Should the European Union be listed in the country stats, meaning it would contain the sum of all members (credits, population etc).

This would put the EU above all members-countries in the rankings, and it would be very (very!) close to the US!

Good idea!
I voted yes (even if you dutch just rejected the 'constitution' )

How will it work?

Will the member countries vanish?
Will they still be there and inflate the total?
How will the 'dependencies' be handled?
Will Isle of Man, French Guayana, Islas canares etc vanish at last?

The members will coexist with the EU.

Dependencies (French this, UK that, Dutch antilles (we have only those left)) will exist on their own.

Off topic:
For what it's worth: I voted for the constitution.
At least we had a say in it. A lot of countries don't ask the people, they just do it (like our government used to do, and how much they pitty it that they just didn't do it this time).

I aggree, I'd like to have as well, and probably would have voted yes as well, but our own constitution forbids this (a leftover from the Weimar times, as a safeguard against populists).

Not that I like everything about it, to much bureaucratic crap in there, far to long and detailed, but alltogether it's fine.

But back on topic:

Fine! I like the idea!
And the coexistence spares some fighting between the Anti-Euros and folk like us.

Sorry to say, but I don't think the EU countries are united enough for this, and I believe it would eventually put extra work on you (especially considerations/decitions which I think would be cause for some (or even alot) bad thoughts) - so I voted no (I like the thought though)

off-topic:
may never get to vote yes for the constitution treaty...

Well, after the failed European conference from yesterday, I think a 'united' Europa is again very far away.

I think I put this idea in the freezer and take it out when Europe is ready.

Why putting the idea away? Ideas like this one may actually help EU citizens feel that they form one strong group without loosing their idividuality at the same time.

Hope that Quebec doesn't separate from Canada you will have the same problem here <!--emo&-->

just to throw something else into the mix...

what about continents?
america, europe, austrilasia etc.....?

Why not look at it from another side? After all, the USofA is a federation of (more or less) independent states & territories, right?

So? Split up the USA stats into it's member states' components! (Tongue in cheek, of course)

Francis, the Netherlands.

I think we should have EU listed on the stats seen as though it is around and has plenty of member states.

if you do this you have to add "asia" and the other continents, too

It is not about adding Europe as a whole. So Switzerland would not be a part of it.

But we should include the African Union (or whatever it's called). Don't know if there is a union of Asian countries as well.