Why was the European project started?
In 1945 Europe was in ruins after the Second World War. Leaders asked: how can we stop this ever happening again? Their answer was to tie countries together so tightly that war would not make sense.
- 1951 – Coal and steel: Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands put these war industries under one shared authority (the ECSC).
- 1957 – Treaty of Rome: the same six started the European Economic Community (EEC), a common market.
- 1993 – Maastricht Treaty: the European Union was born, adding shared citizenship and plans for one currency.
The idea is integration: countries join step by step, first in economics, then in politics.
How the EU grew: enlargement and Brexit
Members joined in waves: 1973 (Denmark, Ireland, UK), 1981 (Greece), 1986 (Spain, Portugal), 1995 (Austria, Finland, Sweden).
After the Cold War ended in 1989–1991, many countries of Central and Eastern Europe became democracies and market economies. Ten joined in 2004, two in 2007 and Croatia in 2013. To join, a country must be a stable democracy, respect human rights and the rule of law, and have a working market economy.
In a 2016 vote the UK chose to leave; it left in 2020 (“Brexit”). The Schengen area lets people cross most internal borders without passport checks, while the EU's outer border is guarded jointly.
EU institutions and EU law
- European Commission: proposes laws and checks they are applied. One commissioner per country.
- European Parliament: elected directly by citizens every five years. It votes on laws and the budget.
- Council of the EU: ministers from each national government. It also votes on laws.
- European Council: heads of state or government; sets the big direction.
- Court of Justice: makes sure EU law is read and applied the same way everywhere.
The EU is supranational: in some areas (trade, competition, single market) members agree to follow shared EU law above national law. In other areas (schools, army, most taxes) countries decide alone. Don't mix it up with the Council of Europe, a separate, larger body of 46 countries that runs the European Court of Human Rights.
Citizens, rights and values
Every citizen of a member country is also an EU citizen. This gives the right to live, study and work in any member country, to vote in local and European elections where you live, and to get help from any member's embassy abroad.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights lists rights such as dignity, freedom, equality and fair trial. The shared values are human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. Citizens can also start a European Citizens' Initiative with one million signatures to ask for a new law.
Single market, euro and EU policies
The single market has four freedoms: free movement of goods, services, people and capital (money). Stages of economic integration: free trade area → customs union → common market → economic and monetary union.
The euro is used by 21 members. The European Central Bank sets one interest rate for all of them, so countries give up their own money policy.
The EU budget pays for cohesion policy (roads, jobs and training in poorer regions), the Common Agricultural Policy for farmers, and research to keep firms competitive. Its territory is varied: big city areas, rural regions and faraway “outermost regions” such as islands in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
The EU in the world and today's challenges
The EU is one of the world's biggest trading blocs and aid donors. It negotiates trade deals as one team, so a small member has the weight of 27. It works on climate targets, development aid and peace missions.
Challenges: agreeing among 27 different countries, migration, debt crises, energy security, the rise of nationalist parties, and how far to expand. Each member balances national interest with shared goals.
Try it
Look at labels at home: find a product “Made in the EU” or with the CE mark. Then, in the 3D free play, find the year the EU had most members and the year it lost one.
Key formulas and definitions
- Key terms: integration — countries joining step by step
- Supranational — shared law above national law in agreed areas
- Four freedoms — goods, services, people, capital
- Enlargement — new members joining
- Eurozone — members using the euro (21 in 2026)
Worked examples
1. Why did the founders start with coal and steel?
Coal and steel were the raw materials for tanks and guns. If no country controlled them alone, preparing a war in secret became almost impossible, and working together built trust.
2. How many members did the EU have in 2005, and in 2021?
After 2004 there were 25 members, so 25 in 2005. After Croatia (2013) there were 28, and the UK left in 2020, so 27 in 2021.
3. A farmer in Poland sells apples in Portugal. Name two ways the single market helps.
No customs duty is paid at the border, and there is one set of food-safety rules, so the apples do not need a new test in each country.
4. Which institution would you contact to propose a new EU law, and which one would decide if a country broke it?
The European Commission proposes laws (citizens can ask it through a Citizens' Initiative). The Court of Justice decides if a country has broken EU law.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the EU and Europe are the same. Many European countries, such as Norway and Switzerland, are not EU members.
- Thinking every EU member uses the euro. Only 21 of 27 do; Denmark, Sweden and Poland, for example, keep their own money.
- Confusing the Council of Europe (46 countries, human rights court) with the Council of the EU or the European Council.
- Saying the EU replaced national governments. Members stay sovereign; they share power only in agreed areas.