The European Union is the framework for economic and political co-operation between 15 European countries.

EU member states

Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Luxembourg The Netherlands Portugal Spain Sweden United Kingdom

It began as a post-war initiative between six countries pooling control over coal and steel to guarantee a more peaceful future for Europe.

But it now manages co-operation on issues as wide-ranging as the environment, transport and employment, and wields increasing influence in defence and foreign policy.

It has five declared objectives:

• To promote economic and social progress
• To assert the identity of the European Union on the international scene
• To introduce European citizenship
• To develop an area of freedom, security and justice
• To maintain and build on established EU law

Officially, the European Union only exists since the early 1990s, although the term has been used for much longer than that.

The Maastricht Treaty renamed the European Community the European Union by forming what are known as the three pillars of the EU.

They are:

• European Community
• Common Foreign and Security Policy
• Justice and Home Affairs

The first pillar is managed by the institutions of the EU, while the second and third work through inter-governmental co-operation.

The first pillar is responsible for the single market and freedom of movement across borders. It also looks after economic and monetary union and issues such as agriculture, environment and competition.

In this pillar, unlike the other two, member states have given up some of their sovereignty and EU institutions can act independently of the national governments.

In the second pillar, member states aim to hold common positions and take joint action on foreign and security affairs.

The objective of the Justice and Home Affairs pillar is to integrate member states' policies on asylum and immigration, customs, drugs and crime.