• The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 members located primarily in Europe.
• It was officially established in 1993.
• The main objectives of the EU are to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Europe, to promote economic growth and employment.

Influential leaders in the EU history

Winston Churchill

• He was the first politician who came with the idea of a union.
• Winston Churchill was a British politician, statesman, and writer.
• He served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• He is best known for leading the United Kingdom during World War II, and for his speeches and writings.
• People remember him for his words / quote: Never give up.
• He is also famous for his sarcastic humor (Lady Astor, a politician to Winston Churchill: ‘If you were my husband, I’d put poison in your coffee.’ Winston Churchill in his reply: ‘If you were my wife, I’d drink it.’)
• He is regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20 th century.
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• He famously used the ‘V’ for Victory sign during World War II as a symbol of defiance against Nazi Germany.

Robert Schuman

• Robert Schuman came up with the idea for this union.
• He was a French politician and served as Prime Minister of France.
• Many people consider him one of the founders of the European Union.

Key dates in the modern history of European Integration

1. 1993: The European Union (EU) was officially established.
2. 2002: The Euro became the common currency for 12 European countries.
3. 2004 (May 1): The EU expanded the most ever, with 10 new countries joining, including Slovakia.
4. 2009: Slovakia started using the Euro as its official currency in January.
5. 2013: Croatia became the last country to join the EU.
6. 2020: Brexit happened – the UK officially left the EU.

The main tasks of the EU

1. Promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe.
2. Create a single market with the free movement of goods, services, people within the EU.
3. Create jobs, promote economic growth, reduces social and economic disparities among its member states.
4. Protect the environment and to promote human rights, and public health.
5. Cooperation and integration among European states, in the field of justice, education, and culture.

The main institutions of the EU

The European Union has several key institutions that work together to govern the EU.
The main institutions are:

1. The European Parliament: It represents the citizens of the EU and has the power to approve or reject EU legislation. The parliament meets in  Brussels, Belgium and Strasbourg, France. 
2. The European Commission: It is the executive body that proposes EU laws and is responsible for their implementation in EU countries.
3. The European Court of Justice: It is located in Luxembourg and its role is to control keeping and respecting the law across all member states.
4. The European Central Bank: The European Central Bank is responsible for maintaining the price stability in the Euro area and is located in Frankfurt, Germany.