C.1 Fact Sheets on the European Union: Integration, Institutions, and Finances

A set of 50 comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the historical integration, constitutional treaties, legal principles, institutional bodies, decision-making procedures, and financial frameworks of the European Union.

Treaty of Paris

The treaty signed on 18 April 1951 (entered into force 23 July 1952) by six founding Member States that established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) for a period of 50 years, expiring on 23 July 2002.

Treaties of Rome

The treaties signed on 25 March 1957 (entered into force 1 January 1958) establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for an unlimited duration.

Robert Schuman

The French Foreign Minister whose declaration on 9 May 1950 proposed pooling Franco-German coal and steel production under a common High Authority, marking the starting point for European integration through de facto solidarity.

Merger Treaty

The treaty signed on 8 April 1965 (taking effect in 1967) that merged the executive bodies of the ECSC, EEC, and Euratom into a single Council and a single Commission, and introduced a single budget.

Luxembourg Compromise

An agreement reached in 1966 ending France's 'empty chair' crisis by establishing that when very important interests of one or more Member States are at stake, the Council will endeavour to reach solutions acceptable to all.

Single European Act (SEA)

The first major revision of the Treaty of Rome, signed in February 1986 and entering into force on 1 July 1987, which set the objective of completing the internal market by 1 January 1993 and introduced the cooperation procedure.

Treaty of Maastricht

The Treaty on European Union, signed on 7 February 1992 and entering into force on 1 November 1993, which established the European Union based on three pillars and introduced the codecision procedure.

Treaty of Amsterdam

The treaty signed on 2 October 1997 (entered into force 1 May 1999) that incorporated the Schengen Agreement into the EU framework, extended codecision to 15 legal bases, and set a ceiling of 700 Members of the European Parliament.

Treaty of Nice

The treaty signed on 26 February 2001 (entered into force 1 February 2003) that addressed institutional 'leftovers' to prepare for enlargement, establishing a revised Council vote weighting system and a demographic safety net requiring 62% of the EU population.

Treaty of Lisbon

The treaty signed on 13 December 2007 (entered into force 1 December 2009) that amended the TEU and TFEU, abolished the three-pillar structure, granted the EU legal personality, and gave the Charter of Fundamental Rights binding legal status.

Exclusive Competence

A category of EU competence defined under Article 3 TFEU where only the EU may legislate and adopt legally binding acts, covering areas such as the customs union, competition rules, and common commercial policy.

Shared Competence

A category of competence under Article 4 TFEU where both the EU and Member States may legislate, but Member States can exercise their competence only to the extent that the Union has not exercised its own.

Supporting Competence

A category of EU competence under Articles 5 and 6 TFEU where the Union may support, coordinate, or supplement Member State action without harmonising national laws.

Ordinary Legislative Procedure

The default EU legislative procedure (formerly codecision) under Articles 289 and 294 TFEU, where the European Parliament and the Council act as co-legislators on an equal footing based on a proposal from the European Commission.

Passerelle Clauses

Bridging provisions in the Treaties (such as Article 48(7) TEU) that allow decision-making rules to shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting, or from a special to the ordinary legislative procedure, without a formal Treaty revision.

Principle of Subsidiarity

The constitutional principle under Article 5(3) TEU stipulating that in areas outside exclusive EU competence, the Union may act only if the objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, but can be better achieved at Union level by reason of scale or effects.

Principle of Proportionality

The rule under Article 5(4) TEU providing that the content and form of Union action shall not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties.

Yellow Card Procedure

A subsidiarity monitoring mechanism under Protocol No 2 where, if reasoned opinions from national parliaments represent at least one third of allocated votes, the drafting institution must review and decide whether to maintain, amend, or withdraw the proposal.

Orange Card Procedure

A subsidiarity scrutiny mechanism under the ordinary legislative procedure where, if a simple majority of national parliament votes challenge a proposal, the Council (by 55%) or Parliament (by simple majority) can reject it at first reading.

Green Card Procedure

A proposed reform mechanism supported by the European Parliament allowing at least one third of national parliaments to suggest legislative initiatives to the European Commission or Parliament.

Enhanced Cooperation

A procedure under Article 20 TEU allowing a minimum of nine Member States to establish deeper integration and adopt secondary acts binding only on participating countries, subject to authorisation by the Council.

Degressive Proportionality

The principle governing European Parliament seat distribution where larger Member States receive more total seats, but smaller Member States receive more seats relative to their population size.

Spitzenkandidaten Procedure

The lead candidate system introduced in 2014 whereby European political parties nominate lead candidates for the office of Commission President ahead of European elections, linking the appointment to the election outcome.

Motion of Censure

A political oversight mechanism under Article 234 TFEU whereby Parliament can force the resignation of the entire Commission College by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of Parliament's component Members.

European Council

The EU institution consisting of the Heads of State or Government of Member States, its permanent President, and the Commission President, responsible for defining the EU's overall political direction and priorities without exercising legislative functions.

Council of the European Union

The institution composed of a representative of each Member State at ministerial level that, together with Parliament, acts as the EU legislator and budgetary authority across ten configurations.

Coreper

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States, established under Article 240 TFEU, responsible for preparing the work of the Council and coordinating legislative files.

Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

The Council's default voting mechanism under Article 16(4) TEU, requiring the approval of at least 55% of Member States (at least 15 out of 27) representing at least 65% of the total EU population.

European Commission

The executive body of the EU that acts as guardian of the Treaties, holds the near-monopoly on legislative initiative, implements the budget, and represents the EU externally in non-CFSP matters.

College of Commissioners

The collegiate leadership body of the European Commission composed of 27 members (one per Member State), including the President, Executive Vice-Presidents, the High Representative/Vice-President, and Commissioners.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

The official appointed by the European Council who conducts the EU's common foreign and security policy, chairs the Foreign Affairs Council, heads the European External Action Service, and serves ex officio as a Vice-President of the Commission.

Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The supreme judicial institution of the EU established under Article 19 TEU to ensure that the law is observed in the interpretation and application of the Treaties, comprising the Court of Justice (ECJ) and the General Court.

General Court

The constituent court of the CJEU composed of 54 judges (two per Member State) that hears at first instance direct actions brought by individuals, companies, or Member States, as well as transferred preliminary ruling cases.

Principle of Direct Effect

The foundational doctrine established by the ECJ in Van Gend & Loos (1963) enabling individuals to invoke sufficiently clear, precise, and unconditional provisions of EU law directly before national courts.

Principle of Primacy

The constitutional doctrine established by the ECJ in Costa v ENEL (1964) establishing that EU law takes precedence over conflicting national law of the Member States, including national constitutional provisions.

Preliminary Ruling Procedure

The judicial cooperation mechanism under Article 267 TFEU whereby national courts refer questions on the interpretation or validity of EU law to the CJEU to ensure uniform application across all Member States.

European Central Bank (ECB)

The independent EU institution responsible for monetary policy in the euro area, whose primary objective under Article 127(1) TFEU is to maintain price stability.

Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM)

The integrated banking supervision framework established in November 2014, composed of the ECB and national competent authorities, conferring direct prudential oversight of significant credit institutions on the ECB.

European Court of Auditors (ECA)

The independent external audit institution of the EU, comprising 27 members appointed for six-year terms, responsible for checking the legality, regularity, and sound financial management of EU finances.

Statement of Assurance (DAS)

The formal audit declaration provided annually by the European Court of Auditors assessing the reliability of the EU's annual accounts and the legality and regularity of underlying transactions.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

A 329-member consultative body of the EU representing employers, workers, and civil society organisations, established under the 1957 Treaties of Rome to provide advisory opinions on proposed legislation.

European Committee of the Regions (CoR)

A 329-member political advisory assembly established in 1994 under the Maastricht Treaty representing regional and local authorities across the 27 EU Member States.

European Investment Bank (EIB)

The EU's long-term lending institution, owned by the 27 Member States, which raises capital on international bond markets to finance investment projects supporting internal market development, cohesion, and climate action.

European Ombudsman

An independent body and official elected by the European Parliament for each parliamentary term under Article 228 TFEU to investigate complaints of maladministration in EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies.

Traditional Own Resources (TOR)

A revenue source of the EU budget mainly comprising customs duties on imports from non-EU countries, from which Member States retain 25% to cover collection costs.

GNI-based Own Resource

An EU budget revenue stream created in 1988 consisting of a uniform percentage levy on each Member State's gross national income, which funds the majority (60% to 70%) of the EU budget.

Plastic Own Resource

An EU own resource introduced on 1 January 2021 consisting of a national contribution based on the weight of non-recycled plastic packaging waste at a uniform call rate of EUR 0.80 per kilogram.

Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)

The EU's long-term spending plan, established by Council regulation for at least five years (currently seven years, 2021-2027), which sets annual expenditure ceilings for broad policy headings.

NextGenerationEU (NGEU)

A temporary post-pandemic recovery instrument of EUR 750 billion (in 2018 prices) financed by Commission borrowing on international capital markets, providing grants and loans alongside the 2021-2027 MFF.

European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO)

An independent, decentralised EU prosecution office established under enhanced cooperation that became operational in June 2021, with exclusive competence to investigate and prosecute criminal offences affecting the EU budget.