Questions on: Germany in the European Union

After the war, organisations were created in Western Europe to promote cooperation between former enemies. Such organisations were meant to tie the states together more closely, both economically and politically.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in the Luxembourg village of Schengen on the Moselle. The Schengen Area now comprises more than two dozen states.

Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is the official anthem of a large union of states. It is played on ceremonial occasions.

The flag of the European Union was created in 1955, initially for the Council of Europe; since 1986, the European Communities – today the EU – have also used this flag. Its design is meant to express the unity, solidarity and harmony of the peoples of Europe. It has nothing to do with the number of member states: it stays the same even when new countries join.

The European Parliament is the only directly elected body of the European Union. Its members are elected in all member states according to common principles.

The process began after the Second World War with economic cooperation and was gradually extended to further areas. In the end there was a union with common institutions.

In European elections, EU citizens may vote in the country where they live. The same common principles apply in all member states.

The European Parliament consists of members from all member states, who join together in political groups. These groups are formed not by country but by political orientation.

German-French cooperation is regarded as an important driving force of European integration. In the two world wars, the two states faced each other as enemies.

The European Union grew out of a community of six founding states and has been enlarged several times since. The number of its members has changed steadily in the process.

Besides Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the treaties. The signing took place in the Italian capital.

The institutions of the European Union are spread across various locations, as laid down in treaties. This means that bodies and staff regularly have to move.

The European Economic Community was meant to make trade between the member states easier through a common market. It was a forerunner of today's European Union.

The European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main is responsible for monetary policy in the euro area and aims above all at price stability.