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European Union Enlargement The European Union (EU) is a unique political and economic partnership. The EU is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to promote peace, political stability, and economic prosperity in Europe. The carefully managed process of enlargement is one of the EU’s most powerful policy tools; over the years, it has helped transform many European states into functioning democracies and more affluent countries. After the end of the Cold War, the EU worked with the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to reform their political systems and economies in order to meet EU standards.