The European Union (English: European Union; French: Union européenne; German: Europäische Union), abbreviated as the EU, is headquartered in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. It evolved from the European Communities. The six founding member states were Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The union currently has 28 member states and 24 official languages.
What is the EU?
In December 1991, the European Community Maastricht Summit adopted the Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty. On November 1, 1993, the Maastricht Treaty officially came into effect, and the European Union was formally established.
Which countries are members of the EU?
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark (excluding Greenland), Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia.



