Facts about Germany 2015 2015 | Page 49

MAP The 28 member states of the European Union at a glance Finland Sweden United Kingdom Ireland Estonia Latvia Denmark Lithuania Netherlands Belgium Poland Germany Czech Republic Luxembourg France Austria Slovakia Hungary Romania Slovenia Croatia Portugal Spain Bulgaria Italy Greece Cyprus Malta economy in the EU, Germany has a particu- ciliation between two peoples. In 1957, both lar responsibility, not least of all at times of countries were among the six founding economic and social change. members of the European Economic Community (EEC), the core of today’s EU. Fran- Franco-German friendship – the driving co-German friendship, substantiated by the force behind European unification 1963 Elysée Treaty, is nurtured by close relations between the civil societies and nu- Parallel to European integration, after the merous Franco-German institutions. With Second World War France and Germany es- regard to European and foreign policy is- tablished a close partnership, which now- sues, both countries cooperate closely and adays is often regarded as a model for recon- through joint initiatives repeatedly play a