European UnionJoshua Meadows

Emily Pegg

BackgroundAfter World War II European countries needed a

new system of travel and trade that would reduce conflict

In 1958 the European Economic Community (EEC) formed between Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands

The EEC began dealing with issues of policies that dealt with issues other than the economy, such as the environment and citizens’ rights.

In 1993 the EEC changed its name to the European Union (EU)

Unique CharacteristicsThe European Union is a confederation made

up of 28 countriesCountries within the European Union have no

border laws between one another which allows people to travel freely between them

The EU has an official currency (Euros) that all of its members use

ConstitutionAll citizens of the EU have rights that are

documented in the Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Charter has seven chapters titled Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity, Citizens’ Rights, Justice, and General Provisions

Rule of LawThe EU’s court system is based on the

European Court of Justice (ECJ)The ECJ has 28 judges, one for each countryThe ECJ has a president that is elected by the

judges and serves a renewable term of three years

The ECJ operates similarly to the US’s Supreme Court system

The ECJ acts as an arbiter between EU countries

EconomyThe European Union is the largest importer

and exporter of goods and services in the world

EU countries can trade among one another without tariffs or borders

Structure of Government

• Treaties and laws are created by the "institutional

triangle”.

• The Council

• The European Parliament

• The European Commission

The Council

The main decision making body present

Each member state takes a six month turn in the position

The Council has the legislative power and decisions are

made with a majority vote, a qualified majority, or a

unanimous vote from member state representatives

They meet 4 times a year

The European Parliament

elected body representing the citizens of

the EU and participates in the legislative

process as well

directly elected every five years

The European Commission

Manages the EU with members that are appointed

by the Council for five year terms

There is one Commissioner from each member

state

Its main job is to uphold the common interest of

the EU

Other StuffIn addition to these three main divisions, the

EU also has courts, committees, and banks which participate on certain issues and aid in successful management.

In 2009 there was 736 members

Process for Elections There is no uniform voting system for the election

each member state is free to choose its own system, subject to three restrictions:

a) The system must be a form of proportional representation, under either the

party list or the single transferable vote system.

b) The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the

proportional nature of the voting system.

c) Any election threshold at the national level must not exceed five percent.

There is no precise formula for the apportionment of seats among member states

ChallengesGlobalization – Some countries fear the EU

will become too powerfulEconomy – Greece just had an economic

collapseCompetition – The EU must compete with

powerful countries such as China and the US