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European Union
Europa EURO Countries on 1 January 1999 the euro became the official currency of eleven of the present fifteen Member States of the European Union. Greece joined the other euro countries on 1 January, 2001. A fixed conversion rate applies between the euro and the national currencies in those countries. Euro notes and coins will appear from 1 January 2002, but the new currency is already in use by businesses and consumers for non-cash transactions. The European Patent Office and the Community Trade Marks Office set all official fees in euros. Page Hargrave maintains a euro account and can bill clients in euros if requested. UK Treasury Euro Resources Euro Area Country Information European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Countries
The European Free Trade Association previously included a significant number of the present EU Member States among its own membership. It is focussed on trade (single market) issues rather than the wider political issues with which the EU is also concerned. In 1992 EFTA and the EU implemented an Agreement (.pdf format) on trade which established the European Economic Area (EEA), comprising both EU and EFTA Member States in a single European Market. As a consequence, EU provisions on trade issues such as tariffs, competition and exhaustion of rights apply to the EEA as a whole, not just to the EU. The EEA Agreement is monitored and enforced by the European Commission for the EU and the EFTA Surveillance Authority for the EFTA Countries. EU Enlargement - Current Applicants for Membership
Enlargement Europa Enlargement Information site Introduction Candidates for EU membership are required to prepare for accession through a systematic process of alignment of their national legislation with established EU law - the so-called "acquis communautaire". This includes adoption of consistent levels of protection for intellectual and industrial property and enforcement of a competition policy compatible with the promotion of a European single market. Reports on progress towards accession by each of the candidate countries (at 11.2000).
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