Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an extension of NATO address - c/o NATO, B-1110 Brussels, Belgium telephone - [32] (2) 728 41 11 FAX - [32] (2) 728 45 79 established - 8 November 1991 effective - 20 December 1991 aim - to discuss cooperation on mutual political and security issues members - (44) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan _________________________________________________________________
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) address - EBRD Headquarters, One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2EH, UK telephone - [44] (171) 338 6000 FAX - [44] (171) 338 6100 established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated) aim - to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies by committing 60% of its loans to privatization members - (60) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EU, European Investment Bank (EIB), Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan; note - includes all 25 members of the OECD; also includes the EU as a single entity _________________________________________________________________
European Community (or European Communities, EC) was established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely integrated common market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK _________________________________________________________________
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) address - 9-11 Rue de Varembe, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland telephone - [41] (22) 749 11 11 FAX - [41] (22) 733 92 91 established - 4 January 1960 effective - 3 May 1960 aim - to promote expansion of free trade members - (4) Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland _________________________________________________________________
European Investment Bank (EIB) address - Boulevard Konrad Adenauer 100, L-2950 Luxembourg, Luxembourg telephone - [352] 4379 3122 FAX - [352] 4379 3188, 4379 3189 established - 25 March 1957 effective - 1 January 1958 aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors, the EEC and the EC members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK _________________________________________________________________
European Monetary Union (EMU) note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as the European Economic and Monetary Union address - c/o European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium telephone - [32] (2) 299 11 11 proposed - 1-2 December 1969 at summit conference of heads of government signed - 7 February 1992 Maastrict Treaty aim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the euro; time table - 2 May 1998: European exchange rates fixed for 1 January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin using euros; 1 January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July 2002 local currencies no longer accepted members - (11) Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; note - Denmark, Sweden, and UK decided not to join, and Greece did not meet all the criteria to take part _________________________________________________________________
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire address - CH-1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland telephone - [41] (22) 767 4101, 767 2141 FAX - [41] (22) 785 0247 established - 1 July 1953 effective - 29 September 1954 aim - to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK observers - (7) EU, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US _________________________________________________________________
European Space Agency (ESA) address - ESA Headquarters, 8-10 Rue Mario Nikis, F-75738 Paris CEDEX 15, France telephone - [33] (1) 53 69 76 54 FAX - [33] (1) 53 69 75 60 established - 31 May 1975 aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology members - (14) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK cooperating state - (1) Canada _________________________________________________________________
European Union (EU) note - evolved from the European Community (EC) address - c/o European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium telephone - [32] (2) 299 11 11 FAX - [32] (2) 295 01 38 through 295 01 40 established - 7 February 1992 effective - 1 November 1993 aim - to coordinate policy among the 15 members in three fields: economics, building on the European Economic Community's (EEC) efforts to establish a common market and eventually a common currency to be called the 'euro', which will supersede the EU's accounting unit, the ECU; defense, within the concept of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); and justice and home affairs, including immigration, drugs, terrorism, and improved living and working conditions members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK membership applicants - (13) Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey _________________________________________________________________
First World another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs) _________________________________________________________________