The european union is an economic alliance that was formed to
a) prevent the spread of russian factories to other parts of europe
b) eliminate trade barriers
c) protect manufacturers in europe from asia competition
d) none of the above

The correct answer is b)

The EU started as an association of countries that seeked economic improvement by boosting their import and export. They signed a series of treated to create three overlapping organizations, one of them being the  European Economic Community (the other specified unified Atomic Energy market and the third unified Steel and Carbon Market). These treaties later developed into the modern EU.