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Estonia
Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east
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Government
Detailed information and insights
Union name
Conventional long form
European Union
Abbreviation
EU
Government type
a hybrid and unique intergovernmental and supranational organization
Capital
Name
Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg, Frankfurt (Germany)
Geographic coordinates
(Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 E
Time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time
+1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Time zone note
the 27 European Union member states are spread across three time zones
Member states
27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
13 overseas countries and territories: 1 with Denmark (Greenland), 6 with France (French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna), and 6 with the Netherlands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten); all are part of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA)
Note
note 1: the 9 EU candidate countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine
note 2: several non-European overseas countries and territories (OCTs) have special relations with Denmark, France, and the Netherlands (list is annexed to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) and are associated with the EU to promote their economic and social development; member states apply the same treatment to their trade with OCTs as they accord each other; OCT nationals are in principle EU citizens, but OCTs are not part of or subject to the EU
note 2: several non-European overseas countries and territories (OCTs) have special relations with Denmark, France, and the Netherlands (list is annexed to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) and are associated with the EU to promote their economic and social development; member states apply the same treatment to their trade with OCTs as they accord each other; OCT nationals are in principle EU citizens, but OCTs are not part of or subject to the EU
Legal system
unique supranational system in which EU treaties and EU law have primacy over member-state law
Constitution
History
none; the EU legal order relies primarily on the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)
Amendment process
EU treaties can be amended in several ways:
1) Ordinary Revision Procedure (for key amendments to the treaties); initiated by an EU member state, the European Parliament, or the European Commission; after the proposal is adopted by the European Council, a conference of national government representatives then reviews the proposal; passage requires ratification by all EU member states
2) Simplified Revision Procedure (for amendment of EU internal policies and actions); passage of a proposal requires unanimous European Council vote after European Council consultation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Central Bank (if the amendment concerns monetary matters) and requires ratification by all EU member states
3) Passerelle Clause; allows the alteration of a legislative procedure without a formal amendment of the treaties
4) Flexibility Clause; permits the EU to decide in subject areas where EU competences have not been explicitly granted in the treaties but are necessary to the attainment of treaty objectives
1) Ordinary Revision Procedure (for key amendments to the treaties); initiated by an EU member state, the European Parliament, or the European Commission; after the proposal is adopted by the European Council, a conference of national government representatives then reviews the proposal; passage requires ratification by all EU member states
2) Simplified Revision Procedure (for amendment of EU internal policies and actions); passage of a proposal requires unanimous European Council vote after European Council consultation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Central Bank (if the amendment concerns monetary matters) and requires ratification by all EU member states
3) Passerelle Clause; allows the alteration of a legislative procedure without a formal amendment of the treaties
4) Flexibility Clause; permits the EU to decide in subject areas where EU competences have not been explicitly granted in the treaties but are necessary to the attainment of treaty objectives
Suffrage
18 years of age (16 years in Austria); universal; voting for the European Parliament occurs in each member state
Executive branch
three EU institutions have functions that can be regarded as executive in nature:
European Council - composed of member-state heads of state or government, along with the president of the European Commission; meets at least four times a year to issue general policy guidance; the president of the European Council is appointed by leaders of the EU member states for a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once
president: António Costa (since 1 December 2024)
Council of the European Union - consists of member-state officials, ranging from working-level diplomats to cabinet ministers in specific policy fields such as foreign affairs, agriculture, or economy; has policymaking, coordinating, and legislative functions
president: the six-month presidency rotates among the member states
European Commission - composed of 27 commissioners (one from each member state), including the president; the president assigns each commissioner one or more policy areas, called portfolios; the Commission has the sole right to initiate EU legislation, except for foreign and security/defense policy, and is responsible for monitoring the application of EU law, implementing/executing the EU budget, negotiating in certain policy areas, and ensuring the EU's external representation in some policy areas; the president is nominated for a 5-year term by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament; the European Parliament also confirms the entire Commission for a 5-year term
president: Ursula von der Leyen (since 1 December 2019)
European Council - composed of member-state heads of state or government, along with the president of the European Commission; meets at least four times a year to issue general policy guidance; the president of the European Council is appointed by leaders of the EU member states for a 2 1/2 year term, renewable once
president: António Costa (since 1 December 2024)
Council of the European Union - consists of member-state officials, ranging from working-level diplomats to cabinet ministers in specific policy fields such as foreign affairs, agriculture, or economy; has policymaking, coordinating, and legislative functions
president: the six-month presidency rotates among the member states
European Commission - composed of 27 commissioners (one from each member state), including the president; the president assigns each commissioner one or more policy areas, called portfolios; the Commission has the sole right to initiate EU legislation, except for foreign and security/defense policy, and is responsible for monitoring the application of EU law, implementing/executing the EU budget, negotiating in certain policy areas, and ensuring the EU's external representation in some policy areas; the president is nominated for a 5-year term by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament; the European Parliament also confirms the entire Commission for a 5-year term
president: Ursula von der Leyen (since 1 December 2019)
Note
note: for external representation and foreign policy, member-state leaders appoint a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; the High Representative's concurrent appointment as Vice President of the European Commission is meant to bring more coherence to the EU’s foreign policy; the High Representative helps develop and implement the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defense Policy, chairs the Council of the EU's meetings of member-state foreign ministers, represents and acts for the EU in many international contexts, and oversees the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic corps
Legislative branch
Legislature name
Council of the European Union (Council) and the European Parliament (EP) (separate legislative bodies; see note 2)
Number of seats
Council - 27; EP - 720
Electoral system
Council - none, composed of ministers from EU member states; EP - proportional representation
Scope of elections
EP - full renewal
Term in office
5 years note: for the EP
Most recent election date
EP - 6/9/2024
Parties elected and seats per party
EP - PP (188); S&D (136); PfE (84); ECR (78); Renew (77); Greens/EFA (53); GUE-NGL (46); ESN (25); non-attached (12); other (21)
Percentage of women in chamber
39.8% note: for the EP
Expected date of next election
EP - June 2029
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)
Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ, includes 11 advocates general) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state; can include additional judges); both the ECJ and the General Court sit in chambers of 3 to 5 judges but may sit in a Grand Chamber of 15 judges in special cases
Judge selection and term of office
judges appointed by the common consent of the member states to serve 6-year renewable terms
Political parties
The Left or GUE/NGL
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR
Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA
European People's Party or EPP
Europe of Sovereign Nations or ESN
Patriots for Europe or PfE
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D
Renew Europe or Renew (formerly Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)
European Conservatives and Reformists or ECR
Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA
European People's Party or EPP
Europe of Sovereign Nations or ESN
Patriots for Europe or PfE
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D
Renew Europe or Renew (formerly Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE)
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission
Ambassador Jovita NELIUPŠIENĖ, Head of Delegation (since 27 February 2024)
Chancery
2175 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
Telephone
[1] (202) 862-9500
FAX
[1] (202) 429-1766
Email address and website
delegation-usa-info@eeas.europa.eu
Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America | EEAS (europa.eu)
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission
Ambassador Andrew PUZDER (since 11 September 2025)
Embassy
Zinnerstraat - 13 - Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
Mailing address
use embassy street address
Telephone
[32] (2) 811-4100
Email address and website
https://useu.usmission.gov/
International organization participation
ARF, ASEAN (dialogue member), Australian Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-10, G-20, IDA, IEA, IGAD (partners), LAIA (observer), NSG (observer), OAS (observer), OECD, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN (observer), UNRWA (observer), WCO, WTO, ZC (observer)
Independence
7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the European Union); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Note
note: the Treaties of Rome, signed on 25 March 1957 and entered into force on 1 January 1958, created the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community; a series of subsequent treaties increased efficiency and transparency, prepared for new member states, and introduced new areas of cooperation such as a single currency; the Treaty of Lisbon, signed on 13 December 2007 and entered into force on 1 December 2009, is the most recent
National holiday
Europe Day (also known as Schuman Day), 9 May (1950)
Flag
description: a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue stands for the sky of the Western world, and the stars for unity, solidarity, and harmony
meaning: the number of stars is fixed and does not correspond to the number of member states
meaning: the number of stars is fixed and does not correspond to the number of member states
National symbol(s)
a circle of 12 five-pointed golden-yellow stars on a blue field
National color(s)
blue, yellow
National anthem(s)
Title
"European Anthem" (Ode to Joy)
Lyrics/music
no lyrics/Ludwig VAN BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN
History
adopted 1985; the anthem is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just the organization, conveying the ideals of peace, freedom, and unity