The European Union has existed for over half a century. Having started as the 'Europe of the Six' in a very specific industrial sector, the Umon today has 28 Member States and acts within almost all areas of social life. European law has come to influence almost all fields of national law, including administrative law, constitutional law, contract law, criminal law and even tort law; and it has also played a major role in the development of competition law, environmental law and employment law.