CURRENT MEMBERS: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

HISTORY: Economic unification grew after Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France signed three treaties in the 1950s, creating the European Coal and Steel Community, European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community. The Maastricht Treaty on European Unity, effective in 1993, provided an overhaul of these founding treaties and created the union's three pillars - European Community, Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Justice and Home Affairs. The Amsterdam Treaty, concluded in 1997, is furthering the unification process, and the union has not yet achieved its final form.

GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS: Parliament, council of ministers, commission, court of justice and court of auditors. Heads of state and government meet at least twice a year with the commission president to provide overall strategy and political direction.

IS THIS A UNITED STATES OF EUROPE?: Not exactly. The union is founded on international treaties among sovereign nations rather than on a constitution. However, unlike other international organizations, it can enact laws that are directly binding on all EU citizens throughout the union.

THE EURO: A single currency, the Euro, was introduced on Jan. 1. So far, 11 of the 15 members are participating - Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Those countries continue to use their national currencies as well. On Jan. 1, 2002, Euro notes and coins go into circulation. National currency will be removed permanently by July 1 of that year.

FUTURE MEMBERSHIP: The union opened talks on full membership with six countries - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia - in March 1998.

May 10, 1999