The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27* countries. These countries, known as Member States, include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Although not officially founded until 1993, the EU developed in the aftermath of the Second World War, in an effort to ensure peace across Europe. Since then, the union has development into a single market - enabling the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital between all member states. There are four key institutions that work together to run the EU. These are: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the Court of Justice. Read more about the role and history of the EU, and each of these institutions, in our blog. *The United Kingdom was formerly a member of the EU but exited the Union in January 2020. Read more about 'Brexit' in our blog here.

The European Parliament is the law-making body of the European Union. Every 5 years, Members of the European Parliament are elected by citizens from the country they represent. The Parliament has legislative, supervisory and budgetary powers. This means they pass EU laws, ensure these laws are followed by member states, and establish the EU budget. For more information, read our blog post or visit the European Parliament website.

Every vote counts. Voting is your democratic right and opportunity to have your say on an international level. Tell the world who you want representing you in the European Parilament. Read more in our blog here. Find out more about how and why you should vote at the european elections website. The last European Parliament elections took place 23-26 May 2019. The next elections will be in 2024.

Every country has a different procedure for voting in these elections. To find out how to vote in your country, and whether you need to register in advance, select your country from the list here. Find out more about how and why you should vote at the european elections website.

We are a group of volunteers from across Europe, all with an interest in the European Union and a passion for democracy. To learn more about the team and our mission, check us out here. You&EU are in no way affiliated with the European Parliament, the European Commission, or any political party.

If you want to get involved in our campaign in any way, please contact us here. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you have another question that we haven't answered here, please get in touch. If you want to know more about the European Parliament, check out their website. Here you can read the latest news and more about how to vote in your country. To find out more about what EU policies affect you in particular, check out this useful website.