About the EU
Here you can find information about the EU institutions, how the EU makes decisions, the Union’s budget, EU laws and which countries are members of the EU.
The EU made simple
The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Commission together make EU laws and regulations. The European Council draws up guidelines for the EU’s work. The European Court of Justice interprets EC law and the Court of Auditors audits the accounts.
The EU is a large negotiating machine that has to balance the interests of many different stakeholders. The EU Member States, the European Parliament, the Commission and the people affected by the decisions, all have opinions on what the EU should do. To deal with this, the EU has fixed rules for how decisions are made.
The EU budget for 2009 is around EUR 116 billion, which corresponds to about one percent of the EU countries’ GNP. Most of the budget is spent on agricultural support and environmental measures. The EU has no right to collect taxes, so the budget is financed by contributions from the Member States.
The basic rules for the work of the EU are decided in the treaties, inter-governmental agreements which the EU countries have signed with each other. On the basis of the treaties, the EU adopts laws which apply in different ways throughout the Union.
The European Union has 27 Member States. These are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Jessica Gow / SCANPIX
Dogs and cats travelling within the EU must have their own pet passports
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Jurek Holzer / SvD / SCANPIX
Custody disputes between parents from different EU countries must be settled in the child’s home country
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Stefan Gustavsson / SvD / SCANPIX
Manufacturers of refrigerators must now use energy labelling on their products
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Lars Pehrson / SvD / SCANPIX
In the event of a cancelled flight, you are entitled to compensation
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Marc Femenia / SCANPIX
Abused women can receive help from women’s shelters, funded by the EU
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Pizza: AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
Pensioners keep their pensions if they move to Italy
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Karin Grip / SvD / SCANPIX
‘Gute sheep’ (gutefår), graze on Gotland thanks to EU funding for farmers
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Maja Suslin / SCANPIX
Linz and Vilnius are European Capitals of Culture 2009
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Marc Femenia / SCANPIX
Chocolates must consist of one-quarter pure chocolate
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Hasse Holmberg / SCANPIX
The water at your favourite beach this summer may have been tested in accordance with the EU’s Bathing Directive
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Fredrik Sandberg / SCANPIX
At work, you are entitled to a minimum rest period of 11 hours per 24 hours
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Magnus Neideman / SvD / SCANPIX
Young people can participate in the European Voluntary Service in other countries
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: HENRIK MONTGOMERY / SCANPIX
The EU has set a cap on mobile phone rates when travelling abroad
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Fotbollsfans: David Magnusson / SvD / SCANPIX
EU regulations make it easier for you to get your German degree recognised in Sweden
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The EU in our daily lives
Photographer: Foto: Tomas Oneborg / SvD / SCANPIX /
You are entitled to health care in other EU countries
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EU Council configurations
On the Council pages, you can find information, news and events.
More about the EU
- European Parliament
- Council of the European Union
- European Commission
- Court of Justice of the European Communities
- European Court of Auditors
- Europa - Gateway to the European Union