31.   Supporters say the euro will ease trade between the member nations, boosting growth and creating an fully integrated economic bloc to rival the United States and Japan.

32.   Tension between Rabat and Algiers have soured the project to create an economic bloc.

33.   The economic bloc has demanded sweeping reforms to modernize and streamline the sector to prepare it for Western competition.

34.   The European Union stripped Burma of its trading privileges with the economic bloc in March because of evidence of forced labor in the country.

35.   The economic bloc also is about to expand into eastern Europe.

36.   The economic bloc comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei.

37.   The European Union ambassador to Poland warned Sunday that the eastern European country needs to speed up its preparations to integrate with the western economic bloc.

38.   The regional economic bloc comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

39.   The three countries will become members of the regional economic bloc later this month.

40.   Though support for the EU has slipped over the past year, recent opinion polls show that more than half of Polish adults still favor joining the economic bloc.