The rejection of the Fouchet Plan by the other 5 member states had far-reaching consequences, such as the vetoing of the UK's entry into the EU, the empty chair crisis, and the Luxembourg compromise.
The Helsinki European Council in December 1999 authorised accession negotiations with six candidate countries: Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia.
An informal meeting of foreign ministers held in Ioannina, Greece, on 29 March 1994, which discussed Council decision making and the national veto.
It originated from the "empty chair crisis" instigated by President De Gaulle, and its effect was that Qualified Majority Voting was used far less often and Unanimity became the norm.
The Luxembourg European Council in December 1997 authorised accession negotiations with six candidate countries: Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
The Schengen Agreement, dealing with cross-border legal arrangements and the abolition of systematic border controls among the participating countries, was created independently of the European Union.
The body of Community law, as well as all acts adopted under the second and third pillars of the European Union and the common objectives laid down in the Treaties.
In 1988, a study called "The Costs of Non-Europe" was commissioned to evaluate the gains achieved from creating the European Single Market, and since known as the "Checchini Report".
Its members were France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands who pooled their steel and coal resources and create a common market for those products.
The Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs was proposed by the French National Assembly and has met every 6 months since 1989.
The Parliament's Science and Technology Options Assessment unit, whose work is carried out in partnership with external experts.
Notably, the report contained proposals for direct elections to the European Parliament, the Monetary Union and the Common Foreign and Security policy.
[2][3] Members of the Antici Group also take notes of the discussions by heads of state or government at European Council meetings.
This committee was set up by Article 36 of the EU Treaty, and co-ordinates police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
The EFC prepares the work of the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council, in particular regarding excessive deficit procedures and issues related to the euro.
The Economic Policy Committee (EPC) was set up in 1974 and is made up of representatives of the Member States, the ECB and the commission.
Homestate regulation is a term used in EU law for cross-border selling or marketing of goods and services.
At the European Summit in The Hague in 1969, the Heads of State and Government of the EC agreed to prepare a plan for the creation of an economic and monetary union.
Established in 1994, the CoR was set up to acknowledge the significance of the regions, some of which, such as Andalusia, are larger than some Member States, e.g., Malta or Luxembourg.
The Publications Office also publishes a range of other titles, both on paper and electronically, on the activities and policies of the European Union.
It was created on 26 July 2002, beginning work in 2003, to organise open competitions for highly skilled positions within EU institutions such as the European Commission, Parliament, Council.
Its aim is to promote cooperation between European Union institutions in the area of training, to support the spread of common values and harmonised professional practices, and to create synergies in the use of human and financial resources.
They are typically set up by an act of secondary legislation to deal with a specified narrower field, or to aaccomplish a very specific technical, scientific or managerial task.
The European Defence Community (EDC) was a plan proposed in 1950 by René Pleven, the French Prime Minister, in response to the American call for the rearmament of West Germany.
The intention was to form a pan-European defence force as an alternative to Germany's proposed accession to NATO, meant to harness its military potential in case of conflict with the Soviet bloc.
It is directly attached to the private office of the High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, currently Josep Borrell, and is formally part of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.
This is especially used in enlargement matters, to help the candidate member state to acquire the structures, human resources and management skills needed to implement the 'acquis communautaire'.
The Council of Europe (French: Conseil de l'Europe) is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949.
It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation.
Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections.