Die EU & Ich | WIE FUNKTIONIERT DIE EU? (europa.eu)
Grundsätze, Länder, Geschichte | Europäische Union (europa.eu)
Principles and Values
Aims and objectives
The objectives of the European Union within its borders are to
to promote peace, European values and the well-being of its citizens
Freedom, security and the rule of law in an area without internal borders, with adequate protection of external borders to manage immigration and asylum and to prevent and combat crime.
Establishment of a single market
Achieving sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability and a competitive market economy with full employment and social progress.
Preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment
To encourage scientific and technological progress
Promoting social justice and social protection, gender equality and the protection of children’s rights
Strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among EU Member States
To respect their rich cultural and linguistic diversity
Establish an economic and monetary union with the euro as its currency
Values
Human Dignity
Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected and protected. It is the foundation of fundamental rights.
Freedom of movement
Freedom of movement allows citizens to travel and reside anywhere in the EU. Personal freedoms such as respect for private life, freedom of thought, religion, assembly, expression and information are protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Democracy
The Union operates on the basis of representative democracy. All EU citizens automatically have political rights. All adult EU citizens are entitled to vote and to stand for election to the European Parliament. They can stand as a candidate in their country of residence as well as in their country of origin.
Equality
Equality means equal rights before the law for every citizen. Equality between women and men is part of all EU policies and the basis of European integration. It applies to all areas. The principle of equal pay for equal work was anchored in the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
The rule of law
The EU is based on the rule of law. All its activities are based on treaties that were agreed by its member states on a voluntary and democratic basis. Law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. The EU member states have given the European Court of Justice the power to be the final court of appeal. The judgments of the Court must be respected by all.
Human Rights
Human rights are guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. They include the right not to be discriminated against on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, the right to the protection of personal data and the right of access to justice.
Founding Treaties
The European Union is based on the rule of law. This means that everything the EU does is based on treaties that all EU member states agree to voluntarily and democratically.
The treaties allow the EU institutions to make laws, which are then implemented by the member states. The full text of the treaties, legislation, case law and legislative proposals can be found in the EUR-Lex database of EU law.
Access to Information
Transparency
Transparency is one of the EU’s key principles, requiring it to disclose information on policy decisions and spending, and to uphold the principle of freedom of information. The principle of transparency is enshrined in the EU Treaties. This means that all EU citizens have access to documents held by the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, including legal texts, official documents, minutes and agendas.
Access to documents
In the interests of maximum transparency, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council of the European Union publish the dates of their meetings in advance and provide information about the results in press conferences. You can also follow Parliament sessions and parts of Council sessions online.
Structure and location
There are 7 institutions, 7 bodies and over 30 decentralized agencies of the EU, spread throughout the Union.
In the administrative area, there are also 20 agencies and organizations that carry out specific legal tasks, as well as 4 inter-institutional services that support the institutions in their work.
The European Parliament (Brussels/Strasbourg/Luxembourg), the European Council (Brussels), the Council of the European Union (Brussels/Luxembourg) and the European Commission (Brussels/Luxembourg/representations throughout the EU) jointly determine the political direction of the EU and play different roles in the legislative process.
Their work is complemented by other institutions and bodies. These include the Court of Justice of the European Union (Luxembourg), the European Central Bank (Frankfurt) and the European Court of Auditors (Luxembourg).
Some 60,000 civil servants and other employees of the EU serve the 450 million Europeans (and countless other people around the world).
The Institutions
The European Council can agree amendments to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, although it does not normally legislate. However, its main role is to set the political direction of the EU.
In most cases, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission draw up the policies and laws that apply throughout the EU. This follows the so-called ordinary legislative procedure.
In principle, the Commission proposes new laws, which are then adopted by the Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The Member States then implement them and the Commission ensures that they are properly applied.
Common Foreign and Security Policy
European Defense Agency
The Defense Agency supports the development of defense capabilities and military cooperation between EU countries. It promotes defense research and technology, strengthens the European defense industry and acts as a military interface for EU policy.
European Union Institute for Security Studies
The Institute analyzes foreign, security and defence policy issues. It produces analyses, organizes discussion forums to contribute to EU policy-making and contributes to discussions on security strategy within and outside Europe.
Satellite Center of the European Union
The Satellite Center provides space-based intelligence products and services, in particular through the analysis of data from Earth observation satellites. It warns decision-makers of potential crises at an early stage so that diplomatic, economic and humanitarian measures can be taken in good time.
Executive agencies
The European Commission has set up 6 executive agencies for a limited period of time to carry out specific tasks related to EU programs.
The European Parliament
European Parliament (europa.eu)
As the only directly elected body of the EU, the European Parliament is the voice of the citizens. Its members are directly elected by European citizens every five years. All EU citizens are eligible to vote. In some EU countries, where residents without the relevant citizenship are sometimes allowed to vote at sub-national level, other people (e.g. non-citizens living legally in the country) can also vote in European Parliament elections.
The last European elections were held in 2019. The next ones are scheduled for 2024.
The European Parliament meets twelve times a year in Strasbourg (France) and up to six times a year in Brussels (Belgium) for its main sessions, also known as „plenary sessions“.
The European Parliament consists of 705 members, also known as MEPs („Members of the European Parliament“), from all EU member states. The European Parliament makes decisions on EU laws together with the Council of the European Union. If the Parliament and the Council cannot agree on a piece of legislation, there is no new law. The Parliament elects the President of the European Commission and has the right to approve or reject the entire European Commission. It also approves the European Union’s budget.
European citizens elect the Members of the European Parliament by direct vote.
The European Council
European Council – Consilium (europa.eu)
The European Council brings together the elected heads of state and government of the EU countries. They meet at least four times a year. Their meetings are often called „EU summits“. The European Council sets the EU’s main political priorities and general political direction. It is chaired by a President, who is elected every two and a half years.
The European Council does not make EU laws. That is the job of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union – Consilium (europa.eu)
The Council of the European Union – also known as „the Council“ – represents the governments of the EU countries. The Council brings together ministers from all EU countries to discuss and make decisions about EU policies and laws. The composition of the Council varies depending on the topic under discussion.
The Council is one of the two decision-making bodies of the EU.
Every six months, a different EU country holds the presidency of the Council. France and the Czech Republic held the presidencies in 2022, followed by Sweden and Spain in 2023 and Belgium and Hungary in 2024.
The European Commission
Europäische Kommission – offizielle Website – Europäische Kommission (europa.eu)
The European Commission consists of 27 Commissioners – each EU country has one Commissioner. Together with the President of the European Commission, these Commissioners form the EU’s executive and are responsible for the day-to-day running of the EU. Their term of office is five years.
The President of the European Commission is nominated by the Member States through the European Council and formally appointed by the European Parliament. The other Commissioners are nominated by their national governments and approved by the European Parliament. Commissioners do not represent the views of their country of origin, but rather the common interests of the EU. Each member of the Commission is given responsibility for a specific policy area by the President.
The European Commission proposes new laws and programs that are in the general interest of the EU. Before submitting a proposal, the Commission seeks the views of national parliaments and governments, interest groups, experts and the public by inviting everyone to comment online.
The Commission’s proposals are examined in detail by the European Parliament and the Council. These two institutions have the final say on all EU legislation. They can amend proposals or reject them outright. The European Commission also manages the EU’s policies and budget, and makes sure that EU countries apply EU law correctly.
The European Commission is the „executive“ of the EU.
The European Court of Justice
Over the past 70 years, EU member states have worked together to create many EU laws. The Court of Justice ensures that these laws are interpreted and applied uniformly. If a national court has doubts about the interpretation of an EU law, it can ask the Court of Justice for clarification. Individual EU countries do not always apply EU laws fully. When this happens, the Commission or another EU country can refer the matter to the Court of Justice. The Court of Justice is based in Luxembourg and consists of one judge from each member state.
To the German translation of this article: Die Europäische Union