The European Union

Members of the European Union are bound by European legislation and wider policies. Almost all government departments are involved in EU-wide business, and European legislation is an increasingly important element of government.

The Council of the European Union is the main decision-making body. Member states are represented by the ministers appropriate to the subject under discussion. When, for instance, education matters are being discussed, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills attends with his or her European counterparts. The Presidency of the Council changes at six-monthly intervals and rotates in turn among the 15 member states of the Union.

In some cases Council decisions must be unanimous; in others taken by qualified majority voting (a qualified majority being the number of votes required for a decision to be adopted) with votes weighted according to a country's population – currently ten each for Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy; eight for Spain; five each for Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and Portugal; four each for Austria and Sweden; three each for Denmark, Finland and the Irish Republic; and two for Luxembourg. The threshold for the qualified majority is set at 62 votes out of 87.

The European Council, which is not a legislative body and usually meets twice a year, comprises the heads of State or Government accompanied by their foreign ministers and the President of the European Commission and one other Commissioner. The Council defines general political guidelines.

The European Commission is the executive body. It implements the Council's decisions, initiates legislation and ensures that member states put it into effect. Each of the 20 Commissioners, who are drawn from all member states, is responsible for a specific policy area, for example, education, transport or agriculture. The Commissioners are entirely independent of their countries, and serve the EU as a whole.

The European Parliament, which plays an increasingly important role in the legislative process, has 626 directly elected members (MEPs). The Parliament is consulted about major decisions and has substantial shared power with the Council of the European Union. In areas of legislation, its role varies between consultation, where it can influence but does not have the final say in the content of legislation; the cooperation and assent procedures, where its influence is greater; and co-decision, where a proposal requires the agreement of both the Council and the European Parliament.

Elections to the Parliament take place every five years.

1. Match the verbs and nouns to get the phrases used in the text, make up your sentences with them.

1.to be bound by a) EU-wide business

2.to take b) into effect

3.to be involved in c) decisions

4.to implement d) legislation

5.to define e) place

6.to put f) political guidelines

2. Answer the questions.

1. What are member states bound by?

2. When does the Presidency of the Council change?

3. How are Council’s decisions taken?

4. What officers does the European Council comprise?

5. What is the role of the European Parliament in legislation?

6. What body follows the Council’s decision and puts it into effect?

7. When do elections to Parliament take place?

3. Think of any situation or a story. Use the following expressions.

To be bound to; increasingly important; close cooperation;

appropriate to; majority vote; unanimous decision; put smth into effect.

4. Give a summary of the text.