Glossary
CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy, one
of the EU's two inter-governmental 'pillars' (see below for 'pillars').
Charter The Charter of Fundamental Rights, incorporated
in the Constitutional Treaty as Part II. See paras 76-95.
Co-decision A procedure (under Article 251 of
the EC Treaty) by which EC draft legislation must be agreed by
both the Council of Ministers and the EP.
Constitutional Treaty Treaty establishing a Constitution
for Europe, adopted on 29 October 2004.
Convention The Convention on the Future of Europe,
consisting of representatives of Member State governments, national
parliaments, the EP and the European Commission, together with
government and parliamentary representatives from the then candidate
countries, which met during 2002 and 2003. It drew up the first
draft of the Constitutional Treaty. (An earlier Convention drew
up the Charter of Fundamental Rights.)
COREPER The Committee of Permanent Representatives,
in which diplomats from the Member States negotiate on draft legislation,
much of which is then agreed by the Council of Ministers without
debate.
Council The Council of Ministers, consisting
of Ministers from the Member Statesthe EU's most important
legislative and decision-making body. Not to be confused with
the European Council.
Court of Justice European Court of Justice (ECJ).
EC The European Community, the EU's first pillar
(see below for 'pillars').
EC Treaty The Treaty establishing the European
Community.
ECHR European Convention on Human Rights. Its
full title is the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms.
ECJ European Court of Justice.
Emergency brakes A Treaty provision whereby,
in certain circumstances, a Member State may refer a matter from
the Council to the European Council, where unanimity is required
for decisions. See paras 105-20.
Enhanced cooperation A procedure whereby fewer
than all Member States may use the institutions, procedures and
mechanisms of the EU and EC Treaties to pursue a desired objective.
See paras 66-75.
Enlargement Ten countries joined the EU's existing
15 Member States in 2004 all of them except Cyprus and
Malta in central and eastern Europe. Romania and Bulgaria are
expected to join in 2007, and Croatia and Turkey are also candidate
countries.
EP European Parliament.
EPP European Public Prosecutor. Article III-274
of the Constitutional Treaty provides for the establishment of
an EPP. See paras 137-8, 140.
ESDP The European Security and Defence Policy,
part of the inter-governmental second 'pillar'.
EU The European Union.
EU Treaty The Treaty on European Union.
European Council The European Council, consisting
of the EU's heads of State or Government and the Commission President,
and meeting at least twice a year. It is intended to have a strategic
role in the EU.
Horizontal clauses Articles II-111 to II-114
of the Constitutional Treaty, which govern the application of
the Charter of Fundamental Rights. See paras 79-82.
IGC Inter-Governmental Conference. The 2003-04
IGC adopted the Constitutional Treaty on 29 October 2004.
MEP Member of the European Parliament.
Pillars The EU consists of three pillars. Most
EU activity falls within the first pillar, the European Community,
in which the Commission and the European Parliament play the fullest
part. The other two pillars (which derive from the Maastricht
Treaty in 1992) are inter-governmental: the second pillar is
the Common Foreign and Security Policy under Title V of the EU
Treaty; the third is police and judicial co-operation in criminal
matters under Title VI of the EU Treaty. The Constitutional Treaty
would abolish the pillar structure.
Presidency EU Member States currently take turns
to hold the EU's Presidency for six months, and the Presidency
State chairs the European Council and the Council of Ministers.
The Constitutional Treaty provides for a longer-term President
of the European Council. See paragraphs 53-8.
Primacy The principle that Community or Union
laws in areas of EU or EC competence take precedence over the
laws of Member States. The principle is incorporated in Article
I-6 of the Constitutional Treaty.
QMV Qualified majority voting.
Subsidiarity The principle (incorporated in the
EC Treaty) that the EC should take action only in so far as objectives
cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States and can be better
achieved by the EC.
Treaties These currently consist of the Treaty
on European Union (EU) and the Treaty establishing the European
Community (EC). (A specific Treaty relates to nuclear matters
the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.
The Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community
expired in 2002.)
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