欧盟（EU），是欧洲经济和政治共同体的简称，1991年12月，欧洲共同体马斯特里赫特首脑会议通过《欧洲联盟条约》，通称《马斯特里赫特条约》。1993年11月1日，《马斯特里赫特条约》正式生效，欧盟正式诞生。其总部设在比利时首都布鲁塞尔（Brussel），创始成员国有6个，分别为德国、法国、意大利、荷兰、比利时和卢森堡，到目前成员国已发展到27个，全部为民主国家。除了英国已经脱离外，其它成员国是：奥地利、保加利亚、塞浦路斯、捷克、克罗地亚、丹麦、爱沙尼亚、芬兰、希腊、匈牙利、爱尔兰、拉脱维亚、罗马尼亚、立陶宛、马耳他、波兰、葡萄牙、斯洛伐克、斯洛文尼亚、西班牙、瑞典。
北约是北大西洋公约组织（英语：North Atlantic Treaty Organization，缩写：NATO）的简称，是美国与西欧、北美主要发达国家为实现防卫协作而建立的一个国际军事同盟机构，总部也是在比利时首都布鲁塞尔。1949年4月4日，美国、加拿大、比利时、法国、卢森堡、荷兰、英国、丹麦、挪威、冰岛、葡萄牙和意大利在华盛顿签署公约，成立了北大西洋公约组织，并于同年8月24日正式生效。其后德国、土耳其、西班牙、希腊、波兰、匈牙利、捷克、爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚、立陶宛、保加利亚、罗马尼亚、斯洛伐克、斯洛文尼亚、阿尔巴尼亚和克罗地亚等先后相继加入，最后黑山共和国于2017年6月加入，北约总成员达29个。注意：英国只退出欧盟，但没有退出北约。
西方国家(Western Countries)则比较复杂，一般来讲是指西方意识形态占主流的国家。但在不同的场合和不同的时间有着不同的定义，通常是指欧洲（东欧除外），北美，以及澳大利亚和新西兰。统治血统为白人，有时也包括东欧、拉丁美洲、土耳其和以色列，因为这些国家的文化一脉相承。比较特殊的是俄罗斯和日本是比较特殊的两个大国，俄罗斯在文化背景上属于西方文化的分支，但是因为其政治制度原因，所以一直没有得到西方国家的认同，而日本在地理上虽然处于东方，但是因为政治上实行西方资本主义政治制度，所以自认为是西方国家，但也没有被亚洲国家特别是中国普遍认可。
欧盟主要是经济联盟。
北约是军事联盟包括欧盟大部分和土耳其，美国，加拿大等等。
西方国家还加上了东方的日本。
西方国家矛盾也很多，比如昨天美国宣布欧盟申根区人民30天内不能去美国防止冠状病毒传染，其实这个主要是要压制欧盟，美国已经不太喜欢越来越不听话的欧盟了，他说英国，爱尔兰，克罗地亚，乌克兰，韩国公民可以去美国，这些国家是美国以后全球再平衡战略的着力点。
欧盟谴责美国单方面歧视政策，指出冠状病毒不会区分人和国家，应该全世界携手并进抗击病毒。
在被问及欧盟可能立即采取什么行动作为回应时，欧盟委员会发言人埃里克·马默(Eric Mamer)表示，欧盟“没有鲁莽行事的习惯”。
EU condemns Trump travel ban from Europe as virus spreads
The European Union has condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States
By
LORNE COOK and SAMUEL PETREQUIN
12 March 2020, 19:58
4 min read
European Council President Charles Michel participates in a videoconference call with EU leaders at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. EU leaders held a videoconference Tuesday to coordinate efforts across the 27-nation bloc in the hopes of slowing down the spread of the coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP)
European Council President Charles Michel participates in a videoconference call with EU leaders at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. EU leaders held a videoconference Tuesday to coordinate efforts across the 27-nation bloc in the hopes of slowing down the spread of the coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP)The Associated Press
BRUSSELS -- The European Union on Thursday lashed out at President Donald Trump’s “unilateral” decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States over the coronavirus, saying that the illness doesn't respect borders.
Trump has called the disease a “foreign virus” and claimed that U.S. clusters were “seeded” by European travelers. He announced that all European travel would be cut off, but U.S. officials later said that restrictions would apply only to most foreign citizens who have been in Europe’s passport-free travel zone at any point for 14 days prior to their arrival to the United States.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement.
“The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action,” the two said.
They rejected Trump's suggestion that Europe is not doing enough to combat COVID-19, saying that the 27-nation bloc “is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”
The so-called Schengen area comprises 26 countries including EU members France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria and Belgium, where the bloc has its headquarters, but also others like Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
The restrictions announced by Trump don't apply to the United Kingdom, where the number of confirmed cases has reached 460, or Ireland, which isn't part of Schengen.
According to flight tracker FlightAware, around 400 flights cross the Atlantic from Europe to the United States each day.
The unprecedented measure is one of many taken by Trump since he came to office that appears to target the EU, a major trading partner with several member countries that are also U.S. allies in NATO.
Trump has slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe and threatened broader trade action, notably against European automakers. Trump has also abandoned an international climate agreement backed by France, as well as the EU sponsored deal limiting Iran’s nuclear development.
But Trump is also an ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and supported Britain's departure from the EU. The U.S. leader also owns three golf resorts in the U.K. and Ireland.
Asked what immediate action the EU might take in response, commission spokesman Eric Mamer said that the EU “isn’t in the habit of shooting from the hip.”
“Good policy-making requires reflection,” Mamer said.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's latest figures, more than 22,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across Europe, and 943 people have died on the continent.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.
With the virus now present in all 27 EU countries, the bloc's top officials have pledged to stand united in fighting the disease and are likely to adopt a common approach in their response to Trump's announcement.
This week, von der Leyen announced the launch of a “corona response investment fund” seeded with 7.5 billion euros that she said would reap billions more. It's aimed at propping up health care structures, small businesses suffering from the impact of the virus and labor markets where jobs might be hit.
Von der Leyen postponed a trip Thursday to Greece to discuss the migrant stand-off with Turkey in order to focus on combating the rapid spread of the virus.
Several EU meetings have been cancelled to slow the spread, but the bloc's interior ministers are still scheduled to gather in Brussels on Friday. EU health ministers were holding a video-conference later Thursday.
As the virus spreads, more European countries are adopting drastic measures. After Italy entered a lock-down, Denmark said all schools and day-care facilities will be closed from Monday. All public servants who don't perform critical functions, have been ordered to stay home for the next two weeks.
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Jan M. Olsen contributed to this story from Copenhagen, Denmark.
