Interested in the European Union?
The European Union or EU is an economic and political union made up of 28 member states that are located primarily in central Europe. Institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens and has Brussels in Belgium as its capital. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community formed in 1951 and 1958, respectively. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993 and the latest major amendment to the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009. The EU entitles citizens of membership countries to cross borders without passports and EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods and services and enact legislation in justice and home affairs as well as maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. The Euro as a currency was established in 1999 first being known as the ECU and came into full force in 2002 and is currently used in 17 member states. Below is a list of ten of the best sites on the Internet today for information about the European Union and to anyone with an interest or wishing to know further information, the list will be very valuable.
1. Europa.eu – http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
This is the official site of the European Union which gives basic information on how the Union works, reports the latest news and events and also provides links to other sites with information about the EU. There is a sitemap to help you find your way around and topics can be chosen from categories such as employment, agriculture, monetary affairs, foreign policies, trade, treaties, travel and standards with a special section for young people and teachers. A further section suggests publications to read and information on each country can be chosen individually.
2. The European – www.theeuropean-magazine.com
This is an online magazine that contains news and views about Europe. News can be selected from columns, debates and conversations with videos, articles and recommendations for each section. Present topics include free trade, technology and Angela Merkel with a special article about the decline of Europe’s identity. The most popular articles are highlighted and you can also read about the editors with all information available in German.
3. European Voice – www.europeanvoice.com
European Voice was established by the Economist Group back in 1995 and gives an independent insight into the Brussels beltway for insiders and outsiders, both in print and online. It is a leading source of news and analysis on key EU policies, laws and institutions and provides information to business leaders, policymakers and all those who have a stake in EU decisions. There are sections for farming and food, business, energy, the environment, health and society and foreign affairs and subscriptions to the site are welcome.
4. European Commission – www.europeancommission.com
This site provides the latest news from WN network and has a page dedicated to the European Union with sections for information on business, economy, law, market, politics and trade. There are articles to read and slideshows to view with the top stories and headlines highlighted and there is a sitemap to find your way around. Related links are given for information about the Euro, European Radio, European sport and cities as well as languages, science and entertainment and news updates can be requested by email.
5. Euintheus.org – www.euintheus.org
This site explores the relationship between the USA and the EU and has a video gallery, a photo gallery and articles to read. You can find out about the leadership of the EU, the high representative and the delegation as well as see the work of the EU within the USA. The latest news and events are highlighted and there is an interactive map to learn more about each of the 28 countries in the EU and their roles. There are many publications to view as well as speeches to listen to and a special learning section gives information for studying about Europe.
This site is a delegation of 30 European Ministries of Education based in Brussels and provides news for educators within the EU. You can view the specific areas of focus, read about future events and the latest developments as well as watch videos and read recent publications. A special section provides news for teachers with support, training, resources and collaboration and information about governance and projects can be found on the site.
7. Eutimes.net – http://www.eutimes.net/
The EU Times is an international newspaper based in Europe and is constantly updated to bring the top news stories from around the world as well as in Europe. Breaking news is highlighted and there are special section for the latest technology as well as videos to watch and articles to read. Information can be chosen from categories such as science, world, social, economy, political, culture, crimes, activism, justice and entertainment to name a few and you can vote in the polls as well as subscribe to receive the latest updates.
8. Presseurop.eu – www.presseurop.eu
This is an online newspaper that is supported by the European Commission and is translated into ten different languages. The site takes a close look at Europe, both from within and abroad in a series of articles with the most popular posts highlighted. News can be selected by individual European country or chosen from sections such as politics, society, economy, science and the environment and culture and ideas.
This site reports all the latest news from within the European Union with illustrated articles to read. You can sign up to receive the latest news updates in the newsletter and there is a special section for reading information about the crisis within the EU. There are links leading to interviews with top European MPs and the latest trends, market movements and trade reports can be found.
10. Eubusiness.com – www.eubusiness.com
This site provides daily updated new reports from within the EU with information on policies, legislation and economic data to over 65,000 business professionals. The weekly newsletter is received by over 25,000 and agendas for events, press conferences and publications can be found. Breaking news is highlighted and suggested reading material is given with analysis, guides and summaries in brief to assist you with research. A forum is in place for following the posts and threads and special reports can be found for VAT.
