The flags of Germany outside the Reichstag: on the left, the German flag, and on the right, the flag of the European Union. On January 1, 2002 twelve states of the EU started to use one currency: the Euro. They put aside French Francs, Deutschmarks, Italian Lira, and their own national currencies. Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Finland, and Ireland are all part of that system. Great Britain, Sweden, and Denmark are considering joining the Eurozone as well. It's a major change, a state giving up control of its money to a supranational agency like the European Central Bank (located in Frankfurt, Germany). This shows that the EU is more than just an international organization, but a true union. It is a post-sovereign political organization which might be a hint at what politics will be like in the future. In an era of globalization and interdependence sovereignty just isn't what it used to be.