What is the difference between the European Union and European (economic) Community?

Answer 1

The European Union is a united group of countries all abiding by the same rules and regulations and on the same currency including Germany, France, Italy etc.
The Europrean Community is for countries not yet accepted in the Union, but who are abiding by the rules and reg's and are on the waiting list for entry.
Croatia where I live is in the community and hoping to be fully accepted by 2009.

Answer 2

Initially, there were three European communities (consisting of the same member states, to be sure, but serving different purposes), namely the EEC (Eureopean Economic Community), the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) and EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community).

The organisational structures of these communities were merged in 1967, but the denomination "the Communities" (plural), as in "Commission of the European Communities" or "Court of Justice of the European Communities" still serve as occasional reminders.

With the Maastricht treaty they became known as (the) "European Community", a name that was later changed to "European Union". While the ECSC is now officially defunct, EURATOM continues to exist nominally, although its importance is virtually zero.