The Resume

(November 1, 1993- )
Initially proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in a speech (May 9, 1950)
Formally the European Coal and Steel Community (1951-1967)
Formally the European Community (1967-1991)
Created by the Maastricht Treaty (December 1991)
Currency is the Euro (introduced January 1, 1999)
Comprised of five major institutions: European Parliament, Council of the European Union, European Commission, Court of Justice and Court of Auditors

Why European Union might be annoying:

Its capital city, Brussels, doesn't even make the list of 100 most populated cities in the EU.
It was created from a series of complicated overlapping treaties between the member nations.
Attempts to combine the treaties into a European Constitution failed when France and The Netherlands rejected it in referendums (May 2005)
Its sometimes treated as a separate country of its own even though some of its members do not even use the Euro.
It tries to balance between supranationalism (making decisions unanimously) and intergovernmentalism (making decisions by a majority vote).
Mainland European countries tend to like it more than the other European countries.
Norway and Switzerland have consistently refused to join it.
Some Western Europeans resent it for it allowing large amounts of Eastern Europeans enter their job market and compete for their jobs.
The kids section on their official webpage has a freaky-looking demon star cartoon.
Its money looks like Monopoly money.
Greenland ditched it when it was granted home rule by Denmark (1985).

Why European Union might not be annoying:

Some of its members dropped the more fascist elements of their governments in order to be members.
Its accepting many members that were previously apart of the Soviet Iron Curtain.
One of its goals is to prevent the costly and disastrous wars waged in an attempt to unite Europe.
It made agreements with the European nations that have not joined it.
If it was its own sovereign country, its GDP would be ranked 1st, its population would be ranked 3rd and its land area would be ranked 7th.
Its anthem is 'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven.
Credit: Captain Howdy
FOUNDING MEMBERS: Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands
ADMITTED IN 1973: Denmark, Ireland and United Kingdom
ADMITTED IN 1981: Greece
ADMITTED IN 1986: Portugal and Spain
ADMITTED IN 1990: East Germany united with West Germany and joined as Germany
ADMITTED IN 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden
ADMITTED IN 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia
SLATED TO JOIN IN 2006: Bulgaria and Romania
CANDIDATE COUNTRIES: Croatia and Turkey

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Captain Howdy's Profiles [Series 4]
• Euro is our Official Currency
• European Union Members
• G20 Nations [2009]
• I am Swedish
• Morrissey Doesn't Like Me
• Nobel Peace Prize (Ranked: 2012)
• Profiles 15501-15750 (Ranked: 15650)
• War on Terrorism Players

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 49 Votes: 44.90% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 37 Votes: 10.81% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 40 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 267 Votes: 48.69% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 54 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 343 Votes: 50.73% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 26 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 68 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 128 Votes: 50.78% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 272 Votes: 76.10% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 24 Votes: 70.83% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 59 Votes: 64.41% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 36 Votes: 61.11% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 39 Votes: 76.92% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 104 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 181 Votes: 64.09% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 143 Votes: 55.94% Annoying