- The European Union (EU) was created after World War II to stabilize and revitalize European economies and prevent future major wars, especially by helping Germany and Italy.
- It began as the European Economic Community in 1958 with six founding countries: Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
- The EU officially formed in 1992 through the Maastricht Treaty, which aimed to create a common economy and currency.
- Its main goal is continental stability through security and economic cooperation, based on the idea that interdependent nations are less likely to go to war.
- The EU allows free movement of labor across borders and uses a single currency, the Euro.
- It promotes open, transparent democratic governments and requires member states to treat citizens of other EU countries as their own, as reinforced by the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon.
- The United Kingdom left the EU in January 2020 following a public vote, but other countries like Albania, Montenegro, and Turkey hope to join.
- The EU provides economic stability and strengthens relationships between member nations.
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