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In 1986, SPAIN and PORTUGAL joined the European Community, making it the Community of Twelve.
In 1992 the Twelve signed the Treaty on European Union.
In November 1993 the Treaty on European Union came into force.
In 1994 accession negotiations were concluded with Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union on January 1, 1995, bringing the number of EU Member States to fifteen. The three new members have accepted all the rights and obligations flowing from the Maastricht Treaty on European Union. All three will soon join the Western European Union as observers, the WEU having become the defence arm of the EU in the Maastricht Treaty.
Enlargement has also brought institutional changes to the EUROPEAN UNION. The following table shows the present distribution of votes in the Council, the number of Commissioners and the number of seats in the European Parliament:
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COUNTRIES POPULATION VOTES COUNCIL MEMBERS MEMBERS
OF MINISTERS COMMISSION PARLIAMENT
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Germany 80.600.000 10 2 99
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Italy 56.900.000 10 2 87
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United Kingdom 57.900.000 10 2 87
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France 57.500.000 10 2 87
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SPAIN 39.100.000 8 2 64
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Holland 15.200.000 5 1 31
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Greece 10.300.000 5 1 25
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Belgium 10.000.000 5 1 25
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Portugal 9.800.000 5 1 25
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Sweden 8.600.000 4 1 21
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Austria 7.900.000 4 1 20
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Denmark 5.200.000 3 1 16
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Finland 5.000.000 3 1 16
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Ireland 3.500.000 3 1 15
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Luxembourg 400.000 2 1 6
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TOTAL.........370.000.000 87(*) 20 624
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(*) For a proposal to be adopted by qualified majority, 62 out of 87 votes
is required in the European Union of Fifteen.
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