European Union

United in Diversity

The European Union (EU) is a family of democratic

European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity. is it just an organization for international cooperation. which they delegate some of their sovereignty so that decisions on matters mutual interest can be made democratically at the European level.

It is not a State intended to replace existing States, nor

Its member states have set up common institutions to

European Union
The historical roots of the European Union lie in the Second

World War.

The idea was born because Europeans were determined to

prevent such killing and destruction ever happening again. mainly about trade and the economy. (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands)

In the early years, the cooperation was between six countries and

Now the EU embraces 28 countries and 503 million people, and

it deals with a wide range of issues of direct importance to everyday life.

 EU members and when they joined.

1952 Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands 1973 Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom 1981 Greece 1986 Portugal, Spain 1995 Austria, Finland, Sweden 2004 Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia 2007 Bulgaria, Romania 2013 Croatia Future Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Iceland, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey

European Union
Europe is a continent with many different traditions and

languages, but also with shared values such as democracy, freedom and social justice.

The EU defends these values. It fosters cooperation among

the peoples of Europe, promoting unity while preserving diversity and ensuring that decisions are taken as close as possible to the citizens.

In the increasingly interdependent world of the 21st

century, it is more necessary than ever for every European citizen to work together with people from other countries in a spirit of curiosity, openness, and solidarity.

What do you need to do to join?

Stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law,

human rights and respect for and protection of minorities

A functioning market economy and the capacity to cope

with competition and market forces in the EU (the EU is a free market) obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.

The ability to take on and implement effectively the

The European Parliament: Voice of the People

The European Parliament is elected every five years

by the people of Europe to represent their interests. members from all 28 EU countries. Nearly one third of them are women. (Germany has 99 members Malta has 6)

The present parliament, elected in June 2012, has 766

Representation is proportional to population. This parliament is the largest democratically elected

institution in the world (503 million people)

and approve the budget.

The main job of Parliament is to pass European laws

The European Parliament: Voice of the People

The Council of the European Union: Voice of the Member States

The Council of the European Union shares with

Parliament the responsibility for passing laws.

It also deals with foreign affairs and security Each country in the EU sends 1 member to the Council.

The member is elected by their home country.

Each member has a vote somewhat representative of their

size (Germany 29, Malta 4). So 1 person does NOT equal 1 vote.

The Council of the European Union: Voice of the Member States

The European Commission: Promoting the common interest

There are 28 members of the European Commission. The European Commission is NOT elected, its members are appointed

by their countrys government.

The Commission is in charge of implementing European Union laws

and day to day business. They are the executive branch of the European Union Brussels.

They are assisted by about 24 000 civil servants, most of whom work in The President and members of the Commission are appointed for a

period of five years, coinciding with the period for which the European Parliament is elected.

The European Commission: Promoting the common interest

The Court of Justice: The rule of law

The job of the Court of Justice is to make sure that EU law is interpreted and applied in the same way in all EU countries, thereby ensuring that the law is equal for everyone.
It makes sure that a countrys court do not give different rulings on the same issue. The Court is located in Luxembourg and has one judge from each member country.

The Court of Justice: The rule of law

The Court of Auditors: Getting value for your money

The Court of Auditors checks that the EUs funds are

spent legally, economically, and for the intended purpose.

The Court is based in Luxembourg and has the right to

investigate any organization, body or company which handles EU funds.

The Committee of the Regions: The local perspective

The Committee of regions is made up of local officials

(like mayors).
They are consulted on EU decisions that may affect

local issues (fishing, mining, etc)

There are 344 members

The European Central Bank: A stable currency

The Central Bank is responsible for managing the Euro

(The common currency of the EU)

Its prime concern is ensuring price stability so that the

European economy is not damaged by inflation.

The European Investment Bank: Lending a helping hand

The Investment Bank lends money for projects of European interest.
They do this primarily is less developed regions of Europe

The Euro Not all EU countries use it

EU countries using the euro: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

EU countries not using the euro: England, Denmark, Sweden,

Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria (and non EU member countries)