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Why the European Union is in the news?

The European Union has been declared an LGBTIQ Freedom Zone. The European Parliament through a resolution on 11th March 2021 symbolically declared the union as Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Intersex-Queer Freedom Zone.

With this, IAS Exam candidates should know which countries comprise the European Union and what are the objectives of the EU among other relevant information.

European Union is an international organisation consisting of European Countries, which was formed in 1993. It came into force after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty by 28 countries. The Maastricht Treaty is also known as the Treaty of the European Union (TEU). Maastricht is a city located in the Netherlands. The Maastricht Treaty was amended thrice. The amendments are listed below.

Brief-Facts about EU for UPSC

UK made an exit from the EU on 31st January 2020

The objectives of forming the European Union are listed below.

European Union was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2012.

Following the aftermath of World War II. European leaders realised that only large-scale integration would be an antidote to the extreme nationalism that was the cause of the global war. Winston Churchill wentfurther and advocated the emergence of the United States of Europe. The 1948 Hague Congress was a pivotal moment in European federal history, as it led to the creation of the European Movement International and of the College of Europe, where Europes future leaders would live and study together. The founding of the following unions which eventually evolved into the European Union:

The original 6 members of European Communities were

European Union Brexit

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (U.K) formally left the European Union. U.K is the first country to leave the E.U. The exit was in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union.

Read more about BREXIT and its impact on India at the linked article.

The 7 important decision-making bodies of the European Union are listed below.

European Parliament

European Council (E.C)

European Commission

Council of the European Union

European Union Economy

Q 1) Why is the United Kingdom (U.K) leaving the European Union?

As per some reports, some of the main reasons for the U.K leaving the E.U are mentioned below.

Q 2) Is Switzerland a member of the European Union?

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. However, it has signed a number of treaties with the European Union. E.U is the largest trading partner of Switzerland.

European Union UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

The European Parliament, which represents the EUs citizens and is directly elected by them; the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the individual member countries. The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis.

The purpose of the European Unions purpose is to promote peace, establish a unified economic and monetary system, promote inclusion and combat discrimination, break down barriers to trade and borders, encourage technological and scientific developments, champion environmental protection

The above details would be of help to candidates preparing for UPSC exams from the perspective of the mains examination. You can know more about the topics asked in the exam by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page.

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European Union - An Overview of Treaties, Origins ...