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1 Slides retrieved and adapted from

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3 The European Union (EU) There are 28 countries in the EU. About 500 million people live in the EU.

4 The founders of the EU Konrad Adenauer Alcide De Gasperi Winston Churchill Robert Schuman Jean Monnet

5 The symbols of the EU The motto: United in diversity The European anthem The euro The European flag Europe Day, 9 May

6 EU languages There are 24 official languages in the EU. Български English latviešu valoda português Čeština español lietuvių kalba Română dansk français magyar slovenčina Deutsch Gaeilge Malti slovenščina eesti keel hrvatski Nederlands suomi Ελληνικά Italiano polski svenska

7 Enlargement: from six to 28 countries The 6 founding states were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Other countries joined at different times. The last country to become a member state was Croatia. It joined the EU in In 2016, the United Kingdom decided to leave the EU. It will leave completely in 2019.

8 The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights They are at the basis of all EU s activities. Freedoms Dignity Equality Citizens rights Justice Solidarity

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10 The Euro It is the EU s single currency. It is used by the 19 countries of the Euro area. Coins and banknotes were introduced on 1 January EU countries using the euro EU countries not using the euro

11 Freedom of movement It was introduced with the Schengen Agreement in There are no police or customs checks at borders between most EU countries. There is more cooperation between police from different EU countries. People can buy and bring back any goods for personal use when they travel between EU countries.

12 Freedom, security, and justice It is an area of freedom, security, and justice guaranteed by: the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights a joint fight against terrorism cooperation between police in different EU countries coordinated asylum and immigration policies civil law cooperation

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14 The EU s key players The European Parliament is the voice of the people. Antonio Tajani is the current president. The European Council and the Council are the voice of the member states. Donald Tusk is the current president of the European Council. The European Commission promotes the common interest of the EU. Jean-Claude Juncker is the current president.

15 The EU institutions European Council (summit) European Parliament Council of Ministers (The Council) European Commission Court of Justice Court of Auditors Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions European Investment Bank Agencies European Central Bank

16 How EU laws are made Citizens, interest groups, and experts discuss and consult The European Commission makes a formal proposal The Parliament and the Council of Ministers make a joint decision National or local authorities implement the law The Commission and the Court of Justice monitor law implementation

17 The European Parliament It decides EU laws and budget together with the Council of Ministers. It ensures democratic supervision of all the EU s work. Each country elects a certain number of members. There are a total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

18 The Council of Ministers There is one minister from each country. Its presidency rotates every 6 months. It decides EU laws and budget together with the Parliament. It manages the common foreign and security policy.

19 The European Council It is the summit of heads of state/government of all EU countries. It takes place at least 4 times a year. It sets the overall guidelines for EU policies. Its current president is Donald Tusk.

20 High representative for foreign affairs and security The Representative: chairs the meetings of the Foreign Affair Council; is the Vice-President of the European Commission; manages the common foreign affairs and security policy of the EU; is head of the European External Action Service. The current Representative is Federica Mogherini.

21 The European Commission It has 28 members, one from each EU country. It proposes new legislation. It is an executive organ. It is the guardian of the EU treaties. It represents the EU on the international stage.

22 The Court of Justice It has 28 judges, one from each EU country. It says how to interpret EU laws. It ensures EU countries apply EU laws in the same way.

23 The European Central Bank (ECB) It ensures price stability. It controls money supply and decides interest rates. It supervises that banks are safe. It works independently from governments. Its current president is Mario Draghi.