Western European Union

The WEU was created in October 1954 (began operations in May 1955) to
promote mutual defense and progressive political unification of its
members. The Union, which serves interests between those furthered by the
European Economic Community and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has
faced the need to change and has become focused on three missions:
humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, and crisis management and some peace
enforcement considerations. Membership, which included Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United
Kingdom, has been increasing toward approximately 40 nations as a result of
negotiations on membership or associate status with Greece, Turkey, Norway,
Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland. WEU headquarters moved from London, England
to Brussels, Belgium in December 1992.