The European Union, or EU, is a collaborative effort between 27 European countries to form a mutually beneficial economic and policy community. Since 1993, the EU has worked to increase economies and spread human rights advances worldwide. The goals of the region include uniting Europe toward common goals and providing aid to developing nations.
After World War II, Europe was a fractured area, divided by political and cultural differences. Several attempts to promote a regional governing body met with varying success, including the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Community. Because of the power ideological and political differences between Western and Eastern Europe, a true community could not be formed until after the end of the Cold War.
In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed by member nations, bringing the European Union into effect. The treaty outlined three pillars of the union: European Communities, Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Justice and Home Affairs. The treaty also made provisions to admit many of the nations of Eastern Europe. In 2001, the Treaty of Nice further expanded provisions for new nations.
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• (December 9) At summit meeting, most EU states (including all 17 in eurozone) agree to plan for closer fiscal union, which would safeguard euro by tighter collective controls on budgets and punishment for excessive deficits. UK rejects these rule changes in name of protecting financial sovereignty, but almost all other 27 member states vow to proceed.
• (December 9) Croatia signs accession treaty on track to EU membership in 2013 as the 28th member-state.
• (November 1) Mario Draghi becomes president of the European Central Bank, succeeding Jean-Claude Trichet.
• (October 27) At summit in Brussels, Eurozone leaders agree to write off 50 percent of Greece’s debt, increase EFSF package to one trillion euros and install EU monitoring missions of government budgets in Athens and Rome.
2010:
• EU, IMF, and the World Bank agree on bailouts for Greece (May), followed by Ireland (November) and Portugal (November.)
2009:
• (December 1) Lisbon Treaty enters into force after ratification by remaining members: Poland, the Czech Republic, and Ireland (after second referendum.)
• (November) Herman Van Rompuy is chosen as President of the European Council. Catherine Ashton is chosen as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
• (January) Slovakia joins Eurozone.
2008:
• (June) Lisbon Treaty ratification fails in Irish referendum.
2007:
• (January) Romania and Bulgaria join the EU. Slovenia adopts the Euro.
• Lisbon Treaty (Reform Treaty); an international agreement signed in Lisbon on December 13 that would change the workings of the EU. The treaty, which not yet ratified by all EU member states, would amend the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties of Rome. Changes include; more qualified majority voting in the EU Council, increased involvement of the European Parliament in the legislative process through extended codecision with the EU Council, eliminating the pillar system, preventing the provision in the Treaty of Nice (2001) reducing the number of commissioners, and the creation of a President of the European Union and a High Representative for Foreign Affairs to present a united position on EU policies. If ratified, the Treaty of Lisbon would also make the Union's human rights charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding.
• (January) Hans-Gert Poettering of Germany elected President of the European Parliament.2004:
• Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary joined the EU (largest enlargement to date).
• Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal elected President of the EC.
• Josep Borrell of Spain elected President of the European Parliament.
2002:
• Euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states, which is now the second largest reserve currency and the second most traded currency in the world after the U.S. dollar.
• Pat Cox of Ireland elected President of the European Parliament.
2001:
• Treaty of Nice signed. This treaty amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome by reforming the institutional structure of the European Union to withstand eastward expansion. The entrance into force of the treaty was in doubt for a time, after its initial rejection by Irish voters in a referendum in June 2001. This referendum result was reversed in a subsequent referendum held a little over a year later.
1999:
• Manuel Marin of Spain elected President of the EC. (March)
• Romano Prodi of Italy elected President of the EC. (September)
• Nicole Fontaine of France elected President of the European Parliament.
1997:
• José María Gil-Robles of Spain elected President of the European Parliament.
1995:
• Austra, Sweden and Finland join the newly established EU.
• Jaques Santer of Luxembourg elected President of the EC.
1994:
• Klaus Haünsch of Germany elected President of the European Parliament.
1993:
• Copenhagen criteria;
• EC in Copenhagen, Denmark agreed on the Copenhagen Criteria, rules that define whether a nation is fit to join the European Union. The Criteria includes; “achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and, protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.”
• Maastricht Treaty (Treaty of the European Union TEU);
• The treaty led to the creation of the euro, and created what is commonly referred to as the pillar structure of the European Union. This conception of the Union divides it into the European Community (EC) pillar, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) pillar, and the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) pillar.
1992:
• Egon Klepsch of Germany elected President of the European Parliament.
1990:
• After the fall of the Iron Curtain former East Germany because a part of the Community as a united Germany.
1989:
• Enrique Baron Crespo of Spain elected President of the European Parliament.
1987:
• Single European Act came in to affect on July 1, under the Delors Commission.
• Charles Henry Plumb of England elected President of the European Parliament.
1986:
• Spain and Portugal joined EC;
• The European flag began to be used by the European Community.
• Single European Act (SEA) signed. It was the first major revision of the 1957 Treaty of Rome, giving the objective of establishing a Common Market by December 31, 1992, and codified European Political Cooperation. It was signed at Luxembourg on February 17, 1986, and at The Hague on February 28, 1986.
1985 Schengen Agreement:
• Provided the removal of systematic border controls between member countries of the EC. The treaty was signed by 5 of the 10 member states in Schengen, Luxembourg. The borderless zone created by the Schengen Agreement, the Schengen Area, now consists of 25 European countries.
• Jaques Delors of France elected President of the EC. Large advocate of the “single market”
1984:
• Piere Pflimlin of France elected President of the European Parliament.
1982:
• Piet Dankert of the Netherlands elected President of the European Parliament.
1981:
• Greece joined EC.
• Gaston Thorn of Luxembourg elected President of the EC.
1979:
• First direct, democratic elections to the European Parliament were held. This election allowed citizens to elect 410 Members of Parliament. It was also the first international election in history. Simone Veil, a French liberal was the first President of the elected Parliament, and first female President of the Parliament since it was founded.
1977:
• Roy Jenkins of England elected President of the EC.
• The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission sign a joint declaration on the respect of fundamental rights.
• The Conference on International Economic Cooperation, after eighteen months of discussion, closes with a ministerial conference. The twenty-seven participants agree on the transfer of resources, the quality and quantity of official development assistance and raw materials. Major efforts continue in the spheres of agriculture, foodstuffs, infrastructure and industrialization.
• The Commission attends the World Energy Conference in Istanbul, Turkey.
1976:
• The Commission takes part in a Conference, held in Barcelona, Spain, where a draft convention for the protection of the Mediterranean is adopted.
• The EEC-ACP Convention, signed in Lomé on February 28, 1975, enters into force.
• The Community signs cooperation agreements with three Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia).
• The Administrative board of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions holds its first meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
• The EEC and Pakistan sign a trade cooperation agree
• A tripartite Conference on the economic and social situation is held in Luxembourg. The Conference is attended by the Commission and the representatives of Governments and both sides of industry in the Member States.
• The European Council meets in Brussels, Belgium. It agrees on the number and distribution of seats in the Parliament that is to be elected by direct universal suffrage in 1979.
• Kramer ruling. The European Court of Justice defines the respective roles of the Community and of its Member States within the international fisheries framework.
• The Community signs the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean sea against pollution.
• A European Council is held in The Hague, Netherlands. The Council examines the economic situation and reaffirms its interest in the problems relating to the North-South Dialogue and publishes a statement on the construction of the European Union.
1975:
• Mr. Georges Spénale is elected President of the European Parliament.
• The Council sets up the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and a Regional Policy Committee.
• The Council adopts a European unit of account based on a composite basket of the Community currencies. It will be used initially under the Lomé Convention and for the European Investment Bank operations. It will later be gradually introduced into other sectors of Community activities.
• Mr Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister, states in the House of Commons that the UK Government would recommend the British people to vote "yes" in the referendum on the United Kingdom's continued membership of the Community.
• Official relations are established between China and the Community.
• The ministerial Conference on International Economic Cooperation meets in Paris, France. In conclusion, the twenty-seven members (seven industrialised countries and the Community as such plus nineteen developing countries) set up four Commissions on energy, raw materials, development and finance.
1974:
• The Council formally recognises the right of the Economic and Social committee (ESC) to issue opinions on it own initiative. It also agrees that the Committee publishes its own opinions.
• Reyners ruling. The European Court of justice rules that whenever a national of a Member State wishes to set up in business in another Member State, the other Member State is obliged to refrain from applying any law, regulation or administrative provision or practice which might discriminate against him as opposed to its own nationals.
1973:
• Denmark, Ireland and United Kingdom were included in the European Community.
• The Community Free Trade Agreement with Austria, Switzerland, Portugal and Sweden comes into force.
• Continental Can ruling. The European Court of Justice agrees that, within the meaning of the EEC Treaty, it constitutes an abuse for undertakings to concentrate and achieve a degree of power that virtually eliminates competition.
• The Opening session of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) is held in Helsinki, Finland.
• The nine declare their commitment to a pacific solution of the Middle-East crisis.
• A summit conference is held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The energy crisis leads the Member States to agree on the introduction of a common energy policy. A statement on the European identity, drafted as part of political cooperation arrangements and approved by Foreign Ministers, is released.
• Francois-Xavier Ortoli of France elected President of the EC.
1972:
• Sicco Manshold of the Netherlands elected President of the EC.
• The third United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is held in Santiago, Chile.
• A Summit meeting is held in Paris, France. Heads of State or Government define new fields of Community action (concerning regional, environmental, social, energy and industrial policies) and reaffirm 1980 as the deadline for the achievement of economic and monetary union.
• A General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) meeting is held in Geneva, Switzerland.
1971:
• The Council adopts the Werner Plan to strengthen coordination of economic policies. The Member States have to take measures to harmonise their budgetary policies and to reduce the margins of fluctuation between their currencies.
• The 15th general conference on atomic energy is held in Vienna, Austria. The Council mandate to the Commission to negotiate an agreement on guarantees with the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) is announced.
1970:
• Franco Maria Malfatti of Italy elected President of the EC.
• Signature of the Treaty of Luxembourg. The Council decides the gradual introduction of a system of own-resources under which the Community will receive all customs duties on products imported from non-member countries, all levies on agricultural imports and resources deriving from value-added tax. They also decide to extend the budgetary powers of the European Parliament.
• Internationale Handelsgesellschaft ruling. The European Court of Justice clarifies the idea of fundamental rights in Community law. It declares that protection of those rights, although inspired by the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, must be secured within the framework of the Community's structure and objectives.
1967:
• The Merger Treaty, fusing the Executives of the European Communities (ECSC, EEC, Euratom), enters into force. From now on the European Communities will have a single Commission and a single Council. However, both continue to act in accordance with the rules governing each of the Communities.
• Jean Rey of Belgium elected President of the EC.
1966:
• The Luxembourg Compromise; resolving differences within the EEC involving France.
1964:
• European court is established
1959:
• European Free Trade Association created set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its Member States
1958:
• Walter Hallstein is elected President of the EEC Commission.
• Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) created to prepare the work of the Councils.
• First session of the European Parliamentary Assembly is held in Strasbourg, France. Robert Schuman is elected President of the Assembly, and the first Council regulation sets up German, French, Italian and Dutch as the official languages of the Communities.
• Brussels becomes the headquarters of the EC.
1957 Treaties of Rome:
• Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and West Germany, former members of the European Coal and Steel Community (the first step towards a unified Europe), signed the Treaties of Rome which established the European Economic Community. These treaties established a customs union, the European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). The EEC aims to create a common market a customs union plus free movement of capital and labor. To please France it also promises subsidies to farmers. Euratom's goal is the joint development of nuclear energy.
(year of entry)
ÒAustria
(1995)
ÒBelgium
(1952)
ÒBulgaria
(2007)
ÒCyprus
(2004)
ÒCzech
Republic (2004)
ÒDenmark
(1973)
ÒEstonia
(2004)
ÒFinland
(1995)
ÒFrance
(1952)
ÒGermany
(1952)
ÒGreece
(1981)
ÒHungary
(2004)
ÒIreland
(1973)
ÒItaly
(1952)
ÒLatvia
(2004)
ÒLithuania
(2004)
ÒLuxembourg
(1952)
ÒMalta
(2004)
ÒNetherlands
(1952)
ÒPoland
(2004)
ÒPortugal
(1986)
ÒRomania
(2007)
ÒSlovakia
(2004)
ÒSlovenia
(2004)
ÒSpain
(1986)
ÒSweden
(1995)
United
Kingdom (1973)
The EU is a unique economic and political partnership between 27 European countries that together cover much of the continent.
The EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries who trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict. The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a huge single market has been created and continues to develop towards its full potential.
Law-making
There are 3 main institutions involved in EU legislation:- the European Parliament, which represents the EU’s citizens and is directly elected by them;
- the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the individual member countries. The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis.
- the European Commission, which represents the interests of the Union as a whole.
Other EU institutions
Two other institutions play vital roles:- the Court of Justice upholds the rule of European law
- the Court of Auditors checks the financing of the EU's activities.
AUSTRIA
Year of EU entry: 1995
Capital city: Vienna
Total area: 83 870 km²
Population: 8.3 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1995
Read more about Austria
BELGIUM
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Brussels
Total area: 30 528 km²
Population: 10.7 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1985
Read more about Belgium
BULGARIA
Year of EU entry: 2007
Capital city: Sofia
Total area: 111 910 km²
Population: 7.6 million
Currency: lev (лв)
Schengen area: Not a member ofSchengen
Read more about Bulgaria
CYPRUS
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Nicosia
Total area: 9 250 km²
Population: 0.8 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2008 (€)
Schengen area: Not a member ofSchengen
Read more about Cyprus
CZECH REPUBLIC
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Prague
Total area: 78 866 km²
Population: 10.5 million
Currency: Czech koruna (Kč)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Czech Republic
DENMARK
Year of EU entry: 1973
Capital city: Copenhagen
Total area: 43 094 km²
Population: 5.5 million
Currency: Danish krone (kr.)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1996
Read more about Denmark
ESTONIA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Tallinn
Total area: 45 000 km²
Population: 1.3 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2011 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Estonia
FINLAND
Year of EU entry: 1995
Capital city: Helsinki
Total area: 338 000 km²
Population: 5.3 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1996
Read more about Finland
FRANCE
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Paris
Total area: 550 000 km²
Population: 64.3 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1985
Read more about France
GERMANY
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Berlin
Total area: 356 854 km²
Population: 82 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1985
Read more about Germany
GREECE
Year of EU entry: 1981
Capital city: Athens
Total area: 131 957 km²
Population: 11.2 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2001 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1992
Read more about Greece
HUNGARY
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Budapest
Total area: 93 000 km²
Population: 10 million
Currency: forint (Ft)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Hungary
IRELAND
Year of EU entry: 1973
Capital city: Dublin
Total area: 70 000 km²
Population: 4.5 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Not a member ofSchengen
Read more about Ireland
ITALY
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Rome
Total area: 301 263 km²
Population: 60 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1990
Read more about Italy
LATVIA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Riga
Total area: 65 000 km²
Population: 2.3 million
Currency: lats (Ls)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Latvia
LITHUANIA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Vilnius
Total area: 65 000 km²
Population: 3.3 million
Currency: litas (Lt)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Lithuania
LUXEMBOURG
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Luxembourg
Total area: 2 586 km²
Population: 0.5 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1985
Read more about Luxembourg
MALTA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Valletta
Total area: 316 km²
Population: 0.4 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2008 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Malta
NETHERLANDS
Year of EU entry: Founding member (1952)
Capital city: Amsterdam
Total area: 41 526 km²
Population: 16.4 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1985
Read more about the Netherlands
POLAND
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Warsaw
Total area: 312 679 km²
Population: 38.1 million
Currency: Zloty (zł)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Poland
PORTUGAL
Year of EU entry: 1986
Capital city: Lisbon
Total area: 92 072 km²
Population: 10.6 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1991
Read more about Portugal
ROMANIA
Year of EU entry: 2007
Capital city: Bucharest
Total area: 237 500 km²
Population: 21.5 million
Currency: Romanian leu
Schengen area: Not a member ofSchengen
Read more about Romania
SLOVAKIA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Bratislava
Total area: 48 845 km²
Population: 5.4 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2009 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Slovakia
SLOVENIA
Year of EU entry: 2004
Capital city: Ljubljana
Total area: 20 273 km²
Population: 2 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 2007 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 2007
Read more about Slovenia
SPAIN
Year of EU entry: 1986
Capital city: Madrid
Total area: 504 782 km²
Population: 45.8 million
Currency: Member of the eurozonesince 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1991
Read more about Spain
SWEDEN
Year of EU entry: 1995
Capital city: Stockholm
Total area: 449 964 km²
Population: 9.2 million
Currency: krona (kr)
Schengen area: Member of theSchengen area since 1996
Read more about Sweden
UNITED KINGDOM
Year of EU entry: 1973
Capital city: London
Total area: 244 820 km²
Population: 61.7 million
Currency: pound sterling (£)
Schengen area: Not a member ofSchengen
Read more about the United Kingdom- Acceding country
- Croatia
- Candidate Countries
- Iceland
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Turkey
- Potential candidates
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kosovo
HOW THE UE WORKS
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I. The decision-making triangle
The European Union is more than just a confederation of countries, but it is not a federal state. It is, in fact, a new type of structure that does not fall into any traditional legal category. Its political system is historically unique and has been constantly evolving over more than 50 years.
The European Parliament: his vote is your voice.
The Treaties (known as ‘primary’ legislation), are the basis for a large body of ‘secondary’ legislation which has a direct impact on the daily lives of EU citizens. The secondary legislation consists mainly of regulations, directives and recommendations adopted by the EU institutions.
These laws, along with EU policies in general, are the result of decisions taken by the institutional triangle made up of the Council (representing national governments), the European Parliament (representing the people) and the European Commission (a body independent of EU governments that upholds the collective European interest).
(a) The Council of the European Union and the European Council
The Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers) is the EU’s main decision-making body. The EU member states take it in turns to hold the Council Presidency for a six-month period. Every Council meeting is attended by one minister from each EU country. Which ministers attend a meeting depends on which topic is on the agenda: foreign affairs, agriculture, industry, transport, the environment, etc.
The Council has legislative power, which it shares with the European Parliament under the ‘co-decision procedure’. In addition to this, the Council and the Parliament share equal responsibility for adopting the EU budget. The Council also concludes international agreements that have been negotiated by the Commission.
According to the Treaties, the Council has to take its decisions either by a simple majority vote, a ‘qualified majority’ vote or unanimously, depending on the subject to be decided.
The Council has to agree unanimously on important questions such as amending the Treaties, launching a new common policy or allowing a new country to join the Union.
In most other cases, qualified majority voting is used. This means that a Council decision is adopted if a specified minimum number of votes are cast in its favour. The number of votes allocated to each EU country roughly reflects the size of its population.
Number of votes for each country in the Council
| |
| Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom | 29 |
| Spain and Poland | 27 |
| Romania | 14 |
| Netherlands | 13 |
| Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and Portugal | 12 |
| Austria, Bulgaria and Sweden | 10 |
| Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland | 7 |
| Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovenia | 4 |
| Malta | 3 |
| Total: | 345 |
A minimum of 255 votes out of 345 (73.9 %) is required to reach a qualified majority. In addition:
| |
The European Council meets, in principle, four times a year. It is chaired by the president or prime minister of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time. The President of the European Commission attends as a full member.
Under the Treaty of Maastricht, the European Council officially became an initiator of the Union’s major policies and was empowered to settle difficult issues on which ministers meeting in the Council of the European Union fail to agree.
The European Council also deals with pressing international issues through the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which is intended to allow the EU to speak with one voice on diplomatic questions.
(b) The European Parliament
The European Parliament is the elected body that represents the EU’s citizens. It exercises political supervision over the EU’s activities and takes part in the legislative process. Since 1979, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been directly elected, by universal suffrage, every five years.
Number of seats in the European Parliament per country 2007–09
| |
| Austria | 18 |
| Belgium | 24 |
| Bulgaria | 18 |
| Cyprus | 6 |
| Czech Republic | 24 |
| Denmark | 14 |
| Estonia | 6 |
| Finland | 14 |
| France | 78 |
| Germany | 99 |
| Greece | 24 |
| Hungary | 24 |
| Ireland | 13 |
| Italy | 78 |
| Latvia | 9 |
| Lithuania | 13 |
| Luxembourg | 6 |
| Malta | 5 |
| Netherlands | 27 |
| Poland | 54 |
| Portugal | 24 |
| Romania | 35 |
| Slovakia | 14 |
| Slovenia | 7 |
| Spain | 54 |
| Sweden | 19 |
| United Kingdom | 78 |
| Total | 785 |
The European Parliament normally holds its plenary sessions in Strasbourg and any additional sessions in Brussels. It has 20 committees which do the preparatory work for plenary sessions, and a number of political groups that usually meet in Brussels. The General Secretariat is based in Luxembourg and Brussels.
The Parliament takes part in the legislative work of the EU at three levels:
- Under the ‘cooperation’ procedure , introduced by the Single European Act in 1987, the European Parliament can give its opinion on draft directives and regulations proposed by the European Commission, which is asked to amend its proposals to take account of Parliament’s position.
- Since 1987, there has also been the ‘assent’ procedure , under which the European Parliament must give its assent to international agreements negotiated by the Commission and to any proposed enlargement of the European Union.
- The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht introduced the ‘co-decision’ procedure , which puts the Parliament on an equal footing with the Council when legislating on a whole series of important issues including the free movement of workers, the internal market, education, research, the environment, trans-European networks, health, culture, consumer protection, etc. The European Parliament has the power to throw out proposed legislation in these fields if an absolute majority of members of Parliament vote against the Council’s ‘common position’. The Treaty has made provision for a conciliation procedure.
The European Parliament also shares, with the Council, equal responsibility for adopting the EU budget. The Parliament can reject the proposed budget, and it has already done so on several occasions. When this happens, the entire budget procedure has to be re-started. The European Commission proposes the draft budget, which is then debated by the Council and the European Parliament. Parliament has made full use of its budgetary powers to influence EU policymaking.
Last but not least, the European Parliament exercises democratic supervision over the Union. It has the power to dismiss the Commission by adopting a motion of censure. This requires a two-thirds majority. It also supervises the day-to-day management of EU policies by putting oral and written questions to the Commission and the Council. Finally, the President of the European Council reports to the Parliament on the decisions taken by the Council.
(c) The European Commission
The Commission is the third part of the institutional triangle that manages and runs the European Union. Its members are appointed for a five-year term by agreement between the member states, subject to approval by the European Parliament. The Commission is answerable to the Parliament, and the entire Commission has to resign if the Parliament passes a motion of censure against it.
Since 2004, the Commission has been made up of one Commissioner from each member state.
The Commission enjoys a substantial degree of independence in exercising its powers. Its job is to uphold the common interest, which means that it must not take instructions from any national EU government. As ‘Guardian of the Treaties’, it has to ensure that the regulations and directives adopted by the Council and Parliament are being implemented in the member states. If they are not, the Commission can take the offending party to the Court of Justice to oblige it to comply with EU law.
As the EU’s executive arm, the Commission implements the decisions taken by the Council in areas such as the common agricultural policy. It has wide powers to manage the EU’s common policies, such as research and technology, overseas aid, regional development, etc. It also manages the budget for these policies.
The Commission is assisted by a civil service made up of 46 directorates-general (DGs) and services, which are mainly based in Brussels and Luxembourg.
II. Other institutions and bodies
(a) The Court of Justice
The Court of Justice of the European Communities, located in Luxembourg, is made up of one judge from each EU country, assisted by eight advocates-general. They are appointed by joint agreement of the governments of the member states for a renewable term of six years. Their independence is guaranteed. The Court’s role is to ensure that EU law is complied with, and that the Treaties are correctly interpreted and applied.
The Court of Justice makes sure EU law is respected;
it has intervened to ensure that mothers are treated fairly
when they go back to work.
(b) The Court of Auditors
The Court of Auditors in Luxembourg was established in 1975. It has one member from each EU country, appointed for a term of six years by agreement between the member states following consultation of the European Parliament. It checks that all the European Union’s revenue has been received and all its expenditure incurred in a lawful and regular manner and that the EU budget has been managed soundly.
(c) The European Economic and Social Committee
When taking decisions in a number of policy areas, the Council and Commission consult the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Its members represent the various economic and social interest groups that collectively make up ‘organised civil society’, and are appointed by the Council for a four-year term.
(d) The Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) was established under the Treaty on European Union and consists of representatives of regional and local government proposed by the member states and appointed by the Council for a four-year term. Under the Treaty, the Council and Commission must consult the CoR on matters of relevance to the regions, and it may also issue opinions on its own initiative.
(e) The European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB), based in Luxembourg, provides loans and guarantees to help the EU’s less developed regions and to help make businesses more competitive.
(f) The European Central Bank
The European Central Bank (ECB), based in Frankfurt, is responsible for managing the euro and the EU’s monetary policy (see Chapter 7 ‘Economic an
How the EU works
The EU is a unique economic and political partnership between 27 European countries that together cover much of the continent.
The EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries who trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict. The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a huge single market has been created and continues to develop towards its full potential.
The EU is based on the rule of law: everything that it does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by all member countries. These binding agreements set out the EU's goals in its many areas of activity.
Thanks to the abolition of border controls between EU countries, people can travel freely throughout most of the continent. And it's become much easier to live and work abroad in Europe.
The single or 'internal' market is the EU's main economic engine, enabling most goods, services, money and people to move freely. Another key objective is to develop this huge resource to ensure that Europeans can draw the maximum benefit from it.
From economic to political union
What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organisation spanning policy areas, from development aid to environment. A name change from the EEC to the European Union (EU) in 1993 reflected this.The EU is based on the rule of law: everything that it does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by all member countries. These binding agreements set out the EU's goals in its many areas of activity.
Mobility, growth, stability and a single currency
The EU has delivered half a century of peace, stability and prosperity, helped raise living standards, and launched a single European currency, the euro.Thanks to the abolition of border controls between EU countries, people can travel freely throughout most of the continent. And it's become much easier to live and work abroad in Europe.
The single or 'internal' market is the EU's main economic engine, enabling most goods, services, money and people to move freely. Another key objective is to develop this huge resource to ensure that Europeans can draw the maximum benefit from it.
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