2. Europe & European Union
0 European Union = EU
The European Union is a group of countries whose
governments work together.
It's a bit like a club. To join you have to agree to follow
the rules and in return you get certain benefits.
Each country has to pay money to be a member. They
mostly do this through taxes.
The EU uses the money to change the way people live
and do business in Europe.
Countries join because they think that they will benefit
from the changes the EU makes.
3. What does the EU do?
0 A lot of what the EU does is about bringing people in
Europe closer together. It tries to make it easier for
Europeans to buy and sell things to each other. This is
done by changing the rules that control trade.
4. Five big things the EU has set out
to do.
1. Promote economic and social progress.
Help people earn enough money and get treated fairly.
2. Speak for the European Union on the international scene.
By working as a group the EU hopes that Europe will be listened to
more by other countries.
3. Introduce European citizenship.
Anyone from a member state is a citizen of the EU and gets special
rights.
4. Develop Europe as an area of freedom, security and justice.
Help Europeans to live in safety, without the threat of war.
5. Maintain and build on established EU law.
Make laws that protect peoples rights in the member countries.
5. EU Institutions
0 The European Parliament
This makes laws and helps to decide how much money
the EU should spend. It also checks that all the other
parts of the EU are working fairly.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are
elected every five years by the citizens of the member
states.
The European Parliament meets each month
People of the EU are represented by this institution.
6.
7. EU Institutions
0 Council of the European Union
This is where the EU's big decisions are normally made.
It's like a school council, but instead of people from
each year there are people from each country.
This institution represents the member states of the EU
Who turns up depends on what the council is talking
about. If they are talking about farms then the 28
ministers for farming would go along, one from the
government of each country.
8.
9. EU Institutions
0 The European Commission
The European Commission does the day-to-day work of
running the EU and represents the common interest of
the EU: ‘Civil service’.
It does things like making sure that that the laws the
European Parliament passes are used properly.
Members are nominated by the government of their
own member state. BUT do not represent their member
state.
10.
11. EU Institutions
0 European Council
Consists of the Heads of Government of each member
state (28) and the president of the European
Commission.
It gives the necessary impulse for the development and
sets out general objectives and priorities for the
European Union.
15. Why are there 12 stars on
the European flag?
A. Ourapanos, the mythical first European, has 12 sons.
B. The union is administered by 12 commissioners
C. To represent 12 member states
D. It is a number that represents perfection and
completeness
16. Which of these is not part of
the European Union?
A. The European Council
B. The European Commission
C. The Council of Europe
D. The Council
17. Which six countries were the
founding members of the
European Union (EU)?
A. Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands &
West-Germany.
B. France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain
& Croatia
C. Italy, West- Germany, United Kingdom, France, Austria &
Belarus
D. Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark & Spain
18. Both Finland and Norway are
members of the European Union.
A. True
B. False
19. When did Euro banknotes and
coins first come into circulation?
A. 1 st of January 2000
B. 1st of April 1998
C. 1st of January 2002
D. 31st of December 2010
23. Match the EU parliament
members and their counties.
Francois Hollande
President of France
Heinz Fischer
President of AustriaMark Rutte
President of
the Netherlands
Angela Dorothea Merkel
Chancellor of Germany
