European Union member state facts for kids

The member states of the European Union are those not highlighted in light brown

A European Union member state is any one of the twenty-seven countries that have joined the European Union (EU) since it was found in 1958 as the European Economic Community (EEC). From an original membership of six states, there have been five successive enlargements. The largest happened on 1 May 2004, when ten member states joined.

Following the addition of Croatia in 2013, the EU's membership now stands at twenty-eight. Negotiations are also under way with other states. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. However, this term is also used to refer to the intensification of cooperation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual centralising of power within European institutions. Before being allowed to join the European Union, a state must fulfill the economic and political conditions generally known as the Copenhagen criteria: these basically require that a candidate member state must enjoy a secular, democratic system of government, together with the corresponding freedoms and institutions, and respect the rule of law. Under the terms of the Treaty on European Union, enlargement of the Union is conditional upon the agreement of each existing member state as well as approval by the European Parliament.

Bulgaria and Romania make up the second part of the EU's fifth enlargement, and joined the EU on 1 January 2007. This date was agreed upon at the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003, confirmed at Brussels on 18 June 2004, and affirmed by the country reports of October 2004 and the final report delivered on 26 September 2006. Bulgaria and Romania signed their Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005 at a ceremony held at Neumünster Abbey in Luxembourg.

The United Kingdom was a former EU member state. It joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973. On 23 June 2016, 51.9% of voters chose to leave the EU. The country formally withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020. This means there are 27 member states are left in the EU.

List of members

The European flag flies outside Leeds Town Hall in Leeds, England.

Current members

Flag	State	Official name	Accession	Population	Capital	MEPs
	Austria	Republic of Austria	January 1, 1995	&&&&&&&&08169929.&&&&&08,169,929	Vienna	18
	Belgium	Kingdom of Belgium	March 25, 1957	&&&&&&&010274595.&&&&&010,274,595	Brussels	24
	Bulgaria	Republic of Bulgaria	January 1, 2007	&&&&&&&&07679290.&&&&&07,679,290	Sofia	18
	Croatia	Republic of Croatia	July 1, 2013	&&&&&&&&04290612.&&&&&04,290,612	Zagreb	12
	Cyprus	Republic of Cyprus	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&&0835000.&&&&&0835,000	Nicosia	6
	Czechia	Czech Republic	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&010256760.&&&&&010,256,760	Prague	24
	Denmark	Kingdom of Denmark	January 1, 19732	&&&&&&&&05368854.&&&&&05,368,854	Copenhagen	14
	Estonia	Republic of Estonia	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&01415681.&&&&&01,415,681	Tallinn	6
	Finland	Republic of Finland	January 1, 1995	&&&&&&&&05157537.&&&&&05,157,537	Helsinki	14
	France	French Republic	March 25, 1957	&&&&&&&059765983.&&&&&059,765,983	Paris	78
	Germany	Federal Republic of Germany	March 25, 19571	&&&&&&&083251851.&&&&&083,251,851	Berlin	99
	Greece	Hellenic Republic	January 1, 1981	&&&&&&&010645343.&&&&&010,645,343	Athens	24
	Hungary	Republic of Hungary	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&010075034.&&&&&010,075,034	Budapest	24
	Ireland	Ireland	January 1, 1973	&&&&&&&&04234925.&&&&&04,234,925	Dublin	13
	Italy	Italian Republic	March 25, 1957	&&&&&&&058751711.&&&&&058,751,711	Rome	78
	Latvia	Republic of Latvia	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&02366515.&&&&&02,366,515	Riga	9
	Lithuania	Republic of Lithuania	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&03382041.&&&&&03,382,041	Vilnius	13
	Luxembourg	Grand Duchy of Luxembourg	March 25, 1957	&&&&&&&&&0448569.&&&&&0448,569	Luxembourg	6
	Malta	Republic of Malta	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&&0397499.&&&&&0397,499	Valletta	5
	Netherlands	Netherlands	March 25, 1957	&&&&&&&016318199.&&&&&016,318,199	Amsterdam	27
	Poland	Republic of Poland	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&038625478.&&&&&038,625,478	Warsaw	54
	Portugal	Portuguese Republic	January 1, 1986	&&&&&&&010084245.&&&&&010,084,245	Lisbon	24
	Romania	Romania	January 1, 2007	&&&&&&&021698181.&&&&&021,698,181	Bucharest	35
	Slovakia	Slovak Republic	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&05422366.&&&&&05,422,366	Bratislava	14
	Slovenia	Republic of Slovenia	May 1, 2004	&&&&&&&&01932917.&&&&&01,932,917	Ljubljana	7
	Spain	Kingdom of Spain	January 1, 1986	&&&&&&&044708964.&&&&&044,708,964	Madrid	54
	Sweden	Kingdom of Sweden	January 1, 1995	&&&&&&&&09090113.&&&&&09,090,113	Stockholm	19

¹ On 3 October 1990, the states of the former German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Rebulic of Germany, automatically becoming part of the EU.
² Greenland left the Community in 1985.

Former members

Flag	State	Official name	Accession	Withdrawal	Population	Capital	MEPs
	United Kingdom	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	January 1, 1973	January 31, 2020	&&&&&&&060201000.&&&&&060,201,000	London	78

Images for kids

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  Member states of the European Union (dark blue) (1993–present). Pre-1993, the EU was known as the European Communities (sky blue). Animated in order of accession and secession.

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  A 2011 'family photo' of the European Council, which comprises the heads of state or government of the member states, along with President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission

See also

In Spanish: Estado miembro de la Unión Europea para niños