Countries not in the European Union. Own currency closer: which EU countries have not switched to the euro? More about the European Union

Only three and a half weeks left until May 1 - the day of EU enlargement. The “United European Family” will almost double in size. Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Estonia will become EU members. There are ten states in total. But even after that, there will be many non-EU countries in Europe. Moreover, these are not only economically underdeveloped or politically unstable countries, not only dwarf states like Andorra and Monaco, but also, for example, quite prosperous Norway, Iceland, and finally Switzerland.

The Swiss themselves jokingly call their country an island. After all, with the exception of tiny Liechtenstein, the "Alpine Republic" is surrounded on all sides by the EU states: in the north - Germany, in the west - France, in the south - Italy and in the east - Austria.

More recently, the majority of Swiss residents were categorically against joining the European Union. Evidence of this is the results of the referendum held three years ago. However, in recent times many Swiss are overcome by doubts: did they make the right choice then? More details about the current mood of the inhabitants of the "Alpine Republic" will be discussed in the material prepared by Joachim Schubert-Ankenbauer.

It seemed that on March 4, 2001, all the dots over the "i" were dotted. As it became clear after summing up the results of the referendum, three-quarters of the Swiss did not want to join the "single European family", that is, the European Union. So it's not surprising that in the last autumn Swiss parliamentary elections, no major party dared to make EU accession the main theme of their campaign, says political scientist Claude Longchamp:

For the public, the relevance of this topic has lost its former significance. Switzerland began to cooperate very closely with the European Union after signing bilateral agreements with it, but at the same time, formally, the country is still not a member of the EU. This is what the Swiss have always dreamed of.

Agreements regulating the issues of moving EU residents to Switzerland, the procedure for the transit of freight transport, have already entered into force. The issue of signing the second package of documents is being discussed. Nevertheless, critics point out that it will not be possible to solve all existing problems with the help of bilateral agreements. In particular, Germany recently decided to restrict flights over southern regions countries in order to reduce the level of aircraft noise. This measure directly affects the interests of Switzerland. After all, the country's main airport in the suburbs of Zurich is only 12 kilometers from the German border.

By the way, not everything is safe on the border itself either. Switzerland is not part of the Schengen area. Until recently, this did not prevent the inhabitants of the "Alpine Republic" from visiting Germany and other EU countries completely unhindered. However, now the situation has changed. The Swiss still do not need a visa to enter Germany. But after tightening the rules, German customs and border guards now inspect and check the passports of all people without exception crossing the Swiss-German border. This is 700 thousand people every day.

As a result, there were often queues at checkpoints at first. Crossing the border now takes much longer than before. There is even talk of making the stamp in the passport mandatory again when crossing the border.

As a result, Switzerland itself is now not averse to joining the Schengen agreement. This was stated by the head of the Swiss Department of Finance Hans-Rudolf Merz. True, there is one "but". Bern insists on maintaining the secrecy of banking transactions. The European Union demands that Switzerland abandon this principle. This, according to the EU countries, will prevent the export of illegally acquired capital to Switzerland. Then, they say, welcome to the "Schengen zone".

But even more indignation was caused in Bern by the intention of Brussels to impose duties on the re-import of goods from the "Alpine Republic". The adoption of such measures is a serious test for the Swiss economy. The European Union made concessions, promising to postpone, but not cancel the decision to levy tariffs. In response to Berne's indignation, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, during negotiations with the Swiss government, in particular, stated:

We are discussing many issues that were decided not by the Federal Republic of Germany, but by the European Union as a whole. And I ask you to understand that in the future the number of such decisions will increase rather than decrease.

It becomes obvious that with the help of bilateral treaties alone, everything can be resolved. conflict situations fail. So, even the agreement on the relocation of EU residents to Switzerland already needs to be reviewed in view of the upcoming enlargement of the European Union. Otherwise, the labor market of the "Alpine Republic" will be flooded with cheap labor from of Eastern Europe.

Nevertheless, politicians are in no hurry to seek the entry of the Confederation into the European Union. Especially after the significant success of the Swiss people's party, and its leader Christoph Blocher, extremely critical of the EU, entered the government.

But the mood of the inhabitants of the "Alpine Republic" has changed somewhat. According to a poll released this Sunday, seven out of ten Swiss now have no long-term plans to protest against their country's accession to the European Union. Answering a question about the problems that Switzerland is currently experiencing, one of the inhabitants of the country said:

Everything will be resolved by itself after Switzerland becomes a member of the European Union. Everything is simple. And someday it will happen.

Interestingly, the Swiss cantons are more friendly towards the EU than the government in Bern. At a meeting held at the end of March, most of the cantonal leaders said that the policy of concluding bilateral agreements with the European Union was leading to a dead end.

We put it this way: in the long term, most cantons can set EU accession as their strategic goal,

Said, for example, the representative of the canton of Basel, Hans-Martin Tschudi. So the discussion about the accession of Switzerland to the European Union, perhaps in the near future will flare up with new force. It is possible that the enlargement of the European Union scheduled for May 1 will serve as an additional impetus.

Among other highly developed European countries that are not members of the EU, Norway and Iceland stand out. Unlike Switzerland, these countries have never adopted the principle of "perpetual neutrality". Both Norway and Iceland have been NATO members since the founding of the Alliance. It's just that the inhabitants of these countries, until recently, believed that it was better and more profitable for them not to join the European Union. For example, in Norway over the past three decades, there have already been two referendums on the issue of joining the EU. And both times - in 1972 and 1994. - Norwegians spoke out against joining the "single European family".

However, another referendum on this issue may soon take place in Norway - already the third in a row. This was recently announced by Prime Minister Khjell Magne Bunnevik. At the same time, however, he considered it necessary to add:

I don't want this to be taken as if everything is already decided. I have not yet changed my point of view, there is simply no need to urgently make any decision about this now. But since much is changing in the EU, we simply need to be aware of what is happening in order to know which EU we will have to build relations with after the elections in 2005.

Until recently, Kjell Magne Bunnevik was considered one of the most ardent opponents of joining the European Union. In 2001, when he took office as head of the cabinet, no one had any doubts about his negative attitude to Norway's eventual EU membership. Thus, the prime minister often reminded that if the country joins the European Union, people involved in agriculture and fishing will undoubtedly suffer. What made Bunnevik change his position?

According to the prime minister himself, two circumstances played a major role. First, the admission of 10 new member countries to the EU. Secondly, the need to strengthen the European Union as a counterbalance to the United States in world politics and economics.

True, according to experts, there is one more circumstance that Kjell Magne Bunnevik preferred to keep silent about. It's about research. public opinion, testifying to the growing popularity of the idea of ​​joining the European Union. According to recent polls, two-thirds of the kingdom's population is in favor of Norway joining the EU. More than ever.

Unlike Norway or Switzerland, the Balkan republics (whether it was their will) would join the EU tomorrow... or better, right today. The trouble is that no one is waiting for them in the European Union. The political situation in the Balkans remains too unstable, the economy of the former socialist republics is relatively underdeveloped. Nevertheless, the prospect of, say, countries such as Croatia, Albania and Macedonia joining the European Union seems very real. Let not now, let not in 2007, when, as expected, the “single European family” will be replenished at the expense of Romania and Bulgaria, but someday it will happen. The first step has already been taken. Two weeks ago, the Macedonian government submitted an application to Ireland (the country that currently holds the presidency of the governing bodies of the EU) to start negotiations on joining the European Union. Details are in the message. Zoran Jordanovsky.

The handover ceremony for the official application for EU membership was scheduled to take place in Dublin on 26 February. However, on that day, a tragic event occurred: as a result of a plane crash, Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and eight other people who were on board the plane with him died. The ceremony was postponed, and a government delegation led by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski returned to Skopje urgently.

At the funeral of the deceased president, European Commission President Romano Prodi said:

We are calm about the political future of your country. Boris Trajkovski's dream of Macedonia becoming a full member of a progressive and peaceful Europe must come true.

Unlike Switzerland or Norway, there are no ardent opponents of the country's accession to the EU among the political establishment of Macedonia.

The future of Macedonia and the future of the entire region depends on integration into European and transatlantic structures.

Representatives of all opposition parties are in solidarity with the statement of the head of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, Ilinka Mitreva.

But Macedonia now has a lot of problems, without solving which, one should not even think about joining the European Union. Corruption flourishes in the country, and the fight against organized crime, money laundering, trafficking in women and drug trafficking is not effective enough. The state has still failed to reform the law enforcement system and ensure the independence of the judiciary.

The economy is in a deplorable state. Many enterprises inherited from the socialist past have not been operating for a long time. As a result, every third adult in Macedonia today is unemployed. The average salary in the country is 175 euros. 30 percent of the population barely makes ends meet. Needless to say, it will be very difficult to achieve the standards generally accepted for the EU. Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski is also aware of this:

We cannot be satisfied with a small level of economic growth, because (realistically assessing the situation) this is not enough to bring the country to a qualitatively different level of development. We need to take a leap forward. This requires investment. Our own possibilities limited, so we rely on foreign capital. To do this, we should demonstrate our capabilities and the openness of the country in order to attract foreign investors in this way. In the economic and commercial spheres - just as in any other areas of life - it is very important to create an atmosphere of trust.

How successful the measures taken by the current Macedonian government will become clear in the coming years...

European integration began with the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded by West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The main objectives of the association was to create a common economic space. In 1993, a transition through an economic union was established which implied the integration of all other aspects of society.

Short

By 1993, the countries that are part of the EU, as the founders of the new organization, had long reached high degree economic integration, when the war between these states was impossible, due to its complete economic inexpediency. Citizens, goods, services and capital were already freely moving between countries, and the goal of the new union was to harmonize the political and monetary systems and create a supranational system of government.

The European Parliament, the European Council and the Commission have received the powers that the EU member states have delegated to these authorities, including the rights to safeguard measures environment, the development of industrial policy, research and development, and even partially issues of macroeconomics, budgetary and monetary policy. However, how to spend budget funds, the EU member states decide for themselves. All parties pay contributions to the common budget in accordance with their economic situation. These funds build roads, fund research, subsidize environmental protection measures, and sometimes provide loans. Now there are 28 countries in the European Union and there are 22 non-EU countries in Europe.

Whoever pays the most, rules

Germany, as the richest country, pays the most, its contribution is more than 23 billion euros a year, and a little more than 10 billion is returned back along with projects. Even though Germany is the EU's largest donor, many politicians, especially from poorer European countries, feel that the country has received disproportionately more benefits than the costs incurred. The poor EU countries, whose list has increased several times due to Eastern Europe, have a steady trade deficit with Germany.

The country is the largest exporter of goods, selling three times as much as France, the second largest exporter. Such a dominant economic position makes it possible for Germany to often dictate its terms in the EU not only in the economy, but also in politics, social and migration spheres. The work of German corporations in the countries that are part of the EU from Eastern Europe causes particular criticism. For example, Volkswagen pays at its plants in the Czech Republic only a third of wages, which pays in Germany. This gave grounds to Czech politicians to declare that they are treated as second-class Europeans. The open migration policy last year caused a pan-European crisis and border guards even reappeared at some borders within Europe.

Brexit

Britain's difficult history of European integration is approaching another cycle of drifting away from continental Europe. In 2016, a little more than half of the citizens of the kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the main reason was the desire to reduce the flow of migrants into the country and not participate in financial assistance programs for poor EU countries.

The United Kingdom was accepted into the European community only the third time, the first attempts were blocked by its historical enemy France due to the fact that "some aspects of the economy make the UK incompatible with Europe." The UK is the second EU country in terms of gross domestic product after Germany, the third in terms of population and the first in terms of military spending. The country's contribution to the general budget is 13 billion euros, it received back about 7 billion.

And now, having spent 43 years in the European Union, the country begins difficult two-year negotiations to leave the European Union. During this time, the country needs to agree with the other twenty-seven EU countries on the terms of exit and try to negotiate the maximum possible trade preferences in order to mitigate the consequences of losing free access to the European market. Economic impact by the Organization economic cooperation and Development estimates as a slowdown in economic growth of 3.2 percent of GDP by 2020.

Frexita is not expected

France, standing together with Germany at the origins of European integration, is still one of the main beneficiaries of the existence of a single European economic space. These two countries also have the most influence on the question - which countries are included in the EU and under what conditions. France receives significant preferences from foreign trade and especially from the location of enterprises in the poorer countries of the European Union.

French businesses in Eastern Europe earn an average of 10 billion in profits annually, while those based in Poland earn 25 billion. Largely because the workers there receive almost a third less than in France. In 1999, the state, along with 12 other countries, adopted the euro, but its economic and budgetary performance is lower than that of such countries in the euro area as Spain, Portugal, Greece, worse than that of the UK, Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland, which remained true to their national currency.

All is calm in the Kingdom of Denmark

The only country that joined the EU with only one of its three parts is the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutional monarchy that includes three regions - Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. In this trio, Denmark is responsible for defense, justice, police, monetary and foreign policy Kingdoms, other issues within the framework of broad autonomy, the regions decide themselves. Interestingly, the Faroe Islands, which have the status of a self-governing community of people in the kingdom, plays in European football tournaments as a separate country. Denmark, along with Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden, retained its national currency.

Visegrad Four

Four Eastern European countries - Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary - united first to better prepare for entry into the European Union. Now they are fighting together against the initiatives of the "big brothers", which, in their opinion, are discriminatory and aimed at reducing funding from the EU's general budget. Now the countries of Eastern Europe receive investments in the amount of 15-20% of GDP.

Poland received the largest aid from the European Union - 100 billion euros until 2013 and from 2014 to 2020 will receive another 120 billion. The money was spent on the construction of automobile and railways, broadband internet, research and business support. Poland has become the most attractive country for foreign investors. The Poles also distinguished themselves by being the first to be sanctioned within the EU for violating European values.

Most of all, the countries of the Visegrad Group rallied in the fight against quotas for migrants from Africa and the Middle East, which they were supposed to take in. Hungary has even introduced border controls on its borders with EU countries to stop illegal migration. Another idea that the four actively protest against is the "Europe of different speeds", that the "old" leading countries can move towards greater integration faster, and the rest will catch up as soon as they can. dissatisfied that the question of which countries are included in the EU was decided practically without them, with the rapid expansion of European association to the East.

Former country neighbors

The Baltic countries are already in their fourteenth year in the European Union, the result of membership is not very comforting. The countries remain among the poorest in Europe. Agriculture and the industry is experiencing better times unable to compete with the global corporations of old Europe. In addition, when joining the union, it was necessary not only to give up part of political sovereignty, but also to eliminate entire industries, for example, Lithuania was left without nuclear energy, closing it, and Latvia abandoned the sugar industry. The population of countries is rapidly aging, young people leave to work in richer European countries and doesn't come back. But, probably, if the Baltic countries could not join the EU, the situation would be much worse.

Greece has everything but money

The fact that Greece in the EU is not "all sugar" the whole world learned in 2015, when the financial crisis broke out in the country. Until that time, Greece received loans, totaling 320 billion euros, of which 240 were for assistance programs from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. And she ate them up calmly, and when she asked for financial assistance again, she received it only in exchange for comprehensive reforms - pension and tax, budgetary and banking spheres. This year, the country should complete the rescue program and external economic oversight. Greece has successfully carried out reforms and stabilized its financial system.

A little about the rest

The EU includes which are very conditionally divided into northern rich and southern poor regions. After joining the European Union, all these countries quite successfully carried out reforms and adapted to life in general rules. We hear about the life of these countries in the European Union most often in connection with problems. For example, such as the banking crisis in Cyprus, although before that deoffshorization was successfully carried out there and now this Mediterranean country is no longer a haven for tax fugitives. The countries of the European Union with difficulties, but move forward and together towards further integration.

The history of the formation of the European Union began in 1951 with the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which included six countries (Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Germany). Within countries, all tariff and quantitative restrictions on trade in these goods were lifted.

March 25, 1957 signed the Treaty of Rome establishing European Economic Community(EEC) on the basis of the ECSC and the European Atomic Energy Community.

In 1967, three European communities (the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community) merged to form the European Community.

On June 14, 1985, the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of goods, capital and citizens was signed - an agreement providing for the abolition of customs barriers within the European Union while simultaneously tightening control at the external borders of the EU (entered into force on March 26, 1995).

On February 7, 1992 in Maastricht (Netherlands) an agreement on the establishment of the European Union was signed (entered into force on November 1, 1993). The agreement completed the work of previous years on the settlement of the monetary and political systems of European countries.

In order to achieve the highest form of economic integration between the EU states, the euro was created - the single monetary unit of the EU. In a non-cash form in the territory of the EU member states, the euro was introduced from January 1, 1999, and cash banknotes - from January 1, 2002. The euro replaced the ECU - the conventional unit of account of the European Community, which was a basket of currencies of all EU member states.

The European Union is responsible for matters relating, in particular, to the common market, customs union, a single currency (with some of the members retaining their own currency), a common agricultural policy and a common fisheries policy.

The organization includes 27 European states: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Estonia. On January 1, 2007, Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the European Union.

Institutions of the European Union:

The highest political body of the European Union is European Council. As a summit meeting of heads of state, the Council actually determines the tasks of the Union and its relations with the member states. The sessions are chaired by the president or prime minister of the country that presides over the governing bodies of the EU in turn for six months.

Higher executive agency European Union - European Commission(CES, Commission of the European Communities). The European Commission consists of 27 members, one from each member state. Commission plays leading role in ensuring the day-to-day activities of the EU. Each commissioner, like the minister of the national government, is responsible for a specific area of ​​work.

European Parliament is an assembly of 786 deputies directly elected by the citizens of EU member states for a term of five years. Deputies unite in accordance with political orientation.

The highest judicial body of the EU is European Court(official name - Court European Communities). The Court is composed of 27 judges (one from each of the Member States) and nine Advocates General. The Court regulates disagreements between Member States, between Member States and the European Union itself, between EU institutions, gives opinions on international agreements.

Everyone knows about the existence of the Schengen area and the European Union. But here is the paradox: the absolute majority identify these two associations, which is fundamentally wrong. Let's figure it out.

The Schengen Agreement, signed by 26 countries, implies the free movement of citizens of these countries through the territory of the Schengen member states. No border controls at internal borders, with the exception of external ones - with countries bordering the Schengen area.

In turn, the EU is a political and economic union of 28 countries.

Thus, the Schengen area and the European Union are two completely different organizations. Not all EU countries are part of the Schengen area, just as not all Schengen countries are members of the EU.

However, a tourist who has received a Schengen visa stamp from one of the relevant countries in their passport (we will not go into all the nuances, since there are several categories of visas, besides, no one has canceled the concepts of “first entry” and “main country of residence”), has the right to move freely within the countries of the Schengen area.

As of 2019 list of Schengen countries looks like this (in alphabetical order):

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Hungary
4. Germany
5. Greece
6. Denmark
7. Iceland
8. Spain
9. Italy
10. Latvia
11. Lithuania
12. Liechtenstein
13. Luxembourg
14. Malta
15. Netherlands
16. Norway
17. Poland
18. Portugal
19. Slovakia
20. Slovenia
21. Finland
22. France
23. Czech
24. Switzerland
25. Sweden
26. Estonia

On closer examination, it can be seen that four states from the above list are not members of the European Union. We are talking about Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

In addition, among the countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement, there are no four current members of the European Union. These are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Croatia. This is due to the fact that these countries joined the EU after the creation of the Schengen area, and for various reasons, they still do not reach the appropriate level. For example, Romania is accused of insufficient fight against corruption, while Cyprus has an unresolved conflict with Turkey (occupation of the northern part of the island).

True, if you have a Schengen visa, you can freely enter these countries, although a few years ago some of them required their national visas to enter.

Keep in mind also that such dwarf European states, as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, which are not members of the European Union, de facto lead to the Schengen zone.

On a special account in the European Union, Great Britain and Ireland, which are full members of the EU, but are not included in the Schengen area and carry out their own passport and visa policies.

To date list of member countries of the European Union next (in alphabetical order):

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Bulgaria
4. Great Britain (preparing to withdraw from the union!)
5. Hungary
6. Germany
7. Greece
8. Denmark
9. Ireland
10. Spain
11. Italy
12. Latvia
13. Lithuania
14. Luxembourg
15. Malta
16. Netherlands
17. Poland
18. Portugal
19. Romania
20. Slovakia
21. Slovenia
22. Finland
23. France
24. Croatia
25. Czech
26. Sweden
27. Estonia

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the above lists of Schengen and the European Union may well undergo changes in the near future. Let's not forget that Albania, Iceland, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro are in line for EU membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are also knocking on the EU doors. Yes, and talk about depriving Greece of membership in the EU or the Schengen area is being conducted more and more often.

Romania is an important European country. It plays a significant role in the economy, regional politics, as well as in culture. Its popularity among tourists is constantly growing, they are discovering a new direction. At the same time, not everyone knows yet whether Romania is a member of the European Union or not, and in general they are not very well aware of her life.

Information about the European Union

First of all, a few words about what this international organization. So, the European Union is a regional integration association. The member countries act on the basis of a number of treaties and fundamental acts that regulate various aspects of the union's activities:

• Foreign policy and defense.
• Economy.
• Education.
• The labor market, the possibility of working in the EU.
• Cooperation on environmental issues.
• Cultural programs.
• Problems of refugees and migration.

The European Parliament and other organizations act as authorities. Thus, EU member states voluntarily give up part of their sovereignty in favor of pan-European power institutions that are supranational. Elections are held periodically in all countries, the task of which is to form common organs authorities.

Member States of the EU

The list of EU member states has changed over the years. Periodically, it includes the following members. Today the members are:

Attention! The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU soon, whose residents voted for such a decision in a national referendum.

One should also distinguish between the European Union, on the one hand, and the Schengen Agreement and the Eurozone, on the other.

The so-called "Schengen" is an agreement on cross-border and visa cooperation, signed by a number of European countries. One of the important advantages is the possibility of free border crossing throughout the Schengen area. The Eurozone is a special economic union that involves the monetary integration of the participating countries. Today it includes 19 countries, but the list is gradually expanding. However, not all EU members participate in the Schengen Agreement or the European Economic Area. An example is Poland: an EU country and part of the Schengen area, which, however, has not introduced the euro as a currency for settlements. The Polish national currency is the złoty.

On a note! In addition to the actual participants, the European Union also has candidates for entry: Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey, Montenegro.

Romania in the European Union

Since the country signed the relevant agreement and went through the procedure for joining the EU, today Romania is a member of this international integration association. She joined him simultaneously with Bulgaria, in January 2007.

However, it has not yet become a member of the Schengen Agreement, nor has it introduced the euro as a settlement currency. This was the result of the fact that in Romania there are significant problems, both in the field of economy and in matters of combating corruption, abuse of officials, and with a high, by the standards of more developed European countries, crime rate (for example, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, etc.). Joining these organizations is constantly being delayed because the country is not yet ready for this. The Romanian Leu is used as the national currency. By the way, until a certain time, the possibility of working in other EU states was closed for Romanians.

The national currency is the leu.

As for visas and border crossings, although the country is not part of the Schengen agreement, it recognizes Schengen visas. So, if you have any multi-visa from the Schengen countries in your passport, you can get into Romania. At least as of early 2018. In addition, you can open a national Romanian visa.