1. The European Union
- explained

2. European
Union
European
Parliament
European
Commission
Court of
Justice
Court of
Auditors
European
Council
Council of the
European
Union
Ireland holds
the Presidency
in 2013

3. European
Union
European
Parliament
European
Commission
European
Council
Council of the
European Union

4. European Parliament
The Parliament has three
buildings:
• One in Brussels, Belgium
• Another in
Strausbourg, France
• And Luxembourg, the
home of the 'General
Secretariat'.

5. European Parliament
There are 754 MEPs –
elected by people all
around the EU

6. • Parliament is the “first Institution” of the EU.
• The Commission is a smaller group that proposes
ideas to the large Parliament group for them to
discuss and vote on ideas

7. President of the
European Parliament
• The current
president of the
European
Parliament is Martin
Schulz.
(German)
His term will last for two and a
half years.

8. European
Commission
• Proposes Legislation
• 27 Members – elected from
the Parliament
• If the Parliament and
council pass a new piece of
legislation, it is up to the
Commission to enforce it –
Court of Justice
• It also spends the EU budget
– Court of Auditors.

9. European
Commission
• The President is
elected by the
Parliament –
José Manuel Barroso
(Portugal)

10. European Council
This is a group of all the heads of state.

11. European Council
The current president
of the European
Council is Herman
Van Rompuy
(Belgium)

12. Council of the
European Union
• The presidency is held by a country not a
person.
• The presidency rotates every 6 months.
• The meetings include ministers from member
states , for example a meeting about
agriculture would include all the ministers of
agriculture from the states – 27 representatives

13. Decision Making

14. Irish Presidency of Council
of the European Union
From January 2013 to June 2013.
On Wednesday, 24th April we watched a live
stream of an informal meeting of Energy
Ministers in Dublin. Pat Rabbitte and
Günther Oettinger spoke about the plan for
sustaining energy until 2020 and beyond.