European Union´s foreign trade commodity structure from 1999 to 2009

This Bachelor thesis analyzes the developement of the European Union's external foreign trade commodity structure, which means in relation to non-member countries. But because it's essential to know the context before the beginning of detailed analysis of exports' and imports' commodity structure, the development of the European Union since the end of the Second World War until today is chronologically described and analyzed in the first part of this thesis. Apart from the impotant data during the development of European integration also the consequences of this development are analyzed. Out of the most important events in the development of the European Union, I would like to point out for instance the Treaties of Rome, enlargements of the European union in 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, 2004 and 2007, the creation of the Schengen Area or signing of Lisbon Treaty. The second part of the Bachelor thesis is already focused on analysis of the European Union's trade structure, namely on periods between years 1999-2003, 2004-2006 and 2007-2009. This distribution was chosen based on crucial events in the European Union's history, which were the introduction of the third stage of the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999, the enlargement of the union by 10 countries in 2004 and the last enlargement yet, entering of Romania and Bulgaria. European Union foreign trade's commodity structure is analyzed separately for exports, imports and trade balance in each chapter.