Economic alliances in Europe
Europe consists of 50 recognised sovereign states, most of which are members of 1 or more legal or trade associations, cooperations, or unions. The aim of these alliances is to make it easier for member states and their citizens to travel and trade with each other; for instance, customs checks are more lenient, or persons can travel and stay in each other's countries. The Netherlands is a member of the following bodies:
The Benelux (in Dutch) consists of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. It was founded in 1958 as a means to promote cooperation between the member states.
The European Union (EU) has 27 member states. It was founded in 1951 to promote economic cooperation between the member states. Between the member states there is free traffic of goods, services, people and work. The EU operates on a great number of topics. Its currency, the Euro (€), is legal tender in the 21 countries that make up the Eurozone. The Netherlands is also a member of the EU Taxation and Customs Union, the body that oversees EU tax and customs regulations.
The Schengen area comprises most EEA members, plus Switzerland. It is an area within which all EU citizens, and many non-EU nationals, business people, and tourists can freely circulate without border checks.
The European Economic Area (EEA): this consists of all EU countries and of Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.
The Council of Europe was founded in 1949. With 46 member states, it is Europe's leading human rights organisation.
The EU also has a monetary agreement with the states Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Vatican City, meaning the Euro can be used as legal tender in those states.
Other alliances
The organisations mentioned above are the ones the Netherlands are part of. These are the European alliances the Netherlands does not participate in: