European Union
(EU) The (currently) 27 nations that have joined together to form an economic community with common monetary, political, and social aspirations. The EU came into being on 1 November 1993 according to the terms of the Maastricht Treaty. It comprises the three European Communities (see European Community), extended by the adoption of a common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which requires cooperation between member states in foreign policy and security, and cooperation in justice and home affairs.

The original members of the European (Economic) Community were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, which signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Denmark joined in 1972, Greece in 1981, and Spain and Portugal in 1986. After the creation of the EU, Austria, Sweden, and Finland joined in 1995; Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 2004; Bulgaria and Romania in 2007; and Croatia in 2013. In a referendum held in June 2016 the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union; this decision was formally implemented in January 2020 and came into full effect from 31 December 2020 (see Brexit).

• expressio unius est exclusio alterius
• express term
• express trust
• expropriation
• ex proprio motu
• expulsion
• extended sentence
• extinguishment
• extortion
• extradition
• extradition treaty
• extrajudicial divorce
• extraordinary general meeting
• extraordinary means
• extraordinary rendition
• extraterritoriality
• extrinsic evidence
• ex turpi causa non oritur actio
• eyewitness
• fact
• factor
• factum
• failure to maintain
• failure to make disclosure
• fair and equitable treatment