↑ European Union. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. — «Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations.» 1 ноябрь 2010 тикшерелгән.