The European Union (EU) was founded in 1948 in the aftermath of World War Two to promote stability and economic cooperation between member states. Comprised of 27 European countries, the EU has established common institutions - the Council (which represents national governments), the European Parliament (which represents the people), and the European Commission (an independent body that represents the collective European interest) – to democratically legislate specific matters of joint interest to participating countries at a European level. The United States, who is not an EU member, has maintained a Mission to the EU since 1961.
The U.S. has a strong strategic partnership with the EU reflected in our close cooperation on regional crises and conflicts, and our extensive collaboration on a broad range of global challenges from counter-terrorism to nonproliferation. The U.S. and EU have significant trade and investment relations.
For more on the EU, visit: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
