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European Union
3.1 EU Structure and Evolution
History of European Integration
- Treaty of Rome (1957): Created EEC (European Economic Community) among 6 countries — France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
- Single European Act (1986): Created EU's single market (free movement of goods, services, capital, people)
- Maastricht Treaty (1992): Created European Union (in force 1993) — added political union, common currency roadmap, EU citizenship
- Lisbon Treaty (2007): Streamlined EU institutions; created European Council President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs; gave EU legal personality
- Brexit (2016–2020): UK voted 52:48 to leave EU in June 2016 referendum; officially left 31 January 2020; "hard Brexit" impacts continued to ripple
Membership and Eurozone
Current membership: 27 member states (50+ associated/candidate countries).
- Most recent full members: Croatia (2013), Bulgaria/Romania (2007)
- Candidates: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia (official candidates since 2022–23); Western Balkan states; Turkey (frozen since 2016)
Eurozone: 20 countries use the Euro as official currency. Notable non-Euro EU members: Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary.
Key EU institutions:
| Institution | Role |
|---|---|
| European Council | EU heads of government; sets strategic direction |
| European Commission | Executive; proposes legislation; 27 commissioners |
| European Parliament | Elected by EU citizens; co-legislator; 705 MEPs |
| Council of the EU | Ministers from member states; co-legislator with EP |
| Court of Justice of EU (CJEU) | Interprets EU law; ensures uniform application |
| European Central Bank (ECB) | Monetary policy for Eurozone |
3.2 India-EU Relations
The India-EU Strategic Partnership was relaunched at the Porto summit (May 2021). EU is India's 3rd largest trading partner (after US and China) with $130+ billion in total trade.
Key areas of cooperation:
- India-EU FTA negotiations resumed 2022 — covering goods, services, investment protection
- EU-India Connectivity Partnership (2021): digital, energy, transport infrastructure
- Clean Energy and Climate Partnership
- India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) — modelled on US-EU TTC