European Union

The European Union (EU) is made up of 27 countries known as member states. Originally the EU was set up by France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1950, which developed into the European Community and later the EU. The UK joined alongside Denmark and Ireland in 1973.

The EU has gradually grown to bring together European countries both economically and politically, allowing member states to work together on transnational issues affecting the whole of the EU such as climate change, the economy, human rights and terrorism. Today, EU citizens are free to study, work and live anywhere in the European Union.

Alongside the European Parliament, which represents EU citizens through directly-elected MEPs, operates the Council of the European Union (also informally referred to as Council of Ministers), which represent the governments of each member state and the European Commission, which drafts and enforces legislation. These institutions serve as checks and balances on one another.

When we say "the EU" does something, it is a form of shorthand. The EU is not one single group of people sitting together around a table: it is three separate groups of people representing the three different EU institutions: MEPs in the Parliament, national heads of government and ministers in the Council, and Commissioners in the European Commission.

Euro Myths

The EU is often used as a scapegoat for unpopular policies and decisions. Many stories about the EU are simply untrue.

• Is the European Union behind post office closures?

There is no European legislation forcing post office closures. The European Parliament did pass the European Union postal reform directive in 1997 (amended in 2002 and 2008) which looked to secure standards, protect consumers, improve quality of service and promote choice for postal users. The directive does not say how many post office the UK must have, states that access to postal services, collection and deliveries must be provided in remote, rural, urban and deprived areas and does not prohibit the UK government from giving rural post offices state funding.

The UK government announced that Post Office Ltd would close 2,500 post offices across the country and set up 500 outreach services as an alternative in some areas. Labour argues that demand for post offices has fallen as growth in email has drastically reduced the number of letters we send. But instead of letting post offices develop new business opportunities, Labour has also squeezed post office services by taking away its financial business such as pension books.

Read more about recent Euro Myths.