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President-elect Donald Trump blamed Europes acceptance of Mideast refugees as he put it, all of these illegals for the decision by Britain to leave the European Union, and predicted the organization would disintegrate barring a reversal of immigration policies promoted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

People, countries, want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity, Trump told representatives of the Times of London and the German publication Bild about the June Brexit vote. But, I do believe this, if they hadnt been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it ...entails, I think that you wouldnt have a Brexit."

I believe others will leave ... I think its gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it.

Merkel, a longtime U.S. ally who is facing election this year, came in for tough treatment from Trump, who also criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that has been the western bulwark against Russia on the European continent.

At one point, he appeared to equate Merkel with Russian leader Vladimir Putin a put-down given the German-U.S. alliance but representative of Trump's frequent praise of Putin.

"Well, I start off trusting both but lets see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all, Trump said.

Trump said that under Merkel, Germany had tried to take over the EU, an organization he said was faltering because of her policies.

I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from, he said, repeating some of his favorite campaign rhetoric.

In the United States, entering refugees face up to two years of investigation before they are allowed to come into the country. But Trump throughout the campaign and now into his imminent presidency has portrayed them as a threat to Americans.

Trump told the reporters he would sign orders beginning Monday to restrict travel from Europe and would impose extreme vetting forthose coming from places with known problems with Islamistterrorism. He has never made clear which countries would fall under that umbrella.

Trumps statements, while in keeping with positions he took in the campaign, represent a sharp break from decades of U.S. policy. Politicians of both major parties have, until now, favored a more globalist approach, including international trade deals that Trump also scorned during his successful run for president.

In contrast with Trumps predictions of the EUs demise, President Obama tried to persuade Britain to stay in the organization before the June referendum ended in a surprise departure vote.

Trumps criticism of NATO likewise ran askance from U.S. policy since the organization was formed after World War II. It was in keeping with Trumps campaign threat to base decisions on whether the United States would back up member nations on the extent to which they helped financeNATO.

I said a long time ago that NATO had problems, he said. Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago. Number two the countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay. He specifically blamed the organization for not blunting terrorism.

The president-elect indicated that he would meet soon after his inauguration with British Prime Minister Theresa May, and vowed to negotiate an immediate trade deal with Britain. In theory, that would help prop the nation up as it moves to disentangle itself from its European neighbors.

Were gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides, Trump said.

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Donald Trump blames dissolution of European Union on refugees 'all of these illegals' - Los Angeles Times

Countries Bolivia and the EU Afghanistan and the EU Albania and the EU Algeria and the EU Andorra and the EU Angola and the EU Anguilla and the EU Antigua and Barbuda and the EU Argentina and the EU Armenia and the EU Aruba and the EU ASEAN and the EU Australia and the EU Azerbaijan and the EU Bahamas and the EU Bahrain and the EU Bangladesh and the EU Barbados and the EU Belarus and the EU Belize and the EU Benin and the EU Bermuda and the EU Bhutan and the EU Bonaire and the EU Botswana and the EU Botswana, SADC Brazil and the EU British Antarctic Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Virgin Islands and the EU Brunei and the EU Brunei Darussalam and the EU Burkina Faso and the EU Burundi and the EU Cabo Verde e a UE Cambodia and the EU Cameroon and the EU Canada and the EU Cayman Islands and the EU Chad and the EU Chile and the EU China and the EU Colombia and the EU Comoros and the EU Cook Islands and the EU Costa Rica and the European Union Cuba and the EU Curaao and the EU Djibouti and the EU Dominica and the EU Dominican Republic and the EU DPRK and the EU Ecuador and the EU Egypt and the EU El Salvador and the EU Equatorial Guinea and the EU Eritrea and the EU Ethiopia and the EU Falkland Islands and the EU Fiji and the EU French Polynesia and the EU French Southern Territories Gabon and the EU Gambia and the EU Georgia and the EU Ghana and the EU Greenland and the EU Grenada and the EU Guatemala and the European Union Gulf and the EU Guyana and the EU Haiti and the EU Honduras and the EU Hong Kong and the EU Iceland and the EU India and the EU Indonesia and the EU Iran and the EU Iraq and the EU Israel and the EU Ivory Coast and the EU Jamaica and the EU Japan and the EU Jordan and the EU Kazakhstan and the EU Kenya and the EU Kiribati and the EU Kosovo and the EU Kuwait and the EU Kyrgyz Republic and the EU La Guine et l'UE La Rpublique Centrafricaine et l'UE La Tunisie et lUE Lao PDR and the EU Lebanon and the EU Lesotho and the EU Liberia and the EU Libya and the EU Liechtenstein and the EU Madagascar and the EU Malawi and the EU Malaysia and the EU Maldives and the EU Mali and the EU Marshall Islands and the EU Mauritania and the EU Mauritius and the EU Mayotte and the EU Mexico and the EU Micronesia and the EU Moambique & a UE Moldova and the EU Monaco and the EU Mongolia and the EU Montenegro and the EU Montserrat and the EU Morocco and the EU Myanmar (Burma) and the EU Namibia and the EU Nauru and the EU Nepal and the EU New Caledonia an the EU New Zealand and the EU Nicaragua and the EU Niger and the EU Nigeria and the EU Niue and the EU Norway and the EU Oman and the EU Pakistan and the EU Palau and the EU Papua New Guinea and the EU Paraguay and the EU Peru and the EU Philippines and the EU Pitcairn and the EU Qatar and the EU Rwanda and the EU Saba and the EU Saint-Kitts and Nevis and the EU Saint-Lucia and the EU Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines and the EU Samoa and the EU San Marino and the EU So Tom and Prncipe and the EU Saudi Arabia and the EU Senegal and the EU Serbia and the EU Seychelles and the EU Sierra Leone and the EU Singapore and the EU Solomon Islands and the EU Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Somalia and the EU South Africa and the EU South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands South Korea and the EU South Sudan and the EU Sri Lanka and Maldives Sri Lanka and the EU St Helena and the EU St Pierre and Miquelon and the EU St. Eustatius and the EU St. Maarten and the EU Sudan and the EU Suriname and the EU Swaziland and the EU Switzerland and the EU Syria and the EU Taiwan and the EU Tajikistan and the EU Tanzania and the EU Thailand and the EU The African Union and the EU The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the EU The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the EU The Holy See and the EU The Republic of the Congo and the EU The Russian Federation and the European Union (EU) The UN in Rome and the EU The United Arab Emirates and the EU Timor-Leste and the EU Togo and the European Union Tonga and the EU Trinidad and Tobago and the EU Turkey Turkmenistan and the EU Turks and Caicos Islands and the EU Tuvalu and the EU Uganda and the EU Ukraine and the EU United States of America Uruguay and the EU Uzbekistan and the EU Vanuatu and the EU Venezuela y la UE Wallis and Futuna and the EU West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA and the EU Yemen and the EU Zambia and the EU Zimbabwe and the EU

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Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine - European ...

Definition: The European Union (EU) is a unified trade and monetary body of28 member countries. Its purpose is to be more competitive in the global marketplace. At the same time, it must balance the needs of itsindependent fiscal and political members.

The EU's 28 member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,Germany,Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

That will be drop to 27 when the UK leaves the EU.

The EU eliminates all border controls between members. That allows the free flow of goods and people, except for random spot checks for crime and drugs.The EU transmits state-of-the-art technologies to its members. The areas that benefit are environmental protection, research and development, and energy.

Public contracts are open to bidders from any member country.Any product manufactured in one country can be soldto any other member withouttariffsor duties. Taxes are all standardized. Practitioners of most services (law, medicine, tourism, banking, insurance, etc.) can operate in all member countries. As a result, the cost of airfares, the internet, and phone calls have fallen dramatically.

Three bodies run the EU. The EU Council represents national governments. The Parliament is elected by the people.

The European Commission is the EU staff. They make sure all members act consistently in regional, agricultural, and social policies. Contributions of 120 billion a year from member states fund the EU.

Here's how the three bodies uphold the laws governing the EU. Theseare spelled out in a series of treaties and supporting regulations:

The Schengen Area guarantees free movement to those legally residing within its boundaries. Residents and visitors can cross borders without gettingvisas or showing their passports. In total, there are 26 members of the Schengen Area. They are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Two EU countries (Ireland and the UK) have declined the Schengen benefits. Four non-EU countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) that have adopted the Schengen Agreement.

Three territories are special members of the EU and part of the Schengen Area: the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Three countries have open borders with the Schengen Area: Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. (Source: "Schengen Area," European Commission. "Schengen Area Countries List," Schengen Visa Infor.)

The euro is the common currency for the EU area. It is the second most commonly held currency in the world, after the U.S. dollar. Itreplaced the Italian lira, the French franc, and the German Deutschmark.

The eurozone consists of all countries that use the euro. All EU members pledge to convert to the euro, but only 19have so far. They are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The eurozone was created in 2005. (Source: "What Is the Euro Area?" European Commission. "The Euro," European Union.)

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the EU's central bank. It sets monetary policy and manages bank lending rates and foreign-exchange reserves. Its target inflation rate is less than 2%.

This chart shows which countries are members of the EU, the eurozone, and the Schengen area.

In 1951, the concept of a European trade area was first established. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)had six founding members:Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome established a common market. Iteliminated customs dutiesin 1968. It put in placestandard policies, particularly in trade and agriculture. In 1973, the ECSC addedDenmark, Ireland, and the UK. Itcreated its first Parliament in 1979. Greece joined in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986.

In 1993, the Treaty of Maastricht established the European Union common market. Two years later, the EU addedAustria, Sweden, and Finland. In 2004, twelve more countries joined:Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania,Slovakia, and Slovenia.

In 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon increased the powers of the European Parliament. It gave the EU the legal authority to negotiate and sign international treaties. It increased EU powers border control, immigration, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, and police cooperation. It abandoned the idea of a European Constitution. European law is still established by international Treaties. (Source: "The Treaty of Lisbon--Introduction," EU Lex.)

On June 23, 2016, theUnited Kingdomvoted to leave the European Union. It could take two years to negotiate the terms of the exit. Some EU members asked for an earlier withdrawal. The uncertainty dampened business growth for companies that operate in Europe.U.S. companies are the largest investors in Great Britain. They invested $588 billion and employed more than a million people. These companies use itas the gateway to free trade with the EU.Britain's investment in the United States is at the same level. That could impact up to two million U.S./British jobs. It's unknown exactly how many are held by U.S. citizens. (Source: "Brexit Could Send Shock Wave Across U.S. and Global Economy," Washington Post, June 18, 2016.)

The day after the vote, theDow fell 600 points. Theeuro fell 2% to $1.11. In the face of so muchvolatility,gold pricesrose 6% from $1,255 to $1,330.

What caused "Brexit?" Many in the UK, as in other EU nations, are worried about the free movement of immigrants and refugees. They don't like the budgetary constraints and regulations imposed by the EU. They want to enjoy the benefits of free movement of capital and trade, but not the costs. (Source: "What Is Brexit and Why Does It Matter?" The Guardian, June 18, 2016.)

In 2011, theGreece debt crisisthreatenedthe concept of the eurozone.That's because it nearly triggeredsovereign debtcrises in Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and Spain. EU leadersassuredinvestors that it would stand behind its members'debts. At the same time, they imposedausterity measuresto restrainthecountries' spending. They wanted all members to honorthe debt limits imposed bythe Maastricht Treaty requirements.

In July 2008, the ECB increased rates to 4.25% to combat 4% inflation caused byhigh oil prices. The euro strengthened, weakening EU exports. Factory orders plummeted 4.4%, the biggest decrease since 2003. (Source: "Euro-Zone Factory Orders Fall as Outlook Dims,"The Wall Street Journal,July 24, 2008.)

The ECB switched torecession-fighting in October, when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. By May 2009, it had lowered the rate to 1%. But it began raising rates again too soon. By July 2011, the rate was 1.5%, creating a credit crunch and recession. In December 2011, it lowered the rate back down to 1%.In March 2015, the ECB began purchasing60 billion in euro-denominated bonds per month. The launch ofQuantitative Easingpushed the euro's value down to $1.06 from $1.20 in January. (Source:ECB Website) For more, seeEuro to Dollar Conversion.

In 2007, the EUbecame theworld's largest economy. ItsGross Domestic Product(GDP) was $14.4 trillion, beating theU.S. GDPof$13.86 trillion. The EUheld onto its premier position throughthe2008 financial crisisand theeurozone debt crisis. In2013,the United States briefly regained its leading position.China took over the top spot in 2014. (Source: CIA World Factbook,Rank Order GDP)

The value of the euro continued to rise until thecredit crisis in 2007. At that time, there was a flight to safety to the dollar, whichstrengthened the dollar. The euro's weakness hasn't boosted exports due to lower worldwidedemand.

2016 About, Inc. All rights reserved.

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What Is the European Union: How It Works, History

Countries Bolivia and the EU Afghanistan and the EU Albania and the EU Algeria and the EU Andorra and the EU Angola and the EU Anguilla and the EU Antigua and Barbuda and the EU Argentina and the EU Armenia and the EU Aruba and the EU ASEAN and the EU Australia and the EU Azerbaijan and the EU Bahamas and the EU Bahrain and the EU Bangladesh and the EU Barbados and the EU Belarus and the EU Belize and the EU Benin and the EU Bermuda and the EU Bhutan and the EU Bonaire and the EU Botswana and the EU Botswana, SADC Brazil and the EU British Antarctic Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Indian Ocean Territory and the EU British Virgin Islands and the EU Brunei and the EU Brunei Darussalam and the EU Burkina Faso and the EU Burundi and the EU Cabo Verde e a UE Cambodia and the EU Cameroon and the EU Canada and the EU Cayman Islands and the EU Chad and the EU Chile y la UE China and the EU Colombia and the EU Comoros and the EU Cook Islands and the EU Costa Rica and the European Union Cuba and the EU Curaao and the EU Djibouti and the EU Dominica and the EU Dominican Republic and the EU DPRK and the EU Ecuador and the EU Egypt and the EU El Salvador and the EU Equatorial Guinea and the EU Eritrea and the EU Ethiopia and the EU Falkland Islands and the EU Fiji and the EU French Polynesia and the EU French Southern Territories Gabon and the EU Gambia and the EU Georgia and the EU Ghana and the EU Greenland and the EU Grenada and the EU Guatemala and the European Union Gulf and the EU Guyana and the EU Haiti and the EU Honduras and the EU Hong Kong and the EU Iceland and the EU India and the EU Indonesia and the EU Iran and the EU Iraq and the EU Israel and the EU Ivory Coast and the EU Jamaica and the EU Japan and the EU Jordan and the EU Kazakhstan and the EU Kenya and the EU Kiribati and the EU Kosovo and the EU Kuwait and the EU Kyrgyz Republic and the EU La Guine et l'UE La Rpublique Centrafricaine et l'UE La Tunisie et lUE Lao PDR and the EU Lebanon and the EU Lesotho and the EU Liberia and the EU Libya and the EU Liechtenstein and the EU Madagascar and the EU Malawi and the EU Malaysia and the EU Maldives and the EU Mali and the EU Marshall Islands and the EU Mauritania and the EU Mauritius and the EU Mayotte and the EU Mexico and the EU Micronesia and the EU Moambique & a UE Moldova and the EU Monaco and the EU Mongolia and the EU Montenegro and the EU Montserrat and the EU Morocco and the EU Myanmar (Burma) and the EU Namibia and the EU Nauru and the EU Nepal and the EU New Caledonia an the EU New Zealand and the EU Nicaragua y la UE Niger and the EU Nigeria and the EU Niue and the EU Norway and the EU Oman and the EU Pakistan and the EU Palau and the EU Papua New Guinea and the EU Paraguay and the EU Peru and the EU Philippines and the EU Pitcairn and the EU Qatar and the EU Rwanda and the EU Saba and the EU Saint-Kitts and Nevis and the EU Saint-Lucia and the EU Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines and the EU Samoa and the EU San Marino and the EU So Tom and Prncipe and the EU Saudi Arabia and the EU Senegal and the EU Serbia and the EU Seychelles and the EU Sierra Leone and the EU Singapore and the EU Solomon Islands and the EU Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Somalia and the EU South Africa and the EU South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands South Korea and the EU South Sudan and the EU Sri Lanka and Maldives Sri Lanka and the EU St Helena and the EU St Pierre and Miquelon and the EU St. Eustatius and the EU St. Maarten and the EU Sudan and the EU Suriname and the EU Swaziland and the EU Switzerland and the EU Syria and the EU Taiwan and the EU Tajikistan and the EU Tanzania and the EU Thailand and the EU The African Union and the EU The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the EU The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the EU The Holy See and the EU The Republic of the Congo and the EU The Russian Federation and the European Union (EU) The UN in Rome and the EU The United Arab Emirates and the EU Timor-Leste and the EU Togo and the European Union Tonga and the EU Trinidad and Tobago and the EU Turkey Turkmenistan and the EU Turks and Caicos Islands and the EU Tuvalu and the EU Uganda and the EU Ukraine and the EU United States of America Uruguay and the EU Uzbekistan and the EU Vanuatu and the EU Venezuela y la UE Vietnam and the EU Wallis and Futuna and the EU West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA and the EU Yemen and the EU Zambia and the EU Zimbabwe and the EU

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European Union External Action - European External Action ...

The European Union (EU) comprises 28 member states. Each member state is party to the founding treaties of the union and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. Unlike members of most international organisations, the member states of the EU are subjected to binding laws in exchange for representation within the common legislative and judicial institutions. Member states must agree unanimously for the EU to adopt policies concerning defence and foreign affairs.[4]Subsidiarity is a founding principle of the EU.

In 1957 six core states founded the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany). The remaining states have acceded in subsequent enlargements. On 1 July 2013 Croatia became the newest member state of the EU. In order to accede, a state must fulfill the economic and political requirements known as the Copenhagen criteria, which require a candidate to have a democratic, free market government together with the corresponding freedoms and institutions, and respect for the rule of law. Enlargement of the Union is also contingent upon the consent of all existing members and the candidate's adoption of the existing body of EU law, known as the acquis communautaire.

There is disparity in the size, wealth and political system of member states, but all have equal rights. While in some areas majority voting takes place where larger states have more votes than smaller ones, smaller states have disproportional representation compared to their population. No member state has withdrawn or been suspended from the EU, though some dependent territories or semi-autonomous areas have left. In June 2016 the UK voted to leave the EU and in July 2016 the UK government confirmed it will conduct the UK exit, colloquially known as Brexit.

Enlargement is, and has been, a principal feature of the Union's political landscape.[11] The EU's predecessors were founded by the "Inner Six", those countries willing to forge ahead with the Community while others remained skeptical. It was only a decade before the first countries changed their policy and attempted to join the Union, which led to the first skepticism of enlargement. French President Charles de Gaulle feared British membership would be an American Trojan horse and vetoed its application. It was only after de Gaulle left office and a 12-hour talk by British Prime Minister Edward Heath and French President Georges Pompidou took place that the United Kingdom's third application succeeded in 1970.[12][13][14]

Applying in 1969 were the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and Norway. Norway, however, declined to accept the invitation to become a member when the electorate voted against it,[15][16] leaving just the UK, Ireland and Denmark to join.[17] But despite the setbacks, and the withdrawal of Greenland from Denmark's membership in 1985,[18] three more countries joined the Communities before the end of the Cold War.[17] In 1987, the geographical extent of the project was tested when Morocco applied, and was rejected as it was not considered a European country.[19]

The year 1990 saw the Cold War drawing to a close, and East Germany was welcomed into the Community as part of a reunited Germany. Shortly after, the previously neutral countries of Austria, Finland and Sweden acceded to the new European Union,[17] though Switzerland, which applied in 1992, froze its application due to opposition from voters[20] while Norway, which had applied once more, had its voters reject membership again.[21] Meanwhile, the members of the former Eastern Bloc and Yugoslavia were all starting to move towards EU membership. Ten of these joined in a major enlargement on 1 May 2004 symbolising the unification of East and Western Europe in the EU.[22] Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007.

The year 2013 saw the latest member, Croatia, accede to the Union, and the EU has prioritised membership for the rest of the Balkans namely Western Balkans. Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey are all formal, acknowledged candidates. Turkish membership, pending since the 1980s, is a more contentious issue but it entered negotiations in 2005.[23]

According to the Copenhagen criteria, membership of the European Union is open to any European country that is a stable, free market liberal democracy that respects the rule of law and human rights. Furthermore, it has to be willing to accept all the obligations of membership, such as adopting all previously agreed law (the 170,000 pages of acquis communautaire) and switching to the euro.[24] In addition to enlargement by adding new countries, the EU can also expand by having territories of member states, which are outside the EU, integrate more closely (for example in respect to the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) or by a territory of a member state which had previously seceded and then rejoined (see withdrawal below).

In order to join the European Union, it is required for all member states to agree; if a single member state disagrees, the applying country is declined acceptance to the European Union.

Each state has representation in the institutions of the European Union. Full membership gives the government of a member state a seat in the Council of the European Union and European Council. When decisions are not being taken by consensus, votes are weighted so that a country with a greater population has more votes within the Council than a smaller country (although not exact, smaller countries have more votes than their population would allow relative to the largest countries). The Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates between each of the member states, allowing each state six months to help direct the agenda of the EU.[25][26]

Similarly, each state is assigned seats in Parliament according to their population (again, with the smaller countries receiving more seats per inhabitant than the larger ones). The members of the European Parliament have been elected by universal suffrage since 1979 (before that, they were seconded from national parliaments).[27][28]

The national governments appoint one member each to the European Commission (in accord with its president), the European Court of Justice (in accord with other members) and the European Court of Auditors. Historically, larger member states were granted an extra Commissioner. However, as the body grew, this right has been removed and each state is represented equally. The six largest states are also granted an Advocates General in the Court of Justice. Finally, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank includes the governors of the national central banks (who may or may not be government appointed) of each euro area country.[29]

The larger states traditionally carry more weight in negotiations, however smaller states can be effective impartial mediators and citizens of smaller states are often appointed to sensitive top posts to avoid competition between the larger states. This, together with the disproportionate representation of the smaller states in terms of votes and seats in parliament, gives the smaller EU states a greater clout than normally attributed to a state of their size. However most negotiations are still dominated by the larger states. This has traditionally been largely through the "Franco-German motor" but Franco-German influence has diminished slightly following the influx of new members in 2004 (see G6).[30]

Article 4

While the member states are sovereign, the union partially follows a supranational system that is comparable to federalism. Previously limited to European Community matters, the practice, known as the "community method", is currently used in most areas of policy. Combined sovereignty is delegated by each member to the institutions in return for representation within those institutions. This practice is often referred to as "pooling of sovereignty".[31] Those institutions are then empowered to make laws and execute them at a European level.

If a state fails to comply with the law of the European Union, it may be fined or have funds withdrawn.

In contrast to other organisations, the EU's style of integration has "become a highly developed system for mutual interference in each other's domestic affairs".[32] However, on defence and foreign policy issues (and, pre-Lisbon Treaty, police and judicial matters) less sovereignty is transferred, with issues being dealt with by unanimity and cooperation. Very early on in the history of the EU, the unique state of its establishment and pooling of sovereignty was emphasised by the Court of Justice:[33]

By creating a Community of unlimited duration, having its own institutions, its own personality, its own legal capacity and capacity of representation on the international plane and, more particularly, real powers stemming from a limitation of sovereignty or a transfer of powers from the States to Community, the Member States have limited their sovereign rights and have thus created a body of law which binds both their nationals and themselves...The transfer by the States from their domestic legal system to the Community legal system of the rights and obligations arising under the Treaty carries with it a permanent limitation of their sovereign rights.

Yet, as sovereignty still originates from the national level, it may be withdrawn by a member state who wishes to leave. Hence, if a law is agreed that is not to the liking of a state, it may withdraw from the EU to avoid it. This however has not happened as the benefits of membership are often seen to outweigh the potentially negative impact of a specific law.

The question of whether EU law is superior to national law is subject to some debate. The treaties do not give a judgement on the matter but court judgements have established EU's law superiority over national law and it is affirmed in a declaration attached to the Treaty of Lisbon (the European Constitution would have fully enshrined this). Some national legal systems also explicitly accept the Court of Justice's interpretation, such as France and Italy, however in Poland it does not override the national constitution, which it does in Germany. The exact areas where the member states have given legislative competence to the EU are as follows. Every area not mentioned remains with member states.[citation needed]

As a result of the European sovereign debt crisis, some eurozone states required a bailout from the EU via the European Financial Stability Facility and European Financial Stability Mechanism (to be replaced by the European Stability Mechanism from 2013). In exchange for their bailout, Greece was required to accept a large austerity plan including privatisations and a sell off of state assets. In order to ensure that Greece complies with the EU's demands, a "large-scale technical assistance" from the European Commission and other member states has been deployed to Greek government ministries. Some, including the President of the Euro Group Jean-Claude Juncker, state that "the sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited."[34][35][36] The situation of the bailed out countries (Greece, Portugal and Ireland) has been described as being a ward[37][38][39] or protectorate[36][40][41] of the EU with some such as the Netherlands calling for a formalisation of the situation.[42]

A number of states are less integrated into the EU than others. In most cases this is because those states have gained an opt-out from a certain policy area. The most notable is the opt-out from the Economic and Monetary Union, the adoption of the euro as sole legal currency. Most states outside the Eurozone are obliged to adopt the euro when they are ready, but Denmark and the United Kingdom have obtained the right to retain their own independent currencies.

Ireland and the United Kingdom also do not participate in the Schengen Agreement, which eliminates internal EU border checks. Denmark has an opt out from the Common Security and Defence Policy; Denmark, Ireland and the UK have an opt-out on police and justice matters and Poland and the UK have an opt out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

There are a number of overseas member state territories which are legally part of the EU, but have certain exemptions based on their remoteness. These "outermost regions" have partial application of EU law and in some cases are outside of Schengen or the EU VAT areahowever they are legally within the EU.[43] They all use the euro as their currency.

Entry to the EU is limited to liberal democracies and Freedom House ranks all EU states as being totally free electoral democracies. All but 4 are ranked at the top 1.0 rating.[45] However, the exact political system of a state is not limited, with each state having its own system based on its historical evolution.

The majority of member states17 out of 28are parliamentary republics, while seven states are constitutional monarchies, meaning they have a monarch although political powers are exercised by elected politicians. Most republics and all the monarchies operate a parliamentary system whereby the head of state (president or monarch) has a largely ceremonial role with reserve powers. That means most power is in the hands of what is called in most of those countries the prime minister, who is accountable to the national parliament. Of the remaining republics, three operate a semi-presidential system, where competencies are shared between the president and prime minister, while one republic operates a presidential system, where the president is head of state and government.[citation needed]

The EU is divided between unicameral (single chamber) and bicameral (dual chamber) parliaments, with 15 unicameral national parliaments and 13 bicameral parliaments. The prime minister and government are usually directly accountable to the directly-elected lower house and require its support to stay in officethe exception being Cyprus with its presidential system. Upper houses are composed differently in different member states: it can be directly elected like the Polish senate, indirectly elected, for example, by regional legislatures like the Federal Council of Austria, unelected, but representing certain interest groups like the National Council of Slovenia, unelected (though by and large appointed by elected officials) as a remnant of a non-democratic political system in earlier times (as in the House of Lords in the United Kingdom). Most (though not all) elections in the EU use some form of proportional representation. The most common type of proportional representation is the party-list system.[citation needed]

There are also differences in the level of self-governance for the sub-regions of a member state. Most states, especially the smaller ones, are unitary states; meaning all major political power is concentrated at the national level. 10 states allocate power to more local levels of government. Austria, Belgium and Germany are full federations, meaning their regions have constitutional autonomies. Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal are federacies, meaning some regions have autonomy but most do not. Spain and Italy have system of devolution where regions have autonomy, but the national government retains the right to revoke it. The United Kingdom has a mixture of federacy and devolution as only some of its regions enjoy a system of devolution while others are ruled directly from the national government.[citation needed]

States such as France have a number of overseas territories, retained from their former empires. Some of these territories such as French Guiana are part of the EU (see outermost regions, above) while others are related to the EU or outside it, such as the Falkland Islands.[citation needed]

The Lisbon Treaty made the first provision of a member state to leave. The procedure for a state to leave is outlined in TEU Article 50 which also makes clear that "Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements". Although it calls for a negotiated withdrawal between the seceding state and the rest of the EU, if no agreement is reached two years after the seceding state notifying of its intention to leave, it would cease to be subject to the treaties anyway (thus ensuring a right to unilateral withdrawal).[46] There is no formal limit to how much time a member state can take between adopting a policy of withdrawal, and actually triggering Article 50.

In a non-binding referendum in June 2016 the United Kingdom voted to withdraw the EU. Termed "Brexit", this has become government policy under Prime Minister Theresa May. However, as of October 2016, the UK has not triggered Article 50. Theresa May has indicated that she intends to trigger it by the end of March 2017.[47] Once triggered, formal talks could begin but there is no certainty of a deal and some EU officials are preparing to deal with a situation where no deal is reached after the two years.[48]

Prior to 2016, no member state had ever voted to withdraw. However Greenland, as a territory, did leave the EU in 1985 when gaining home rule from a member state (Denmark). The situation of Greenland being outside the EU while still subject to an EU member state had been discussed as a template for the pro-EU regions of the UK remaining within the EU or its single market.[49]

Beyond the formal withdrawal of a member state, there are a number of independence movements such as Catalonia or Flanders which could result in a similar situation to Greenland. Were a territory of a member state to secede but wish to remain in the EU, some scholars claim it would need to reapply to join as if it were a new country applying from scratch.[50] However, other studies claim internal enlargement is legally viable if, in case of a member state dissolution or secession, the resulting states are all considered successor states.[51] There is also an European Citizens' Initiative that aims at guaranteeing the continuity of rights and obligations of the European citizens belonging to a new state arising from the democratic secession of a European Union member state.[52]

TEU Article 7 provides for the suspension of certain rights of a member state. Introduced in the Treaty of Amsterdam, Article 7 outlines that if a member persistently breaches the EU's founding principles (liberty, democracy, human rights and so forth, outlined in TEU Article 2) then the European Council can vote to suspend any rights of membership, such as voting and representation as outlined above. Identifying the breach requires unanimity (excluding the state concerned), but sanctions require only a qualified majority.[53]

The state in question would still be bound by the obligations treaties and the Council acting by majority may alter or lift such sanctions. The Treaty of Nice included a preventative mechanism whereby the Council, acting by majority, may identify a potential breach and make recommendations to the state to rectify it before action is taken against it as outlined above.[53] However the treaties do not provide any mechanism to expel a member state outright.[46]

There are a number of countries with strong links with the EU, similar to elements of membership. Following Norway's decision not to join the EU, it remained one of the members of the European Economic Area which also includes Iceland and Liechtenstein (all former members have joined the EU, and Switzerland rejected membership). The EEA links these countries into the EU's market, extending the four freedoms to these states. In return, they pay a membership fee and have to adopt most areas of EU law (which they do not have direct impact in shaping). The democratic repercussions of this have been described as "fax democracy" (waiting for new laws to be faxed in from Brussels rather than being involved in drafting them).[54]

A different example is Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been under international supervision. The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina is an international administrator who has wide-ranging powers over Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure the peace agreement is respected. The High Representative is also the EU's representative, and is in practice appointed by the EU. In this role, and since a major ambition of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to join the EU, the country has become a de facto protectorate of the EU. The EU appointed representative has the power to impose legislation and dismiss elected officials and civil servants, meaning the EU has greater direct control over Bosnia and Herzegovina than its own states. Indeed, the state's flag was inspired by the EU's flag.[55]

In the same manner as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo is under heavy EU influence, particularly after the de facto transfer from UN to EU authority. In theory Kosovo is supervised by EU missions, with justice and policing personal training and helping to build up the state institutions. However the EU mission does enjoy certain executive powers over the state and has a responsibility to maintain stability and order.[56] Like Bosnia, Kosovo has been termed an "EU protectorate".[57][58][59]

However, there is also the largely defunct term of associate member. It has occasionally been applied to states which have signed an association agreement with the EU. Associate membership is not a formal classification and does not entitle the state to any of the representation of free movement rights that full membership allows. The term is almost unheard of in the modern context and was primarily used in the earlier days of the EU with countries such as Greece and Turkey. Turkey's association agreement was the 1963 Ankara Agreement, implying that Turkey became an associate member that year.[60][61] Present association agreements include the Stabilisation and Association Agreements with the western Balkans; these states are no longer termed "associate members".

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Member state of the European Union - Wikipedia