United States. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA World Fact Book, 2004 — European Union (2004)
“ Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. ”
United States. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA World Fact Book, 2004 — European Union (2004)
“ Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded. ”
United States. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA World Fact Book, 2004 — European Union (2004)
“ The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU) . In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined to the EU, raising the membership total to 15.A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except Great Britain, Sweden, and Denmark. ”
