Members
Further information: Member State of the European Union and Enlargement of the European UnionThe six states that founded the EEC and the other two Communities were known as the "inner six" (the "outer seven" were those countries who formed the European Free Trade Association). The six were France, West Germany, Italy and the three Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The first enlargement was in 1973, with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s. Following the creation of the EU in 1993, it has enlarged to include a further fifteen countries by 2007.
| Flag | State | Accession | Language(s) | Currency | Population (1990) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | Dutch, French and German | Belgian franc | 700710016000000000010,016,000 | |
| Denmark | 01973-01-011 January 1973 | Danish | Danish krone | 70065146500000000005,146,500 | |
| France | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | French | French franc | 700756718000000000056,718,000 | |
| West Germany | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | German | German mark | 700763254000000000063,254,000 | |
| Greece | 01981-01-011 January 1981 | Greek | Greek drachma | 700710120000000000010,120,000 | |
| Ireland | 01973-01-011 January 1973 | Irish and English | Irish pound | 70063521000000000003,521,000 | |
| Italy | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | Italian | Italian lira | 700756762700000000056,762,700 | |
| Luxembourg | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | French, German and Luxembourgish | Luxembourgish franc | 7005384400000000000384,400 | |
| Netherlands | 01957-03-2525 March 1957 | Dutch | Dutch guilder | 700714892300000000014,892,300 | |
| Portugal | 01986-01-011 January 1986 | Portuguese | Portuguese escudo | 70069862500000000009,862,500 | |
| Spain | 01986-01-011 January 1986 | Spanish | Spanish peseta | 700738993800000000038,993,800 | |
| United Kingdom | 01973-01-011 January 1973 | English | Pound sterling | 700757681000000000057,681,000 |
Member states are represented in some form in each institution. The Council is also composed of one national minister who represents their national government. Each state also has a right to one European Commissioner each, although in the European Commission they are not supposed to represent their national interest but that of the Community. Prior to 2004, the larger members (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) have had two Commissioners. In the European Parliament, members are allocated a set number seats related to their population, however these (since 1979) have been directly elected and they sit according to political allegiance, not national origin. Most other institutions, including the European Court of Justice, have some form of national division of its members.
Read more about this topic: European Economic Community
Famous quotes containing the word members:
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“Two myths must be shattered: that of the evil stepparent . . . and the myth of instant love, which places unrealistic demands on all members of the blended family. . . . Between the two opposing myths lies reality. The recognition of reality is, I believe, the most important step toward the building of a successful second family.”
—Claire Berman (20th century)