Any Useful definitions

The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union.

The Commission operates in a collective way, with 27 Commissioners. There is one Commissioner per member state, though Commissioners are required to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. One of the 27 is the Commission President (currently José Manuel Durão Barroso) appointed by the European Council with the approval of the European Parliament. The second Barroso Commission took office in late 2009 and should serve a five-year term.

The term "Commission" can mean either the College of Commissioners mentioned above, or the larger institution; including the administrative body of about 25,000 European civil servants who are in departments called Directorates-General.

The European Union is a group of 27 democratic European States that joined forces to form a community and pursue common political, economic (monetary) and social objectives. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community. With almost 500 million citizens , the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (US $ 16.8 trillion in 2007).

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organisation, at G8 summits and at the United Nations. Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement.

The EU operates through a hybrid system of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. In certain areas it depends upon agreements between the member states. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of all national governments. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then, the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit.

The European Community is one of the three pillars of the European Union (EU) created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992). It is based upon the principle of supranationalism and has its origins in the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union. On 1 December 2009, with the Treaty of Lisbon into force, the EU's pillar structure was abolished. This means that the European Community, and the other two pillars, were merged and ceased to exist as separate entities.

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is held in turn by each Member State.

The Council is presided for a period of six months (from January to June, and from July to December) by each Member State in turn, in accordance with a pre-established rota.

The Presidency of the Council plays an essential role in organising the work of the institution, particularly in promoting legislative and political decisions. It is responsible for organising and chairing all meetings, including the many working groups, and for brokering compromises.

The Council will be presided over for periods of six months in accordance with the following list:

Delegation of the European Commission to the Holy See, to the Order of Malta and to the UN Organisations in Rome