• Irish people are protected under the European Social Charter, which sets out the social and economic human rights of all EU citizens (e.g. Article 26: Right to dignity in the workplace.)
• The EU has supported the peace process in Northern Ireland and has provided funding for many cross-border initiatives.
Did You THE EUROZONE KNOW?
The first euro purchase took place on the
French Island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It was for one kilogram of lychees.
The eurozone is made up of all the EU member states that have adopted the euro as their currency.
The single European currency was launched in 1999 and notes and coins went into circulation on 1 January 2002.
Not all EU countries are part of the eurozone (e.g. Switzerland’s currency is the Swiss franc). The euro is the currency of 19 EU member states.
The value of the euro is set by the European Central Bank (ECB). The headquarters of the ECB are in Frankfurt, Germany.
