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The European Union (EU) is a network of European countries committed to European integration and cooperation. The alliance began in 1951 between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. More recently, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, and Sweden have joined in to create a total of 15 current Member States.

The primary mission of the EU is to maintain solidarity between member states. It aims to accomplish this by:

• promoting economic and social progress through the creation of a single market and single currency between Member States
• asserting EU identity on an international scale
• introducing European citizenship, which grants additional civil and political rights to citizens of Member States
• developing an area of freedom, security and justice (this allows free movement of persons and many goods across borders of Member States)
• maintaining and building on established EU law

The European Union is governed by five institutions, which have specified responsibilities. The institutions represent the interests of the Union as a whole, its member countries and its citizens.

1. The European Parliament:

Represents the democratic free will of the Union. It supervises the Commission and all other institutions. It also shares the power to legislate and set a budget with the Council.

2. The Council:

The Council is the EU’s main decision-making body. It co-legislates with the European Parliament, coordinates economic policies, confirms international agreements between Member States, implements the common foreign and security policy, shares budgetary authority with the Parliament, coordinates law enforcement and judicial criminal matters.

3. The Commission:

The Commission is the Union’s executive body, it initiates legislation and presents legislative proposals to Parliament and the Council, implements European legislation, budget and programs adopted by Parliament and the Council, negotiates international agreements, ensures together with the Court of Justice that Community law is properly applied.

4. The Court of Justice:

Ensures compliance with Community law and uniform interpretation of laws.

5. The Court of Auditors:

Responsible for financial management and auditing of the EU budget, ensures that all the Union’s revenue has been received and that expenditures are incurred lawfully.

The institutions are further supported by the European Central Bank, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the European Investment Bank, and the European Ombudsman.

HOSPITAL | VETERINARY EDUCATION | SWITZERLAND | EUROPEAN UNION | PET REGULATIONS | FADs