Institutions

The Institutions of the EU - European Parliament, European Commission and Council of the European Union.

EU Presidency — 30 June 2008, 22:47 CET

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates every six months. It is the responsibility of the Presidency to ensure that the Council makes decisions on issues that fall within its competence. The Presidency has three main responsibilities: it chairs the work and meetings of the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) and some 200 other committees and working groups; it drafts the agendas for the meetings; and it chairs European Councils or EU Summits. It is also the Presidency's responsibility to represent EU Member States in dealings with other EU institutions, in particular the European Commission and the European Parliament. In addition, the Presidency, together with the European Commission, represents the European Union on the international stage. France took over the EU Presidency on 1 July 2008.

Anti-EU petition in Austria: a "success" says the far-right FPOe — 28 March 2008, 17:38 CET

 

European Defence Agency — 15 February 2008, 19:03 CET

The European Defence Agency has been created to help EU Member States develop their defence capabilities for crisis-management operations under the European Security and Defence Policy.

European Court of Auditors — 13 November 2007, 16:37 CET

The mission of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) is to audit independently the collection and spending of European Union funds and, through this, to assess the way that the European institutions discharge these functions.

Even the pro-Turkey are beginning to get tired of the carpet-selling Turkish techniques of negotiating. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Even the pro-Turkey are beginning to get tired of the carpet-selling Turkish techniques of negotiating.

So your statement that Turkey's allies (which make up a diverse group from Spain to the Nordic countries) are getting "fed up" with Turkeys tatics, is based purely on a unquantifiable assumption given your personal experiance with a few Nordic people. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

So your statement that Turkey's allies (which make up a diverse group from Spain to the Nordic countries) are getting "fed up" with Turkeys tatics, is based purely on a unquantifiable assumption given your personal experiance with a few Nordic people.

What evidence do you have of that? Again "Please don't make things up" — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

What evidence do you have of that? Again "Please don't make things up"

We need to remember that the division of Cyprus occurred when the British invited Turkey to be guarantor after Turkey had denounced any claim on Cyprus in 1922. By inviting Turkey in, it would create a conflict between the two side and that would diminish the potential of the Greek Cypriots removing their military bases. Divide and conquer it is called and has been executed to a T. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

We need to remember that the division of Cyprus occurred when the British invited Turkey to be guarantor after Turkey had denounced any claim on Cyprus in 1922. By inviting Turkey in, it would create a conflict between the two side and that would diminish the potential of the Greek Cypriots removing their military bases. Divide and conquer it is called and has been executed to a T.

We need to remeber when the division of Cyprus started — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

We need to remeber when the division of Cyprus started

Having worked with Swedes and Finns, I guaranty that last minute carpet-selling tricks are not the best way to be successful with these people !!!! — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Having worked with Swedes and Finns, I guaranty that last minute carpet-selling tricks are not the best way to be successful with these people !!!!

We need to remeber when the division of Cyprus started — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

We need to remeber when the division of Cyprus started

Oriental vs European attitude — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Oriental vs European attitude

Turkey has nobody else to blame but itself for this outcome and what will follow.Turkeys gamble didn't pay off. Turkey knows exactly what to do,to help the accession talks,but the Turkish generals have a different point of view.Why is so difficult for Turkey to order the withdrawl of her army and settlers? This will pave the way for a settlement to the Cyprus problem.By predending that this problem doesn't exist,Turkey only fools itself. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Turkey has nobody else to blame but itself for this outcome and what will follow.Turkeys gamble didn't pay off. Turkey knows exactly what to do,to help the accession talks,but the Turkish generals have a different point of view.Why is so difficult for Turkey to order the withdrawl of her army and settlers? This will pave the way for a settlement to the Cyprus problem.By predending that this problem doesn't exist,Turkey only fools itself.

Yea we'll believe it when we see it. As of late the effort has been notably half assed! — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Yea we'll believe it when we see it. As of late the effort has been notably half assed!

The EU should stand strongly and firm for her principles and show solidarity for its own EU members.Otherwise,small and vulnerable EU countries will never feal safe from bullies and aggressive neighbours.I believe the freeze of only 8 chapters is a mild punishment.Arrogant countries like Turkey,perceive this kind of punisment as approval of their aggressive behavior. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

The EU should stand strongly and firm for her principles and show solidarity for its own EU members.Otherwise,small and vulnerable EU countries will never feal safe from bullies and aggressive neighbours.I believe the freeze of only 8 chapters is a mild punishment.Arrogant countries like Turkey,perceive this kind of punisment as approval of their aggressive behavior.

Turkey is holding Cyprus as her hostage and she using it to blackmail Europe. Since Turkey believes that she will never become a member of Europe,then why she will let Northern Cyprus to slip out of her hands..? Thats why the the Turkish Cypriots in the North should resume their demostrations and demand their freedom and liberation to exercise their own wishes. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Turkey is holding Cyprus as her hostage and she using it to blackmail Europe. Since Turkey believes that she will never become a member of Europe,then why she will let Northern Cyprus to slip out of her hands..? Thats why the the Turkish Cypriots in the North should resume their demostrations and demand their freedom and liberation to exercise their own wishes.

Funny.. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Funny..

As much as Turks are scared to discuss the Armenian genocide, Turkish Cypriots are scared to ask the Turkish army and illegal settlers to leave, that why most Turkish Cypriots live in London. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

As much as Turks are scared to discuss the Armenian genocide, Turkish Cypriots are scared to ask the Turkish army and illegal settlers to leave, that why most Turkish Cypriots live in London.

For the life of me, I don't buy into Turkeys reforms. I think they are forced and they are doing them unwillingly if not at all. Turkey would like to be in the EU but there real objective is Economic benefits. There reforms are not out of righteousness. There reforms are actually smoke and mirrors. I don't think they will ever allow for freedom of speech freedom of religion or equal rights to minorities. I also don't think they can get the military out of their politics. Say anything you want about the Cyprus issue but there act was out of proportion like Israels against Lebanon this summer. If Turkey is to become European, they must first accept there mistakes and then make grater effort to surpass the bar the EU has put in front of them. Not try to go underneath it. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

For the life of me, I don't buy into Turkeys reforms. I think they are forced and they are doing them unwillingly if not at all. Turkey would like to be in the EU but there real objective is Economic benefits. There reforms are not out of righteousness. There reforms are actually smoke and mirrors. I don't think they will ever allow for freedom of speech freedom of religion or equal rights to minorities. I also don't think they can get the military out of their politics. Say anything you want about the Cyprus issue but there act was out of proportion like Israels against Lebanon this summer. If Turkey is to become European, they must first accept there mistakes and then make grater effort to surpass the bar the EU has put in front of them. Not try to go underneath it.

There is a very transparent process going on on EU checks that the reforms are being implented. So far on most targets Turkey has passed — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

There is a very transparent process going on on EU checks that the reforms are being implented. So far on most targets Turkey has passed

Nobody had forced Turkey to become an EU member. The Turks are acting like we had putted the gun in their head and had forced them without their will to become EU members.This is absurd and a deliberated act. Then the Turks had placed themselves as "the corner lot" that everyboby wants and began the bargaining with their usual paranoid demands. — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Nobody had forced Turkey to become an EU member. The Turks are acting like we had putted the gun in their head and had forced them without their will to become EU members.This is absurd and a deliberated act. Then the Turks had placed themselves as "the corner lot" that everyboby wants and began the bargaining with their usual paranoid demands.

Some EU states seek tougher steps against Turkey — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Some EU states seek tougher steps against Turkey

Denis MacShane (former UK minister for Europe) writing in the FT "Turkey's friends need to lead a diplomatic offensive to ensure the EU honours its obligations" — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Denis MacShane (former UK minister for Europe) writing in the FT "Turkey's friends need to lead a diplomatic offensive to ensure the EU honours its obligations"

Time will tell at the end of the day. Personally I think there are clear benefits of Turkey's continued accession and eventual membership. Its as the saying goes a "no brainer", do we want a country which is reforming along EU norms, allowing growing openess with its neigbours, and access to its large and rapidally growing market... — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Time will tell at the end of the day. Personally I think there are clear benefits of Turkey's continued accession and eventual membership. Its as the saying goes a "no brainer", do we want a country which is reforming along EU norms, allowing growing openess with its neigbours, and access to its large and rapidally growing market...

Some European countries for their own selfish interests had created this Turkish Dracula and they still give him injections to keep him alive. The Drakula himself never uses his brain,he relies all his moves on rumors and conspiracy theories.The British keep the Turkish monster alive...? — 15 June 2007, 17:07 CET

Some European countries for their own selfish interests had created this Turkish Dracula and they still give him injections to keep him alive. The Drakula himself never uses his brain,he relies all his moves on rumors and conspiracy theories.The British keep the Turkish monster alive...?