Accession Criteria (Copenhagen Criteria) - Set in June 1993 by EU leaders at the meeting in Copenhagen to define whether any candidate country is eligible to join the EU. The criteria require that a state guarantee democracy and human rights, a functioning market economy and accept all the acquis.
Accountability - The requirement for representatives to answer to the represented on how they have performed their duties and powers, and for them to act upon criticisms made of them and accept responsibility for failure, incompetence or deceit.
Acquis Communautaire - The acquis is the Community patrimony, the body of common rights and obligations which bind the member states together. It includes the content of the Treaties, legislation, international agreements and other measures.
Action for Annulment - A court case which, if won, would lead to the rejection of a law.
Amsterdam Treaty - The 1997 Amsterdam Summit focused on drafting a treaty to update the Maastricht Treaty (listed below) and started preparing the European Union for enlargement (listed below).
Brussels Treaty - This 1948 agreement was the first move towards European co-operation after the war. Signed on March 17, 1948 between Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as an expansion to the previous year's defence pledge, the Dunkirk Treaty, signed between Britain and France. The Treaty was aimed primarily at defending against possible German rearmament. The Pact had cultural and social clauses, concepts for the setting up of a "Consultative Council." The basis for this was that a cooperation between Western nations would help stop the spread of Communism.
Charter of Fundamental Rights - Signed at the Nice European Council meeting in December 2000, the Charter of Fundamental Rights sets out fundamental rights associated with EU membership. It is not yet a legally binding document, but is expected to be incorporated in the Treaties at some point in the future.
Closer Co-operation - Also known as reinforced or enhanced co-operation, it allows some countries to forge ahead on certain issues, giving rise to fears of a "two-speed Europe." Established by the Amsterdam Treaty, it introduces instruments which allow groups of states that wish to integrate further than provided for in the Treaties to do so. It was renamed 'enhanced co-operation' at Nice.
Committee of the Regions - a body of the European Union (EU) established in 1994. It represents the sub-national regions of the EU in the EU legislative process, but only in a consultative manner similar to the Economic and Social Committee. Strives to connect the EU institutions with local government.
Common Agricultural Policy - (CAP) - EU policy that supports agriculture through the payment of subsidies for growing crops.
Convergence Criteria - (Maastricht criteria) are the criteria for European Union member states to enter the third stage of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and adopt the euro. The four main criteria are based on Article 121(1) of the European Community Treaty. Those member countries who are to adopt the euro need to meet certain criteria.
Council of Europe - A body of more than 40 countries, it aims to promote democracy and protect human rights. Not an EU institution.
Council of Ministers - The council directly represents the EU's member governments in a "cabinet of cabinets"
Ecosoc - The Economic and Social Committee lets interest groups put their opinions to the EU institutions.
European Currency Unit (ECU) - Was an artificial "basket" currency that was used by the member states of the European Union (EU) as their internal accounting unit. The ECU was conceived on 13th March 1979 by the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the European Union, as a unit of account for the currency area called the European Monetary System (EMS). The ECU was also the precursor of the new single European currency, the euro, which was introduced on January 1, 1999.
The acronym ECU is considered a word and in French is the name of ancient French coin. The ISO-4217 symbol for the ECU was "XEU."
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - The development of a unitary economy across the member states of European Union (EU) with a single currency, single market, and harmonized interest and taxation rates. In June 1989, the European Council decided to initiate moves towards EMU from 1 July 1990, on the basis of a report by Jacques Delors, the then president of the European Commission. The Maastricht Treaty then set out a timetable and criteria for the achievement of EMU and agreed to the future establishment of a single European currency, the euro.
Enlargement - The process of taking more member countries into the EU. Each country must pass certain tests before being allowed in.
Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) - One of the building blocks of the single currency, but it fell apart in 1992.
Euro - The euro is the common currency of the European Monetary Union (EMU). After 20 years in the making, the single European currency now exists, but it has had a very difficult start.
European Central Bank - The European Central Bank is responsible for the launch of the euro and European monetary policy.
European Court of Auditors - The court is the "financial conscience" of the European Union, tracking the management of EU money.
European Court of Human Rights - Part of the Council of Europe, the court protects Europeans' fundamental rights.
European Court of Justice - The judicial institution of the EU, founded in 1952, its job is to monitor the even interpretation of European law across the union.
European Commission - The executive body of the EU consists of 20 commissioners and is the driving force behind new legislation.
European Parliament - The parliament is the only directly elected body in the European Union and the only elected international assembly in the world.
European Union (EU) - The three pillars of the EU form the framework for the 15 member states' co-operation.
Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) - a long-running conference between the governments of EU countries.
Maastricht Treaty - One of the most controversial of the European treaties, this 1991 agreement sets out economic and monetary union and forms the basis of the EU as we now know it.
Nice Treaty - The most recent of the European treaties, it aims to overhaul the EU institutions in preparation for the enlargement of the union.
Paris Treaty - This 1951 treaty established the European Coal and Steel Community and helped set Europe on the road to peace after the Second World War.
Presidency - The presidency of the Council of Ministers rotates every six months.
Qualified Majority Voting - Most decisions in the EU are taken by majority voting (but enlargement means the system must be overhauled).
Rapid Reaction Force - Steps taken to create a European force of 60,000 troops by 2003.
Schengen Agreement - Removes some of the borders between EU member states.
Single Market - Guarantees the free movement of goods, people, services and capital.
Social Europe - EU social agenda on employment and equality, adopted at the 2000 Nice Summit.
Treaty of Rome - 25th March 1957, two treaties were signed in Rome that gave birth to the European Economic Community (EEC) and to European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom): the Treaties of Rome. The signatories of the historic agreement were Christian Pineau on behalf of France, Joseph Luns from the Netherlands, Paul Henri Spaak from Belgium, Joseph Bech from Luxemburg, Antonio Segni from Italy and Konrad Adenauer from the Federal Republic of Germany. The Treaties were ratified by National Parliaments over the following months and came into force on 1st January 1958. The treaty has been amended over the years since then.
Unanimity - Used in the Council of Ministers for nationally sensitive decisions such as taxation, defense and social policy.
Veto - A vote that blocks a decision. To vote against. Refuse to endorse; refuse to assent, "The President vetoed the bill." The power or right to prohibit or reject a proposed or intended act (especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature) To forbid: To command against; "I forbid you to look at me cross-eyed."
