Trading blocs types and examples

Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, joined in, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum and so Norway remained outside. Greece then joined in , and Spain and Portugal in In , the European flag was adopted for use by the Community and the Single European Act was signed. This was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome and set the agenda to establish a Single Market by A common external tariff was imposed at this time.

In , euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states, making it unique among trading blocs in establishing monetary union.

The eurozone increased to include sixteen countries with Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, and by Slovakia adopting the euro. The EU is likely to see additional enlargement in the next few years. The membership bid by Turkey has become the major controversy of the ongoing enlargement. Turkey has been an associate member of the EU since Opposition to Turkey's membership results from its long standing dispute over Cyprus, concerns about democracy and human rights in the country plus the issue of it being a relatively poor country by EU standards.

Another major barrier to membership is the fact that, although Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion, 99 percent of the population is registered as Muslim. If Turkey is ever accepted EU, it would become the first Muslim nation to do so. However, strong elements in Germany, France, and the Netherlands oppose Turkey's bid.

The EEC aimed to create a common market, a customs union plus free movement of capital and labour. Since then, it has grown in size through enlargement, and in power through the addition of policy areas to its remit. Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, joined in, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum and so Norway remained outside.

Greece then joined in , and Spain and Portugal in In , the European flag was adopted for use by the Community and the Single European Act was signed.

This was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome and set the agenda to establish a Single Market by A common external tariff was imposed at this time. In , euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states, making it unique among trading blocs in establishing monetary union.

The eurozone increased to include sixteen countries with Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, and by Slovakia adopting the euro. The EU is likely to see additional enlargement in the next few years. The membership bid by Turkey has become the major controversy of the ongoing enlargement.

Turkey has been an associate member of the EU since Opposition to Turkey's membership results from its long standing dispute over Cyprus, concerns about democracy and human rights in the country plus the issue of it being a relatively poor country by EU standards. Another major barrier to membership is the fact that, although Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion, 99 percent of the population is registered as Muslim.