.com|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041127211407/http://www.libertas-institut.com/de/PDF/Armenia%20ante%20portas.pdf|archive-date=27 November 2004|url-status=live}}</ref> On 2 March 2024, Armenian Prime Minister [[Nikol Pashinyan]] advised that Armenia would officially "apply to become a candidate for EU membership in the coming days, within a month at most".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.trend.az/scaucasus/armenia/3869381.html|title=Armenia's bid for EU membership – Yerevan's shift away from Russia|website=trend.az |date=2 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radar.am/en/news/press-2618720505/|title=Will Armenia apply to become a candidate for EU membership in the coming days?|website=radar.am}}</ref> On 5 March, Pashinyan stated that Armenia would apply for EU candidacy by autumn 2024 at the latest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hraparak.am/post/c1bb9ccbee31e8bfe4661e7849e99a75|title=NIKOL PASHINYAN SAID THAT YOU SHOULD APPLY TO BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP BEFORE AUTUMN AT THE LATEST|website=hraparak.am |date=5 March 2024 }}</ref> On 12 March 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution confirming Armenia meets [[Maastricht Treaty]] [[s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title VI: Final Provisions#Article 49|Article 49]] requirements and may apply for EU membership.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2024-0163_EN.html|title=JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia &#124; RC-B9-0163/2024 &#124; European Parliament|website=europarl.europa.eu}}</ref> The [[National Assembly (Armenia)|National Assembly of Armenia]] approved the matter in January 2025 to start the [[accession of Armenia to the European Union]] and the matter will be put to a referendum for confirmation or rejection by the Armenian people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/armenia-approves-eu-membership-bid-further-straining-ties-with-russia/ar-BB1rblr7?ocid=BingNewsVerp|title=Armenia approves EU membership bid further straining ties with Russia|publisher=MSN|date=9 January 2025}}</ref> On 9 January 2025, the [[Government of Armenia|Armenian government]] approved the bill to launch a bid for the country to join the European Union.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/armenian-government-approves-bill-launch-eu-accession-bid-2025-01-09/ (Reuters)]</ref> Currently, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] is the only country in the [[Caucasus]] actively seeking EU membership.

===European Security Treaty===
In 2008, Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] announced a new concept for Russian foreign politics and called for the creation of a common space in Euro-Atlantic and Eurasia area "from Vancouver to Vladivostok".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geopolitika.lt/?artc=2647 |title=New concept of the Russian foreign policy: from Vancouver to Vladivostok? |publisher=Geopolitika |first1=Vadim |last1=Volovoj |date=9 September 2008 |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202155857/http://www.geopolitika.lt/?artc=2647 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 5 June 2009 in Berlin he proposed a new all-European pact for security that would include all European, [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries and the United States.<ref>{{cite journal |journal =Eurasia Daily Monitor |volume=5 |issue=109 |date=9 June 2008 |last=Socor |first=Vladimir |url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=33701 |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228121511/http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=33701 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2011 |title= Medvedev Proposes All-European Security Pact During Berlin Visit |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/email/medvedev-and-the-new-european-security-architecture|title=Medvedev and the new European security architecture|website=Opendemocracy.net|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-date=21 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521235453/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/medvedev-and-the-new-european-security-architecture/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 29 November 2009 a draft version of the European Security Treaty appeared.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eng.news.kremlin.ru/news/275|title=The draft of the European Security Treaty|publisher=Eng.news.kremlin.ru|date=29 November 2009|access-date=20 April 2011|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803235455/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/6152|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mid.ru/ns-dvbr.nsf/dveurope/968BFE5F5D506083C325767E003CEEAE|title=Главная|website=Mid.ru|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-date=20 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520185938/https://www.mid.ru/ru/home|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/russia-proposes-new-euro-atlantic-security-treaty/article-187790 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203104009/http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affairs/russia-proposes-new-euro-atlantic-security-treaty/article-187790 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2009 |title=Russia proposes new Euro-Atlantic security treaty |date=30 November 2009 |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref> French president Sarkozy spoke positively about Medvedev's ideas and called for closer security and economic relation between Europe and Russia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://euobserver.com/9/27113|title=Sarkozy wants new EU-US-Russia security accord|website=Euobserver.com|date=14 November 2008|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-date=14 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814174111/https://euobserver.com/news/27113|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/15/nicolas-sarkozy-russia-european-security|title=Sarkozy backs Russian calls for pan-European security pact|author1=Ian Traynor|author2=Luke Harding|date=15 November 2008|access-date=16 December 2017|website=The Guardian|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109034147/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/15/nicolas-sarkozy-russia-european-security|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/10/06/24433259.html|title=Sarkozy to push for Russia-EU security deal|website=English.ruvr.ru|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318121328/http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/10/06/24433259.html|archive-date=18 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/world/europe/02france.html|title=Sarkozy to Propose New Bond With Russia|first1=Steven|last1=Erlanger|first2=Katrin|last2=Bennhold|date=1 October 2010|access-date=16 December 2017|website=The New York Times|archive-date=22 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522000133/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/world/europe/02france.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Common space from Lisbon to Vladivostok===
[[File:Lisbon to Vladivostok.svg|thumb|center|upright=2.95|Area from Lisbon to Vladivostok with all [[European country|European]] and [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries]]
Russian Prime Minister [[Vladimir Putin]] in a German newspaper in 2010 called for common economic space, free-trade area or more advanced economic integration, stretching from [[Lisbon]] to [[Vladivostok]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Donahue |first=Patrick |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-25/putin-promotes-trade-zone-from-lisbon-to-vladivostok-update1-.html |title=Putin Promotes Trade Zone From 'Lisbon to Vladivostok' |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=25 November 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109023615/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-11-25/putin-promotes-trade-zone-from-lisbon-to-vladivostok-update1- |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=sueddeutsche.de GmbH, Munich, Germany |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/putin-plaedoyer-fuer-wirtschaftsgemeinschaft-von-lissabon-bis-wladiwostok-1.1027908 |title=Von Lissabon bis Wladiwostok |date=25 November 2010 |publisher=Sueddeutsche.de |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112003614/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/putin-plaedoyer-fuer-wirtschaftsgemeinschaft-von-lissabon-bis-wladiwostok-1.1027908 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sueddeutsche.de%2Fwirtschaft%2Fputin-plaedoyer-fuer-wirtschaftsgemeinschaft-von-lissabon-bis-wladiwostok-1.1027908&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 |title=From Lisbon to Vladivostok |language=de |publisher=Translate.google.de |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=21 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521233943/https://translate.google.de/translate?u=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/putin-plaedoyer-fuer-wirtschaftsgemeinschaft-von-lissabon-bis-wladiwostok-1.1027908&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,731109,00.html |title=Putin Envisions a Russia-EU Free Trade Zone |work=Der Spiegel |date=25 November 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=29 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129201924/http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,731109,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://government.ru/eng/docs/13088/ |title=Russia and Europe: From an Analysis of Crisis Lessons to a New Partnership Agenda |publisher=Government.ru |date=25 November 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511182858/http://government.ru/eng/docs/13088/ |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref> He also said it is quite possible Russia could join the eurozone one day.<ref>{{cite web|last=Armitstead |first=Louise |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/8163347/Putin-Russia-will-join-the-euro-one-day.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/8163347/Putin-Russia-will-join-the-euro-one-day.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Putin: Russia will join the euro one day |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |date=26 November 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> French president [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] in 2010 said he believed in 10 or 15 years there will be common economic space between EU and Russia with visa-free regime and general concept of security.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visahouse.com/news-visa-free-regime-is-possible-in-10-15-years.asp |title=Nicolas Sarkozy believes the visa-free regime (EU-Russia) is possible in 10–15 years |publisher=Visahouse.com |date=26 October 2010 |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-date=26 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326042538/http://www.visahouse.com/news-visa-free-regime-is-possible-in-10-15-years.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

Instead Russia has chosen economic policy of self-sufficiency and economic autarky. Russia has been unable to compete with the EU economy, so integration might be at the cost of its own political and socio-economic stability.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ridl.io/the-lisbon-vladivostok-illusion/ |title=The Lisbon-Vladivostok illusion |publisher=Riddle |first1=Janis |last1=Kluge |first2=Michael |last2=Richter |date=20 March 2020 |access-date=29 November 2022 |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129084910/https://ridl.io/the-lisbon-vladivostok-illusion/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Concept of a single legal space for the CIS and Europe===
[[File:European Union OCTs Locator.png|thumb|right|upright=1.8|{{legend|#3C62DD|[[Member states of the European Union]]}} {{legend|#38DD6E|[[Future enlargement of the European Union#Current agenda and applicants|Current enlargement agenda]]}} {{legend|#804000|[[Special Member State territories and the European Union|Special member state territories]] outside the EU}} {{legend|#FF8040|[[Exclusive Economic zone|EEZ]] of [[Special Member State territories and the European Union|special member state territories]] outside the EU}}]]

Russian legal scholar Oleg Kutafin and economist Alexander Zakharov produced a Concept of a Single Legal Space for the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] and Europe in 2002. This idea was fully incorporated in the resolution of the 2003 Moscow Legal Forum. The Forum gathered representatives of more than 20 countries including 10 CIS countries. In 2007 both the International Union of Jurists of the CIS and the International Union (Commonwealth) of Advocates passed resolutions that strongly support the Concept of a Single Legal Space for Europe and post-Soviet Countries.

The concept said: "Obviously, to improve its legislation Russia and other countries of CIS should be oriented toward the continental legal family of European law. The civil law system is much closer to the Russian and other CIS countries will be instrumental in harmonising legislation of CIS countries and the European Community but all values of common law should be also investigated on the subject of possible implementation in some laws and norms.
It is suggested that the introduction of the concept of a Single legal space and a single Rule of Law space for Europe and CIS be implemented in four steps:
# Development plans at the national level regarding adoption of selected EC legal standards in the legislation of CIS countries;
# Promotion of measures for harmonisation of law with the goal of developing a single legal space for Europe and CIS countries in the area of commercial and corporate law;
# Making the harmonisation of judicial practice of CIS countries compatible with Rule of Law principles and coordination of the basic requirements of the Rule of Law in CIS countries with the EU legal standards.
# Development of ideas the [[Roerich Pact]] (International Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institution and Historic Monuments initiated by Russian thinker Nicholas Roerich and signed in 1935 by 40&thinsp;% of sovereign states in Washington D.C.) into the law of CIS countries and European law.<ref>Evgeny Semenyako, Petr Barenboim, ''The Moscow-Bruges Concept of a Single Legal and Rule of Law Space for Europe and Russia'', Justitceinform, Moscow, 2007, {{ISBN|978-5-7205-0911-8}}; [https://web.archive.org/web/20110812055610/http://baruchim.narod.ru/wiki/75th_Anniversary_of_Roerich_Pact_Eng.pdf Peter Barenboim, Naeem Sidiqi, ''Bruges, the Bridge between Civilizations: The 75 Anniversary of the Roerich Pact'', Grid Belgium, 2010]. {{ISBN|978-5-98856-114-9}}</ref>
==Beyond Europe==
{{Main|Greater Europe}}

===Euro-Mediterranean Partnership===
[[File:EU European Neighbourhood Policy states.svg|thumb|EU regional initiatives; [[Future enlargement of the European Union#Current agenda and applicants|current enlargement agenda]] ([[Stabilisation and Association Process|SAP]] and [[Potential enlargement of the European Union#Current agenda and applicants|candidate countries]]), [[European Neighbourhood Policy|ENP]]; [[Eastern Partnership]], [[Euromediterranean Partnership]] and [[EU-Russia Common Spaces]]]]
The [[Euro-Mediterranean Partnership]] or [[Barcelona Process]] was organised by the European Union to strengthen its relations with the countries in the [[Mashriq]] and [[Maghreb]] regions. It started in 1995 with the [[Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean Conference]], and it has been developed in successive annual meetings.

The European Union enlargement of 2004 brought two more Mediterranean countries (Cyprus and Malta) into the Union, while adding a total of 10 to the number of Member States. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership today comprises 43 members: 27 European Union member states, and 15 partner countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia, as well as the Palestinian Territories). Libya has had observer status since 1999.

The [[Euro-Mediterranean free trade area|Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area]] (EU-MEFTA) is based on the [[Barcelona Process]] and [[European Neighbourhood Policy]] (ENP). It will cover the EU, the [[European Free Trade Association|EFTA]], the [[European Union Customs Union|EU customs unions with third states]] (Andorra, San Marino, and Turkey), the [[Enlargement of the European Union|EU candidate states]], and the partners of the [[Barcelona Process]].

The [[Union for the Mediterranean]] is a community of countries, mostly bordering the [[Mediterranean Sea]], established in July 2008.<ref name="EA167">[http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy/sarkozy-sounds-basis-mediterranean-union/article-165541?Ref=RSS Sarkozy sounds out basis for Mediterranean Union] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511115359/http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy/sarkozy-sounds-basis-mediterranean-union/article-165541?Ref=RSS |date=11 May 2011 }} Euractiv.com 16 July 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2007.</ref>

====Ties with partners====
Morocco already has a number of close ties with the EU, including an Association Agreement with FTA provisions, air transport integration, or the participation in military operations such as ALTHEA in Bosnia.

Further, it will be the first partner to go beyond association by enhancing political and economic ties, entering the Single Market, and participating in some EU agencies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/last_politics/morocco_satisfied_to/view |title=Morocco glad to be the first partner with which EU decides to go beyond association, minister |access-date=15 October 2008 |website=map.ma |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014234356/http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/last_politics/morocco_satisfied_to/view |archive-date=14 October 2008}}. Retrieved 15 October 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/31228|title=afrol News – Morocco enters EU market|website=Afrol.com|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201515/http://www.afrol.com/articles/31228|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/01/23/feature-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212092435/http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/01/23/feature-01 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 February 2008 |title=Europe supports Morocco's EU partnership aspirations |date=23 January 2008 |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2409215,00.html |title=Closer ties for EU, Morocco |date=14 October 2008 |website=/www.news24.com |access-date=15 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106044608/http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2409215,00.html |archive-date=6 January 2009}}. Retrieved 15 October 2008.</ref>

===Commonwealth of Independent States===
{{see also|Post-Soviet states#Regional organizations}}
[[File:Eu-cis.svg|thumb|right|upright=2.7|[[European Union]] and [[Commonwealth of Independent States]]]]

The [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS) is a loose organisation in which most former Soviet republics participate. A visa-free regime operates among members and a free-trade area is planned. Ukraine is not an official member, but has participated in the organisation. Some members are more integrated than others, for example Russia and Belarus form a [[Union State]]. In 2010, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan formed a [[Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia|customs union]] and a [[Common Economic Space (CIS)|single market]] ([[Common Economic Space (CIS)|Common Economic Space]]) commenced on 1 January 2012. The Presidents of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan established the [[Eurasian Economic Union]] with a Eurasian Commission in 2015, subsequently joined by [[Armenia]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. A [[common currency]] is also planned, potentially to be named "evraz". Some other countries in the region, such as [[Moldova]] are potential members of these organisations.

===Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations===
The post-Soviet [[disputed states]] of [[Abkhazia]], [[South Ossetia]], and [[Transnistria]] are all members of the [[Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations]] which aims to forge closer integration.

===EU and other regions and countries in the world===

{{multiple image
|total_width=750|align=center
|image1=ASEM map.svg|caption1=[[ASEM]]
|image2=African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States member nations map.svg|caption2=[[ACP countries]]
|image3=European Union Latin America Locator.svg|caption3=[[Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly|EuroLat]]
|image4=TAFTA.svg|caption4=Proposed [[TAFTA]]
}}

The European Union cooperates with some other countries and regions via loose organisations and regular meetings. The [[ASEM]] forum, consisting of the EU and some Asian countries, has been held every two years since 1996. The EU and [[African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States]] form the [[ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly]], promoting [[ACP–EU development cooperation]], democracy and human rights. The EU and Latin American countries form the [[Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly]]. [[TAFTA]] is a proposed free-trade area between EU and United States.

* ASEM – [[Asia–Europe Meeting]]
* ACP – [[African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States]] ([[Economic Partnership Agreements]])
* EuroLat – [[Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly]]
* TAFTA – [[Transatlantic Free Trade Area]]

===Other organisations in world===
European countries like the United Kingdom, [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]] have made organisations with other countries in the world with which they have strong cultural and historical links.
{{multiple image
|total_width=750|align=center
|image1=Commonwealth of Nations.svg|caption1=[[Commonwealth of Nations]]
|image2=La francophonie mapa.svg|caption2=[[Francophonie]]
|image3=OEI map.svg|caption3=[[Organization of Ibero-American States|Ibero-American States]]
}}

===European languages in the world===
English is considered to be the global [[lingua franca]]. European languages like English, [[French language|French]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Russian language|Russian]] and [[German language|German]] are official, co-official or widely in use in many countries with a [[colonialism|colonial]] past or with a [[European diaspora]].

{{multiple image
|total_width=750|align=center
|image1=English language distribution.svg|caption1=[[Anglophone]]
|image2=New-Map-Francophone World.svg|caption2=[[Francophone]]
|image3=Map-Hispanophone World.svg|caption3=[[Hispanophone]] 
|image4=Detailed SVG map of the Lusophone world.svg|caption4=[[Lusophone]]
|image5=Linguistic map of the Italian language.svg|caption5=[[Italian language|Italophone]]
|image6=Legal statuses of German in the world.svg|caption6=[[German language|Germanophone]]
}}

===World integration===
{{Main|Globalisation}}
{{multiple image
|total_width       = 750
|align             = center
|image1            = World Trade Organization Members.svg
|caption1          = [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] members
|image2            = Economic integration stages (World).png
|caption2          = [[Economic integration]]
|image3            = ICC member states.svg
|caption3          = [[International Criminal Court|ICC]] members
|image4            = Death Penalty World Map.svg
|caption4          = [[Death penalty]]
|image5            = Conscription map of the world.svg
|caption5          = [[Conscription]]
|image6            = ParisAgreement.svg
|caption6          = [[Paris Agreement]]
|image7            = World laws pertaining to homosexual relationships and expression.svg
|caption7          = [[LGBT rights by country or territory|Same sex marriage]]
}}

==See also==
{{portal|Europe|European Union|Politics}}
*[[Assembly of European Regions]]
*[[Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe]] – Virtual Centre for Knowledge on Europe
*[[Differentiated integration]]
*[[European Federation]]
*[[European Policy Centre]]
*[[Europe Day]]
*[[EuroVoc]]
*[[Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification]]
*[[North American integration]]
*[[Pan-European identity]]
*[[Paneuropean Union]]
*[[Pulse of Europe]]
*[[Regions of Europe]]
*[[TRACECA]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Carrasco, C. A., & Peinado, P. (2014). ''[http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/v_2014_10_30_peinado_carrasco.pdf On the origin of European imbalances in the context of European integration],'' Working papers wpaper71, Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development (FESSUD) Project.
* Glencross, A. (2014). [http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405193948.html The Politics of European Integration: Political Union or a House Divided.]

{{Foreign relations of the European Union 2}}
{{Europe_topics_(small)|state=collapsed}}
{{European Union topics}}
{{Economic integration}}
{{History of Europe}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Integration}}
[[Category:European integration| ]]
[[Category:Council of Europe]]
[[Category:Pan-Europeanism]]
[[Category:Regionalism (international relations)]]