EU

European Union. The economic association of over two dozen European countries which seek to create a unified, barrier-free market for products and services throughout the continent, as well as a common currency with a unified authority over that currency. The European Union was established in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht, and was based on the European Economic Community. The EU is formed of three areas, or pillars, which are the European Community, Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. The EU has a wide variety of legislative bodies, including the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission. The European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance are the two main judicial bodies for the European Union. The format and principles of the EU have their roots in the European Coal and Steel Community, created in the early 1950s.