What is the European Union? How does it work? That makes?
Four decades walking together in Europe
The European Union is a unique political and economic association
What is the European Union?
The European Union is an economic and political association formed by 27 European countries that have delegated part of their sovereignty to common institutions to democratically make decisions on matters of common interest.
More information about the European Union
12 lessons about Europe, European Comission
The European Union, what is it and what does it do?, European Commission
Member countries and candidate countries, Portal Europe
Collection «100 memorable books about Europe», European Parliament
The debate on the future of the EU
The European Union is currently facing an indispensable debate on its future.
Citizen participation platform
Web space open to all Europeans to debate EU policies. The results are then deliberated in Citizen Panels and reported to EU decision-makers.
Conference on the future of Europe (COFE)
It consisted of a series of citizen-led dialogues throughout 2023 that allowed people from across Europe to share their ideas and shape our common future.
SOTEU 2023
The speech on the future of Europe led by the President of the European Commission during the debate on the State of the European Union 2023.
White paper on the future of Europe
Prepared by the European Commission in 2017.
History
Canal Madrid Europe
If you want to see more videos like this, look for them on the Madrid Europa channel of the Community of Madrid on YouTube
History (Text)
The origin of the European Union dates back to May 9, 1950, when the French minister Robert Schuman asked Germany to put the Franco-German production of coal and steel under a common high authority. creating at the same time an organization open to the participation of other European countries.
Thus was born the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), whose founding treaty, the Paris treaty, was signed on April 18, 1951 and entered into force the following year for its six signatory countries: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Six years later, these signatory countries of the ECSC signed the Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC). The European Economic Community established the most ambitious and general objectives, proposing a common market that would guarantee the free circulation of goods, services, people and capital, and progressively bring together the economic policies of its States.
The Treaties of Paris and Rome established the foundations for a community architecture and on April 8, 1965, the Treaty was signed in Brussels. Treaty of fusion of the Executives, which established a single Council and a single Commission for the three Communities. A European Parliament and a Court of Justice were also created, and these institutions were joined, in 1975, by the Court of Auditors, with the mission of carrying out external control of the community budget.
The positive effects that the creation of the European Communities had for its States led other European countries to request accession, joining in different phases. United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria and, finally, on January 1, 2013, the seventh enlargement took place with the accession of Croatia.
In June 2016, British citizens decided in a referendum to leave their country from the European Union, which became effective on January 31, 2020, bringing the EU to 27 countries.
HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The history of the European Union [Chronology], Portal Europe
The founding fathers of the EU, Portal Europe
EU treaties, Portal Europe
Extensions
The European Union has expanded several times. Many countries have joined the six founding states: the last accession was that of Croatia, on July 1, 2013. However, in June 2016 British citizens decided to leave their country from the EU, which has become effective January 31, 2020, bringing the Union to 27 countries.
More information on EU enlargements
Enlargement and neighborhood policies, Fact sheets of the European Parliament
European Union enlargement policy. European Council
Member countries and candidate countries, Portal Europe
How does the European Union work?
The European Council
The european parliament
The european commission
The Council of the European Union
Institutions and organizations of the European Union
El Portal Europe, the official website of the European Union, provides a comprehensive description of how the EU and its constituent institutions and bodies work.
Network of European Union Agencies.
The functioning of the European Union
The European Parliament makes thematic sheets of EU activity and policies. One of its blocks is dedicated to the functioning of its institutions.
European Union Law
El EU law It is of two types: primary and derived.
Primary law
Are the treated, which constitute the basis or fundamental rules for all EU action.
Treaties are binding agreements between EU countries. They establish the objectives of the Union, the rules applicable to its institutions, the way in which decisions are made and the relationship between the Union and its countries.
Under the treaties, EU institutions can agree laws that their countries must then apply.
Secondary law
It arises from the principles and objectives established in the treaties and is made up of regulations, directives and decisions.
- Regulations: These are binding legislative acts, which must be applied throughout the Union from the moment of their publication.
- Directives: They are legislative acts in which objectives are established that all EU countries must meet, but it is up to each country to develop its own laws on how to achieve these objectives, that is, they must be adopted (transposed) by the legislation of each country. .
- Decisions: They are binding for the specific recipients to whom they are addressed (an EU country or a specific company) and are directly applicable.
Non-binding legal acts
Are recommendations and opinions.
More information about European Union Law
European Union law, Portal Europe
Infographic "Ordinary Legislative Procedure", European Parliament
The ABC of European Union law. This work, from the EU Publications Office, is aimed at all readers interested in having a first overview of the construction of the European Union and the pillars on which the European legal system rests.
How does the European Union make decisions?
The usual decision-making procedure in the EU is called ordinary legislative procedure, formerly known as 'codecision'. It entered into force on January 1, 2009, and became the main legislative procedure of the EU decision-making system. With this system, the Treaty of Lisbon extended the areas in which codecision is used, which gave more powers to the European Parliament. Thus, it now has more capacity to block a proposal if it does not agree with the Council of the EU.
For its part, the European Commission maintains the legislative initiative and applies European legislation. Regarding the first, article 289 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU only refers to the following legislative procedures:
- The ordinary legislative procedure
- special legislative procedures
In addition, the Lisbon Treaty introduced 'passerelle clauses'. These allow generalizing, under certain conditions, the ordinary legislative procedure to areas initially outside its scope.
There are also other legislative procedures, such as consultation, approval, initiative, opinion, etc.
Areas of action of the EU
The EU acts in practically all areas of our life: rural areas, trade, competition, consumption, culture, environment, justice, health, transport, etc.
(PDF) EU 2023 Policy Guide. Development and Cooperation Policy
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2022. The external action of the European Union
The EU by themes: development and cooperation, Portal Europe
The EU by themes: foreign and security policy, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: development, Eurlex
Summary of European legislation: foreign and security policy, Eurlex
Summary of European legislation: external relations, Eurlex
European External Action Service
Humanitarian aid and civil protection, European Comission
European neighborhood policy, European Comission
Foreign and security policy, European Comission
(PDF) EU 2023 Policy Guide. Common Agricultural Policy
The EU by topic: agriculture, Portal Europe
The EU by topic: food security, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: agriculture, Eurlex
Summary of European legislation: ocean and fisheries, Eurlex
Agriculture and rural development, European Comission
Fishing, European Comission
General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Internal Market Policy
The EU by topic: trade, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: foreign trade, Eurlex
Commercial policy, European Comission
Stores, European Comission
Directorate General of Trade (DG TRADE), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Competition Policy
The EU by topic: competition, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: competition, Eurlex
Law, European Comission
Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Consumer Policy
The EU by topic: consumers, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: consumers, Eurlex
Consumidores, European Comission
General Directorate of Justice and Consumers (DG JUST), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Culture Policy
The EU by topic: culture, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: culture, Eurlex
Culture and media, European Comission
General Directorate of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Economic, financial and fiscal policy
The EU by topics: taxation, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: economy and currency, Eurlex
Summary of European legislation: taxation, Eurlex
Economy, finance and the euro, European Comission
Taxes, European Comission
Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Comission
Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA), European Comission
General Directorate of Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Education and training policy Experience
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Youth Policy
The EU by themes: education, training and youth, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: education, training, youth and sport, Eurlex
Education and formation, European Comission
Sport, European Comission
Youth, European Comission
Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EACEA)
General Directorate of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture (DG EAC), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Social and employment policy
The EU by themes: employment and social affairs, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: employment and social policy, Eurlex
Employment and social affairs, European Comission
Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), European Comission
The EU by topic: business, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: companies, Eurlex
Company and industry, European Comission
Executive Agency for the European Innovation Council and SMEs
General Directorate of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), European Comission
(PDF) EU 2023 Policy Guide. Research and Innovation Policy
The EU by topic: research and innovation, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: research and innovation, Eurlex
CORDIS: Community Research and Development Information Service
Research and innovation [in English], European Comission
General Directorate of Research and Innovation (RTD), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2022. Justice and Immigration Policy
The EU by themes: justice and fundamental rights, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: justice, freedom and security, Eurlex
EU Bookshop: EU Publications: Asylum and Immigration
Migration and asylum, European Comission
Borders and security, European Comission
Justice and human rights, European Comission
General Directorate of Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), European Comission
General Directorate of Justice and Consumers (DG JUST), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Environment Policy and Climate Action
The EU by topic: environment, Portal Europe
The EU by theme: climate action, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: environment and climate change, Eurlex
Environment, European Comission
climate action, European Comission
Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), European Comission
Directorate General for the Environment (DG ENV), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Internal Market Policy
The EU by topics: single market, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: internal market, Eurlex
Single market, European Comission
Internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Comission
General Directorate of the Internal Market. Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Regional Policy
The EU by themes: regional policy, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: regional policy, Eurlex
regional policy, European Comission
General Directorate of Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), European Comission
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Public Health Policy
The EU by topic: health, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: public health, Eurlex
Public health, European Comission
General Directorate of Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), European Comission
(PDF) EU 2023 Policy Guide. Information Society Policy
(PDF) EU Policy Guide 2023. Digital Single Market Policy
Summary of European legislation: audiovisual and media, Eurlex
Summary of European legislation: Digital Single Market, Eurlex
General Directorate of Communication Networks, Content and Technologies (DG CONNECT), European Comission
(PDF) EU 2023 Policy Guide. Transport Policy
The EU by topic: transportEurope, Portal Europe
Summary of European legislation: transport, Eurlex
Transport, European Comission
General Directorate of Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), European Comission
What Europe does for me
- What Europe does for mePage developed by the Research Service of the European Parliament that offers hundreds of texts that illustrate the positive influence of the European Union in people's lives, organized by theme and by region.