[20060406]RS21757_2006年及以后的欧盟.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21757Updated April 6, 2006The European Union in 2006 and Beyondnae redactedSpecialist in European AffairsForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryThe European Union (EU) has experienced significant changes over the last fewyears. The EU has enlarged from 15 to 25 members and has been working to implementa new constitutional treaty to institute internal reforms and further political integration.The EU has also taken steps toward developing a common foreign policy and defensearm. This report describes the current status of the EUs constitutional treaty, EUenlargement, the EUs evolving foreign and defense policies, and possible implicationsfor U.S.-EU relations. It will be updated as events warrant. For more information, seeCRS Report RS21372, The European Union: Questions and Answers.The EUs ConstitutionBackground. The European Union (EU) is a treaty-based, institutional frameworkthat defines and manages political and economic cooperation among its 25 member states(Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,Germany, Greec