Glossary

a

• ADR

  Alternative Dispute Resolution: extra-judicial procedures used for resolving civil or commercial disputes.

• ANEC

  Consumer organisation for the creation of technical standards.

• Access to justice

  One of three priorities set out by the EU to enable individuals and companies to exercise their rights in an EU country other than their own. Other priorities are mutual recognition of judicial decisions and increased convergence in procedural law.

• Accession negotiations

  Negotiations between the EU and countries preparing to join the EU, in which justice forms a key part.

• Accession partnership

  Agreements between the EU and each country applying to join the EU, which set a framework for the countries to adopt or move closer to EU policies and work alongside the EU to achieve this objective.

• Accession process

  Negotiations between the EU and countries applying to join the EU, and the convergence of applicants' laws with EU law.

• Acquis communautaire

  The "acquis communautaire" or Community patrimony is the body of common rights and obligations that bind all the EU countries together within the EU.

• Action plan

  Concerted measures between two or more countries to achieve a certain set of previously accepted objectives.

• Administrative burden

  The cost of administrative activities that businesses conduct solely in order to comply with legal obligations.

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

  Extra-judicial procedures used for resolving civil or commercial disputes.

• Amphetamine and amphetamine-type stimulants

  The amphetamine-like drugs include amphetamine itself (speed), methamphetamine and ecstasy (MDMA), among many others.

  They are central nervous system stimulants and among the most commonly used drugs in the EU. Amphetamines are sold in form of powders, liquids, crystals, tablets and capsules.

• Amsterdam Treaty

  Reorganised cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, setting as its objective the establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice. Certain sectors formerly in the intergovernmental section of the EU and EC Treaties were brought within the Community framework, giving EU institutions scope for action on a wider range of issues.

• Applicable law

  Applicable law is a specific concept of private international law   and refers to the national law that governs a given question of law in an international context. A court hearing an action does not necessarily apply its national law to settle the dispute. The law that is actually applicable is determined by the rules of conflict of laws.

• Article 29 Working Party

  The Data Protection Working Party was established by Article 29 of the 'Data Protection Directive '.
  It provides the Commission with independent advice on data protection matters, and helps in the development of harmonised policies for data protection in the EU countries.

• Authentic instrument

  An authentic instrument is a document recording a legal act or fact whose authenticity is certified by a public authority. Certain authentic instruments are enforceable  .

b

• BEUC

  A European consumer organisation representing national consumer organisations.

• BZP

  1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) is a synthetic substance.

  Like amphetamine and methamphetamine, BZP is a central nervous system stimulant, but with a much lower potency (around 10 % of that of d-amphetamine).

  EU wide control measures of BZP came into effect in March 2008.

• Behavioural advertising

  An advertising based on the observation of the behaviour of individuals over time.
  It seeks to study the characteristics of this behaviour through their online actions (repeated site visits, interactions, keywords, online content production etc.). From this a specific profile can be developed to provide individuals with advertisements tailored to match their interests.

• Belief

  EU citizenship confers the right to protection from discrimination on the grounds of, among other things, belief. This is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

• Best interests of the child

  In all actions relating to children, taken by public authorities or private institutions, the child's best interests must be a primary consideration.

• Binding corporate rules

  Codes of practice drawn up and followed voluntarily by multinational organisations.
  These rules aim to ensure adequate safeguards for transfers of personal data between companies, which are part of the same corporate group, and that are bound by these corporate rules.
  They are based on European data protection standards.

• Brussels I

  The expression Brussels I is often used to refer to Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition   and enforcement   of judgments in civil and commercial matters.

• Brussels IIa

  The expression Brussels IIa is often used to refer to Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 on jurisdiction and the recognition   and enforcement   of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility. The Regulation lays down rules governing international jurisdiction   and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in cases concerning divorce, separation and annulment of marriage and judgments concerning parental responsibility.

• Buprenorphine

  Buprenorphine is one of the synthetic opioid drugs used in substitution therapy.

  This is a form of treatment which can help problem drug users to regain a normal life while being treated with a substance that stops him from experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

• Business-to-business (B2B) contract

  A contract concluded between businesses (persons acting in the exercise of their trade or profession).

• Business-to-consumer (B2C) contract

  A contract concluded between a consumer (a natural person acting for a purpose outside its trade or profession) and a business (person acting in the exercise of its trade or profession).

c

• "Crack" cocaine

  "Crack" Cocaine is a street term for cocaine that has been treated for use by smoking or inhaling vapours to provide immediate and intense effects.

• Cannabis

  Cannabis is naturally occurring drug made from parts of the cannabis plant. It is a mild sedative and a mild hallucinogen. The main active compound in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

  It is the most widely used drugs in the EU.

• Case law

  Case-law is used internationally to refer to rules of law flowing from a set of convergent decisions of the courts. The case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union is particularly rich in decisions on the interpretation of the Union treaties, directives and regulations. It is a source of Union law.

• Charter of Fundamental Rights

  The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union consolidates rights contained in Community Treaties, EC Court of Justice case-law, international conventions, constitutional traditions common to the Member States and a range of European Parliament declarations.

• Child

  As defined by art.1 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.

• Cloud computing

  Internet-based computing whereby software, shared resources and information are on remote servers ('in the cloud').
  Cloud computing describes a new consumption and delivery model for IT services based on the Internet.

• Co-decision

  The co-decision procedure was introduced under the Treaty of Maastricht.
  It gives the European Parliament the power to adopt legislative texts jointly with the Council of the European Union. The Council cannot adopt legislation without the EP's assent.

• Cocaine

  Cocaine is a stimulant drug extracted from the leaves of the coca bush.

  The chemical name of the processed drug is cocaine hydrochloride and it is generally sold 'on the street' as a crystalline powder, known by a range of street names, such as 'coke', 'snow' and 'Charlie'.

• College

  As specified in the rules of procedure , the Commission must meet at least once a week for a weekly meeting of the Commissioners  .

• Comitology

  Committees consisting of representatives from EU countries and chaired by the Commission.
  They assist the Commission as it drafts legislative instruments.

• Commission Communication

  A Communication is a policy document with no mandatory authority. The Commission takes the initiative of publishing a Communication when it wishes to set out its own thinking on a topical issue. A Communication has no legal effect.

• Commission Recommendation

  In EU law  , a Recommendation is a legal instrument that encourages those to whom it is addressed to act in a particular way without being binding on them. A recommendation enables the Commission (or the Council) to establish non-binding rules for the EU countries or, in certain cases, Union citizens.

• Common Frame of Reference

  In January 2003 the Commission adopted an Action Plan  

• Conflict of jurisdiction

  See "international jurisdiction  ".

• Conflict of laws

  See "applicable law  ".

• Consular Protection

  An EU citizen, travelling to or living in a non-EU country where his/her EU country is not represented by an embassy or consulate, has the EU right to enjoy the protection of the diplomatic and consular authorities of any EU country under the same conditions as the nationals of that country.

• Consumer Markets Scoreboard

  The collection and interpretation of data on consumer markets is available on the DG SANCO website  .

• Consumer Policy Network (CPN)

  Network of senior officials in the field of consumer policy and forum for policy coordination and development.

• Consumer Policy Strategy (CPS)

  Communication from the Commission that sets out the challenges, role, priorities and actions of EU consumer policy for several years.

• Consumer Protection Cooperation System

  IT tool that enables cooperation between national consumer protection authorities in the field of consumer protection enforcement.

• Consumer acquis

  The body of consumer rights applicable to all EU countries.

• Contractual obligations

  Where two people conclude a contract, they generally enter into a two-way obligation - one undertakes to provide the other with goods or a service and the other undertakes to pay the price. Each of the parties to the contract is also bound by an obligation towards the other to compensate him if the contract is not performed properly or not performed at all.

• Controller

  Natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

• Convention

  Conventions can also be known as treaties or agreements and are the most widely-used instruments of public international law  . A convention is an agreement between several States and/or international organisations laying down the law in relations between them and between their respective nationals.

• Coreper

  The Permanent Representatives Committee, comprising representatives of EU countries, is responsible for the preparation of all meetings of the Council at Ministerial level.

• Council

  The Council of the European Union is the responsible body which endorses EU legislation.

d

• (Proposal for a) Directive on Consumer Rights (CRD)

  This proposal for a Directive aims to merge four existing EU consumer Directives into a single updated and modernised set of rules for consumer rights.

• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

  A process whereby a conscious and systematic effort is made to assess privacy risks to individuals in the collection, use and disclosure of their personal data. DPIAs help to identify privacy risks, foresee problems and develop solutions.

• Data subject

  An identified or identifiable person to whom specific personal data relates.
  It is someone who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identification number or to one or more specific factors (physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural, social).

• Debtor

  The party owing a debt to another party. EU measures relating to insolvency proceedings having cross-border effects make it more difficult for a debtor to escape obligations.

• Decision

  In EU law  , a decision is a legislative instrument that is binding in its entirety on all those to whom it is addressed.

• Dignity

  The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights includes a section dealing with dignity. Citizens can refer to it to challenge decisions taken by EU institutions and Member States -only when they implement the EU law.

• Directive

  In EU law   a directive is a legislative instrument that is binding on the EU countries to whom it is addressed as regards the result to be attained but leaves them free to determine the form and methods.

• Discrimination

  Non-discrimination is one of the values on which the EU is founded. The Treaty protects against discrimination on the basis of EU nationality. The Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination on any ground, such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation as well as on the grounds of nationality in the area of EU law.

• Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR)

  In 2005 the Commission financed through a grant under the 6th Framework Progamme for Research, a European academic network working on the development of a Common Frame of Reference.

  The output was presented in 2008 and is known as the Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR). Currently it is an academic text which contains model rules, principles and definitions, supplemented by 10 volumes of commentary and explanatory materials on the model rules.

• Drug Demand Reduction

  This term covers actions which seek to reduce the demand for illicit drugs : prevention programmes, treatment, harm reduction, rehabilitation and social reintegration services.

• Drug Supply Reduction

  This term covers the range of measures and legal instruments to reduce the supply of illicit drugs.

  This includes drug cultivation, production and trafficking of illicit drugs, the diversion of chemical precursors imported outside the EU, drugs-related crime and the associated money laundering.

• Dynamic packages

  Two or more services for a single holiday or trip (such as flights, hotel or car rental) are bought at the same time and from the same supplier, or from different suppliers that are commercially linked (such as airlines, hotel chains and car rental companies), and are put together according to the consumer's specific needs.

e

• EDDRA

  Exchange on Drug Demand Reduction Action (EDDRA) is the EMCDDA's online databanks which provides details on a range of evaluated prevention, treatment and harm reduction interventions in EU countries, as well as interventions within the criminal justice system.

• EU acquis

  Also known as "acquis communautaire". The entire body of legislation of the EU, of which a significant body relates to justice. Applicant countries must accept the acquis before they can join the EU.

• EU citizenship

  The 1992 Maastricht Treaty established the concept of European citizenship. EU citizenship confers a range of rights, including freedom of movement   and the right to vote and stand in local and European elections in every EU country.

• EU law

  EU law means the set of rules adopted by the European Union. EU law consists mainly of the Treaties, the instruments adopted by the institutions under the Treaties, such as Regulations   and Directives  . The case-law of the Court of Justice is also one of the sources of EU law. EU law is distinguished from public international law   in a number of respects.

• Ecstasy

  Ecstasy refers to synthetic substances that are chemically related to amphetamines, but differ in their effects.

  Tablets are the most common form and the drug is popular on the clubbing scene.

• Election

  The process through which citizens elect representatives to democratic institutions. EU citizenship confers the right to participate and vote in elections for the European Parliament and local municipal elections, no matter which EU country the citizen resides in.

• Enforceability

  Enforceability is a concept of civil procedure. Judgments are enforceable in that they can be enforced   with the aid, if necessary, of the forces of law and order. Judgments and authentic instruments  , that are certified enforceable, are the main documents that are enforceable. Enforceability is confined to the State of the court which gave the judgment. To be enforceable abroad, the judgment must be declared enforceable (by what is known in some countries as the exequatur   procedure) or in the UK and in Ireland be registered.

• Enforcement

  The enforcement of a judgment consists of securing compliance with it, if necessary by means of coercion as allowed by the law, including the intervention of the forces of law and order. If you win your case in the courts but the other side does not spontaneously comply with the court's order, you can go to the police or a bailiff, depending on the situation, to have the judgment carried out.

• Equal treatment

  According to Article 19 of the Treaty the Council has the power to take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

• Equality

  EU citizenship confers the right to protection from discrimination on the grounds of, among other things, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. This is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights

• European Civil Code

  A policy option proposed in the Green Paper on policy options for progress towards a European contract law for consumers and businesses. It would establish binding European civil law rules, which would replace national laws.

• European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net)

  EU-wide network of 29 European Consumer Centres  , one in each of the 27 EU countries as well as in Iceland and Norway.

• European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG)

  The ECCG   is the Commission's main forum for consulting national and European consumer organisations.

• European Convention on Human Rights

  Signed in Rome in 1950 under the aegis of the Council of Europe, the Convention established a system of international protection for human rights and set up a European Court of Human Rights.

• European Council

  Institution of the EU responsible for defining the general political direction and priorities of the Union without formal legislative power.
  It comprises the Heads of State and of Government of the EU countries along with its serving President and the President of the Commission.

• European Court of Justice (ECJ)

  The highest court in the EU as regards matters of EU law.

• European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

  The EESC is an advisory body of the EU representing the interests of the various economic and social groups.

• Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC)

  The EAHC is an EU executive agency that implements the EU Health Programme, the Consumer Programme and the Better Training for Safer Food initiative.

• Exequatur

  Exequatur, is a concept specific to the private international law   and refers to the decision by a court authorising the enforcement in that country of a judgment, arbitral award, authentic instruments   or court settlement given abroad.

• Expert Group on a Common Frame of Reference in the area of ECL

  The Commission adopted a Decision to establish an Expert Group to conduct a feasibility study on a Common Frame of Reference in the area of European contract law.

  The role of the group was to examine the feasibility of a " user-friendly " European contract law instrument covering the life-cycle of a contract. It was composed of European legal scholars and representatives of consumer and business organisations, representating the main legal systems and traditions within the EU.

f

• Forum

  The forum is a specific concept of private international law. It means the courts of a given country in which an action is brought. The concept of forum underlies the concepts of lex fori   and forum-shopping  .

• Forum-shopping

  Forum-shopping is a specific concept of private international law  . A person who takes the initiative of bringing a court action may be tempted to choose his court on the basis of the law applied there. A person starting an action might be tempted to choose a forum   not because it is the most appropriate forum but because the conflict of laws   rules that it applies will prompt the application of the law that he or she prefers.

• Free association

  The right to associate freely in the EU has been established by the case-law of the European Court of Justice.

• Free expression

  The right to free expression in the EU has been established by the case-law of the European Court of Justice.

• Free movement of persons

  This is a fundamental right of EU citizenship  , allowing citizens to travel, live and work freely throughout the EU.

• Freedom

  All citizens of the EU have the right to move, live and work freely within the EU.

• Freedoms

  The EU and EC Treaties guarantee four fundamental market freedoms: free movement of goods, services, people and capital.

• Fundamental freedoms

  For EU citizens to be able to exercise fundamental freedoms particularly the right to live and work throughout the EU the judiciaries of the Member States must cooperate and standardise procedures to remove any barriers faced by the citizen in carrying out personal or economic administrative and litigious activity.

• Fundamental rights

  EU Treaties and case-law provide for fundamental human rights as well as rights connected with EU citizenship, such as freedom of movement throughout the EU. These rights are summed up in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, proclaimed in December 2000.

g

• Gender

  Identifies the social relations between men and women. It refers to the relationship between men and women, boys and girls, and how this is socially constructed. Gender roles are dynamic and change over time.

• Gender Analysis

  Is the methodology for collecting and processing information about gender (in)equalities. Gender analysis is conducted through a variety of tools and frameworks.

• Gender Awareness

  Gender awareness is an understanding that there are socially determined differences between women & men based on learned behavior, which affect their ability to access and control resources. This awareness needs to be applied through gender analysis into programmes, policies and evaluation.

• Gender Needs

  Leading on from the fact that women and men have differing roles based on their gender, they will also have differing gender needs. These needs can be classified as either strategic or practical needs.

• Gender Planning

  Gender Planning refers to the process of planning policy, programmes, projects and evaluation that are gender sensitive and which take into account the impact of differing gender roles and gender needs of women and men in the target community or sector.

• Gender Roles

  Gender roles are learned behaviours in a given society/community, or other special group, that condition which activities, tasks and responsibilities are perceived as male and female.

• Gender equality

  Gender equality is the result of the absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's sex in opportunities and the allocation of resources or benefits or in access to services.

• Gender equity

  Gender equity entails the provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men. The concept recognises that women and men have different needs and power and that these differences should be identified and addressed in a manner that rectifies the imbalances between the sexes.

• Gender identity

  A person's sense of being male or female, resulting from a combination of genetic and environmental influences and a person's concept of being male and masculine or female and feminine, or ambivalent.

• Gender mainstreaming

  Integration of the gender perspective into all policies with a view to promoting equality between women and men.

• Gender-blind

  Gender blindness is the failure to recognise that gender is an essential determinant of social outcomes impacting on projects and policies. A gender blind approach assumes that a policy or programme does not have unequal (even if unintended) outcome on women and men.

• Gender-sensitivity

  Gender sensitivity encompasses the ability to acknowledge and highlight existing gender differences, issues and inequalities and incorporate these into strategies and actions.

• Green Paper (European Commission)

  A Green Paper is a consultation document published by the Commission on a specific topic to prompt reactions from interested circles on a variety of questions. The Commission's aim in publishing a Green Paper is to better determine the future orientations of its policy on the question.

h

• HEBDO

  Weekly meeting of the Commissioners' heads of cabinets.

• Harassment

  Harassment is any unwanted physical or verbal conduct that offends or humiliates others. It can take many forms: threats, intimidation, or verbal abuse; unwelcome remarks or jokes about subjects like ethnicity, religion, disability or age; displaying racist or other offensive pictures or posters

• Harm Reduction

  The aims of a harm reduction approach are to reduce the incidence of drug use-related infections (HIV, hepatitis C) and overdose, and encourage active drug users to contact health and social services.

  Interventions include needle and syringe programmes, drug consumption rooms and pill testing.

• Heroin

  Heroin is a natural opiate made from morphine. Morphine is extracted from the opium poppy. The most commonly known 'street' heroin is sold as 'brown' and the less common white heroin (a salt form).

  It can either be smoked or dissolved in water and injected or, if high purity, it can be snorted.

• Homosexuals

  EU citizenship confers the right to protection from discrimination on the grounds of, among other things, sexual orientation. This is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

• Human rights

  The case-law of the European Court of Justice recognises the principles laid down in the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights. This respect for human rights is incorporated into Article 6 of the EU Treaty. Action is outlined for cases where a Member State seriously and persistently breaches the principles.

i

• Impact Assessment (IA)

  An assessment   of the potential economic, social and environmental consequences of any new Commission initiative.

• Infringement proceedings

  Formal proceedings against an EU country for breaching or failure to implement EU law.

• International human rights treaty

  Treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The UNCRC has been ratified by 193 States, including all EU Member States. The UNCRC is the basis for Article 24 of the Charter protecting the rights of the child.

• International jurisdiction

  International jurisdiction refers to the fact that the courts of a given country will be the most appropriate to hear and determine a case that has an international dimension. A dispute has an international dimension where, for example, the parties have different nationalities or are not resident in the same country. In such a situation the courts of several countries might have jurisdiction in the case, and we have what is known as a conflict of jurisdiction. The rules of international jurisdiction lay down criteria for determining the country whose courts will have jurisdiction in the case.

j

• JLS

  The former DG Justice, Liberty and Security, divided into DG Home and DG Justice since 1 July 2010.

• Justice

  The administration of law according to agreed principles. One of the main aims of EU policy is access to justice for EU citizens, no matter the country to which they move.

l

• Legal Highs

  ' Legal Highs' are synthetic psychoactive or herbal substances which produce the same, or similar effects, to illicit drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy.

  They are designed to circumvent drug control legislation and marketed as plant food, bath crystals or pond cleaners.

• Letter of Formal Notice

  A letter of formal notice is the first formal step in any infringement proceedings.
  It offers the respective EU country an opportunity to respond to an allegation that it is in breach of Community law.

• Lex causae

  The lex causae is a specific concept of private international law   and refers to the law governing the substance of the case, designated by the rules of conflict of laws. See applicable law  .

• Lex fori

  The lex fori is a specific concept of private international law and refers to the law of the court in which the action is brought. Where an action is brought in a court and has an international dimension, the court must consider the law applicable   to the case. In certain circumstances, the lex fori will apply. Traditionally the lex fori governs questions of procedure, regardless of the lex causae.

• Lex loci delicti

  The lex loci delicti is a specific concept of private international law   and refers to the law of the country where, in terms of non-contractual obligations, the harmful event occurred.

• Location data

  Any data processed in an electronic communications network, indicating the geographic position of the terminal equipment of someone using a publicly available electronic communications service.

m

• Maintenance

  The law requires members of the same family to provide mutual assistance on the basis of family solidarity: parents must feed, educate and maintain their children. In some EU countries children must assist their parents in case of need. A divorced spouse is obliged to pay maintenance to a former spouse who has custody of their children. This obligation is generally discharged by a monthly payment known as maintenance.

• Mephedrone

  A stimulant drug belonging to the chemical family of cathinones which is a group of drugs that are 'cousins' of the family of amphetamine compounds.

  Mephedrone has been marketed by online suppliers as a legal alternative to ecstasy or cocaine.

  An EU wide control ban came into effect in 2010.

• Methadone

  Methadone is used in substitution therapy.

  This is a form of treatment which can help problem drug users able to regain a normal life while being treated with a substitute substance that stops him from experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

• Multiple discrimination

  Any combination of discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

• Multiple discrimination

  Any combination of discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

n

• Non-contractual obligations

  There is a non-contractual obligation where a person who is responsible for loss sustained by another person is required to compensate the victim, in cases not linked to the performance of a contract, such as traffic accidents, environmental damage or defamation.

o

• Optional Instrument

  An instrument of European contract law which could be chosen on the initiative of the parties to a contract governing transactions within the EU.

  It would not replace national contract laws, but would co-exist in parallel as "second regime".

p

• Parliamentary Question (PQ)

  Question from a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) to the Commission or the Council.

• Personal Data breach

  A breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to personal data.
  It concerns personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed by a publicly available electronic communications service in the Community.

• Personal data

  Any information relating to an identified or identifiable person ('data subject') who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identification number or to one or more specific factors (physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural, social).

• Political, economic and social rights

  These rights are enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, proclaimed by EU leaders in Nice in December 2000.

• Political, economic and social rights

  These rights are enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, proclaimed by EU leaders in Nice in December 2000.

• Positive action

  Specific measures to compensate for disadvantages experienced by people suffering discrimination due to ethnic origin, age or other characteristics which might lead to them being treated unfairly. Making different arrangements (special training etc.) are ways of improving chances.

• Precursors

  Precursor chemicals are required to make illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamines.

  Their licit international movement is controlled by international conventions and at EU level via EU regulations.

• Privacy

  Each citizen's right to privacy is upheld in various EU instruments, including EU Court of Justice case-law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

• Privacy by design

  Privacy by design aims to build privacy and data protection upfront, into the design specifications and architecture of information and communication systems and technologies, in order to facilitate compliance with privacy and data protection principles.

• Privacy enhancing technologies (PETs)

  They aim to protect privacy by eliminating or reducing personal data or by preventing undesired processing of personal data, without losing the functionality of the information system.
  It either requires positive action by consumers, or should be directly included in the information systems.

• Private international law

  Private international law, as used in its broad sense, means the set of legal rules governing international relations between private individuals.

• Processing of personal data

  Processing of personal data means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means (for example: collection, recording, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, deleting or destruction, etc.).

• Processor

  The processor is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

• Productive roles

  Refer to the activities carried out by men and women to produce goods and services either for sale, exchange, or to meet the economic needs of the family. For example in agriculture, productive activities include plating, animal husbandry and gardening that refers to farmers themselves, or for other people as employees.

• Property

  The EU Court of Justice in its extensive case-law has enshrined the right to own property.

• Public international law

  Public international law means the set of legal rules governing international relations between public bodies such as States and international organisations. Conventions   and uniform laws   are common instruments of public international law.

r

• RAPID

  Database containing the press releases of the Commission since 1985.

• REITOX

  Reitox is a network of national focal points (NFPs) set up in the 27 EU countries, Norway, the Commission   and in the candidate countries.

  These information collection and exchange points form Reitox, the European Information Network on Drugs and Drug Addiction and provides data to the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction.

• Race

  The EU is firmly opposed to any discrimination based on race. Article 19 of the Treaty empowers the EU to pass laws against discrimination based, for instance, on racial or ethnic origin.

• Racism

  Racism is contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights upon which the European Union is founded. The EU is working, from both a preventative and repressive perspective, to combat all its forms and manifestations.

• Racist behaviour / Racist violence or hatred

  Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law bans the intentional public incitement to violence or hatred based on race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin.

• Rapporteur

  A Member of the European Parliament (MEP), selected from within the competent parliamentary committee to draft a report preparing the Parliament's position.

• Reasoned Opinion

  The second formal step in any infringement proceedings  .
  The Commission formally advises an EU country that it is in breach of its Treaty obligations and describes the rectifying action. The EU country is required to comply within a set time limit.

• Recognition

  Recognising a judgment given in one EU country in another means agreeing that it may have effect there. Judgments basically have effect only in the State where they are given. Recognition in another State is possible only if the law of the other State so allows or if an international convention or an EU instrument provides for it.

• Regulation

  In EU law, a Regulation is an instrument of general scope that is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all EU countries. They are directly applicable, so they require no transposal into the EU countries' domestic law and directly confer rights or impose obligations.

• Religion

  All EU residents are free to practise their own religion. This freedom is enshrined in the EU Treaties, the European Convention on human rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

• Reproductive roles

  Refer to the activities needed to ensure the reproduction of society's labour force. This includes child bearing, rearing, and care for family members such as children, older people and workers. These tasks are done mostly by women.

• Rome I

  Rome I is the expression often used to refer to Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable   to contractual obligations  .

• Rome II

  Rome II is the expression often used to refer to Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on the law applicable   to non-contractual obligations  .

s

• Sensitive data

  It usually concerns 3 types of data:

  - revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership;

  - concerning health or sex life;

  - relating to offences, criminal convictions or security measures.

• Sex

  All forms of discrimination based on sex, e.g. pay-related, are contrary to EU principles.

• Sex disaggregated data

  For a gender analysis, all data should be separated by sex in order to allow differential impacts on men and women to be measured.

• Shadow (rapporteur)

  Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who monitors a dossier for a political group other than that of the rapporteur.

• Standard contractual clauses

  Legal tools to provide adequate safeguards for data transfers from the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA) to third countries.
  The Commission has adopted three Decisions declaring Standard Contractual Clauses to be adequate. Companies can incorporate the clauses into a transfer contract.

• Stockholm Programme

  Five-year plan with actions for justice and home affairs (JHA) in the EU countries for the period 2010-14.

• Subsidiarity

  An EU principle which states that decisions should be taken as closely as possible to the citizen. Subsidiarity requires the EU to check whether action at Community level will be more effective than action at national, regional or local level.

• Substitution Treatment

  Drugs have been developed to help treat heroin addiction.

  These include opiate substitutes for heroin such as methadone and subutex (buprenorphine) and also drugs like naltrexone that block the effects of heroin.

• Synthetic Drugs

  Synthetic drugs are artificially produced substances for the illicit market which are almost wholly manufactured from chemical compounds in illicit laboratories such as amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines.

t

• The four freedoms

  This refers to the free movement of goods, services, people and capital - the original 'raison d'être' of the European Community.

• The four freedoms

  This refers to the free movement of goods, services, people and capital - the original 'raison d'être' of the European Community.

• Toolbox

  A better regulation tool containing model rules , principles and definitions concerning the areas covered by present and future European contract law.

  It would be used by European institutions in the preparation and negotiation of legal instruments. Its purpose would be to ensure the coherence and better quality of Union legislation.

• Tortious or delictual obligations

  See non-contractual obligations  

• Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD)

  The TACD is a forum of US and EU consumer organisations which develops and agrees on joint consumer policy recommendations for the US government and the EU.

• Treaties

  The EU Treaties state that the European Union is founded on the principle of liberty, democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

• Treaty of Lisbon

  The Treaty of Lisbon is the latest revision of the EU Treaties. It came into force on 1 December 2009.

u

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

  The main human rights treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children.

• Unaccompanied minors

  Children who find themselves outside their country of origin and have been separated from both parents and other relatives, and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible for doing so.

• Unfair commercial practices

  'Unfair commercial practices' are prohibited in business to consumer (B2C) relationships. What is considered an 'unfair commercial practice' is defined by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (article 5.2).

• Uniform laws

  Uniform laws are instruments prepared jointly by several States and/or international organisations to help States wishing to reform and modernise their legislation. International organisations   such as UNCITRAL and UNIDROIT draft uniform laws.

v

• Views of the child

  In accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union children are entitled to such care and protection as is necessary for their well-being. Their views have to be taken into account and their best interests have to be a primary consideration in all actions related to them.

  In accordance with the Charter children may express their views freely. Such views shall be taken into consideration on matters which concern them in accordance with their age and maturity.

x

• Xenophobia

  Fear of foreigners. Xenophobia is contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights upon which the European Union is founded. The EU is working, from both a preventative and repressive perspective, to combat all its forms and manifestations.