The European Union:

493 million people – 27 countries

Member states of the European Union

Candidate countries
Founding fathers

New ideas for lasting peace and prosperity…

Konrad Adenauer Alcide De Gasperi

Winston Churchill

Robert Schuman Jean Monnet

The EU symbols

The European anthem

The European flag

Europe Day, 9 May

The motto: United in diversity
23 official languages
Eight enlargements

1952 1973 1981 1986

1990 1995 2004 2007

The big enlargement:
healing the division of Europe

1989 Fall of Berlin Wall – end of Communism

EU economic help begins: Phare programme

1992 Criteria set for a country to join the EU:

• democracy and rule of law
• functioning market economy
• ability to implement EU laws

1998 Formal negotiations on enlargement begin

2002 Copenhagen summit agrees enlargement

2004 10 new EU members: Cyprus, Czech

Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia

2007 Bulgaria and Romania join the EU

© Reuders
Candidates
Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey
The treaties – basis for democratic cooperation
built on law

1952 1958
The European Steel and Coal Community The treaties of Rome:
The European Economic Community
The European Atomic Energy Community
(EURATOM)

2007 1987
Treaty of Lisbon (signed) The European Single Act:
the Single Market

1993
2003 1999 Treaty of European Union
Treaty of Nice Treaty of Amsterdam – Maastricht
 +
Enlargement CZ
EE
CY
LV
LT
HU +
MT BG
PL RO
SI
SK
+
AT 25 27
FIS
+ +
E
BE ES
DK
DE + PT
IE
FR
ITL
UN
UK EL
15
L 12
9 10
6
1952 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007

1997 Amsterdam

2007 Lisbon
1957 Rome

1992 Maastricht
1987 Single Act

2001 Nice
8
The Lisbon treaty - taking Europe into
the 21st century

The Treaty will make the European Union:

More efficient Simpler processes, full-time president

for the Council, etc.

More democratic Stronger role for the European Parliament

and national parliaments, "Citizens initiative",
Charter of Fundamental Rights, etc.

More transparent Clarifies who does what, greater public access

to documents and meetings, etc.

More united on High Representative for Foreign Policy, etc.

the world stage

More secure New possibilities to fight climate change

and terrorism, secure energy supplies, etc.

Signed in December 2007 – enter into force when ratified by all 27

EU countries.
Three key players

The European Parliament

- voice of the people
Hans-Gert Pöttering, President
of the European Parliament

The council of Ministers

- voice of the Member States
Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council
of the European Union and High Representative
for Common Foreign and Security Policy

The European Commission

- promoting the common interest
José Manuel Barroso, President
of the European Commission
Three pillars

The European Union

European Common Police and

Community foreign and judicial
domain security cooperation
(most of policy in criminal
common matters
policies)

The Treaties
The EU institutions

European Council (summit)

Council of Ministers
European Parliament (Council of the EU) European Commission

Court of Court of Economic and Social

Justice Auditors Committee Committee of the Regions

European Investment Bank Agencies European Central Bank

How EU laws are made

Citizens, interests groups, experts: discuss, consult

Commission: makes formal proposal

Parliament and Council of Ministers: decide jointly

National or local authorities: implement

Commission and Court of Justice: monitor implementation

The European Parliament – voice of the people

Decides EU laws and budget together with Council of Ministers

Democratic supervision of all the EU’s work

Number of members elected in each country

Austria 18 Finland 14 Latvia 9 Romania 35

Belgium 24 France 78 Lithuania 13 Slovakia 14

Bulgaria 18 Germany 99 Luxembourg 6 Slovenia 7

Cyprus 6 Greece 24 Malta 5 Spain 54

Czech Republic 24 Hungary 24 Netherlands 27 Sweden 19

Denmark 14 Ireland 13 Poland 54 United Kingdom 78

Estonia 6 Italy 78 Portugal 24 Total 785

The European political parties

Number of seats in the European Parliament

per political group (March 2008)

Alliance of Liberals and

Independence/
Democrats for Europe
Democracy
101 European People’s Party
24
Greens/European (Christian Democrats)
Free Alliance and European Democrats
43 288

Socialist Group Union for Europe

215 of the Nations
44

Total : 785
Non-attached members and
European United temporarily empty seats
Left - Nordic Green Left 29
41
Council of Ministers – voice of the member states

One minister from each EU country

Presidency: rotates every six months
Decides EU laws and budget together
with Parliament
Manages the Common Foreign and
Security Policy
Council of Ministers – number of votes per
country

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

“Qualified majority” needed for many decisions:

255 votes and a majority of member states
Summit at the European Council

Summit of heads of state and government of all EU countries

Heldat least 3 times a year

Sets the overall guidelines for EU policies
The European Commission – promoting
the common interest

27 independent members,
one from each EU country

 Proposes new legislation

 Executive organ
 Guardian of the treaties
 Represents the EU on the international stage
The Court of Justice – upholding the law

27 independent judges,
one from each EU country

 Rules on how to interpret EU law

 Ensures EU laws are used in the same
way in all EU countries
The European Court of Auditors:
getting value for your money

27 independent members

 Checks that EU funds are used

properly
Can audit any person or organisation
dealing with EU funds
The European Central Bank:
managing the euro

Ensures price stability

Controls money supply and decides interest rates

Works independently from governments

Jean-Claude Trichet
President of the Central Bank
The European Economic and Social Committee:
voice of civil society

344 members

Represents trade unions, employers,

farmers, consumers etc

Advises on new EU laws and policies

Promotes the involvement of

civil society in EU matters
The Committee of the Regions:
voice of local government

344 members

Represents cities, regions

Advises on new EU laws and policies

Promotes the involvement of local

government in EU matters
Civil servants working for the EU

Commission: about 24 000 civil servants

Other EU institutions: about 10 000 employed

Permanent civil servants

Selected by open competitions

Come from all EU countries

Salaries decided by law

EU administration costs 15 euro per EU citizen per year