1. The European Union:
500 million people – 27 countries
Member states of the European Union
Candidate countries

2. Founders
New ideas for lasting peace and prosperity…
Konrad Adenauer Alcide De Gasperi
Winston Churchill
Robert Schuman Jean Monnet

3. The EU symbols
The European anthem
The European flag
Europe Day, 9 May
The motto: United in diversity

4. 23 official languages

5. Enlargement: from six to 27 countries
1952 1973 1981 1986
1990 1995 2004 2007

6. 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
2013 Croatia joins on 1st of July
© Reuders
Candidates
Iceland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro,
Turkey

7. 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)
1987
The European Single Act:
the Single Market
1993
2003 1999 Treaty of European Union
Treaty of Nice Treaty of Amsterdam – Maastricht

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.

9. Germany 82.1
France 64.4
United Kingdom 61.6
Italy 60.1
Spain 45.8
Poland 38.1
Romania 21.5
Netherlands 16.5
Greece 11.3
Belgium 10.8
Portugal 10.6
Czech Republic 10.5
Hungary 10.0
Sweden 9.3
500 million total
Austria 8.4
Bulgaria 7.6
Population in millions, 2009
Denmark 5.5
Slovakia 5.4
Finland 5.3
Ireland 4.5
Lithuania 3.3
How many people live in the EU?
Latvia 2.3
Slovenia 2.0
Estonia 1.3
Cyprus 0.8
Luxemburg 0.5
Malta 0.4

10. Climate change – a global challenge
To stop global warming, EU leaders decided in 2007 to:
 reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 20% by 2020 (30% if other developed
countries do likewise)
 improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020
 raise the share of renewable energy
to 20% by 2020 (wind, solar, hydro
power, biomass)

11. Jobs and growth
Challenges:
Demography: Europeans live longer, have fewer children
Globalisation: European economy faces competition from other parts of the world
Climate change: Emission of greenhouse gases must come down
Solutions:
European leaders have therefore agreed on a joint strategy for:
More research and innovation
A more dynamic business environment
Investing in people
A greener economy

12. The euro – a single currency for Europeans
Can be used everywhere in the euro area
Coins: one side with national symbols,
one side common
Notes: no national side
EU countries using the euro
EU countries not using the euro

13. Free to move
“Schengen”:
 No police or customs checks at borders between most
EU countries
 Controls strengthened at EU external borders
 More cooperation between police from different EU
countries
 Youcan buy and bring back any goods for personal use
when you travel between EU countries
© Corbis

14. Going abroad to learn
Over 2 million young people have studied or
pursued personal development in other European
countries with support from EU programmes:
Comenius: school education
Erasmus: higher education
Leonardo da Vinci: vocational training
Grundtvig: adult education
Youth in Action: voluntary work and
non-formal education
© Getty Images

15. Improving health and the environment
Pollution knows no borders – joint action needed
EU action has helped bring:
 Cleaner bathing water
 Much less acid rain
 Lead-free petrol
 Free and safe disposal of old electronic equipment
 Strict rules on food safety from farm to fork
 More organic and quality farming
 More effective health warnings on cigarettes
 Registration and control of all chemicals (REACH)
© Van Parys Media

16. An area of freedom, security and justice
 Charter of Fundamental Rights
 Joint fight against terrorism
 Policeand law-enforcers from
different countries cooperate
 Coordinatedasylum and
immigration policies
 Civil law cooperation
© European Union Police Mission

17. The EU: an exporter of peace and prosperity
 World trade rules
 Common foreign and security
policy
 Development assistance and
humanitarian aid
E U r u n s t h e p e a c e k e e p in g o p e r a t io n s
a n d t h e r e b u ild in g o f s o c ie t y in
w a r -t o r n c o u n t r ie s lik e B o s n ia -
H e r z e g o v in a .

18. Three key players
The European Parliament
- voice of the people
Martin Schulz, President of
of the European Parliament
The council of Ministers
- voice of the Member States
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council
The European Commission
- promoting the common interest
José Manuel Barroso, President
of the European Commission

19. 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

20. How EU laws are made
Citizens, interest 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

21. 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 (January 2012)
Austria 19 Finland 13 Latvia 9 Romania 33
Belgium 22 France 74 Lithuania 12 Slovakia 13
Bulgaria 18 Germany 99 Luxembourg 6 Slovenia 8
Cyprus 6 Greece 22 Malta 6 Spain 54
Czech Republic 22 Hungary 22 Netherlands 26 Sweden 20
Denmark 13 Ireland 12 Poland 51 United Kingdom 72
Estonia 6 Italy 73 Portugal 22 Total 753

22. The European political parties
Number of seats in the European Parliament
per political group
(January 2012)
Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe European People’s Party
84 (Christian Democrats)
Greens/European Free Alliance 271
58
Progressive Alliance of Socialists
and Democrats
190 European Conservatives
and Reformists
53
Europe of Freedom
and Democracy
European United 33
Left - Nordic Green Left Total : 753
34 Non-attached
members 30

23. 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

24. 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
From 2014: 55% of the Member States with 65% of the population

25. A high representative for foreign affairs and security
Catherine Ashton
Double hat: chairs the Foreign Affairs
Council meetings + Vice-president of
the European Commission
Manages the common foreign and
security policy
Head of European External Action
Service

26. 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

27. The European Central Bank:
managing the euro
Ensures price stability
Controls money supply and decides interest rates
Works independently from governments
Mario Draghi
President of the Central Bank

28. 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