What is the EU?

The European Union is an international body which directly affects the lives of around 460 million citizens. It stretches from Western Europe, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to the west and north, and reaches the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Map of EU member states

EU key words

What is the EU for?

The EU was originally created so that its member states would become one big market where people and companies could work as though they were in one single country. It was hoped that closer links between countries could prevent war and make Europe stronger. To achieve this Single Market, four freedoms were identified to be essential requirements – the free movement of:

Products

People can sell and buy goods anywhere in the EU.

People

In theory, every citizen is able to live and work anywhere in the EU.

Services

Service providers, such as holiday companies, can operate under the same conditions anywhere in the EU.

Capital (money)

Money can move freely throughout the EU and people can, in theory, keep money wherever they want.