Study guide: Europe and the European Union

📋 Course Outline

1. EU Origins and Expansion
2. Treaties and European Institutions
3. Symbols Values and Key Dates
4. Erasmus Programme Foundations
5. Erasmus Participation and Benefits

📅 Key Dates

1. 1957The Treaty of Rome created the EEC, or European Economic Community.
2. 1987The Erasmus Programme was created by the European Union, and more than 3 million students took part.
3. 1992The Treaty of Maastricht officially created the European Union and prepared the creation of the euro.
4. 2007The Treaty of Lisbon made the European Union more democratic, efficient and transparent and entered into force in 2009.
5. 2014The Erasmus Programme was renamed Erasmus+.
6. 31st January 2020The United Kingdom officially left the European Union.

📖 1. EU Origins and Expansion

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• European Union: an economic and political partnership between European countries

★ Must-know

• The ECSC operated from 1951 to 1957 with 6 member states, while the EEC began in 1957 with 6 member states.

• The European Union grew from 6 to 28 member states before Brexit reduced the number to 27.

Further detail

• Jean Monnet set the economic principles of the first European partnership.

• The European Union had 12 member states in 1986.

💡 Memory Hook

ECSC → EEC → EU: from 6 to 28, then 27

📖 2. Treaties and European Institutions

★ Must-know

• The euro became the official currency in 2002 for 12 EU countries, while Denmark, Romania, Czechia, Poland, Sweden and Hungary are among current EU members that have not adopted it.

Further detail

• The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 and abolished border controls between participating countries.

• The European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, and the European Union has 500 million inhabitants.

💡 Memory Hook

Treaties deepen integration: EEC → EU → a more democratic, efficient and transparent Union

📖 3. Symbols Values and Key Dates

★ Must-know

• The European flag has a blue background with 12 yellow stars.

• The motto of the European Union is “United in diversity”.

• Europe Day takes place on 9th May each year.

• The values of the European Union are:

  • solidarity
  • tolerance
  • freedom
  • equality
  • respect

Further detail

• The European Anthem is “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

• Erasmus Days take place on 15th October, and the Eurovision Song Contest is also identified as a European event.

💡 Memory Hook

A blue flag with 12 yellow stars above the words “United in diversity”

📖 4. Erasmus Programme Foundations

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Erasmus+ Programme: a European programme that supports mobility, education, training and sport

★ Must-know

• From 2014 to 2020, Erasmus+ had a €14.7 billion budget and supported over 4 million people.

Further detail

• The Erasmus+ Programme is named after Desiderius Erasmus, a 16th-century Dutch philosopher and scholar who loved travelling, studying and learning from different cultures.

💡 Memory Hook

1987 creation → 2014 renaming → 2014–2020 expansion

📖 5. Erasmus Participation and Benefits

★ Must-know

• Erasmus+ participants include:

  • university students
  • vocational students
  • apprentices
  • teachers
  • trainers
  • educators
  • volunteers
  • workers

• Through Erasmus+, participants can:

  • study
  • train
  • gain experience
  • volunteer
  • collaborate

• Erasmus+ objectives are to support young people's mobility, education, training and sport, and to help young people study, train, discover and learn about different cultures.

• Erasmus+ helps participants to: improve their English and develop new skills, travel with financial grants, gain independence and boost creativity, discover new cultures and languages, secure better job prospects for their future careers

Further detail

• Erasmus+ allows young people to study, travel, meet new people, learn a new language and discover new cultures.

💡 Memory Hook

Erasmus+ combines mobility abroad with education, training, sport and cultural discovery

📊 Synthesis Tables

Main European Treaties

Treaty	Year	Main contribution
Treaty of Rome	1957	Created the EEC
Treaty of Maastricht	1992	Officially created the EU and prepared the euro
Treaty of Lisbon	2007; in force 2009	Made the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent