▁West ▁Germany , ▁Italy ▁and ▁the ▁three ▁Ben el ux ▁countries : ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁Luxemb ourg . ▁The ▁first ▁en larg ement ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁with ▁the ▁acc ession ▁of ▁Den mark , ▁Ireland ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁Greece , ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Following ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁EU ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁it ▁has ▁en larg ed ▁to ▁include ▁a ▁further ▁six teen ▁countries ▁by ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Member ▁states ▁are ▁represented ▁in ▁some ▁form ▁in ▁each ▁institution . ▁The ▁Council ▁is ▁also ▁composed ▁of ▁one ▁national ▁minister ▁who ▁represents ▁their ▁national ▁government . ▁Each ▁state ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁right ▁to ▁one ▁European ▁Commission er ▁each , ▁although ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁Commission ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁supposed ▁to ▁represent ▁their ▁national ▁interest ▁but ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Community . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁larger ▁members ▁( France , ▁Germany , ▁Italy ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ) ▁had ▁two ▁Commission ers . ▁In ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament , ▁members ▁are ▁allocated ▁a ▁set ▁number ▁seats ▁related ▁to ▁their ▁population , ▁however ▁these ▁( since ▁ 1 9 7 9 ) ▁have ▁been ▁directly ▁elected ▁and ▁they ▁sit ▁according ▁to ▁political ▁alleg iance , ▁not ▁national ▁origin . ▁Most ▁other ▁institutions , ▁including ▁the ▁European ▁Court ▁of ▁Justice , ▁have ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁national ▁division ▁of ▁its ▁members . ▁ ▁Policy ▁areas ▁