The European Union (EU), originally called the European Economic Community (EEC),
was set up by six Western European countries who signed the Treaty of Rome on 25
March 1957. One of the main reasons for doing this was the belief that co-operation
between states would reduce the likelihood of another war in Europe. Originally the UK
decided not to join this group and only became part of the European Union in 1973. In
2004 ten new members joined the EU, with a further two in 2006 making a total of 27
members countries.

One of the main aims of the EU today is for member states to function as a single market.
Most of the countries of the EU have a single currency, the euro, but the UK has decided
to retain its own currency unless the British people choose to accept the euro in a
referendum. Citizens of an EU member state have the right to travel and to work in any
EU country if they have a valid passport or identity card. This right can be restricted on
the grounds of public health, public order and public security. The right to work is also
sometimes restricted for citizens of countries that have joined the EU recently.

The Council of the European Union (usually called the Council of Ministers) is
effectively the governing body of the EU. It is made up of government ministers from
each country in the EU and, together with the European parliament, is the legislative
body of the EU. The Council of Ministers passes the EU law on the recommendations of
the European Commission and the European Parliament and takes the most important
decisions about how the EU is run. The European Commission is based in Brussels, the
capital city of Belgium. It is the civil service of the EU and drafts proposals for new EU
policies and laws and administers its funding programmes.

The European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, in north-eastern France, and in Brussels.
Each country elects members, called Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), every
five years. The European Parliament examines decisions made by the European Council
and the European Commission, and it has the power to refuse agreement to European
laws proposed by the Commission and to check on the spending of EU funds.

European Union law is legally binding in the UK and all other member states. European
laws, called directives, regulations or framework decisions, have made a lot of difference
to people’s rights in the UK, particularly at work. For example, there are EU directives
about the procedures for making workers redundant, and regulations that limit the
number of hours people can be made to work.

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