History

The European continent went through many battles, wars and revolutions during the last centuries. Millions of people  died because of their belief in God or because of the aggressive plans of their kings, emperors or leaders. The idea of a united Europe was only a dream for a long time. It took centuries for this dream to come true, although many famous men spoke about it in the past as a great opportunity for keeping the peace.

Six countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – made the first step by creating a common market for coal and steel in 1952.

In 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the UK joined the Community which by then had new social, regional and environmental priorities.

In 1981 Greece joined, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986. Austria, Finland and Sweden became members in 1995.

On May 1, 2004, ten more countries entered this large European family. They are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

At the moment, 25 countries, with 454 million people belong to the European Union which respects the freedom and identity of all its member countries.

European institutiouns

All decisions are made by democratic institutions: the European Council, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Court of Justice and the Court of Auditors.

The European flag

The European flag Since 1986 all European institutions have used the same flag as the official emblem of the EU. A circle of twelve stars on a blue background represents solidarity and unity among the peoples of Europe. The number of stars which remain twelve is symbolic and has nothing to do with the number of member countries.

The European anthem

In 1985 Beethoven’s „Ode to Joy“ from his „Ninth Symphony“ was adopted as the official anthem of the EU. The famous conductor Herbert von Karajan wrote an instrumental arrangement. And so, without words, in the universal language of music, this anthem expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and unity. The European Anthem will never replace the national anthems of individual member countries.

The common Euro

The common currency is the euro. Euro coins and notes replaced the national currencies of 12 member countries on January 1, 2002. Denmark, Sweden, the UK and all of the newest member states are still using their own national currencies.

Designs for the euro are common for all countries. On both sides of the notes there are motifs of the main architectural styles found in Europe- there are bridges and windows. The coins have two sides: one European and the other national.