Which of the following statements are true about the European Union?
A. The EU has economic, political and diplomatic influence
B. It functions as an important bloc in international economic organisations such as the WTO
C. The European Union is the tenth largest economy in the world
D. Denmark and Sweden have accepted the euro, the common European currency
E. The Treaty of Maastricht was signed in 1994 to establish European Union
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A and B only
A. The EU has economic, political and diplomatic influence Correct. The EU has economic, political and diplomatic, and military influence.
B. It functions as an important bloc in international economic organisations such as the WTO Correct. Its economic power gives it influence over its neighbours and in Asia and Africa, and it functions as an important bloc in the WTO.
C. The European Union is the tenth largest economy in the world Incorrect. The EU is one of the very largest economies in the world: in 2005 it was the world’s biggest economy, slightly larger than that of the United States, not the tenth largest.
D. Denmark and Sweden have accepted the euro, the common European currency Incorrect. Denmark and Sweden have resisted the Maastricht Treaty and the adoption of the euro.
E. The Treaty of Maastricht was signed in 1994 to establish European Union Incorrect. The Treaty of Maastricht establishing the EU was signed on 7 February 1992, not in 1994.
Note: On the size of the EU’s economy the editions differ: the pre-rationalised NCERT calls it the world’s biggest economy (2005), the 2023-24 NCERT the world’s second biggest economy (2016), and the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NCERT books give only its GDP, about $19.35 trillion in 2024. In none of them is it the tenth largest.
NCERT (2026-27): “European Union … There are also reservations about including some new countries within the EU. The EU has economic, political and diplomatic, and military influence. The European Union’s GDP is projected to be approximately $19.35 trillion in the year 2024. Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar. Its share of world trade is much larger than that of the United States allowing it to be more assertive in trade disputes with the US and China. Its economic power gives it influence over its closest neighbours as well as in Asia and Africa. It also functions as an important bloc in international … economic organisations such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO). European Union … Margaret Thatcher, kept the UK out of the European Market. Denmark and Sweden have resisted the Maastricht Treaty and the adoption of the euro, the common European currency. This limits the ability of the EU to act in matters of foreign relations and defence.” NCERT (2026-27): Contemporary World Politics — Chapter 2: Contemporary Centres of Power, timeline ‘European Integration’
NCERT (2023-24): “European Union … The EU has economic, political and diplomatic, and military influence. The EU is the world’s second biggest economy with a GDP of more than $17 trillion in 2016, next to that of the United States of America. Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar.…” NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “European Union … The EU has economic, political and diplomatic, and military influence. The EU is the world’s biggest economy with a GDP of more than $12 trillion in 2005, slightly larger than that of the United States. Its currency, the euro, can pose a threat to the dominance of the US dollar.…” |
