European Union and the United Nations

European Union
United Nations membership

Membership	Observer (enhanced)
Since	1974 (1974) (enhanced: 2011)
Former name(s)	European Communities
UNSC seat	Ineligible
Ambassador	Stavros Lambrinidis

Politics of the European Union
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Member states (27) Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Candidate countries Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Serbia Ukraine Countries with suspended accession negotiations Turkey Applicant countries Kosovo States not on the agenda Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Iceland Kazakhstan Norway Russia Switzerland United Kingdom Microstates and the European Union Andorra Liechtenstein Monaco San Marino Vatican City Special territories EU 3 (EU founding states) Enlargement of the European Union Withdrawal from the European Union
Treaties and Declarations Schuman Declaration (1950) Treaty of Paris (1951) Europe Declaration (1951) Spaak Report (1956) Treaty of Rome (1957) Euratom Treaty (1957) Merger Treaty (1965) Solemn Declaration (1983) Single European Act (1986) Maastricht Treaty (1992) Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) Treaty of Nice (2001) Berlin Declaration (2007) Treaty of Lisbon (2007) Article 7 Article 50 Opt-outs Treaties of accession 1972, 1979, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011 Treaties of withdrawal 1984, 2020 Other treaties Schengen Agreement (1985) European Economic Area Agreement (1992) Abandoned treaties and agreements European Constitution (2004) UK membership renegotiation (2015–2016)
Executive institutions European Council President: Costa (PES) Parties List of meetings European Commission Von der Leyen Commission President: Von der Leyen (EPP) Vice Presidents College of Commissioners Civil Service Secretary-General: Juhansone
Legislative institutions Legislative procedure Council of the EU Presidency Cyprus (January–June 2026) Configurations GAC FAC ECOFIN Eurogroup AGRIFISH EPSCO COMPET TTE ENVI JHA EYC Voting Secretariat Secretary-General: Thérèse Blanchet Directorates-general Council preparatory bodies COREPER Council Working Parties European Parliament (Members) President: Metsola Largest groups EPP (Manfred Weber) S&D (Iratxe García) Member of the European Parliament 10th session (2024–2029) Bureau Vice Presidents Quaestor Conference National parliaments
Judicial institutions Court of Justice of the EU European Court of Justice Members Advocates General Rulings General Court
Auditory institutions European Court of Auditors European Court of Auditors Other auditory bodies Internal Audit Service of the Commission Committee on Budgetary Control of the Parliament Economic and Financial Affairs configuration of the Council Anti-Fraud Office Public Prosecutor's Office
European Central Bank President Lagarde ESCB EMU Euro banknotes Euro coins
Other bodies European Investment Bank Group Investment Bank Investment Fund EIB Institute European Stability Mechanism European Stability Mechanism European University Institute European University Institute Unified Patent Court Unified Patent Court Agencies, decentralised independent bodies and joint undertakings Decentralised agencies of the EU Single market agencies CFSP agencies AFSC agencies ESFS European Supervisory Authorities SRM bodies Executive agencies of the EU Euratom agencies Decentralised independent bodies of the EU European Institute of Innovation and Technology European Public Prosecutor's Office Corporate bodies of the EU European Data Protection Board Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations Joint undertakings of the EU of the Euratom Other independent bodies European Data Protection Supervisor European Ombudsman Advisory bodies European Committee of the Regions European Economic and Social Committee Political and Security Committee European Union Military Committee EU/ESA Space Council Inter-institutional bodies Publications Office of the European Union European External Action Service European Personnel Selection Office Anti-Fraud Office European Administrative School
Euratom Euratom members Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Associated states Switzerland United Kingdom Nuclear power in the European Union
Economic and Monetary Union Eurozone members Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis Other currencies in use Czech koruna Danish krone (Opt-out of the euro) Hungarian forint Polish złoty Romanian leu Swedish krona ERM II Enlargement of the eurozone Non Euro countries relationship to Euro Czechia Denmark Hungary Poland Sweden Romania
Schengen Area Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Non-EU members Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland Non-Schengen area EU member states Cyprus Ireland (Opt-out) EES ETIAS Prüm Convention Schengen Information System Visa Information System Visa policy of the Schengen Area
European Economic Area EEA members Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Non-EU members Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Topics EEA Joint Committee EEA National Identity cards Microstates and the European Union
Elections Elections to the European Parliament European parties European foundations Political groups of the European Parliament Spitzenkandidat Constituencies Apportionment Referendums related to the EU European elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024 (latest election) Elections in EU member states Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden
Law Acquis Conferral Primacy (ECJ Case 6/64) Subsidiarity Regulation Democratic legitimacy Directive Decision Recommendation Fundamental Rights
Policies and issues Budget Customs Union Free Trade Agreements European Single Market Area of FS&J Policies Agricultural Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Passports of the European Union Identity Pro-Europeanism Euroscepticism European banking union European Banking Supervision Single Resolution Mechanism Capital Markets Union European System of Financial Supervision Institutional seats of the European Union Integration Supranationalism European Federation Multi-speed Europe Enhanced cooperation
Foreign relations High Representative Kaja Kallas Ext. Action Service Foreign Policy Defence Policy Foreign relations of EU member states Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Argentina–European Union relations Armenia–European Union relations ASEAN–European Union relations Australia–European Union relations Brazil–European Union relations Canada–European Union relations China–European Union relations European Union–NATO relations Georgia–European Union relations Iceland–European Union relations Iran–European Union relations Israel–European Union relations Japan–European Union relations Kazakhstan–European Union relations Mexico–European Union relations Moldova–European Union relations Norway–European Union relations Russia–European Union relations Switzerland–European Union relations Turkey–European Union relations Ukraine–European Union relations United Kingdom–European Union relations (History) Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union Brexit United States–European Union relations Common Travel Area (Ireland) Microstates and the European Union European Union and the United Nations European Union Association Agreement European Neighbourhood Policy Eastern Partnership Euronest Parliamentary Assembly G7 G20
Defunct bodies European Communities (1958–1993) European Coal and Steel Community European Economic Community European Community Western European Union Convention on the Future of Europe
European Union portal Other countries

United Nations
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Charter
UN System
Principal organs General Assembly · Security Council · Economic and Social Council · International Court of Justice · Secretariat · Trusteeship Council
Secretariat Secretary-General · Deputy Secretary-General · Under-Secretary-General · Secretariat structure
Funds, programmes, and other bodies
UN development programmes UNDP · UNICEF · WFP · UNFPA · UNEP · UN Women · UN Habitat
Humanitarian agencies OCHA · UNHCR · IOM · UNRWA · UNDRR
Specialized agencies
Development & social agencies FAO · IFAD · ILO · UNIDO · UNESCO · WHO · WMO · UN Tourism
Technical & regulatory agencies ICAO · IMO · ITU · IAEA · UPU · WIPO
Finance & trade IMF · World Bank Group · WTO
Peace & security DPO · DPPA · PBC · PBF · UNODA · UNOOSA · UNODC · UNMAS · UNOCT · CTC · OPCW · CTBTO PrepCom
Research & training UNITAR · UNRISD · UNIDIR · UNU · UNSSC · UNICRI
Human rights UNHRC · OHCHR · UPR · Human Rights Committee · CESCR · ICERD · CEDAW · CAT · CRC · Special rapporteurs · WGAD
Membership
Members and observers Founding members · Full members · Security Council Permanent members · Permanent representatives to the UN (list) · General Assembly Observers (European Union)
History
Preceding years International Telecommunication Union · Universal Postal Union · Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 · Permanent Court of Arbitration · International Office of Public Hygiene · League of Nations
Preparatory years Declaration of St James's Palace · Atlantic Charter · Declaration by United Nations · Moscow Conference (1943) · Tehran Conference · Bretton Woods Conference · Dumbarton Oaks Conference · Yalta Conference · UNCIO · Genocide Convention
Activities Sustainable Development Goals · Peacekeeping (missions) · (governed territories) · UNPOL · UNDRIP · Universal Declaration of Human Rights · World Heritage Convention · Convention on the Rights of the Child · Declaration on the Rights of Peasants
Resolutions

The European Union (EU) has permanent observer status at the United Nations (UN) since 1974, and gained enhanced participation rights in 2011. The EU itself does not have voting rights but it is represented alongside its 27 members, one of which, France, is a permanent member of the Security Council.