Scope: Includes Websites about the European Union which are free and do not require a subscription to access information. This page represents only a small fraction of the sites available on this topic; an attempt was made to pare down the number of sites to those which provided the most useful and highest quality information. There is some overlap among the sites, but their unique features seem to justify that overlap. This guide only includes Web resources. For print information, please ask at the reference desk.
Intended Audience: Undergraduate students at Furman University enrolled in Economics and Business Administration 81, "Economic and Political Analysis of the European Union." It should also be suitable for other individuals seeking information about the prospect of doing business in the European Union.
An Overview of the European Union
| Map of the European Union
| Displays the 15 EU member states, the 6 EU founding states, and countries interested in EU membership.
| Maastricht Treaty
| Full text of the Treaty On European Union
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General Sites/Conglomerates
| Europa
| The European Union's official server. Offers information about institutions and policies of the EU, as well as news and answers to key questions.
| European Union Internet Resources
| An extensive guide to EU servers, institutions, documents and other items of interest.
| EU Business
| "A context-driven, user-friendly, one-stop shop for business information about the European Union." Includes information on the industry, economy, institutions and countries of the EU.
| European Union Site Map
| Resources collected by the European Commission Delegation in Washington, DC. Includes delegations in the US, profiles of the EU, news, policies, legislation, publications, EU events, and speaking engagements.
| European Information Association
| Structured Website with direct links to the institutions, organisations, agencies and departments
that make up the European Union, and to sites providing substantive information on the policies of the EU.
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News and Current Information
| BBC News
| Type "european union" into their search engine at the bottom of the page for a selection of recent BBC news articles on the EU.
| Bloomberg UK
| European market summaries, currency rates and headline news updating throughout the day every day.
| European Voice Online
| A Weekly view of the Union. "Internet guide to what is really going on in the EU," including top ten articles of the week, diary, archive and classifieds.
| RAPID
| A database containing the press releases of most EU Institutions. User name & Password: guest.
| EuroInternet
| Includes full-text news and databases with a focus on scholarly activities concerning the EU.
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Governing Bodies of the EU
| EUROPARL
| The multi-lingual Web server of the European Parliament, this site gives an overview of the powers, responsibilities, organization and operation of the European Parliament.
| UK Presidency of the European Union
| The meetings of the Council of Ministers of the EU are chaired by the "Presidency." For six months, one member state acts as Presidency, changing according to an agreed rotation. The UK holds the Presidency from January through June of 1998. This Website answers basic questions about the role of the Presidency as well as its programs, meetings and other events.
| Council of the European Union
| The Council of the European Union is an institution which exercises legislative and decision-making powers. It is the forum in which the representatives of the Governments of the 15 Member States can assert their interests and try to reach compromises. This Website contains information on common foreign and security policy and cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs. It also has a calendar of the public events of the CEU.
| The Court of Justice of the European Communities
| This is the judicial institution of the European Union, the backbone of the Union's legal system and judicial safeguards. The site includes recent case law, proceedings, publications and press releases.
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NATO and the EU
| The Western European Union as NATO's Successor
| A foreign policy analysis from Barbara Conry at the Cato Institute, this Webpage argues that the "Western European Union, the security arm of the
European Union, should replace NATO as the primary guarantor
of European security."
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Trade and Industry
| Trade Library-European Union
| Offers tools for importers, exporters, international consultants, lawyers and logistics specialists. Includes company databases, competitive analysis tools, cargo booking, trade flow statistics, electronic shipping schedules, corporate Websites, and comprehensive market analysis reports. Some parts of this site require a subscription, but much of the information is available without one. A particularly useful feature is the search engine for the trade library and trade forum at the bottom of the page.
| Market Access Database
| This database provides a comprehensive analysis of the tariff and non-tariff barriers to business, broken down by country and sector. Data are collected from two EC databases (Sectorial and Trade Barriers Database, Applied Tariffs Database) and two WTO databases (Bound Tariffs Database & Schedules of Services Database).
| EIROnline | Database on industrial relations in the European Union. "Contains up-to-date information and analysis on the most important events and issues in industrial relations in the 15 EU Member States and Norway, and at the overall European level."
| European Trade Union Information Bulletin
| Covers legislative and policy developments at European level of interest specifically to trade unionists and workers' representatives.
| European Documentation Centre - Mannheim
| Offers documents on economy, finance, consumer policy, enterprises, competition, trade, labour and social policy, laws and procedures, and transport.
| Ecu-Euro
| Time Series Statistics and General Economic and Policy Publications.
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Management Issues
| The Association for the Monetary Union of Europe
| Management preparation for entering retail, manufacturing and labor environment of the European Union. Regulations, interpretations, etc.
| Staffing in the European Union
| Reflects the conditions of managing temporary labor in the EU.
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The EURO
| The EURO - The Single Currency of the European Parliament
| Explains the conditions, timetable, institutions and policies associated with the introduction of the new, unified currency.
| EURO
| Includes mock-ups of the coins and bills for the new currency, as well as a countdown to its implementation.
| European Monetary Institute
| Charts the dynamics of currency changeover for the EU and links to the Central Bank.
| MEAP's Currency Conversion Calculator
| This conversion calculator allows the user to customize a choice of up to four currencies to compare. Scroll to the bottom half of the page for this option.
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Finding Companies in the EU
| Europages
| European Business Directory of 150,000 European companies , which can be searched by product or service.
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Information Technology/Telecommunications in the EU
| I'm Europe
| The Web sever of DG X111 Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research. I'M Europe's main aim is to support the European electronic information services market and multimedia content industries.
| Information Society Project Office
| Monitors the role of information technology and its impact on the commerce of the EU. Covers such topics as encryption, data interchange, and electronic commerce.
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Patents and Trademarks
| European Community Trade Mark
| Explains recent developments in policies for trademark applications in the EU.
| European Patent Office, EPO |
Full-text of European Patent Convention reports.
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US Relationship with the EU
| US Mission to the European Union
| Explains US representation and outlines our constituencies as a trading partner.
| Department of State report
| Economic indicators and explanation of policies concerning exchange rates, debt management and export subsidy.
| The European Union in the United States
| An entire Website devoted to the United States' relationship with the EU.
| New Transatlantic Agenda: Joint U.S.-European Union Action Plan
| "Action Plan for expanding and deepening U.S.-EU relations."
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Newsgroups
| clari.biz.currencies.euro
| European Monetary Union and euro currency news (Moderated)
| clari.world.europe.union
| News about the European Union. (Moderated)
| talk.politics.european-union
| The EU and political integration in Europe.
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Frequently Asked Questions/Jargon about the EU
| BBC News/EU Jargon Decoder
| This special report from the BBC explains common jargon used in discussions of the EU.
| Questions and Answers on the European Union
| A Website which answers such questions as: |
European Union FAQ
| Answers frequently asked questions on the following topics:
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A Glossary of the European Union
| Includes acronyms, initiatives, institutions, policies, programs and terms
| EURODICAUTOM: Online Translating Dictionary for the EU.
| Allows the user to have a term or abbreviation translated from a selection of 12 source languages into any other of the 12, with the option of including such things as definitions and references, as well as filtering on a particular subject.
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Search Engines and Library Catalogs - For Further Information
| Muscat EuroFerret
| Search engine for European Websites. Offers "intelligent access to twenty five million European Web pages." Allows limiting by country.
| The European Directory
| A "master guide" to the European Internet sites. Offers browsing by subject or country, or searching by keyword.
| ECLAS
| European Commission Library Catalog. This site requires registration (e-mail address), but is free.
| Gabriel: Gateway to Europe's National Libraries
| Links to catalogs of libraries in European countries, including the national library for each country. Offers the capability of searching multiple libraries at once.
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