Germany was a founder member of the European Union © dpa

Germany was a founder member of the European Union (EU), which has had a total of 25 Member States since its last round of enlargement in 2004. The EU was originally founded in 1957 as the European Economic Community (EEC) and can look back on what will soon be a 50-year process of development and integration. During this period, its role has grown increasingly political. The majority of the Member States of the EU use a single currency, the euro. Common foundations have also been created for foreign and security policy as well as cooperation between the Member States in the fields of internal affairs and justice. The driving force of European integration is the making of EU law in the form of diverse regulations and directives. This legislation is created in a process of interaction between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council. The German Bundestag is involved in the making of EU law through its decisions on European policy, which have to be taken into consideration by the German Federal Government when it is negotiating in the Council.