EU Terms

Council of the European Union
It is the Union’s main decision-making institution. It is composed of the ministers of the Members States and thus constitutes the EU institution in which the governments are represented. The Council, together with the European Parliament, acts in a legislative and budgetary capacity. It is also the lead institution for decision-making, on the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and on the coordination of economic policies (intergovernmental approach).
Each Member State in turn presides over the Council for six months.
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European Commission

It is a politically independent collegiate institution which embodies and defends the general interests of the European Union. The Commission’s virtually exclusive right of initiative in the field of legislation makes it the driving force of European integration.
The Commission also has powers of implementation, management and control. It is responsible for planning and implementing common policies, executing the budget and managing Community programmes. As “Guardian of the Treaties”, it also ensures that European law is applied.
The Commission is appointed for a five-year term by the Council acting by qualified majority in agreement with the Member States.
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European Parliament

The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union, directly elected by the 435 million EU citizens once every five years.   Since 1979, the parliamentarians have been elected by direct universal suffrage and today total 732, distributed between Member States according to the size of their population.
The European Parliament cannot initiate legislation, but it can amend or veto it in many policy areas. In certain other policy areas, it has the right only to be consulted. Parliament also supervises the European Commission; it must approve all appointments to it, and can dismiss it with a vote of censure. It also has the right to control the EU budget.
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European Council

It is the term used to describe the regular meetings of the Heads of State or government of the European Union Member States. Its purpose is to provide the Union with the necessary driving force for its development and to define its general political guidelines. It does not create legislation.
It meets at least twice a year and the president of the European Commission attends as a full member. It is chaired by the Members State holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union in a predetermined order.
European Court of Justice

Formally known as the 'Court of Justice of the European Communities', i.e. the court of the EU, the Court is composed of the same number of judges as there are Member States. At present, it has twenty-five judges assisted by eight advocates-general who are appointed for six years by agreement among the members States.
The ECJ has two principal functions:
            . To check whether instruments of the European Institutions and of governments are compatible with the EU Treaties;
            . To give rulings, at the request of a national court, on the interpretation or the validity of provision contained in Community law.
The Court is assisted by the Court of First Instance of the European Communities (CFI), which was set up in 1989.
The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights

The EIDHR is a European Union programme that aims to promote and support human rights and democracy in third countries. Its general objectives are to provide aid to projects in non-member countries and in the EU with the following aims: promoting and defending human rights and fundamental freedoms;

  • supporting the democratisation process and strengthening the rule of law and good governance;
  • supporting measures to promote respect for human rights and democratisation by preventing conflict;
  • supporting the activities of international criminal tribunals and the setting-up of the International Criminal Court.

Source: European Communities

The Barcelona Process

The Barcelona Process refers to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership established in November 1995 in Barcelona by the governments of 27 countries of the region (known as the Partners *). The partnership was established with the overall objective of turning the Euro-Mediterranean basin into an area of dialogue, exchange and co-operation guaranteeing peace, stability and prosperity.

 * The 15 EU member states of the time: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom, Sweden.
12 governments from the wider Mediterranean region: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Palestine

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The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP)

The Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Barcelona on 27-28 November 1995, marked the starting point of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, a wide framework of political, economic and social relations between the Member States of the European Union and Partners of the Southern Mediterranean.

To read more, "Euro-Mediterranean Partnership/Barcelona Process"

European union Association Agreement

A European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links.

 

European Neighbourhood Policy

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed in the context of the EU’s 2004 enlargement, with the objective of avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and our neighbours and instead strengthening stability, security and well-being for all concerned. It  includes strong commitments to promote human rights and democracy.
The aim is to have a ring of countries, sharing EU's democratic ideals and joining them in further integration without necessarily becoming full member states. These countries would then be able to benefit more from an internal market of 450 million people.
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MEDA Programmes

An abbreviation of the French mesures d’accompagnement, referring to the most important instrument at the disposal of the EU in its relations with its Mediterranean Partners.
The MEDA programme is the principal financial instrument of the European Union for the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and is based on a commitment to human rights as an essential element. The programme offers technical and financial support measures to accompany the reform of economic and social structures in the Mediterranean partners  and mitigate the social and environmental consequences of economic development. It is implemented by DG EuropAid.
To read more, "The MEDA Democracy Programme "