HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
 2
|
"EU" redirects here. For other uses, see EU (disambiguation).
European Union Evropská unie (Czech) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||
| Motto: In varietate concordia (Latin) "United in diversity"Symbols of the EU. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2008-01-09. |
||||||
| Anthem: Ode to Joy (orchestral) |
||||||
|
||||||
| Political centres | Brussels Strasbourg Luxembourg | |||||
| Official languages |
|
|||||
| Demonym | European | |||||
| Member states |
|
|||||
| Government | Sui generis | |||||
| - | Commission | José Manuel Barroso (EPP) | ||||
| - | Parliament | Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) | ||||
| - | Council | Slovenia | ||||
| - | European Council | Janez Janša (EPP) | ||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Paris Treaty | 18 April 1951 | ||||
| - | Rome Treaty | 25 March 1957 | ||||
| - | Maastricht Treaty | 7 February 1992 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 4,324,782 km² (7th¹) 1,669,807 sq mi |
||||
| - | Water (%) | 3.08 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2008 estimate | 497,198,740 (3rd¹) | ||||
| - | Density | 114/km² (69th¹) 289/sq mi |
||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2007 (IMF) estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $14,953 billion (1st¹) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $28,213 (14th¹) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2007 (IMF) estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $16,574 billion (1st¹) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $33,482 (13th¹) | ||||
| Currency |
British poundBulgarian levCzech korunaDanish kroneEstonian kroonHungarian forintLatvian latsLithuanian litasPolish złotyRomanian leuSlovak korunaSwedish krona |
|||||
| Time zone | (UTC+0 to +2) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | (UTC+1 to +3) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .eu | |||||
| 1 | If listed among entities with traditional nation state status. | |||||
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. It was created in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community
The EU establishes a single market created by a system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital.The EU Single Market: Fewer barriers, more opportunities. Europa (web portal), European Commission. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. Activities of the European Union: Internal Market. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-29. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy.Farah, Paolo (2006). Five Years of China WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives about China\'s Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism. Social Science Research Network. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. In 1999 it introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by fifteen member states. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization (WTO), at G8 summits and at the United Nations (UN). Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement. Abolition of internal borders and creation of a single EU external frontier. Europa (web portal) (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
Much of the EU\'s functioning depends upon agreement between the member states, an intergovernmental feature common to most international organisations.Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (2006). Lexicon: Internationale Organisationen. Retrieved on 2008-03-06. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of member states. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.
The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon signed in December 2007 is intended to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union, if ratification is completed in 2008. The EU countries have almost 500 million citizens generating an estimated 31% share of the world\'s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) (US$16.6 trillion) in 2007.
Contents |
The political climate after the end of World War II favoured Western European unity, seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent.The political consequences. European NAvigator. Retrieved on 2007-09-05. One of the first successful proposals for European cooperation came in 1951 with the European Coal and Steel Community. This had the aim of bringing together control of the coal and steel industries of its member states, principally France and West Germany. This was with the aim that war between them would not then be possible, as coal and steel were the principal resources for waging war. The Community\'s founders declared it "a first step in the federation of Europe"", with the hope that this would enable Europe to pursue the development of Africa.Declaration of 9 May 1950. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-05. The other founding members were Italy, and the three Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.A peaceful Europe - the beginnings of cooperation. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
Two additional communities were created in 1957: the European Economic Community (EEC) establishing a customs union, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for cooperation in developing nuclear energy. In 1967 the Merger Treaty created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the European Communities, although more commonly just as the European Community (EC).Merging the executives. European NAvigator. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
In 1973 the European Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.The first enlargement. European NAvigator. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Norway had negotiated to join at the same time but a referendum rejected membership and so it remained outside.
The first direct, democratic elections of members of the European Parliament were held in 1979.The new European Parliament. European NAvigator. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. They were the first European elections to be held, allowing citizens to elect 410 MEPs to the European Parliament, and also the first international election in history.
Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s.Negotiations for enlargement. European NAvigator. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. The Schengen Agreement in 1985 created largely open borders without passport controls between most member states.A Europe without frontiers. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. In 1986 the European flag began to be used and leaders signed the Single European Act. This revised the way community decision making operated to take account of its greater membership, aimed to further reduce trade barriers and introduce greater European Political Cooperation.
In 1990 after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the former East Germany became part of the Community as part of a newly reunited Germany.1980-1989 The changing face of Europe - the fall of the Berlin Wall. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. With enlargement toward eastern Europe on the agenda, the Copenhagen criteria for candidate members to join the European Union were agreed.
The Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993.Treaty of Maastricht on European Union. Activities of the European Union. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-10-20.; Craig, Paul; Grainne De Burca , P. P. Craig (2006). EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials, 4th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p15. ISBN 978-0-19-927389-8. Maastricht established a revised structure and the name \'European Community\' officially replaced the earlier \'European Communities\'. The European Community now formed one of three pillars of the new European Union, which included co-operation in matters of foreign policy and home affairs. The term European Union generally replaced the term European Community, which will be abolished by the Treaty of Lisbon along with the pillar system.
Austria, Sweden and Finland joined in 1995. The Amsterdam Treaty in 1997 amended the Maastricht treaty in areas such as democracy and foreign policy. Amsterdam was followed by the Treaty of Nice in 2001, which revised the Rome and Maastricht treaties to allow the EU to cope with further enlargement to the east.
In 2002 euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. In 2004 ten new countries (eight of which had formerly been Eastern Bloc countries) joined the EU.A decade of further expansion. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. At the start of 2007 Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU and the euro was adopted by Slovenia. On 1 January 2008, Malta and Cyprus joined the Eurozone.
A treaty establishing a constitution for the EU was signed in Rome in 2004, intended to replace all previous treaties with a new single document. However, it never completed ratification after rejection by French and Dutch voters in referenda. In 2007, it was agreed to replace that proposal with a new Reform Treaty, that would amend rather than replace the existing treaties. This treaty was signed on 13 December 2007 in Lisbon and is known as the Lisbon treaty. It will come in effect in January 2009 if ratified by that date.
Kingdom |
The European Union is composed of 27 independent sovereign countries which are known as member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.European Countries. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-05. There are three official candidate countries, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia and Turkey; the western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia are officially recognised as potential candidates.European Commission - Enlargement - Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
To join the EU, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 Copenhagen European Council. These require a stable democracy which respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country\'s fulfilment of the criteria is the responsibility of the European Council.Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-26. The current framework does not specify how a country could exit the Union (although Greenland withdrew in 1985), but the proposed Treaty of Lisbon contains a formal procedure for withdrawing.
Four Western European countries that have chosen not to join the EU have partly committed to the EU\'s economy and regulations: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are a part of the single market through the European Economic Area, and Switzerland has similar ties through bilateral treaties. The EU\'s relations with Switzerland. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-16. The relationships of european microstates Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein and Vatican City can include use of the euro and other co-operation.
Mont Blanc in the Alps is the highest peak in the EU.
The territory of the EU consists of the combined territories of its 27 member states with some exceptions outlined below. The territory of the EU is not the same as that of Europe, as parts of the continent are outside the EU, such as Switzerland, Norway and European Russia. Some parts of member countries are not part of the EU, despite forming part of the European continent (for example the Channel Islands and Faroe Islands). Several territories associated with member states that are outside geographic Europe are also not part of the EU (such as Greenland, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles and all the non-European territories associated with the United Kingdom). Some overseas territories are part of the EU even if they are not geographically part of Europe, such as the Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.EUR-Lex: Official Journal. Treaty of Amsterdam. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.EUR-Lex. Consolidated Treaties on European Union and establishing the European Community. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.Where is the euro legal tender? (PDF). European Central Bank (2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
The EU\'s climate is influenced by its 69,000 km coastline. (Crete)
The EU\'s member states cover a combined area of 4,422,773 square kilometres (1,707,642 sq mi).Figure including the four French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion) which are an integral part of the EU, but excluding the French overseas collectivities and territories, which are not part of the EU. The total territory of the EU is larger than all but six countries and its highest peak is Mont Blanc in the Graian Alps, 4807 metres above sea level. The landscape, climate and economy of the EU are influenced by its coastline, which is 69,342 kilometres (43,087 mi) long. The EU has the world\'s second longest coastline, after Canada. The combined member states share land borders with 21 non-member states for a total of 12,441 kilometres (7,730 mi), the fifth longest border in the world.European countries. Europa (web portal) (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.European Union. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.Countries of the Earth. home.comcast.net (2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
Including the overseas territories of member states, the EU experiences most types of climate from Arctic to tropical, rendering meteorological averages for the EU as a whole meaningless. In practice, the majority of the population lives either in areas with a Mediterranean climate (Southern Europe), a temperate maritime climate (Western Europe), or a warm summer continental or hemiboreal climate (Eastern Europe).Humid Continental Climate. The physical environment. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
The Berlaymont in Brussels houses the Commission
The EU is based on a series of treaties. These first established the European Community and the EU, and then made amendments to those founding treaties.Sources of EU law. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-05. The treaties lay down the broad policy goals of the organisation and establish institutions with the necessary legal powers to implement those goals. These legal powers include the ability to enact legislation EUR-Lex. European Community consolidated treaty, (article 249, provisions for making regulations). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-11-08. which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants (the principle of \'direct effect\').According to the principle of direct Effect first invoked in the Court of Justice\'s decision in Van Gend en Loos v. Nederlanse Administratie Der Belastingen, Eur-Lex (European Court of Justice 1963).. See: Craig and de Búrca, ch. 5. National courts are required to enforce the EU treaties and the laws enacted under them, as membership of the organisation obliges them to do so. In the case of a conflict where a law stemming from EU legislation conflicts with another national law, the EU law is considered to take precedence (principle of \'Supremacy\').According to the principle of Supremacy as established by the ECJ in Case 6/64, Falminio Costa v. ENEL [1964] ECR 585. See Craig and de Búrca, ch. 7. See also: Factortame Ltd. v. Secretary of State for Transport (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603, Solange II (Re Wuensche Handelsgesellschaft, BVerfG decision of 22 Oct. 1986 [1987] 3 CMLR 225,265) and Frontini v. Ministero delle Finanze [1974] 2 CMLR 372; Raoul George Nicolo [1990] 1 CMLR 173. Decisions regarding EU legislation may be referred to the European Court of Justice by national courts. The EU is regulated by a number of institutions, primarily the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and European Parliament.
The EU is often described as being divided into three areas of responsibility, called "pillars". The original European Community policies form the first pillar, while the second consists of Common Foreign and Security Policy. The third pillar originally consisted of Justice and Home Affairs, however owing to changes introduced by the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, it currently only consists of Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. Broadly speaking, the second and third pillars can be described as the intergovernmental pillars because the supranational institutions of the Commission, Parliament and the Court of Justice play less of a role or none at all, while the lead is taken by the intergovernmental Council of Ministers and the European Council. Most activities of the EU come under the first, Community pillar. This is mostly economically oriented and the supranational institutions have more influence.Pillars of the European Union. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
The Commission acts as the EU\'s executive arm and is responsible for initiating legislation and the day-to-day running of the EU. It is currently composed of 27 commissioners, one from each member state. The President of the Commission and all the other commissioners are nominated by the Council. Appointment of the Commission President, and also the Commission in its entirety, have to be confirmed by Parliament.Institutions: The European Commission. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
The Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers) forms one half of the EU\'s legislature. It is composed of the national ministers responsible for the area of policy being addressed. Although the Council meets in different compositions, it is considered to be one single body.Institutions: The Council of the European Union. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. In addition to its legislative functions, the Council also exercises executive functions in relations to the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The Council\'s seat in Brussels
Highest-ranking political leadership in the EU is primarily provided by the European Council (not to be mistaken for the Council of Europe), which is similar to the Council of the European Union. The European Council is the meeting of the heads of government of the member states (e.g. the prime minister in case of the United Kingdom), plus the President of the European Commission. The European Council meets up to four times a year, is headed by the head of government of the member state which is holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and has the task to define overall EU policy and to deal with matters that could not be resolved by the ministers at normal Council meetings.
The rotating Council Presidency is taken by each member state in turn for a period of six months, during which the relevant member chairs all meetings of the European Council and the Council of Ministers. The member state holding the presidency typically uses it to drive a particular policy agenda such as economic reform, reform of the EU itself, enlargement or furthering European integration.
The Parliament\'s hemicycle in Strasbourg
The other half of the EU\'s legislature is the European Parliament. The 785 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years. Although MEPs are elected on a national basis, they sit according to political groups rather than their nationality. Each country has a set number of seats. Parliament has near-equal legislative powers with the Council in Community matters and has the power to reject or censure the Commission. The President of the European Parliament carries out the role of speaker in parliament and represents it externally. The president and vice presidents are elected by MEPs every two and a half years.Institutions: The European Parliament. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Some parties (most actively the Greens) are forming European parties.
Although the Treaties are the ultimate source of EU Law, there are a number of legislative instruments available to the EU institutions. The three main instruments are Regulations, Directives and Decisions. There is no formal hierarchy regarding the three types.
Regulations are legislative acts which become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures to have been taken by member states.See: Case 34/73, Variola v. Amministrazione delle Finanze [1973] ECR 981 Once in force their contents automatically override conflicting domestic provisions, as a result of having direct effect in the national law of the member states.
Directives require member states to achieve a certain result while leaving them discretion as to how to achieve the result within a certain time period. Directives are generally used where it is thought preferable to leave the precise details of legislative implementation to national governments.To do otherwise would require the drafting of legislation which would have to cope with the frequently divergent legal systems and administrative systems of all of the now 27 member states. See Craig and de Búrca, p. 115 Once the stated time period has passed, under certain conditions provisions within a Directive may have direct effect in national law against Member States.
Decisions offer an alternative to the two above modes of legislation. The Council and the Commission may publish in the official journal a decision, notified to a particular addressee, such as an individual trader or a company. Decisions will be found most commonly in Competition Law, or on rulings on State Aid, and can be challenged by the addressee under certain circumstances before the EU courts.
The EU\'s legal system contains a multiplicity of legislative procedures used to enact the above legislation. The treaties provide the basis for all legislation and lay down the different ways of adopting legislation for different policy areas.For a good example of this see Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty of Rome, Council Decision (2004/927/EC) of 22 December 2004 providing for certain areas covered by Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community to be governed by the procedure laid down in Article 251 of that Treaty and the Protocol on Article 67 of the Treaty establishing the European Community attached to the Nice Treaty. A common feature of the EU\'s legislative procedures is that almost all legislation must be proposed by the Commission, rather than member states or European parliamentarians. The two most common procedures are co-decision, under which the European Parliament can veto proposed legislation, and consultation, under which Parliament is only permitted to give an opinion which can be ignored by European leaders. In most cases legislation must be agreed by the council.Decision-making in the European Union. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-18. See: European Union legislative procedure.
The judicial branch of the EU consists of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance (to be renamed the "General Court" upon the entering into force of the Treaty of Lisbon). Together they interpret and apply the treaties and the law of the EU. EUR-Lex. European Community consolidated treaty, (article 220, The court of Justice). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-11-08. The Court of First Instance mainly deals with cases taken by individuals and companies directly before the EU\'s courts, and the Court of Justice primarily deals with cases taken by member states, the institutions and cases referred to the EU\'s courts by the courts of member states.The Court of Justice of the European Communities. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.;The Court of First Instance. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.; Institutions: Court of Justice. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Decisions from the Court of First Instance can be appealed to the Court of Justice but only on a point of law. EUR-Lex. European Community consolidated treaty, (article 225 (1), The court of First Instance). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
National courts within the Member States also play a key role in the EU as enforcers of EU law, and a "spirit of cooperation" between EU and national courts is laid down in the Treaties. National courts can apply EU law in domestic cases, and if they require clarification on the interpretation or validity of any EU legislation related to the case it may make a reference for a preliminary ruling to the ECJ. The right to declare EU legislation invalid however is reserved to the EU courts.
Commission President José Manuel Barroso
Two major political issues for the EU are European integration and enlargement. Enlargement, the accession of new states to the EU, is a highly politicised issue. Supporters argue it aids democracy in new members, as well as supporting the European economy as a whole. Opponents fear the EU is expanding beyond its current political capabilities, and/or cultural boundaries. Public opinion, and hence political party viewpoint, has been more sceptical towards enlargement since the simultaneous accession of 10 members in 2004. This is most acute in relation to the candidacy of Turkey.Smale, Alison (2006-06-19). Fighting EU \'enlargement fatigue\'. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.EU enlargement - voices from the debate. British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.Q&A: Turkey\'s EU entry talks. BBC News (2006-12-11). Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
Integration is another political issue, where the public view is sometimes that national interest conflicts with that of the EU. The aim of increasing harmonisation between states has meant that national powers have been transferred to the European level. This is criticised by eurosceptics who fear the loss of national sovereignty.FAQs on the EU, from the campaign trail. Sovereignty (2001). Retrieved on 2007-06-29. In 2004 the European Constitution was agreed between national leaders and the EU institutions. However it did not come into force after it was rejected in referenda in two countries, with the prospect of further rejections had attempts at ratification continued. In October 2007 European leaders finalised a new Treaty of Lisbon which contains much of the now defunct constitution, without the latter\'s constitutional terms and elements.
The treaty is expected to come into force in 2009. If ratified it will introduce more majority voting in the Council and increase the powers of the European Parliament. The treaty also proposes to abolish the EU\'s pillar system. More aspects of foreign policy will now be subject to the supranational, as opposed to intergovernmental, institutions.EU leaders agree on reform treaty. BBC News (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-27.Treaty of Lisbon at a glance. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
The Schengen Agreement has opened borders between most member states (image: German border)
Much of the EU\'s competence in the justice and home affairs area originates from the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985 on gradual abolition of border controls between six of the then ten European Community member states. In order to implement the Schengen Agreement, the signatory states included measures designed to compensate for the effect of reduced border controls in the areas of asylum, immigration and criminal justice.The Schengen acquis and its integration into the Union. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-01. The Maastricht Treaty transferred the Schengen acquis to the EU (title IV of the Maastricht Treaty as originally enacted).
Additional competencies were assigned to the EU by the Maastricht Treaty to facilitate the freedom of movement of people by adopting common rules in civil matters, such as contract and family law. EUR-Lex. Maastricht Treaty. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2008-02-28. The Maastricht Treaty also introduced the concept of citizenship of the European Union, which is complementary to national citizenship. EUR-Lex. European Community consolidated treaty, (article 17), European Citizenship). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
Amendments to these treaties by the Amsterdam Treaty added a new aim of the EU as the creation of an "area of Justice, Freedom and Security". EUR-Lex. Amsterdam treaty article 1 s.3 amending European Union consolidated treaty article 2, creating an area of freedom and justice). Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2008-02-28. That treaty also made it easier to pass laws in the justice and home affairs area and more difficult for member states to veto them. It also increased the powers of the European Parliament in relation to Justice and Home affairs\' measures, with decisions in certain matters coming to be decided by codecision. Recent legislation includes the European Arrest WarrantEuropean arrest warrant replaces extradition between EU Member States. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on 2007-09-04. and directives on family law.Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility.
The EU has established agencies to co-ordinate its actions in the justice and home affairs area: Europol for co-operation of police forces,European police office now in full swing. Europa (web portal). Retrieved on
.svg/58px-Flag of Belgium (civil).svg)
