The EU Knowledge You Need to Pass.

720 MEPs Strasbourg + Brussels 5-year term

The European Parliament

The only EU institution citizens elect directly — now a co-legislator.

720 MEPs, organised by political groups, not nationality
Three powers: legislative, budgetary and supervisory
Can dismiss the Commission via a motion of censure

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QMV 55% / 65% Rotating presidency (6 mo.) Art. 15 & 16 TEU

Two Councils: European Council and Council of the EU

Two very different Councils — don't confuse them.

European Council = heads of state/government; sets strategic direction
Council of the EU = ministers in configurations; co-legislator
Many decisions by qualified majority (QMV)

27 Commissioners von der Leyen II (2024–2029) Berlaymont

The European Commission

The EU executive — proposes laws, guards the treaties, runs the budget.

27 Commissioners (one per state); near-monopoly on legislative initiative
Four functions: initiative, enforcement, budget, external representation
Five-year mandate, approved by the Parliament

Luxembourg Preliminary ref. (Art. 267) Two courts

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The Luxembourg court that keeps EU law uniform.

Two tiers: the Court of Justice and the General Court
Five kinds of proceedings, incl. preliminary references and infringements
Advocates-General deliver independent opinions

Art. 13 TEU ECB — Frankfurt EIB — Luxembourg

The Other EU Bodies: ECB, ECA, EESC, CoR, EIB, EEAS, Ombudsman, Euratom

Beyond the big four — the ECB, auditors, advisory and financial bodies.

Seven formal institutions listed in Article 13 TEU
ECB runs monetary policy; the Court of Auditors audits the budget
Advisory (EESC, CoR), finance (EIB), diplomacy (EEAS), the Ombudsman

Part 3

Operating Procedures

3 chapters

OLP — Art. 294 TFEU Up to 3 readings Trilogues

How EU Law Is Made

The Ordinary Legislative Procedure, step by step.

Commission proposes; Parliament and Council co-decide as equals
Up to three readings; trilogues are the silent default
Special legislative procedures (often unanimity) for sensitive areas

~1% of GNI MFF 2021–2027 NextGenerationEU

The EU Budget and the MFF

How the EU raises and spends roughly €170 billion a year.

About 1% of EU GNI; a 7-year MFF frames the annual budgets
Funded by 'own resources' (customs, VAT-based, GNI-based)
NextGenerationEU — the post-pandemic recovery instrument

24 official languages ECI (1M signatures) Art. 9–12 TEU

EU Citizenship, Democracy and Languages

What EU citizenship gives you — plus democracy and 24 languages.

Citizenship is additional to national nationality (move, vote, petition, consular protection)
Democratic tools: European Citizens' Initiative, subsidiarity check by national parliaments
24 official languages; transparency and access to documents

Part 4

Policy Engine Rooms

3 chapters

Four freedoms Completed 1992 Art. 26 TFEU

The Internal Market and the Four Freedoms

One area, four freedoms — goods, people, services, capital.

An area without internal frontiers (Treaty of Rome 1957, completed 1992)
Free movement of goods, workers (Art. 45), establishment (49), services (56), capital
Mutual recognition and harmonisation remove barriers

20 euro countries ECB — Frankfurt SGP: 3% / 60%

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

The euro, the ECB and the fiscal rules.

A single currency and a single monetary policy run by the ECB
Convergence criteria (Art. 140 TFEU) to join the euro
Stability and Growth Pact, with the 2024 fiscal-rules reform

~70% of budget Green Deal Fit for 55

The Big-Ticket Policies: Cohesion, CAP, Environment & Climate

Cohesion, farming and climate — around 70% of the EU budget.

Cohesion policy reduces regional disparities (structural & investment funds)
The Common Agricultural Policy supports farming and rural areas
Environment & climate: the European Green Deal and Fit for 55

Part 5

The EU Outward and Inward

2 chapters

The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ)

Borders, migration, police and judicial cooperation.

The Schengen Area: free movement inside, external-border control (Frontex)
The Common European Asylum System (CEAS)
Police and judicial cooperation (Europol, Eurojust)

Schengen Frontex CEAS

HR/VP + EEAS Largest trader Unanimity (CFSP)

External Relations: CFSP, Trade, Development, Enlargement

The world's largest trading bloc and humanitarian donor abroad.

CFSP/CSDP run intergovernmentally (unanimity, HR/VP, EEAS)
Trade is the EU's most centralised external competence
Development aid, enlargement and sanctions

Part 6

Trajectory

1 chapters

Art. 48 TEU Draghi Report 2024 Letta Report 2024

Reforms, Challenges and Who's In Charge

Where the Union is heading — enlargement, competitiveness, defence.

Treaty change via Article 48 TEU; the Conference on the Future of Europe
The Draghi and Letta reports drive the competitiveness agenda
Enlargement (Ukraine, Moldova, Western Balkans) and the defence push

Part 7

Advanced Governance and Policy Tools

5 chapters

Art. 13 TEU Meroni 1958 ESMA 2014

EU Agencies, Delegation and Accountability

How specialist EU agencies add expertise without becoming unchecked institutions.

Decentralised agencies, executive agencies, supervisory authorities and joint undertakings
Delegation is bounded by founding acts, boards, audit, discharge and judicial review
Meroni and ESMA explain how technical power can be delegated safely

Art. 101 TFEU Art. 102 TFEU Reg. 139/2004

Competition Law, State Aid and Merger Control

The referee system behind the internal market: cartels, dominance, state aid and mergers.

Article 101 covers anti-competitive agreements; Article 102 covers abuse of dominance
State aid is controlled, not automatically banned
Merger control prevents structural harm before it happens

EPSR 2017 AROPE Art. 151-161 TFEU

The Social Union: Indicators, Work, Health and Skills

The EU social layer: coordination, indicators, rights, health and skills.

The European Semester links economic, employment and social coordination
AROPE, the Social Scoreboard and Gini show how social progress is measured
EU law shapes labour rights, equality, mobility, health resilience and skills

2030: -55% 2050 neutrality CBAM 2023/956

Green Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation

Climate policy as industrial strategy: ETS, CBAM, energy, transport and clean tech.

The Climate Law makes 2050 neutrality and the 2030 target legally binding
Fit for 55 links ETS, effort sharing, renewables, efficiency, land use and transport
CBAM and clean-industry tools connect climate goals to competitiveness

Digital and Competitive Europe

Digital rules, AI, cyber, chips and finance as one competitiveness agenda.

DSA governs online intermediary risk; DMA targets gatekeeper market power
The AI Act uses risk tiers and special rules for general-purpose AI
Digital Decade, chips, CMU and clean tech connect regulation to scale

DSA DMA AI Act 2024

Part 8

The Union as an Employer and the Agenda Ahead

2 chapters

Staff Regulations 1962 EPSO since 2003 9-month probation

The EU Civil Service: Staff Regulations, EPSO and Working for Europe

The rulebook you are trying to join: how EU officials are recruited, paid, protected and disciplined.

Function groups AD, AST and AST/SC; EPSO competitions, reserve lists and 9-month probation
Obligations: independence, outside activities, whistleblowing (Arts. 11-26a)
Discipline under Annex IX: IDOC, Disciplinary Board, sanctions up to removal from post

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