Annex 5: Glossary and abbreviations
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP):
An EU policy field established by the Treaty on European Union
(Maastricht Treaty) of 1992. The Treaty on European Union established
the CFSP as an area of intergovernmental cooperation, outside
the European Community. After 1992, the CFSP was known as the
EU's "second pillar" (with the European Community comprising
the first, and intergovernmental cooperation in justice and home
affairs comprising the third).
Constitutional Treaty: Officially
called the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, the
Constitutional Treaty was signed on 29 October 2004. After the
French and Dutch electorates voted against the ratification of
the Constitutional Treaty in referendums in May and June 2005
respectively, and other Member States put their ratification processes
on hold, the Constitutional Treaty never came into effect.
Council (of Ministers) (of the European Union):
The body of Ministers from the Member
States. Along with the European Parliament, the Council is the
EU's legislative body. The Council meets in different configurations
for different policy areas i.e. the Environment Council comprises
Member State Environment Ministers, and so forth. At present,
Foreign Ministers meet as the General Affairs and External Relations
Council; if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, the Foreign Affairs
Council will meet separately. In this Report, the term "Council"
on its own refers to the Council of Ministers.
European Commission: The
supranational body of officials responsible for proposing and
ensuring the implementation of EU law.
European Community (EC): The
original European Economic Community, as renamed by the Treaty
on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) of 1992. The EC is governed
by the "Community method", as opposed to the intergovernmental
elements of the EU.
European Council: The
body of Member State heads of state or government. The European
Council has gained increasing prominence since the 1970s and is
referred to in the existing EU Treaties, but it would only become
an official EU institution under the Lisbon Treaty. The European
Council does not have legislative powers. The European Council
currently meets twice a year informally (in March and October,
in the country holding the rotating Presidency) and twice a year
formally (in June and December, in Brussels).
European Court of Justice (ECJ): Under
the EU Treaties, the European Court of Justice ensures that EU
law is upheld, by making rulings in specific cases.
European External Action Service (EEAS): A
new institution created by the Treaty of Lisbon to support the
new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy. The EEAS will be made up of staff drawn from the European
Commission, the Council Secretariat and the Member States.
European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP): An
element within the Common Foreign and Security Policy, encompassing
crisis management, peace-keeping and the possibility of a common
defence. The Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) of 1992
introduced the possibility of EU involvement in military and security
matters, but the ESDP began to develop substantively after the
1997 Treaty of Amsterdam and especially after the 1998 UK-French
St Malo initiative. Rather than the European Security and Defence
Policy, the Lisbon Treaty refers to the Common Security and Defence
Policy.
European Union (EU): Established
by the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) of 1992. The
EU originally comprised three "pillars": the European
Community (EC), and two areas of intergovernmental cooperation,
namely the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) (the "second
pillar"), and cooperation in justice and home affairs (JHA)
(the "third pillar".
High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy: A post created by amendments
to the TEU introduced by the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam, and held
since the Treaty of Amsterdam took effect in 1999 by the former
Spanish Foreign Minister and NATO Secretary-General Dr Javier
Solana. The post has responsibilities exclusively in the CFSP.
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy: A new post created
by the Treaty of Lisbon, replacing the existing High Representative
position. The new post will take over the responsibilities of
the Commissioner for External Relations, as well as having an
expanded set of functions in the CFSP. Owing to its combination
of Commission and Council functions, the new post is often referred
to as being "double-hatted".
Intergovernmental Conference (IGC): The
process in which Member State representatives negotiate amendments
to EU Treaties.
Justice and Home Affairs (JHA):
An EU policy field which was established by the Treaty on European
Union (Maastricht Treaty) of 1992 as one of intergovernmental
cooperation. After 1992, intergovernmental cooperation in JHA
was known as the EU's "third pillar". From the Treaty
of Amsterdam of 1997, JHA has been moved increasingly from intergovernmental
cooperation into the European Community, a process which would
continue under the Lisbon Treaty.
Passerelle: The French
word for a footbridge, a "passerelle" is a clause in
an EU Treaty which allows the movement of a policy issue from
intergovernmentalism to the "Community" method, or from
unanimity to qualified majority voting, without an Intergovernmental
Conference.
Political and Security Committee (PSC): A
body of Member State officials operating below the Council in
the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and especially
in the European Security and Defence Policy. The PSC monitors
the situation in relevant third countries and the implementation
of the CFSP, and contributes to CFSP decision-making. The PSC
also runs EU crisis management operations under the authority
of the Council. The PSC gained formal status under the 2001 Treaty
of Nice. Chaired hitherto by the Member State holding the EU's
rotating Presidency, under the Lisbon Treaty the PSC will be chaired
by a representative of the new High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy.
Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC):
New name given to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community by the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty)
of 1992. The Treaty establishing the European Economic Community
was also known as the Treaty of Rome (1957). If the Lisbon Treaty
is ratified, the Treaty establishing the European Community will
itself be renamed, as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Union (TFEU). As well as being renamed, the Treaty now to be known
as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union has several
times been amended in substance, by the Single European Act (1986),
the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) (1992), the Amsterdam
Treaty (1997) and the Nice Treaty (2001).
Treaty on European Union (TEU):
Signed on 2 February 1992 and also known as the Maastricht Treaty.
The TEU amended and renamed—as the Treaty establishing the
European Community—the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and added to the Community two intergovernmental
"pillars"—namely cooperation in foreign policy
and justice and home affairs—to create a three-pillared
European Union. Since 1992, the TEU has been amended by the Treaties
of Amsterdam (1997) and Nice (2001), and it will be again by the
Treaty of Lisbon (2007) if that document is ratified.
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
(TFEU): New name for the Treaty establishing
the European Community. The renaming is one of the amendments
to the TEC made by the Treaty of Lisbon.
Treaty of Lisbon/Lisbon Treaty:
Signed on 13 December 2007. Like the Amsterdam and Nice Treaties
before it, the Lisbon Treaty amends the Treaty Establishing the
European Community and the Treaty on European Union.
| 
