European member states are countries mainly in Europe, and three from outside, that are part of one or more of the four main treaty groups, namely the European Union (EU), NATO, the Schengen area and the eurozone. Each of these institutions governs a different aspect of the region’s infrastructure. With Ukraine’s recent bid to join the European Union, the current status of Europe’s member states is back in the public debate.
And to understand it, you have to delve into the history of these institutions and their primary functions.
The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 27 European countries. First created as the European Economic Community after World War II, the organization’s primary goal was promote economic cooperation. The idea was simple: countries that trade with each other and become economically interdependent are more likely to avoid conflict.
The European Economic Community, launched in 1957, became the European Union in 1993 with the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty which deepens the integration of the foreign, security and internal affairs policies of the members. The EU established a common market the same year to promote the free movement of goods, services, people and capital across its internal borders.
Beginning with six countries in 1958, the European Economic Community has since added 21 more countries (the UK left the EU in 2020), with a primary focus on single or internal markets. Without a doubt, the economic union has become a pioneering organization in the development of many different political areas. This graphic published by Visual Capitalist illustrates which are the different member states and the institutions to which they belong.
You can consult the graph in its maximum resolution here.
These are the countries that make up the European Union: Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Cyprus, Slovenia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania.
The gross domestic product (GDP) of the EU amounted to 14 billion euros in 2020, 5 billion euros less than the 21 of the GDP of the United States, according to figures from the World Bank.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
For a few weeks, the tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine has put the spotlight on NATO. This military organization created in the middle of the Cold War is considered a threat by Moscow. And its expansion into Eastern Europe is the main reason why the Kremlin claims to have deployed thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exists for the sole purpose of facilitating a political and military alliance among its 30 member countries. Its birth in 1949 responds to the need of Western countries to protect themselves against a possible attack by the Soviet Union.
Those were the years of Iosef Stalin in power and the Second World War had left Europe weak and vulnerable to a Soviet advance. The USA and Canada, together with ten European allies, including France and the United Kingdom, were in charge of signing the North Atlantic Treaty. Over the years, other European countries wanted to join the protective umbrella provided by NATO. Turkey and Greece joined in 1952, and West Germany did the same in 1955.
After the dissolution of the USSR, this organization has been increasing its power progressively in Europe to the point of being considered a threat by Moscow. It is for this reason that the Kremlin is based to execute the military deployment carried out on the Ukrainian border. An attack on one constitutes an attack on all, and member states are obliged to defend each other.
NATO’s latest intervention in the Balkans was controversial for Russia. And this criticism increased after its first expansion to the east in 1999. Three former members of the Warsaw Pact such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined the Atlantic Alliance, something that Moscow did not like. But this did not stop here. In 2004, the largest eastward enlargement occurred with up to seven new countries in the organization. Among them, the three Baltic republics, something that brought NATO to only a few hundred kilometers from Moscow.
As of 2021, NATO officially recognized three would-be NATO members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine. Ukraine has expressed a desire to join NATO since 2014, but has not met its criteria.
These are the countries that make it up: Albania, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia North, Montenegro, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Turkey.
Eurozone
All EU Member States are part of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and coordinate their economic policies in support of the EU’s economic objectives. However, several member countries have gone a step further replacing their national currencies with the single currency, the euro. These member states form the eurozone.
Approximately 340 million people live in the euro area. European Union nations that decide to participate in the eurozone must meet a multitude of financial requirements. They include price stability, sound public finances, durability of convergence, and exchange rate stability.
When the euro was first introduced in 1999, the euro area was made up of 11 of the then 15 EU member states. Greece joined in 2001, just a year before the introduction of euro cash, followed by Slovenia in 2007, Cyprus and Malta in 2008, Slovakia in 2009, Estonia in 2011, Latvia in 2014 and Lithuania in 2015. Today, the euro zone brings together 19 EU Member States.
Among the countries that are not part of the euro zone, Denmark has an opt-out clause, established in a protocol annexed to the Treaty, although it can join in the future if it so wishes. Sweden does not yet meet the necessary conditions to join.
Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City have adopted the euro as their national currency under specific monetary agreements with the EU, and can issue their own euro coins within certain limits. However, as they are not members of the EU, they are not part of the euro area.
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises 26 European countries that have agreed to create common entry and exit requirements to eliminate the need for internal borders. This allows travelers up to 90 days of visa-free travel to any of the Schengen Area countries.
The Schengen area without borders guarantees the free movement of more than 400 million EU citizenstogether with non-EU citizens living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes.
These are the countries that are part of the Schengen Area: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway , Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Sweden and Switzerland. For their part, Monaco, Vatican City and San Marino also have open borders with the countries of the Schengen area, although they are not part of the treaty.
Graphics: Visual Capitalist