European Union

synonyms: European Community (EC) The European Union began as a Common Market of European countires. It is comprised of 28 member states (in 2014). Both Northen Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom (UK), and the Republic of Ireland are members of the European Union. The experience of the two parts of Ireland of membership of the EU has been markedly different. In recent years the Republic of Ireland has been an enthusiastic member of the EU and has benefited greatly from that membership. The UK, in contrast, is at odds with other member countries over the direction being taken by the EU, particularly the proposals for economic and monetary union. Within Northern Ireland there is division between the political parties over their response to the EU. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) are strongly in favour of the EU whereas many in the Unionist parties argue that further economic union would erode national sovereignty. A lot of observers argue that Northern Ireland could have obtained more benefit from the EU if it had not been for these factors.