EU institutions Flashcards

Question

European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)

Answer 1

Mandate: Offers technical expertise and operational assistance in maritime safety, security and pollution HQ: Lisbon (Portugal) Date of establishment: 2002

Answer 2

Mandate: EMA guarantees the scientific evaluation, supervision & safety monitoring of human & veterinary medicines in the EU. HQ: Amsterdam (the Netherlands) Date of establishment: 1995

Answer 3

Mandate: To provide factual, objective, reliable and comparable information on drugs and drug addiction. HQ: Lisbon (Portugal) Date of establishment: 1993 Since 2024, te EMCDDA became the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA).!

Answer 4

Mandate: European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. These include several types of fraud, VAT fraud with damages above 10 million euro, money laundering, corruption, etc. Partners: OLAF, Eurojust, Europol, European Court of Auditors, European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund. EU, judicial authorities HQ: Luxembourg Date of establishment: 2021, Regulation in 2017

Answer 5

Mandate: The ETF supports human development in neighbouring countries. The ETF supports human development in 29 partner countries (in south-eastern Europe and Turkey, eastern Europe, the southern and eastern Mediterranean and central Asia). HQ: Turin (Italy) Date of establishment: 1994

Answer 6

Mandate: Support the national authorities of EU countries to implement the Common European Asylum System by providing operational and technical assistance. HQ: Valletta, Malta Date of establishment: 2022

Answer 7

Mandate: ENISA is dedicated to achieving a high common level of cybersecurity across Europe. The Agency works with organisations and businesses to strengthen trust in the digital economy, boost the resilience of the EU’s infrastructure, and, ultimately, keep EU citizens digitally safe. It does this by sharing knowledge, developing staff and structures, and raising awareness. The EU Cybersecurity Act has strengthened the agency’s work. HQ: Headquarters in Athens with offices in Heraklion and Brussels Date of establishment: 2004

Answer 8

Mandate: provides evidence-based advice on fundamental rights HQ: Vienna (Austria) Date of establishment: 2007

Answer 9

Mandate: provides European and international law enforcement training HQ: Budapest (Hungary) Date of establishment: 20056

Answer 10

Mandate: the ERA is helping to integrate European railway systems by making trains safer and able to cross national borders without stopping. IT has worked to develop economically viable common technical standards and safety measures and targets in cooperation with the rail sector, national authorities, EU institutions and other bodies. HQ: Valenciennes, Lille Date of establishment: 2016

Answer 11

Mandate: Support the implementation of the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs policies by managing large-scale IT systems HQ: Tallinn (Estonia), operational site: Strasbourg (France), back-up site: Sankt Johann im Pangau (Austria) Date of establishment: 2011, operational since 2012

Answer 12

Mandate: EUSPA manages public interests related to the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) programmes EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System) and Galileo, the Earth observation (EO) programme Copernicus, and the European Union Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) programme HQ: Prague (Czech Republic) Date of establishment: 2004

Answer 13

Mandate: Ensuring safety and environmental protection in civil aviation in Europe Partners: European civil aviation authorities HQ: Cologne (Germany) Date of establishment: 2002

Answer 14

Mandate: The EU Intellectual Property Office manages the EU Trade Mark and Design rights, the Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights and the Orphan Works Database. HQ: Alicante (Spain) Date of establishment:1994

Answer 15

Mandate: Europol helps national law enforcement authorities fight serious international crime and terrorism. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is the EU’s law enforcement agency, whose remit is to help make Europe safer by assisting law enforcement authorities in EU member countries. HQ: The Hague (Netherlands) Date of establishment: 1999

Answer 16

Mandate: Ensure the orderly resolution of failing banks, with minimum impact on the real economy and the public finances of the participating EU countries and others Partners: European Parliament, European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB), National Resolution Authorities (NRAs), European Banking Authority (EBA) HQ: Brussels (Belgium) Date of establishment: 2015

Answer 17

Mandate: Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, supports EU and Schengen countries in the management of the EU’s external borders and the fight against cross-border crime. HQ: Warsaw (Poland) Date of establishment: 2004

Answer 18

Mandate: to improve investor protection and promote stable, orderly financial markets Members: National authorities responsible for securities markets in each EU country. Non-voting members: European Banking Authority (EBA), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), European Commission (EC), Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway HQ: Paris (France) Date of establishment: 2011

Answer 19

Mandate: Translation and related language services for EU agencies, bodies and institutions; interinstitutional cooperation HQ: Luxembourg Date of establishment: 1994

Answer 20

The Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration in the institutions and bodies of the European Union, including the European Commission, the Council of the EU, the European Parliament, the Committee of Regions, the Economic and Social Committee and all of EU agencies. Only the Court of Justice, the Court of First Instance and the Civil Service Tribunal, acting in their judicial role, are beyond his jurisdiction. The Ombudsman usually conducts inquiries on the basis of complaints but can also take the initiative to start them. The European Ombudsman’s offices are in the European Parliament’s buildings in Strasbourg.

Answer 21

1995 - 2003: Jacob Söderman 2003 - 2007: Paraskevas Diamandouros 2013 - 2025: Emily O'Reilly 2025 - today: Teresa Anjinho

Answer 22

Established by the Mastricht Treaty, embedded in Article 228 TFEU At the beginning of each parliamentary term, the procedure for electing the European Ombudsman has to be set in motion. A candidate must have the support of at least 39 Members of the European Parliament from at least two Member States.

Answer 23

Founded: 1999 Tasks: to fight fraud affecting the EU budget; investigate corruption by staff of EU institutions; and develop anti-fraud legislation and policies Scope of investigation: all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid; some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties; suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions. Type of investigations and possible action: internal, external investigations, coordination cases. After an investigation is concluded, OLAF recommends action to the EU institutions and national authorities concerned. It has no powers to prosecute or discipline no judicial, no powers to oblige national law enforcement authorities to act on its follow-up recommendations.

Answer 24

Founded: 2017, 2021 start of operations HQ: Luxembourg MS: 24 through enhanced cooperation. Task: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. These include several types of fraud, cross-border VAT fraud with damages above 10 million euro, money laundering, corruption, misappropriation of EU funds and assets by officials. Scope: All revenues, expenditures and assets covered by, acquired through, or due to the European Union budget and the budgets of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies established under the Treaties, and budgets managed and monitored by them. Action and difference to existing organisations: The EPPO undertakes investigations, carries out acts of prosecution and exercises the functions of prosecutor in the competent courts of the participating Member States, until the case has been finally disposed of. Organisations like Eurojust, OLAF and Europol do not have the necessary powers to carry out such criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Answer 25

Formed in 2004 List of holders: Peter Hustinx, Giovanni Buttarelli, Wojciech Wiewiórowski (incumbent) Appointment: By Council and EP Task: to monitor and ensure that European institutions and bodies respect the right to privacy and data protection when they process personal data and develop new policies

Answer 26

Michelle Sutton

Answer 27

Formation: 1958, established 1957 by Treaty of Rome Legal basis in Treaty: Article 13(4) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU); Articles 300-304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); HQ: Brussels Overview: advisory assembly composed of representatives from employers' associations (Group I), workers' unions (trade unions, group II) and civil society organisations (group III). Its opinions are required on the basis of a mandatory consultation in the fields established by the Treaties or a voluntary consultation by the Commission, the Council or Parliament. It may also issue opinions on its own initiative. Members and appointment: It is composed of 329 members, with proportional numbers per MS population. The members of the committee are appointed by the Council by qualified majority, on the basis of proposals by the Member States. President: Oliver Röpke

Answer 28

Mandate: The European Defence Agency (EDA) supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative, capability projects, the Agency has become the ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to cover the whole spectrum. HQ: Brussels Date of establishment: 2004

Answer 29

Mandate: The EU Satellite Centre supports the decision making and actions of the European Union in the field of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), in particular Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), including European Union crisis management missions and operations, by providing products and services resulting from the exploitation of relevant space assets and collateral data, including satellite imagery and aerial imagery, and related services. Users: Main users of SatCen services are the European External Action Service, EU Member States, EU missions and operations, the European Commission, other EU Agencies, such as Frontex, Third States and international organisations such as the UN and OSCE. HQ: Torrejón de Ardoz (Spain) Date of establishment: 2002 (originally as Western European Body in 1992)

Answer 30

Mandate: The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. It is NOT an EU agency HQ: Paris Members: 22 member countries Date of establishment: 1975

Answer 31

Mandate: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU). It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines. EMA protects public and animal health in EU Member States, as well as the countries of the European Economic Area, by ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective and of high quality. HQ: Amsterdam Date of establishment: 1995

Answer 32

History: The role of 'High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy' was created by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. - Incumbent: Kaja Kallas (since 2024). - Previous HR/VPs were Catherine Ashton (2009 – 2014), Federica Mogherini (2014 – 2019), Josep Borell (2019-2024) - Javier Solana was the fist and only High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary General of the Council of the European Union., 1999-2009

Answer 33

* its commercial (trade) policy — Articles 206 and 207 TFEU; * development cooperation — Articles 208, 209, 210 and 211 TFEU; * economic, financial and technical cooperation with non-EU countries — Articles 212 and 213 TFEU; * humanitarian aid — Article 214 TFEU; * CFSP and CSDP — (Articles 21-46 TEU); * the external dimension of other EU internal policies (such as migration, environmental protection, etc.). As part of its external action, the EU can adopt: * restrictive measures (Article 215 TFEU), * conclude international agreements (Articles 216, 217, 218 and 219 TFEU), * establish relations with international organisations and non-EU countries or * set up EU delegations (Articles 220 and 221 TFEU).

Answer 34

The Treaty of Lisbon marks an important step in the role played by national Parliaments in EU affairs, listing, for the first time, in a provision (Article 12 of the Treaty on European Union – TEU) the various ways in which national Parliaments may ‘contribute actively to the good functioning of the EU’. Their participation is ensured in 4 main ways: 1. receiving information and documents; 2. reviewing respect for the principle of subsidiarity; 3. participating in the evaluation mechanisms in the area of justice, freedom and security; 4. involvement in Treaty revision. SPECIFIC ROLE IN THE AREA OF JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND SECURITY * They participate in the evaluation of the activities of Eurojust and in the scrutiny of the activities of Europol. * In addition, national Parliaments may oppose Council decisions which extend the ordinary legislative procedure (with qualified majority in the Council) to certain aspects of family law with cross-border implications which are currently subject to a special legislative procedure with unanimity in the Council (passerelle clause in Article 81 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). INVOLVEMENT IN TREATY REVISION Furthermore, the Treaty of Lisbon associates the national Parliaments with the procedures for the revision of the treaties, as described below. * Under the ordinary and simplified revision procedures, amendments to the Treaties enter into force after being ratified (or approved, for simplified revision procedures) by all the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional provisions, which usually require parliamentary ratification. * Under the ordinary revision procedure, a Convention, which includes, among other members, representatives of national Parliaments, is convened to examine and adopt a recommendation on the revision proposals * Under the general ‘passerelle clause’ of Article 48(7) TEU, the initiative taken by the European Council to switch from the special legislative procedure to the ordinary legislative procedure, or from voting by unanimity to voting by qualified majority, must be notified to the national Parliaments and cannot be adopted if a national Parliament opposes it within 6 months.

Answer 35

Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs, since 1989 * national parliaments meet twice per year, o exchange information and best practices and to discuss issues of common European interest. * The role of COSAC is recognised in the protocol on the role of national Parliaments in the EU which states that COSAC may send the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission any contribution it deems appropriate.

Answer 36

Council configurations: * The Council meets in 10 different configurations according to the subject matter dealt with. * Except for two configurations (General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council), the mandate of each configuration is not determined by the treaties and follows from practice * The General Affairs Council ensures consistency in the work of the different Council configurations. It prepares the meetings of the European Council. It is responsible for the overall coordination of policies, institutional and administrative questions, and horizontal dossiers, which affect several of the EU’s policies. * The Foreign Affairs Council is responsible for the whole of the EU’s external action, namely the common foreign and security policy, the common security and defence policy, the common commercial policy, development cooperation and humanitarian aid. The presidency of the Council * The presidency of the Council, with the exception of the foreign affairs configuration, is held by pre-established groups of three Member States for a period of 18 months. Each member of the group chairs all Council configurations, with the exception of the foreign affairs configuration, for 6 months. The group of three Member States prepares a draft programme of Council activities for an 18-month period, which is endorsed by the General Affairs Council after holding a public debate on it. * The Foreign Affairs Council has a permanent chairperson: the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. It is possible for the High Representative to be replaced by the Member State holding the Council presidency. It is normally the case when the Council is convened to discuss common commercial policy issues. * The presidency is the driving force in carrying out the Council’s work.

Answer 37

Coreper, committees and working parties * The Council is supported by Coreper and by over 150 specialised working groups and committees, which are the preparatory bodies of the Council. * Coreper prepares the work of all the meetings of the Council and carries out the tasks assigned to it by the Council. Coreper * ensures consistency of the EU’s policies and actions and the observance of the principles of legality, subsidiarity, proportionality, and of the rules establishing the powers of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, along with the rules on procedure, transparency and the quality of drafting; * examines in advance all the items on the agenda for a Council meeting and is responsible for the preparation of each file for the Council; * endeavours to reach an agreement for each file at its level, which is then submitted to the Council; * may set up committees or working groups to carry out preparatory tasks or studies; * may adopt a number of procedural decisions, such as the decision to hold a Council meeting in a place other than Brussels or Luxembourg, the decision to use a written procedure, etc. Coreper I and II: * Coreper 2 is composed of permanent representatives, while Coreper 1 is composed of deputy permanent representatives. * Coreper 2 prepares 4 configurations: economic and financial affairs, Foreign affaits, general affairs, justice and home affairs * Mertens Group' prepares Coreper 1 * Antici group prepares Coreper 2

Answer 38

10 different configurations * General Affairs; * Foreign Affairs; * Economic and Financial Affairs * Justice and Home Affairs; * Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs; * Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space); * Transport, Telecommunications and Energy; * Agriculture and Fisheries; * Environment; * Education, Youth, Culture and Sport.

Answer 39

Seat: The Council has its seat in Brussels, but holds its meetings in Luxembourg in April, June and October. Who asks for Council: Sessions of the Council are convened by the president, on its own initiative or at the request of one of its members or of the European Commission. The president sets the provisional agenda for each Council meeting. Quorum: The quorum must be checked before a vote is taken. This is reached if the majority of members of the Council are physically present. The Council votes on the initiative of its president. Furthermore, the president opens a voting procedure on the initiative of a member of the Council or of the Commission, provided that a majority of the Council’s members so decides.

Answer 40

On 1 November 2014, a new procedure for qualified majority voting, the double majority rule, was introduced. When the Council votes on a proposal by the Commission or the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, a qualified majority is reached if two conditions are met: * 55% of the members of the Council vote in favour – i.e. 15 out of 27 (since the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU); * the proposal is supported by the members of the Council representing at least 65% of the EU population. When the Council does not act on a proposal by the Commission or the High Representative, a decision is adopted if: * there are 72% of the members of the Council voting in favour; and * they represent at least 65% of the EU population. Blocking minority is thus: To block a decision, at least countries are needed (representing at least 35% of the total EU population). A simple majority of countries (14 MS) will suffice for procedural and administrative issues. Written votes (ordinary written procedure)

Answer 41

1. Negotiates and adopts EU laws, in general together with the European Parliament, based on proposals from the European Commission. 2. Coordinates EU countries’ policies. 3. Develops the EU’s foreign and security policy, based on European Council guidelines. 4. Concludes agreements between the EU and other countries or international organisations. 5. Adopts the annual EU budget, jointly with the European Parliament.

Answer 42

Defnition: The **ECB** is the central bank of the euro area and is an independent European Union (EU) institution, representing the core of the Eurosystem, which conducts monetary policy in the euro area, and of the ESCB. **The Eurosystem** consists of the ECB and the national central banks (NCBs) of the euro area countries, whereas the **ESCB** consists of the ECB and the NCBs of all EU countries. The Eurosystem and the ESCB will co-exist as long as there are EU countries outside the euro area. ESCBrole: According to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, the primary objective of the ESCB is to maintain price stability in the EU. In addition, the ESCB supports the EU general economic policies with a view to achieving the EU’s objectives, as laid down in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union. The ESCB is governed by the decision-making bodies of the European Central Bank.

Answer 43

The ECB’s primary objective is the maintenance of price stability, i.e. safeguarding the value of the euro. Without prejudice to its primary objective, it also supports the general economic policies in the EU. The ECB was established in 1998 and is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 2009, it was given legal personality (Article 282 (3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). Tasks of ECB * define and implement the monetary policy for the euro area; * conduct foreign exchange operations; * hold and manage the official foreign reserves of the euro area countries; * promote the smooth operation of payment systems. * In addition, the ECB collects statistical information for the performance of its tasks in cooperation with the NCBs and has the exclusive right to authorise the issue of euro banknotes within the EU. * Together with the national supervisors, the ECB also carries out banking supervision in the euro area and in other participating countries within the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM).

Answer 44

Governance: * The ECB’s decision-making bodies are the Governing Council, the Executive Board and the General Council. * The Governing Council, the main decision-making body, comprises the Executive Board members and the governors of the euro area NCBs * The Executive Board, responsible for monetary policy implementation and day-to-day operations, is composed of the President and the Vice-President and four other members. * The General Council, which carries out tasks the ECB is required to perform until all EU countries have adopted the euro, comprises the President and Vice-President and the governors of the NCBs of the EU countries. * The Supervisory Board was established in the context of the SSM and carries out the tasks relating to banking supervision. It consists of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, four ECB representatives and one representative of each of the national supervisory authorities in the participating countries within the SSM.

Answer 45

The Governing Council is the main decision-making body. Its main tasks are: * to define the monetary policy for the euro area; * to adopt guidelines and decisions to achieve that aim; and * to adopt general supervisory decisions. Members: * The Governing Council is composed of the six members of the Executive Board and the governors of the NCBs of the euro-area Member States (currently 20). The number of governors therefore increases each time a new Member State joins the euro area. Governing Council: * The Governing Council, the main decision-making body of the ECB, usually meets every two weeks. * Every six weeks, it takes its monetary policy decision, such as setting key interest rates * At the other meetings, the Governing Council takes decisions related to other tasks, such as payment systems, financial stability, statistics, banknotes, legal affairs, and banking supervision. Voting rotation Governing Council * The total number of voting rights in the Governing Council of the ECB is limited to 21. The six members of the Executive Board have permanent voting rights. The remaining governors share the remaining 15 voting rights, which rotate among them every month. * The governors are allocated to groups which are formed in accordance with a ranking of euro-area Member States, based on: * their share in the aggregate gross domestic product at market prices (GDP mp) in the euro-area Member States; * their share in the total aggregated balance sheet of the monetary financial institutions of the euro-area Member States. * Currently there are two groups: the five governors in the first group share four voting rights and the remaining governors in the second group share 11 voting rights. * From 22 members onwards, there will be 3 groups

Answer 46

Overview * The financial crisis demonstrated how problems can spread throughout the financial system and directly affect people’s lives. To strengthen oversight of the system, a single supervisory mechanism (SSM) has been created to oversee banks in the euro area and other participating European Union (EU) Member States. * The SSM consists of the European Central Bank (ECB) and national supervisory authorities. The ECB does the following. * Directly supervises significant banks. A bank may be deemed as significant depending on its size, its importance to the domestic banking sector or whether it has been recapitalised by public funds. The ECB has the authority to: * conduct supervisory reviews, on-site inspections and investigations; * grant or withdraw banking licences; * assess a bank’s acquisition and disposal of qualifying holdings; * set higher capital requirements (‘buffers’) to counter current or future financial crises; * impose sanctions for any breach of EU law on credit institutions, financial holding companies and mixed financial holding companies. * Indirectly supervises banks that are considered to be less significant and are directly supervised by their national supervisory authorities. Defintion significant bank * The ECB can decide at any time to classify a bank as significant to ensure that high supervisory standards are applied consistently. * the total value of its assets exceeds €30 billion * Economic importance for the specific country or the EU economy as a whole * Cross-border activities: the total value of its assets exceeds €5 billion and the ratio of its cross-border assets/liabilities in more than one other participating Member State to its total assets/liabilities is above 20% * Direct public financia assistance: it has requested or received funding from the European Stability Mechanism or the European Financial Stability Facility * A supervised bank can also be considered significant if it is one of the three most significant banks established in a particular country.

Answer 47

Definition: ECB may impose sanctionsin the form of fines or periodic penalty payments on any undertakings that do not comply with obligations arising from ECB and European Union (EU) legal acts in the various fields of competence of the ECB.

Answer 48

Election: The officeholder is appointed by a qualified majority vote of the European Council, de facto by those who have adopted the euro, for an eight-year non-renewable term Executive Board: Consisting of the Bank’s President and Vice-President and the 4 other members, the Board is appointed by the European Council by qualified majority voting. List: * Wim Duisenberg (1998 - 2003) * Jean-Claude Trichet (2003 - 2011) * Mario Draghi (2011 - 2019) * Christine Lagarde (2019 - today)

Answer 49

* membership of the Union (opening of accession negotiations, association, serious violations of the Union's values, etc.); * change the status of an overseas country or territory (OCT) to an outermost region (OMR) or vice versa.[33] * taxation; * the finances of the Union (own resources, the multiannual financial framework); * harmonisation in the field of social security and social protection; * certain provisions in the field of justice and home affairs (the European prosecutor, family law, operational police cooperation, etc.); * the flexibility clause (352 TFEU) allowing the Union to act to achieve one of its objectives in the absence of a specific legal basis in the treaties; * the common foreign and security policy, with the exception of certain clearly defined cases; * the common security and defence policy, with the exception of the establishment of permanent structured cooperation; * citizenship (the granting of new rights to European citizens, anti-discrimination measures); * certain institutional issues (the electoral system and composition of the Parliament, certain appointments, the composition of the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, the seats of the institutions, the language regime, the revision of the treaties, including the bridging clauses, etc.).

Answer 50

Auditors: This is an EU institution that operates as a collegiate body of 27 members, one from each EU country. The members are nominated by their national government and appointed (for a renewable term of 6 years) by the Council, after consulting the European Parliament. President: The Court of Auditors is headed by a president, who is elected for a renewable term of 3 years by the members from among their number.

Answer 51

* Elects its own President: by qualified majority in the European Council; post held for a 2.5 year term, renewable once * Proposes a candidate for the President of the European Commission: by a qualified majority in the European Council * Appoints the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: by qualified majority, with the agreement of the Commission President * Appoints the European Commission (the Commissioners and President, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy): by qualified majority (after they have been approved by the European Parliament) * Appoints the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB): appointment made following a recommendation by the Council to the European Council, reached after consulting the European Parliament and the ECB’s Governing Council; appointment approved by a qualified majority in the European Council

Answer 52

* post held for a 2.5 year term, renewable once * nominated by political groups or a minimum of 38 MEPs * election held by secret ballot * maximum of 4 ballots * candidate must win an absolute majority of votes cast, i.e. 50% plus one.

Answer 53

Appointment: CoR members are proposed by the governments of the 27 Member States and appointed by the Council for 5 years. Council Decision (EU) 2019/852 sets the number of members at 329 following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU. The Council and the Commission must consult the CoR before taking decisions on: * economic, social and territorial cohesion, * Structural Funds, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund; * employment and social policy; * education, youth, vocational training, culture and sport; * environment, energy and climate change; * transport and trans-European networks; * and public health. Subsidiarity principle: Under Protocol No 2 annexed to the treaties (Article 8) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the CoR may also ask the Court of Justice to assess whether a legislative act that required the consultation of the CoR before its adoption complies with the subsidiarity principle.

Answer 54

The EESC includes the following three groups. * Employers’ organisations. Members from private and public sectors of industry, small businesses, chambers of commerce, wholesale and retail trade, banking and insurance, transport and agriculture (Group I). * Employees. Members from national trade union organisations, both at the level of confederations and of sectoral federations (Group II). * Civil society organisations. For example, farmer and consumer organisations, small businesses, the crafts sector and liberal professions and non-governmental organisations in the field of social and environmental protection (Group III). Appointment: EESC members are proposed by the governments of the EU Member States and are appointed by the Council for 5 years. Decision (EU) 2019/853 sets the current number of members at 329 following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.

Answer 55

1. Walter Hallstein (1958-1967) 2. Jean Rey (1967-1970) 3. Franco Maria Malfatti (1970-1972) 4. Sicco Mansholt (1972-1973) 5. François-Xavier Ortoli (1973-1977) 6. Roy Jenkins (1977-1981) 7. Gaston Thorn (1981-1985) 8. Jacques Delors (1985-1995) 9. Santer (1995-1999) 10. Manuel Marín (1999-1999) 11. Romano Prodi (1999-2004) 12. Barroso (2004-2014) 13. Juncker (2014-2019) 14. VDL (2019-today)

Answer 56

Jerzy Buzek Martin Schulz Antonio Tajani David Sassoli Roberta Metsola

Answer 57

1. Herman Van Rompuy (2010-2014) 2. Donald Tusk (2015-2019) 3. Charles Michel (2020-2024) 4. Antonio Costa

Answer 58

David O'Sullivan (2005-2010) Catherine Day (2005-2015) Alexander Italiener (2015-2018) Martin Selmayr (2018-2019) Ilze Juhansone (since 2019)

Answer 59

* has overall direction of the Parliament and its various operations; * represents Parliament; * ensures observance of the rules and maintains order; * opens, suspends and closes sittings, chairs the debates and supervises voting; * rules on the admissibility of amendments, of other texts put to the vote and of parliamentary questions; and * refers to parliamentary committees matters that concern them. Quaestor: Questors are responsible for administrative and financial matters directly concerning MEPs.

Answer 60

* The Bureau consists of the President and 14 Vice-Presidents. It decides on financial, organisational and administrative matters affecting the Parliament. * The Conference of Presidents consists of the President and the Chairs of the political groups (see below). It organises the Parliament’s political work and decides legislative planning. * The Conference of Committee Chairs consists of the chairs of all standing and special parliamentary committees. It may make recommendations on committee work and plenary session agendas. * The Conference of Delegation Chairs consists of the chairs of all Parliament delegations to parliaments elsewhere in the world. It may make recommendations on the work of delegations.

Answer 61

Political groups are formed by MEPs on the basis of their political affinities. A minimum of 23 MEPs, elected in at least a quarter of EU Member States, is required to form a group. They receive financial and administrative support depending on their size.

Answer 62

* Article 234 TFEU and Art 17 TEU * A motion of censure in respect of the Commission may be submitted to the President by one tenth of the component Members of Parliament. If a motion of censure has been voted on in the preceding two months, any new one tabled by less than one fifth of the component Members of Parliament shall be inadmissible. * Quorum is 2/3rd of all votes, with more thatn 50% of MEPs present,

Answer 63

Legislative procedures * ordinary legislative procedures (1st, 2nd and 3rd readings), where Parliament acts as co-legislator with the Council; * consultation procedures, where Parliament submits an opinion on a draft legal act; consent procedures, where Parliament’s agreement is necessary before adoption of a legal act. Own-initiative procedures * Rifht of initaitev in Non-legislative reports arliament can also prepare non-legislative own-initiative reports on specific subject matters: * Constitutional matters, where rules cover the Parliament’s role when the EU’s treaties are amended, a new country joins the EU or an EU Member State decides to leave the EU. * Budgetary procedures, where rules cover both the consideration of the annual EU budget and its multiannual financial framework. * International agreements, where the Parliament’s approval or opinion is required for international agreements. It may also be consulted on aspects of the EU’s common foreign and security policy.

Answer 64

* Standing committees prepare Parliament’s decisions at plenary level by submitting reports and other documents in their specific field of competence. * Special committees may be established for a given term and a specific subject area. * Committees of inquiry may be set up to investigate alleged contraventions of EU law or possible maladministration.

Answer 65

These rules are contained in the * Staff Regulations and * the Code of Good Administrative Behaviour, annexed to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure

Answer 66

Members of the EU staff may not accept gifts or favours from third parties without obtaining prior permission, unless the value of the gift does not exceed €50 and there is no accumulation.

Answer 67

* EU staff is obliged to be independent, impartial, objective and loyal. Any personal interest or any interest in any business or organisation that could compromise the respect of these obligations must be declared immediately. * Outside activities covered by these rules, paid or unpaid, must first be approved. Staff members must also inform the institution for which they work if: 1. their spouse is employed and where; or 2. a personal interest that might impair their independence or any other conflict of interest occurs, in the course of performance of their duties.

Answer 68

* If a member of the EU staff wishes to leave his or her institution and begin a new job within 2 years, he or she must inform the Commission in order to obtain prior authorisation. * If that activity is related to work carried out during their last 3 years in service and might conflict with the legitimate interests of the Commission, the Commission may forbid it or approve it, subject to any necessary conditions. * Senior officials are in principle prohibited, in the 12 months after leaving service, from engaging in lobbying or other advocacy vis-à-vis their former institution on matters for which they were responsible during their last 3 years in service.

Answer 69

Art 17 TEU: In carrying out its responsibilities, the Commission shall be completely independent. Without prejudice to Article 18(2), the members of the Commission shall neither seek nor take instructions from any Government or other institution, body, office or entity. They shall refrain from any action incompatible with their duties or the performance of their tasks.

Answer 70

**Art 339 TFEU: **The members of the institutions of the Union, the members of committees, and the officials and other servants of the Union shall be required, even after their duties have ceased, not to disclose information of the kind covered by the obligation of professional secrecy, in particular information about undertakings, their business relations or their cost components.

Answer 71

In these declarations, individual European Commission Members are obliged to declare * any positions held in the last ten years, * their financial interests which could give rise to a conflict of interest and * their membership of bodies intended to influence the exercise of public functions The European Parliament examines the declarations in the context of the hearings of Commissioners-designate before their appointment. The declarations are updated at least on an annual basis, scrutinised under the authority of the President of the Commission and then published. They are also available in a machine-readable format.

Answer 72

* declaration of interest * information on the meetings held between Commissioners and interest representatives * the costs of Commissioners' individual business travel * list of gifts recevied by Commissioners

Answer 73

* the Code of Conduct provides for a two-year scrutiny period (three years for the former Commission President) * Commissioners are obliged to notify the professional activities in which they intend to engage during this period. * If the intended activity is linked to the Commissioner's former portfolio, the Commission can only give its approval after having consulted the Independent Ethical Committee. * The Commission adopts its Decision after having received the Opinion of the Independent Ethical Committee.

Answer 74

The Independent Ethical Committee advises the Commission on whether the planned activities of Commissioners after leaving office are compatible with the Treaties. The President may also seek the advice of the Independent Ethical Committee on any other ethical question relating to the Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission.

Answer 75

* In the event of a breach of their obligations, the Court of Justice may deprive former Commissioners of their rights to a pension or other benefits * he Commission may also decide, taking into account the Opinion of the Independent Ethical Committee and on proposal of the President, to express a reprimand and, where appropriate, make it public. * In any case, the President of the European Commission always has the power to ask individual Commissioners to resign.

Answer 76

* interpreting the law (preliminary rulings) * enforcing the law (infringement proceedings) * annulling EU legal acts (actions for annulment) * ensuring the EU takes action (actions for failure to act) * sanctioning EU institutions (actions for damages)

Answer 77

The CJEU is divided into 2 courts: * Court of Justice – deals with requests for preliminary rulings from national courts, certain actions for annulment and appeals. * General Court – rules on actions for annulment brought by individuals, companies and, in some cases, EU governments. In practice, this means that this court deals mainly with competition law, State aid, trade, agriculture, trade marks.

Answer 78

The Court of Justice is made up of 27 judges, 1 from each member state, and 11 advocates general, all of whom are appointed to renewable six-year terms by consensus of the states. In each Court, the judges select a President who serves a renewable term of 3 years. The General Court is made up of 2 judges from each member state, also appointed by consensus of the states. Since February 2020 the General Court is composed of 54 Judges.

Answer 79

Written stage 1. The parties give written statements to the Court - and observations can also be submitted by national authorities, EU institutions and sometimes private individuals. 2. All of this is summarised by the judge-rapporteur and then discussed at the Court's general meeting, which decides: 3. How many judges will deal with the case: 3, 5 or 15 judges (the whole Court), depending on the importance and complexity of the case. Most cases are dealt with by 5 judges, and it is very rare for the whole Court to hear the case. 4. Whether a hearing (oral stage) needs to be held and whether an official opinion from the advocate general is necessary. Oral stage – a public hearing 1. Lawyers from both sides can put their case to the judges and advocate general, who can question them. 2. If the Court has decided an Opinion of the advocate general is necessary, this is given some weeks after the hearing. 3. The judges then deliberate and give their verdict. General Court procedure is similar, except that most cases are heard by 3 judges and there are no advocates general.

Answer 80

If you – as a private individual or as a company – have suffered damage as a result of action or inaction by an EU institution or its staff, you can take action against them in the Court, in one of 2 ways: * indirectly through national courts (which may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice) * directly before the General Court – if a decision by an EU institution has affected you directly and individually. If you feel that the authorities in any country have infringed EU law, you must follow the official complaints procedure.

Answer 81

Since October 2024, the Court of Justice shares its jurisdiction over references for a preliminary ruling with the General Court. References for a preliminary ruling which come exclusively within the following areas are, in principle, transferred to the General Court: 1. The common system of value added tax; 2. Excise duties; 3. The customs code; 4. The tariff classification of goods under the combined nomenclature; 5. Compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding or delay or cancellation of transport services; 6. The system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading. Nevertheless, the Court of Justice retains jurisdiction to hear and determine requests for a preliminary ruling which, although connected with the specific areas mentioned above, also concern other areas. It also retains jurisdiction over requests for a preliminary ruling which, although they come within one or more of those specific areas, raise independent questions relating to the interpretation of: * primary law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; * public international law; or * general principles of Union law.

Answer 82

* Direct actions brought by individuals against acts of the institutions, bodies, offices or agencies of the European Union. * Actions brough by member states against the Commission. * Actions seeking compensation for damages. * actions brought by the Member States against the Council relating to acts adopted in the field of State aid, trade protection measures (dumping) and acts by which it exercises implementing powers; * Actions relating to Community trademarks (brought against the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and against the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)) * Some preliminary rulings aince 2024 reform * actions based on contracts made by the European Union which expressly give jurisdiction to the General Court; * disputes between the institutions of the European Union and their staff concerning employment relations and the social security system. The decisions of the General Court may, within two months, be subject to an appeal before the Court of Justice, limited to points of law.

Answer 83

The Court may sit as a full court, in a Grand Chamber of 15 Judges or in Chambers of three or five Judges. The Court sits as a full court in the particular cases prescribed by the Statute of the Court (including proceedings to dismiss the European Ombudsman or a Member of the European Commission who has failed to fulfil his or her obligations) and where the Court considers that a case is of exceptional importance. It sits in a Grand Chamber when a Member State or an institution which is a party to the proceedings so requests, and in particularly complex or important cases.

Answer 84

* **References for a preliminary ruling.** All requests for a preliminary ruling are initially lodged with the Court of Justice, which determines whether the conditions are satisfied for their transfer to the General Court. * **Actions for failure to fulfil obligations** These actions enable the Court of Justice to determine whether a Member State has fulfilled its obligations under European Union law. The action may be brought by the Commission – as, in practice, is usually the case – or by a Member State. * **Actions for annulment**: By an action for annulment, the applicant seeks the annulment of a measure (in particular a regulation, directive or decision) adopted by an institution, body, office or agency of the European Union. **The Court of Justice** has exclusive jurisdiction over actions brought by a Member State against the European Parliament and/or against the Council (apart from Council measures in respect of State aid, dumping and implementing powers) or brought by one European Union institution against another. T**he General Court has jurisdiction**, at first instance, to hear and determine all other actions of this type, in particular, actions brought by individuals. * **Actions for failure to act**: Jurisdiction to hear actions for failure to act is shared between the Court of Justice and the General Court according to the same criteria as for actions for annulment. * **Appeals**: Appeals on points of law only may be brought before the Court of Justice against judgments and orders of the General Court.

Answer 85

1. The Judges deliberate on the basis of a draft judgment drawn up by the Judge-Rapporteur. 2. Each Judge of the formation concerned may propose changes. 3. Decisions of the Court of Justice are taken by majority and no record is made public of any dissenting opinions. 4. Judgments and the Opinions of the Advocate General are available on the CURIA internet site on the day they are delivered.

Answer 86

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors compliance with the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (the EEA EFTA States). ESA's primary task is to ensure that relevant EU law is properly transposed and enforced by the EEA EFTA States - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In this context, ESA broadly performs the same roles as the European Commission, and the two bodies work closely together. f an EEA EFTA State does not implement EEA rules or does not to so correctly or in a timely manner, ESA may initiate infringement proceedings against the EEA EFTA State concerned.

Answer 87

* Border checks between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were first dropped in 1985 * 29 in total * The EU countries Cyprus (controls at the internal orders not yet lifted) and Ireland are not part of the Schengen area. * Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are in the Schengen area but are not EU member states, all EFTA states From 1 January 2025 Bulgaria and Romania are fully part of the Schengen area.

Answer 88

* principle of the direct effect of Community law in the Member States, which now enables European citizens to rely directly on rules of European Union law before their national courts - starting with Van Gend & Loos in 1963 * primacy of Community law over domestic law - Costa judgment in 1964 * liability of a Member State to individuals for damage caused to them by a breach of Community law by that State. Since 1991, European citizens have therefore been able to bring an action for damages against a State which infringes a Community rule - Francovich and Others case in 1991

Answer 89

* Free movement of goods with Cassis de Dijon judgment in 1979 * Freedom of movement of persons with Kraus case in 1993 or Bosman in 1995

Answer 90

Mandate: The Single Resolution Board (SRB) ensures the orderly resolution of failing banks, with minimum impact on the real economy and the public finances of the participating EU countries and others Partners: European Parliament, European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB), National Resolution Authorities (NRAs), European Banking Authority (EBA) HQ: Brussels (Belgium) Date of establishment: 2015

Answer 91

The Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations has been established for the purpose of registering, controlling and imposing sanctions on European Political Parties and European Political Foundations in charge of registering, controlling and imposing sanctions on European political parties and European political foundations. HQ: Brussels FOunded in 2016

Answer 92

- Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking - Chips Joint Undertaking - Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking - Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking - European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) - Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking - Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) - SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking (Modernising air-traffic management, singel European Sky) - Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking

Answer 93

The Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) is a decentralised EU agency that will coordinate national authorities to ensure the correct and consistent application of EU rules. HQ: Frankfurt Date of inception: 2024 (proposed in 2021) Tasks: - Directly supervising selected financial sector entities that operate on cross border basis and present high risk of money laundering and terrorism financing, as well as indirectly supervising other entities in the financial and non-financial sectors - Supporting and coordinating Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) by facilitating joint cross-border cases analyses, enabling controlled information exchange, providing capabilities, advanced data analytics and managing the common FIU.net information system - Complementing EU AML/CFT rules by developing regulatory and implementing technical standards and issuing guidelines

Answer 94

Role: manages the EU's contribution to ITER and cooperates with Japan on fusion R&D projects Established in: 2007 Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Answer 95

Role: Ensure the orderly resolution of failing banks, with minimum impact on the real economy and the public finances of the participating EU countries and others Partners: European Parliament, European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB), National Resolution Authorities (NRAs), European Banking Authority (EBA) Established in: January 2015 Location: Brussels (Belgium)

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