European Union

Treaty of Rome
A treaty signed in Rome in 1957 that established the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community.
Accession Criteria
The conditions a candidate country must satisfy to become a member of the European Union, including political, economic, administrative, and institutional requirements.
Baltic Free Trade Agreement
Baltic Free Trade Agreement - A free trade agreement between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania established in 1993 and remaining in place until the three countries joined the European Union in 2004.
Cecchini Report
A report on the expected gains from the '1992' programme for unifying the European Community's internal market.
Common Market
A fully integrated market area with freedom of trade, labour, and capital mobility among member countries.
Delors Report
A foundational report proposing a single currency and common monetary policy for the European Community.
Directive of the European Union
A legislative act of the European Union that requires member states to achieve a specified outcome but which does not dictate the method of achieving the outcome.
Euro - The Single European Currency
An overview of the Euro, its adoption, historical context, and significance within the European Monetary Union.
Eurobarometer
A comprehensive analysis of the Eurobarometer surveys conducted in EU countries by the communication service of the European Commission.
euroland - Definition and Meaning
A slightly derogatory term for the geographical area consisting of the countries that have adopted the euro. The more formal term is eurozone.
European Central Bank
The central institution of the European Monetary Union (EMU) responsible for monetary policy, interest rates, and issuing euro currency.
European Coal and Steel Community
A European body established in 1952 to create a common market for coal and steel among its member states.
European Community
An overview of the European Community, its formation, historical context, and its evolution into the European Union.
European Monetary Institute
A European organization established to study the problems of organizing a European Central Bank
European Union
The name since 1993 of the former *European Community*. An economic and political union of European countries.
Eurosystem
The monetary authority of the eurozone, composed of the European Central Bank and the central banks of the EU member states that have adopted the euro.
Eurozone
Countries that have abolished their national currencies and adopted the euro.
Harmonization
The process of convergence over time of tax rates and regulatory rules in countries belonging to an economic bloc.
Internal Market
The territories of all European Union (EU) member states viewed as a single integrated market.
Set-aside
Removal of land from agricultural production, including policies and implications.
Social Chapter
A chapter of the Maastricht Treaty concerning social policies including employment protection and works councils.
Structural Funds
Funds operated by the European Union to improve economic conditions in the poorest regions of member countries and reduce regional inequality.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a proposed trade and investment agreement between the European Union and the United States focusing on market access and regulatory cooperation.
European Economic Integration
An in-depth look at the process by which European countries are becoming more interconnected in terms of trade and finance, alongside other socio-economic aspects.