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There are now twenty-seven member countries in the European Union. Below you
will find some key facts on the member countries of the EU as well as some
information on agriculture and food plus links to further information.
The Let's Explore
Europe website contains lots more useful information about the member
countries split by topics: history, farming, climate, the sea, etc. You can
also test your knowledge of Europe in an Interactive Quiz.
A number of other countries are hoping to join the EU at some date in the
future. Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have been
granted the status of candidate countries. If you are interested in
finding out more about the enlargement process, please go to the website of the
Directorate General for
Enlargement.
To find out more about agriculture in the EU, please visit the website of
the Directorate General
for Agriculture and Rural Development.
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Austria (Österreich)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Vienna
Year of entry to the EU: 1995
Total area: 83,858 km²
Population: 8.3 million
Currency: euro
Official EU language: German
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals (mainly wheat), cattle, pigs, poultry, grap
Main foods produced: meat, dairy products, wine, cereals
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Austrian Commissioner
 Johannes Hahn
Responsible for Regional Policy
For more information visit Johannes
Hahn's website.
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To find out more about Austria, click here.
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Belgium (België/Belgique)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Brussels
Year of entry to the EU: Founding member
Total area: 30,528 km²
Population: 10.7 million
Currency: euro
Official EU languages: French, Dutch and German
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals (mainly wheat), cattle, pigs, poultr
Main foods produced: beef, pig-meats, chicken, eggs, dairy products, beer,
fruit and vegetables
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Belgian Commissioner
 Karel de Gucht
Responsible for Trade
For more information visit Karel de
Gucht's website.
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To find out more about Belgium, click here.
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Bulgaria (България)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Sofia
Year of entry to the EU: 2007
Total area: 111,000 km²
Population: 7.6 million
Currency: Lev
Official EU language: Bulgarian
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Food and Agriculture
 Main Farming
activities: sheep, pigs, poultry, cereals, fruit and vegetables, grapes,
tobacco, potatoes, sunflower seeds, and soybeans, attar of roses
Main foods produced: dairy products (especially yogurt and white brined
cheese), meat, wine, tomatoes, peppers, beans, potatoes, peaches, apples,
apricots, melons, nuts
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Bulgarian Commissioner
 Kristalina Georgieva
Responsible for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis
Response
For more information visit Kristalina
Georgieva's website.
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To find out more about Bulgaria, click
here.
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Cyprus (Kypros, Kibris)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Nicosia
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 9,250 km²
Population: 0.8 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU languages: Greek and English
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: sheep, goats, poultry, fruit and vegetable
Main foods produced: meat, cheese (e.g. ‘halloumi’ made from sheep and goat’s
milk), seeds, olives, potatoes, herbs, fruit, wine, olive oil
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Cypriot Commissioner
 Androulla Vassiliou
Responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
For more information visit Androulla
Vassiliou's website.
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To find out more about Cyprus, click here.
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Czech Republic (Česká republika)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Prague
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 78 866 km²
Population: 10.5 million
Currency: Czech koruna
Official EU language: Czech
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, potatoes, fruit, hops, wine grapes, cattle, pigs,
poultry
Main foods produced: beer, wine, apples, pears, plums, cherries, milk, butter,
cheese, poultry and meat products
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Czech Commissioner
 Štefan Füle
Responsible for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy
For further information visit Štefan Füle's website.
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To find out more about the Czech Republic, click
here.
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Denmark (Danmark)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Copenhagen
Year of entry to the EU: 1973
Total area: 43,094 km²
Population: 5.5 million
Currency: Danish krone
Official EU language: Danish
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Food and Agriculture
 Main
farming activities: cereals, cattle, pigs
Main foods produced: wheat, barley, oats, rye, pig-meat (bacon, pork), dairy
products
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Danish Commissioner
 Connie Hedegaard
Responsible for Climate Action
For more information visit Connie
Hedegaard's website.
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To find out more about Denmark, click here.
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Estonia (Eesti)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Tallinn
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 45,000 km²
Population: 1.3 million
Currency: Estonian kroon
Official EU language: Estonian
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, cattle, pigs, poultry
Main foods produced: cereals, dairy products, pig-meat, eggs
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Estonian Commissioner
 Siim Kallas
Responsible for Transport
For further information visit the website of Siim Kallas.
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To find out more about Estonia, click here.
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Finland (Suomi)
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Facts and figures
 Capital city: Helsinki
Year of entry to the EU: 1995
Total area: 338,000 km²
Population: 5.3 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU languages: Finnish and Swedish
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, cattle, potatoes, deer
Main foods produced: dairy products, meat, eggs, potatoes, cereals
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Finnish Commissioner
 Olli Rehn
Responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs
For further information visit Olli Rehn's website.
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To find out more about Finland, click here.
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France
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Paris
Year of entry to the EU: Founding member
Total area: 550,000 km²
Population: 64.3 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: French
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, oilseeds, cattle, wine grapes, fruit and vegetables, sugar
beet
Main foods produced: meat, dairy products, cheeses, cereals, wine, sunflower
oil, sugar, fruit and vegetables
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French Commissioner
 Michel Barnier
Responsible for the Internal Market and Services
For further information visit Michel Barnier's website.
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To find out more about France, click here.
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Germany (Deutschland)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Berlin
Year of entry to the EU: Founding member
Total area: 356,854 km²
Population: 82 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: German
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, pigs, poultry, cereals, wine grapes, fruit and vegetables,
hops
Main foods produced: beef and pig-meat, dairy products, poultry, fruit and
vegetables, beer, wine
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German Commissioner
 Günther Oettinger
Responsible for Energy
For further information visit Günther Oettinger's website.
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To find out more about Germany, click here.
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Greece (Ellada)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Athens
Year of entry to the EU: 1981
Total area: 131,957 km²
Population: 11.2 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Greek
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Food and Agriculture
 Main
farming activities: sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy, cereals, olive trees,
fruit and vegetables, wine grape
Main foods produced: olive oil, olives, figs, tomatoes, melons, cheese and
yoghurt from sheep and goats, sheep and goat meat, eggs, wine
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Greek Commissioner
 Maria Damanaki
Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
For further information visit Maria Damanaki's website.
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To find out more about Greece, click here.
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Hungary (Magyarország)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Budapest
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 93,000 km²
Population: 10 million
Currency: Forint
Official EU language: Hungarian
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, cereals, fruit and vegetables,
grapes
Main foods produced: cereals, wine, fruit and vegetables, pig-meat, poultry
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Hungarian Commissioner
 László Andor
Responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
For further information visit László Andor's website.
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To find out more about Hungary, click here.
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Ireland (Éire)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Dublin
Year of entry to the EU: 1973
Total area: 70,000 km²
Population: 4.5 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU languages: Irish and English
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, horticulture
Main foods produced: meat, dairy products, eggs, fruit and vegetables
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Irish Commissioner
 Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Responsible for Research and Innovation
For further information visit Máire Geoghegan-Quinn's
website.
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To find out more about Ireland, click here.
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Italy (Italia)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Rome
Year of entry to the EU: Founding member
Total area: 301,263 km²
Population: 60 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Italian
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, pigs, cereals, fruit, vegetables, rice, olive trees,
grapes
Main foods produced: wheat (pasta), maize, rice, olive oil, olives, meat, dairy
products, fruit and vegetables, wine, eggs, poultry
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Italian Commissioner
 Antonio Tajani
Responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship
For further information visit Antonio Tajani's website.
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To find out more about Italy, click here.
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Latvia (Latvija)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Riga
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 65,000 km²
Population: 2.3 million
Currency: Lats
Official EU language: Latvian
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 Food and
Agriculture
Main farming activities: cattle, pigs, poultry, cereals, oilseeds, potatoes,
vegetables
Main foods produced: meat, dairy products, eggs, oilseeds, cereals, eggs,
potatoes
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Latvian Commissioner
 Andris Piebalgs
Responsible for Development
For further information visit Andris Piebalgs' website.
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For more information about Latvia, click here.
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Lithuania (Lietuva)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Vilnius
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 65,000 km²
Population: 3.3 million
Currency: Litas
Official EU language: Lithuanian
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 Food and
Agriculture
Main farming activities: cattle, pigs, cereals, vegetables
Main foods produced: meat and dairy products, cereals, eggs, pig-meat,
potatoes
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Lithuanian Commissioner
 Algirdas Šemeta
Responsible for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud
For further information visit Algirdas Šemeta's website.
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To find out more about Lithuania, click
here.
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Luxembourg
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Luxembourg
Year of entry to the EU: Founding member
Total area: 2,586 km²
Population: 0.5 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: French and German
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Food and Agriculture
 Main
farming activities: cereals, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, wine grapes
Main foods produced: meat and dairy products, cereals, eggs, wine
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Luxembourg Commissioner
 Viviane Reding
Responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
For further information visit Viviane Reding's website.
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To find out more about Luxembourg, click
here.
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Malta
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Valletta
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 316 km²
Population: 0.4 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU languages: Maltese and English
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, pigs, poultry, vegetables, potatoes
Main foods produced: vegetables, dairy products, pig-meat products, potatoes,
eggs, poultry
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Maltese Commissioner
 John Dalli
Responsible for Health and Consumer Policy
For further information visit John Dalli's website.
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To find out more about Malta, click here.
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The Netherlands (Nederland)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Amsterdam
Year of entry to the EU: Founding
member
Total area: 41,526 km²
Population: 16.4 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Dutch
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: fruit and vegetables, cattle, pigs, horticulture
Main foods produced: dairy products, fruit and vegetables, beef, pig-meat,
poultry
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Dutch Commissioner
 Neelie Kroes
Responsible for the Digital Agenda
For further information visit the website of Neelie Kroes.
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To find out more about the Netherlands, click
here.
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Poland (Polska)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Warsaw
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 312,679 km²
Population: 38.1 million
Currency: Zloty
Official EU language: Polish
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cattle, pigs, poultry, cereals, potatoes,fruit and vegetables,
sugar beet
Main foods produced: wheat, rye, potatoes, sugar, pig-meat, dairy products,
apples, berry fruits, strawberries, raspberries, currants, onions, cabbage,
cauliflower
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Polish Commissioner
 Janusz Lewandowski
Responsible for Financial Programming and Budget
For further information visit Janusz Lewandowski's website.
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To find out more about Poland, click here.
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Portugal
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Lisbon
Year of entry to the EU: 1986
Total area: 92,072 km²
Population: 10.6 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Portuguese
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: fruit and vegetables, wine grapes, cattle, poultry, potatoes,
olives, rice
Main foods produced: rice,potatoes, wine, fruit and vegetables, olives, olive
oil, dairy products
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Portuguese Commissioner
 President José Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
For further information visit President
Barroso's website.
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To find out more about Portugal, click
here.
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Romania (România)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Bucharest
Year of entry to the EU: 2007
Total area: 237,500 km²
Population: 21.5 million
Currency: Leu
Official EU language: Romanian
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, sunflowers, potatoes, soybeans, sugar beet, tobacco, wine
and grapes, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, rabbits, bee keeping
Main foods produced: meat, edible oil, cheese and dairy products, processed
fruit and vegetables, honey, tobacco
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Romanian Commissioner
 Dacian Cioloş
Responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development
For further information visit the website of Dacian Cioloş.
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To find out more about Romania, click here.
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Slovakia (Slovensko)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Bratislava
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 48,845 km²
Population: 5.4 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Slovak
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 Food and
Agriculture
Main farming activities: cattle, pigs, poultry, cereals, oilseeds,
potatoes
Main foods produced: maize, barley, pig-meat, seeds, eggs, poultry
| Slovak Commissioner
 Maroš
Šefčovič
Responsible for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration
For further information visit Maroš Šefčovič's website.
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To find out more about Slovakia, click
here.
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Slovenia (Slovenija)
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Ljubljana
Year of entry to the EU: 2004
Total area: 20,273 km²
Population: 2 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Slovenia
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, cattle, pigs, poultry, root crops, wine grapes
Main foods produced: dairy and meat products, wine
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Slovenian Commissioner
 Janez Potočnik
Responsible for the Environment
For further information visit Janez Potočnik's website.
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To find out more about Slovenia, click
here.
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Spain (España)
A vineyard in Spain
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: Madrid
Year of entry to the EU: 1986
Total area: 504,782 km²
Population: 45.8 million
Currency: Euro
Official EU language: Spanish
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, fruit and vegetables, wine grapes, olives, pigs, cattle,
sheep and goats, poultry
Main foods produced: wine, maize, barley, rice, citrus fruits, bananas,
vegetables, olive oil, olives, pig-meat, sheep and goat meat
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Spanish Commissioner
 Joaquín Almunia
Responsible for Competition
For further information visit Joaquín Almunia's website.
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To find out more about Spain, click here.
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Sweden (Sverige)
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Facts and figures
 Capital
City: Stockholm
Year of entry to the EU: 1995
Total area: 449,964 km²
Population: 9.2 million
Currency: Swedish krona
Official EU language: Swedish
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, cattle, pigs, deer
Main foods produced: wheat, barley, oats, dairy products, pig-meat, beef,
venison
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Swedish Commissioner
 Cecilia Malmström
Responsible for Home Affairs
For further information visit Cecilia Malmström's website.
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To find out more about Sweden, click here.
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United Kingdom
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Facts and figures
 Capital City: London
Year of entry to the EU: 1973
Total area: 244,820 km²
Population: 61.7 million
Currency: Pound sterling
Official EU language: English
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Food and Agriculture
 Main farming
activities: cereals, cattle, sheep,pigs, poultry, potatoes, vegetables
Main foods produced: wheat, barley, potatoes, vegetables, beef, sheepmeat,
pig-meat, dairy products
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United Kingdom Commissioner
 Catherine Ashton
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
For further information, visit Catherine Ashton's website.
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To find out more about the United Kingdom, click
here.
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