Environmentblog.eu supports the talk Michael Warhurst of Friends of the Earth gave at the summer school 2008 on what the EU is and how it operates.
for more information and useful links
• Talk to people in Brussels – in the NGOs, in Parliament, in the Commission. Most people are very keen to explain what is going on.
• European Commission website has an introduction to the EU.
• The BBC has a section of their news site devoted to EU news.
• The best source of daily EU Environment New is ENDS Europe Daily (but you have to pay for it after the free trial period).
• A good, free, source of European Union news is the Euractiv website.
• You can find out what is happening to a specific piece of legislation, including who are the rapporteur and shadows, at the European Parliament’s ‘Legislative Observatory’ – though it is not always up to date.
• You can find the latest information regarding who is in the EU on the European Commission’s Enlargement website
• The European Commission is the core institution that runs the day to day business of the EU.
• The European Court of Justice adjudicates disputes relating to EU powers and decision making.
• The EU’s ‘Official Journal‘
• The The European Parliament website
• The The Council website
What is the EU? – Michael Warhurst – July 2008