The EU/European Union describes a economical and political union of 28 States. With an estimated population of around 510 million the European Union policies aim to allow the free movement of people, goods and services. Within the internal market it aims to maintain common policies on agriculture, trade and more.
Members
The EU and European citizenship were established in 1933. With the inner original 6 being Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. Although no member state has ever left, in 2016 the UK announced its intention to leave and has begun negotiating their departure for 2019.
More foreign aid is provided by the EU than any other economic union. Due to its Global influence and reach the Union has been described as an emerging superpower.
On 29 April 2025, over 200 European territories will officially kick off the EU Preparatory Action "Innovation for Place-Based Transformation" with a high-level launch event streamed online.
UK scientists, researchers, and businesses will now benefit from expanded access to Horizon Europe funding calls, specifically for quantum and space research, following the release of the 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programme.
The European Commission has taken another step toward finalising its flagship research and innovation funding initiative, Horizon Europe, by pre-publishing the draft version of its 2025 work programme.
In 2024, the European Commission reported that wind power became the European Union's second-largest source of electricity, overtaking natural gas and coming in just behind nuclear.
The European Commission has revealed a new wide-ranging public consultation on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and its Market Stability Reserve (MSR). It hopes to get feedback before planned reviews in 2026.
The European Union has made significant strides in research and innovation over the past decade, which was highlighted in the newly published 2024 European Research Area (ERA) Scoreboard and Dashboard.
The European Commission has launched a consultation initiative to shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in science and make the EU a global leader in AI-driven research and innovation.
Horizon Europe, the European Union's flagship research and innovation program, continues its commitment to a sustainable future with its Cluster 6 funding initiatives.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is making big developments to accelerate the growth of Europe's deep tech sector, as the EIC Trusted Investor Network continues to expand its reach.
This overview by Open Access Government examines the priorities of three departments within the European Commission. It covers topics such as tech sovereignty, security and democracy, social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness, as well as the cohesion and reforms portfolios.
On March 25, 2025, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Tripartite Governance joined in Krakow to define key developments for advancing research data and digital resource sharing across Europe.
Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities in Brussels, emphasises the need to seek comparative advantages in the European Union’s pursuit of a new R&I programme amid Donald Trump’s push for AI.
