Research Guides
Government Sources by Subject: European Union
Core Resources
- Europa - Gateway to the European UnionProvides up-to-date coverage of EU affairs and essential information on European integration. It is also possible to consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties.
The European Union, or EU, is an economic and political partnership between 27 democratic European member states. The EU works for "Peace, prosperity and freedom for its 498 million citizens — in a fairer, safer world." Its activities include:
- Developing a single free market among member states and a single currency
- Promoting sustainable development
- Fighting climate change
- Exporting peace and stability
- Advocating equal rights and pay in the workplace
- Providing equal access to justice within the EU
- Employment and growth
You can expect to find the following types of publications (and more) from the EU:
- The Official Journal of the EU
- General Report on the Activities of the EU
- Agendas, minutes, reports of proceedings, legislative texts, resolutions, etc.
- Legislation
- Treaties
- EU publicationsWhile the UW Libraries is a Depository Library for EU publications and they are listed in the UW catalog, you can download .pdf versions of many EU publications from the EU Publications page.
- EurostatThe website of the statistical office of the European Union; provides statistics that enable comparisons between EU countries and regions. Statistics organized by theme (e.g. population, environment and energy).
- Europa World This link opens in a new window
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Political, social and economic information about countries and world regions.
- Brexit -- Middle Temple guideThese links provide members with a guide to relevant information regarding the UK’s referendum and Brexit from various sources. Links will be regularly updated.
Additional Resources
- EUR-LexPortal to European Union law, including the Official Journal.
- The European Union at a GlanceProvides links to information regarding the budget of the EU, key facts and figures, treaties and laws, eurojargon, and more. A good resource for general information with links leading to more detailed explanations, documents, and/or data.
- European Union: Delegation to the USAOfficial website of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States.
European Union
Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars represent the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity. Their number shall be invariably set at twelve, the symbol of completeness and perfection ... just like the twelve signs of the zodiac represent the whole universe, the twelve gold stars stand for all peoples of Europe – including those who cannot as yet take part in building up Europe in unity and peace.
—Council of Europe. Paris, 7–9 December 1955
Starting Points
- Fact Sheets on the European UnionProvides overview of European integration and the European Parliament’s role in this development; covers six main areas: how the EU works, citizens’ Europe, the internal market, common policies, economic and monetary union and the EU’s external relations.
- The History of the European UnionUse this for a general overview of each decade (from 1945), or follow the links to get more in depth information by year.
- EU Jargon ExplainedFind explanations of frequently used terms and abbreviations as well as links to glossaries in various policy fields.
- Main Acronyms and AbbreviationsAlphabetical list of definitions of acronyms and abbreviations used by the EU. Also includes list of modifications made (2004-present).