making it compulsory and enlarges the competencies of the EU regarding humanitarian aid, administrative co-operation, intellectual property rights protection, public service, sports and tourism.
For further information, see section 1.6.
1.4 The EU’s objectives The Treaty of Lisbon pledges that the EU will:
Offer an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers Work for the sustainable development of Europe Combat social exclusion and discrimination Promote economic, social and territorial cohesion among Member States Remain committed to economic and monetary union Uphold and promote the EU’s values internationally Contribute to the protection of human rights.
1.5 EU membership There are six founder Member States:
Belgium France Germany Italy Luxembourg The Netherlands.
There have been six waves of accession:
1973: Denmark, Ireland, UK 1981: Greece 1986: Portugal, Spain 1995: Austria, Finland, Sweden 2004: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia 2007: Bulgaria, Romania.
11