European Union DocumentsEuropean Union Documents

EU Law, Policy and StatisticsEU Law, Policy and Statistics

Duncan AlfordDuncan AlfordPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University

AgendaAgenda

Overview / BackgroundOverview / Background EU Law and PolicyEU Law and Policy Depository CollectionDepository Collection Statistics – Basic SourcesStatistics – Basic Sources Need to Know ItemsNeed to Know Items

What is the EU?What is the EU?

Began as the European Coal and Steel Community Began as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1954in 1954

Supranational organizationSupranational organization– Focus on economic integrationFocus on economic integration

15 Member States15 Member States– 10 additional states10 additional states

Common currency – EuroCommon currency – Euro– http://www.ecb.int/http://www.ecb.int/

Not the same as the Council of EuropeNot the same as the Council of Europe

Importance of the EUImportance of the EU

EU populationEU population– 450 million450 million

EU GNPEU GNP– US$ 9 trillion (approx.)US$ 9 trillion (approx.)

US is a major trading US is a major trading partnerpartner

US populationUS population– 292 million292 million

US GNPUS GNP– US$ 9 trillion (approx.)US$ 9 trillion (approx.)

EU is a major trading EU is a major trading partnerpartner

Growth of the EUGrowth of the EU

France, Italy, France, Italy, Germany, BeneluxGermany, Benelux

Denmark, Ireland, UKDenmark, Ireland, UK GreeceGreece Spain, PortugalSpain, Portugal Austria, Finland, Austria, Finland,

SwedenSweden 10 accession countries 10 accession countries

in 2004in 2004

                                                                                                               

                     

United States of Europe?United States of Europe?

Convention on the Future of EuropeConvention on the Future of Europe– http://european-convention.eu.int/http://european-convention.eu.int/

bienvenue.asp?lang=ENbienvenue.asp?lang=EN Draft treaty submitted to heads of stateDraft treaty submitted to heads of state Intergovernmental conference begins Fall Intergovernmental conference begins Fall

20032003

EuropaEuropa

Official web siteOfficial web site– http://europa.eu.inthttp://europa.eu.int

EU law and policyEU law and policy Guide to databasesGuide to databases Available in the 11 Available in the 11

official languages of official languages of the EU (soon to be 20)the EU (soon to be 20)

EU LawEU Law

EU law and policy principally deals with EU law and policy principally deals with commercial and economic matters at this commercial and economic matters at this timetime– Pillar I – European CommunityPillar I – European Community– Pillar II- Common Foreign and Security PolicyPillar II- Common Foreign and Security Policy– Pillar III – Justice and Home AffairsPillar III – Justice and Home Affairs

EU law is supreme over national lawEU law is supreme over national law

EU Institutions Involved in EU Institutions Involved in LegislationLegislation

European CommissionEuropean Commission Council of the Council of the

European Union European Union European ParliamentEuropean Parliament Economic and Social Economic and Social

CommitteeCommittee Committee of the Committee of the

RegionsRegions

Four Methods of Enacting Four Methods of Enacting LegislationLegislation

Co-decisionCo-decision CooperationCooperation AssentAssent ConsultationConsultation

Four Types of EU LegislationFour Types of EU Legislation

RegulationsRegulations DirectivesDirectives DecisionsDecisions Recommendations / OpinionsRecommendations / Opinions

Official Journal of the European UnionOfficial Journal of the European Union

Legislation – L SeriesLegislation – L Series Communications – C SeriesCommunications – C Series Communications – CE SeriesCommunications – CE Series Communications – CA SeriesCommunications – CA Series Annex – DebatesAnnex – Debates Supplement – S Series (tenders)Supplement – S Series (tenders)

RegulationsRegulations

Council Regulation No. 44/2001 of 22 Council Regulation No. 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, in civil and commercial matters,

2001 O.J. (L 12) 1.2001 O.J. (L 12) 1. Number of Regulation then its yearNumber of Regulation then its year

DirectivesDirectives

First Council Directive 77/780 on the First Council Directive 77/780 on the coordination of the laws, regulations and coordination of the laws, regulations and administrative provision relating to the administrative provision relating to the taking up and pursuit of the business of taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions, 1977 O.J. (L 322) 30.credit institutions, 1977 O.J. (L 322) 30.

Year then number of directiveYear then number of directive

Electronic Sources for the O.J.Electronic Sources for the O.J.

EurLexEurLex CELEXCELEX LexisNexis AcademicLexisNexis Academic LexisNexis LexisNexis

(commercial)(commercial)

EU Legislative DocumentsEU Legislative Documents

Commission Documents or COM Commission Documents or COM DocumentsDocuments– EurLexEurLex– White PapersWhite Papers

» http://europa.eu.int/comm/off/white/index_en.htm http://europa.eu.int/comm/off/white/index_en.htm

– Green PapersGreen Papers» http://europa.eu.int/comm/off/green/index_en.htmhttp://europa.eu.int/comm/off/green/index_en.htm

Example: Example: A More Coherent European Contract Law, A More Coherent European Contract Law, COM (2003) 0068COM (2003) 0068

EU Legislative Documents IIEU Legislative Documents II

Common Position or Council DocumentsCommon Position or Council Documents European Parliament ReportsEuropean Parliament Reports European Parliament DebatesEuropean Parliament Debates Joint Text of Conciliation CommitteeJoint Text of Conciliation Committee Economic and Social Committee OpinionsEconomic and Social Committee Opinions Committee of the Regions OpinionsCommittee of the Regions Opinions

Legislative Document DatabasesLegislative Document Databases

PreLex (by European PreLex (by European Commission)Commission)

OEIL – Legislative OEIL – Legislative Observatory (by the Observatory (by the European Parliament)European Parliament)

OEIL v. PreLexOEIL v. PreLex

OEILOEIL By European By European

ParliamentParliament Procedures since 1994Procedures since 1994 Summaries of key Summaries of key

documents and some documents and some linkslinks

Tracking legislationTracking legislation

PreLexPreLex By European By European

CommissionCommission Proposals since 1975Proposals since 1975 Full-text documents Full-text documents

since 1999since 1999

EU Official PublicationsEU Official Publications

Bulletin of the European UnionBulletin of the European Union– http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/welcomhttp://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/welcom

e.htme.htm General Report on the Activities of the General Report on the Activities of the

CommunityCommunity– http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/rg/en/welcome.http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/rg/en/welcome.

htmhtm

EU Case LawEU Case Law

European Court of JusticeEuropean Court of Justice– 15 judges, 8 advocates general15 judges, 8 advocates general

Court of First InstanceCourt of First Instance– Created 1989Created 1989– 15 judges15 judges

National courtsNational courts

Case Law SourcesCase Law Sources

European Court ReportsEuropean Court Reports Curia, http://curia.eu.int/en/index.htmCuria, http://curia.eu.int/en/index.htm CELEXCELEX

LexisNexis (commercial)LexisNexis (commercial) LexisNexis Academic (soon)LexisNexis Academic (soon)

EU StatisticsEU Statistics

Eurostat YearbookEurostat Yearbook Eurostat web siteEurostat web site

– http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/ http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/ Statistics in Focus (on Eurostat web site)Statistics in Focus (on Eurostat web site) Eurostat databaseEurostat database COMEXT databaseCOMEXT database

EU Depository LibraryEU Depository Library

Princeton has been an Princeton has been an EU depository library EU depository library since 1964since 1964

EU depository EU depository program is a program is a distribution systemdistribution system

Two unusual benefits Two unusual benefits of an EU depositoryof an EU depository– CELEX passwordCELEX password– Eurostat passwordEurostat password

Need to KnowNeed to Know

Europa, official EU web siteEuropa, official EU web site Official Journal of the European UnionOfficial Journal of the European Union

– On EurLex since January 1998On EurLex since January 1998

Depository material integrated into the collection Depository material integrated into the collection EU Research Guide for Princeton Univ.EU Research Guide for Princeton Univ.

– http://www.princeton.edu/~ssrc/eurefgdpu.htmlhttp://www.princeton.edu/~ssrc/eurefgdpu.html

Accessing EU Info/ A-Z IndexAccessing EU Info/ A-Z Index– http://www.eurunion.org/infores/resguide.htmhttp://www.eurunion.org/infores/resguide.htm

Eurostat and CELEX passwordsEurostat and CELEX passwords