Success stories include EU peacekeeping missions in several of the world’s trouble spots, the training of police, soldiers and coastguards, support for state-building in post-conflict situations and fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa. stabilise neighbouring countries by addressing economic development, employability and youth, transport and energy connectivity, migration, mobility and security; promote the key EU interests of good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights; and. Each year the Council concludes (i.e. European citizens are encouraged to contribute to the democratic life of the Union by giving their views on EU policies during their development or suggest improvements to existing laws and policies. The Council is not to be confused with the Council of Europe, which is not a European Union body but an international organisation that was set up to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law in Europe. The, The European Commission encourages sport organisations to implement. safeguarding EU citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and well-being. The EU, together with its Member States, is the world’s leading humanitarian aid donor, providing and coordinating relief assistance to people in areas hit by disasters in Europe and around the globe. The EU and Turkey agreed in March 2016 that irregular migrants and asylum seekers arriving on the Greek islands from Turkey may be returned to Turkey. Regional policy is jointly managed by the European Commission and the Member States and their regions, which choose the projects that will be co-financed by the EU, under programmes agreed in advance with the European Commission. It has done so by defining emissions targets for key sectors of its economy. able to speak to each other. The banking union transferred bank supervision and resolution from national to EU level in the 19 Member States of the euro area. More than 340 million EU citizens in 19 countries now use it as their currency and enjoy its benefits. It also means building and strengthening democracy, human rights (including equality between women and men) and the rule of law. The EU’s common migration and asylum policy helps Europe deal with migration challenges in an effective manner. The EU is working to ensure the financial system remains strong and secure and that the single market offers consumers and businesses the financial products they need. Each Member State remains in charge of defining its own energy mix, but the coordination of rules at EU level provides a common approach that enhances the overall impact of measures and enables the EU to show global leadership in the fight against climate change. The European Parliament is the European Union's only institution directly elected by its citizens, with the first ballot held in 1979. Generally it is the European Commission that proposes new laws and the European Parliament and the Council (also called the Council of the European Union) that adopt them. The Charter of Fundamental Rights, which brings together all the personal, civic, political, economic and social rights enjoyed by people in the EU. The third section, ‘How the European Union makes decisions and takes action’, describes the institutions at the heart of the EU’s decision-making process and how their decisions are translated into actions. Thanks to the abolition of border controls between EU countries, people can travel freely throughout most of the continent. Thanks to the single market (sometimes also called the internal market) people, goods, services and money can move around the EU almost as freely as within a single country. In this case, decisions are made by simple majority, with every Commissioner having one vote. making sure goods can move freely from one Member State to another in the EU’s single market. Every EU country must treat EU citizens in exactly the same way as its own citizens for employment, social security and tax purposes. Some of the additional policies and actions that help ensure that the EU meets its goals include. Together with the European Parliament, the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU. A borderless and seamless common justice area will ensure that citizens can rely on a set of rights and can access justice throughout the continent. Once the Parliament has voted the political agreement will be converted into a formal common position. National customs authorities carry out regular joint customs operations with OLAF (and other EU agencies) to stop smuggling and fraud in certain high-risk areas and on identified routes. the Eastern Partnership: a joint initiative to deepen and strengthen relations between the EU and six. The transport single market is crucial for the whole EU economy. Together with national competition authorities and national courts, the European Commission enforces EU competition policy and rules to ensure that companies compete fairly with each other. To keep the European project on course, the 2016 State of the Union address by Jean-Claude Juncker, then President of the European Commission, presented a positive agenda for a Europe that protects, empowers and defends. EU Member States applying for European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund grants are encouraged to include projects that promote social inclusion through sport. A big part of the initial bill was the UK's remaining EU budget contributions, covering the time up until the end of 2020, when things have largely stayed the same. The Creative Europe programme aims to strengthen Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and provide funding for around 3 700 cultural organisations, 250 000 artists and cultural professionals, over 7 000 cinemas and 2 800 films, and 4 500 book translations during its 7-year lifespan. To ensure that EU action meets its objectives in the most efficient way, the European Commission assesses the expected and actual impacts of policies, legislation, and other important measures. For example: See also the following pages in Section 2: Economy, finance and the euro; Banking and financial services; Taxation; Budget; and Fraud prevention. The European Council takes the form of (usually quarterly) summit meetings between EU leaders, chaired by the President of the European Council. The plan’s European Fund for Strategic Investments has already mobilised €439  billion worth of investments (by October 2019), exceeding expectations. Decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen. The EU’s trade policy covers trade in goods and services, but also matters such as the commercial aspects of intellectual property and foreign direct investment. Restoring ecosystems dependent on agriculture and forestry and promoting resource efficiency and the shift towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy are also high priorities, accounting for 51.7% (about €51 billion) of the total rural development budget for 2014-2020. protecting, conserving and enhancing the EU’s natural capital; turning the EU into a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy; and. While national governments are responsible for setting tax rates and collecting taxes, the EU ensures that people or businesses from another Member State are not discriminated against and that taxes do not hinder the EU’s single market. The EU provides relief assistance to the people affected by crises. The EU budget supports a wide range of policies implemented within the European Union and has helped the EU to consolidate its strong role in the international arena, as a leader in the fight against climate change and as the largest donor of humanitarian and development aid in the world. With the support of the Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence, the EU is stepping up efforts to prevent radicalisation and to address the challenge of returning terrorist fighters. It represents the highest level of political cooperation between the EU Member States. New initiatives proposed in e-health, addressing disinformation, transparency of online platforms, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, 5G and blockchain, as well as a digital strategy for the Western Balkans. It applies to the great majority of EU legislation, covering a wide range of fields such as consumer rights, environmental protection and transport. Collectively, the EU and its constituent countries are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. The European Parliament debates the proposal in its committees. And what about legislation or initiatives that are already in force? This places the European Parliament and the Council on an equal footing, and the laws passed using this procedure are joint acts of the Parliament and the Council. Enlargement policy is therefore instrumental in encouraging and helping countries to achieve three key criteria: During the enlargement process the Commission helps countries wishing to join the EU to meet the necessary criteria for membership, and supports them in implementing the related economic and democratic reforms. This set of rights is secured by the EU and includes the following. Each programme is drawn up through a collective process involving stakeholders at the European, national, regional and local levels, social partners and civil society. When the negotiations and accompanying reforms have been completed to the satisfaction of both sides the country can join the EU if all existing Member States agree. Citizens’ health is a major priority for the European Union. In 2016 the High Representative/Vice-President launched the Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy to enhance stability in the European neighbourhood and beyond, boost security and defence and deal with challenges such as energy security, irregular migration, climate change and terrorism. The right for everyone to have their personal data protected thanks to the. The 27 national parliaments of the Member States contribute to the good functioning of the EU by scrutinizing their governments in relation to the activities of the European Union and have a number of rights, including the right to express their concerns in relation to draft legislative acts. The European Central Bank is an independent institution of economic and monetary union to which all EU Member States belong. sending expertise, teams and equipment to countries affected around the world by earthquakes (Iraq, Mexico), floods (Albania, Peru) and epidemics (Uganda, Bangladesh) in 2017; helping people affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean in September 2017. The EU’s foreign policy at ministerial level is represented by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, currently Josep Borrell Fontelles, who also chairs meetings of foreign ministers. About 80% of the EU budget is financed from national contributions based on gross national income and value added tax. This includes living in an environment where nothing is wasted, natural resources are managed sustainably and biodiversity is protected, valued and restored. Water, air pollution and chemicals are among people’s top environmental concerns. Some decisions are enforced directly at EU level, notably competition law such as antitrust cases. European Union priorities for 2019-2024; What the EU does for its citizens; EU citizenship; Countries. Based on a European Commission proposal, Member States agreed to relocate asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU countries. The overall objective of a security union is to make this area a safer place. In July 2019, the European Council elected Charles Michel as its President for the period from 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2022. The European Court of Auditors is the independent external audit institution of the European Union. Decision-making at EU level involves various European institutions, in particular: The advisory bodies (the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions) and national parliaments also play a role. The plan’s investments have supported the creation of 1.1 million jobs, a figure set to rise to 1.7 million by 2022. The current European Parliament President is David Sassoli. The Parliament meets in both Brussels and Strasbourg. Various institutions take part in the EU’s decision-making process, with the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission at the forefront. 90% of future global growth is forecast to come from outside Europe’s borders and a third of our national income depends on trade. Its goals are to foster a dynamic yet sustainable fishing industry, including the conservation of resources and protection of the marine environment, while ensuring fair standards of living for fishing communities. Please click here for the latest information from the European Commission on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including travel advice. Once a final text is agreed, and all translations have been done, the legislation is passed to the Parliament and the Council again so that they can adopt it as a legal act. The European Investment Bank is the bank of the European Union. The EU is working hard to cut greenhouse gas emissions and make the transition to a clean, low-carbon and sustainable economy, as well as addressing unavoidable consequences of climate change. The EU focuses on sport as a means to keep people healthy, create communities, nurture social inclusion and promote equal opportunities. According to the European Union's official website, the union's purpose is to promote peace, establish a unified economic and monetary system, promote inclusion and … It fuels growth and jobs and makes everyday life easier for people and businesses. The EU is taking action on climate change in response to changes in the Earth’s climate, in particular the rise in global temperatures due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. EU competition rules aim to ensure that all companies compete fairly and equally in the single market to the benefit of consumers, businesses and the European economy as a whole. The focus is now on making the proposals a reality for EU citizens. Altogether, from 2014 to 2020, the EU will deploy some €82 billion in external funding through grants, tenders and support for national budgets, and, increasingly, by using EU funding as ‘seed money’ to encourage local public and private investment. Deployment decisions are made jointly by national ministers from EU countries. Economic and monetary union and the euro provide the common foundations for greater stability, growth and prosperity across Europe. The European Commission works together with Member States and stakeholders to promote the role of sport and to find solutions to problems facing European sport. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a Conference on the Future of Europe to give Europeans their say on how their Union is run, and what it delivers on. Launched on 7 December 2005, the domain is available for any person, company or organization based in the European Union. Citizens can share their views on Commission initiatives at key stages of the policymaking and law-making process. The committees examine proposals for legislation, and MEPs and political groups can put forward amendments or propose to reject proposed legislation. More action is needed to ensure that air, oceans and other water resources are kept clean, that land and ecosystems are used sustainably and that climate change is kept to manageable levels. The EU’s customs union means that all Member States are working together to ensure that goods imported into the EU circulate freely and that they are safe for people, for animals and for the environment. In 2016 and 2017 the Commission fined the members of a truck producers’ cartel of six leading companies that produce more than 90% of medium-sized and heavy trucks sold in Europe: Scania, Daimler, DAF, Iveco, MAN and Volvo/Renault. To safeguard people from environment-related pressures and risks to health and well-being, EU policy aims to guarantee safe drinking and bathing water, improve air quality, reduce noise and reduce or eliminate the effects of harmful chemicals. Every EU citizen has the right to submit a petition to the European Parliament in one of the official languages of the EU, in the form of a complaint or a request, on an issue that falls within the European Union’s fields of activity. The EU agrees long-term budget plans that provide a stable basis for implementing the budget over a period of at least 5 years. The EU’s annual budget is decided jointly by the European Parliament and the Council. This is part of the capital markets union’s efforts to connect finance with the specific needs of the European economy to the benefit of the planet and our society. The customs services also prevent illegal exports of waste, since protecting the environment is one of their key tasks. Most recently, the budget has also underpinned the management of the EU’s external borders and the European response to the refugee crisis and to the threat of organised crime and terrorism. Reviewing the Commission’s work programme and requesting that it propose legislation. Enhanced trade agreements open markets for EU businesses, and action can be taken to prevent unfair competition from outside the EU. Trade deals are not an end in themselves; they also project European values and principles around the world, which is why all new trade agreements negotiated by the EU include provisions on sustainable development, notably environmental protection and labour conditions. The digital single market will also help drive the economy by ensuring the free flow of non-personal data, investing in digital skills and providing better access to online public services. That is why we must tackle them through cooperation both within the EU and with the rest of the world. This includes strengthening the rules to protect deposits in case of bank failure. The Parliament’s consent is required for all international agreements in fields covered by the ordinary legislative procedure. The Member States and the EU institution or institutions concerned then implement adopted EU laws. To be agreed, decisions usually require a qualified majority, which is defined as 55% of the Member States representing at least 65% of the total EU population. Europe’s rich cultural heritage and dynamic creative sectors bring immense enrichment, pleasure and a sense of identity to millions of people. They provide opinions on proposed legislative acts. Around 850 000 small and medium-sized companies are set to benefit from improved access to finance. The EU aims to: The EU is committed to helping businesses and industry to be competitive and to generate growth and new jobs. Safe and easy travel in the EU. Law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. promote macroeconomic and fiscal stability; improve the efficient functioning of economic and monetary union; prevent or correct macroeconomic imbalances; help to coordinate national structural policies; and. 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