The EU/European Union describes a economical and political union of 28 States. With an estimated population of around 510 million the European Union policies aim to allow the free movement of people, goods and services. Within the internal market it aims to maintain common policies on agriculture, trade and more.
Members
The EU and European citizenship were established in 1933. With the inner original 6 being Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. Although no member state has ever left, in 2016 the UK announced its intention to leave and has begun negotiating their departure for 2019.
More foreign aid is provided by the EU than any other economic union. Due to its Global influence and reach the Union has been described as an emerging superpower.
Europe is home to 32% of the world’s quantum tech companies, with the majority based in the EU. This puts Europe ahead of the United States (around 25%) and significantly ahead of China (5%) in terms of the number of companies.
The European Union has taken a leading role in advancing sustainable and inclusive science, technology, and innovation (STI) at the G20 Research, Science and Innovation Ministerial Meeting, held on 23 September 2025 in Tshwane, South Africa.
The European Union and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in research and innovation (R&I), with plans to finalise Japan’s association with Horizon Europe by the end of 2025.
The European Commission has announced a new strategy aimed at enhancing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in scientific research
Titled “A European Strategy for Artificial...
The European Commission has revised its Digital Europe Work Programme for 2025–2027, adjusting funding priorities to align with the EU’s most pressing digital ambitions.
The European Commission has unveiled two new strategies to promote the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across Europe's industries and research sectors.
The European Union's Earth observation capabilities are about to take another leap forward as Sentinel-1D, the latest addition to the Copernicus satellite family, prepares for launch on 4 November 2025.
A new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveals that adopting circular economy practices in heavy industry could cut up to 231 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions per year by 2050.
A new initiative under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is now open to applications, offering €22.5 million in funding to support long-term research careers in Europe.
The world's oceans are racing towards their tipping point with every region now under threat from the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has received 611 proposals for its latest EIC Transition call, marking the highest number in the program's history.
Childhood cancer cases are increasing across the European Union, with newly released data from the European Cancer Information System (ECIS) showing a clear upward trend in diagnoses.
As the European Union seeks to strengthen innovation across the continent, the European Commission is inviting businesses, researchers, policymakers, and citizens to share their views on the upcoming European Innovation Act.
The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has officially launched a series of new open calls for proposals under the 2025 EU4Health Work Programme on behalf of the European Commission.
