At present 15 European countries are members of the European Union
Most European countries who are not members would like to join
Countries will only be admitted to the EU if they have
i a strong economy
ii a stable democracy
iii a good human rights record
Applications for membership have been received from Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic
Some of the countries who wish to join will not be admitted because they do not meet the criteria - Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia do not have stable democracies, while Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey have weak economies
A Eurosceptic is someone who believes Britain should leave the E.U.
A Europhile believes E.U. membership is beneficial
3. Background to the EU
The European Union started in the 1950s with 6 countries who believed it would be advantageous if they traded with one another (Common Market)
The EU has expanded its membership to 15 and has recently considered applications for membership from Eastern European countries.
The EU has also widened its aims to include matters of economic, legal, and social nature. There is even talk of an EU army
4. How decisions are reached in the EU
