Non-subscription

European Union

Research

On the WebBy

Susan Phillips

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law

Commercial subscriptions

Lawtel: Thomson/Sweet & Maxwell

http://www.lawtel.com

Justis: Justis CELEX,compiled and operated by the European

Commission through the Office for Official Publications of the European

Communities, is a documentation system for European Union law that

is used by all EU institutions.

Coverage: 1951 – present

http://justis.com

Verify Site Authenticity

Use sites that are credible and accurate

a. Authorship: known and respected organization or individual

b. Date of page creation, update or version

Guides on EU Law:

Cornell:

European Union Law Information Resources by Charlotte Bynum (01/2001)

http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/guides/eu/eu.html

Guides on EU Law:

Cornell:

The Nuts and Bolts of European Law Research by Jean Wenger (Spring 1997)

http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/guides/eu/main.html

Guides on EU Law:

Pittsburgh:

European Union Research Guides by Phil Wilkin (01/17/2000)

http://www.library.pitt.edu/subject_guides/westeuropean/wwwes/euguides.guide.html

Guides on EU Law:

The ABC of Community Law

Dr. Klaus-Dieter Borchardt

http://europa.eu.int/comm/publications/booklets/eu_documentation/02/txt_en.pdf

History of the EU:

The European Union is a unique, treaty-based, institutional framework that defines and manages economic and political cooperation among its

fifteen European member countries.

History of the EU:

In 1951, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands entered into the Treaty of Paris creating the

European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

History of the EU:

In 1957, another two communities, the European

Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Community (EURATOM) were established by

the Treaty of Rome.

History of the EU:

From the three came the European Union with the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht which

went into force in 1993.

EU saw further development with the Treaty of Amsterdam, 1999

took effect.

History of the EU:

Treaty of Nice was signed in 2000 and entered into force in 2003. Most of the institutional aspects will not take effect until

2005.

Institutions of the EU:

Commission

Council of the European Union

Parliament

European Court of Justice (ECJ)

Court of Auditors

European Central Bank

Institutions of the EU:

Commission

Administers the Union, engages in policy-making, and proposes laws to the Council of European

Union

Institutions of the EU:

Council of the European Union

Enacts laws proposed by the Commission

Institutions of the EU:

Parliament

Originally was consultative and had no authority to pass

legislation but through changes in treaties, it has an increased

role in law-making

Institutions of the EU:

European Court of Justice (ECJ)

“Supreme Court”--Entrusted with ensuring the correct interpretation

of the EU’s treaties

“Lower court”—Court of First Instance, created in 1988

Institutions of the EU:

Court of Auditors

Ensures the proper administration of the EU budget

Institutions of the EU:

European Central Bank

Together with its European System of Central Banks, is

responsible for monetary policy and the Euro

Primary law of the EU:

Treaties

Secondary Legislation:

Directives

Regulations

Decisions

Primary law of the EU:

Treaties

Can be found in a number of locations including:

Primary law of the EU:

Treaties

University of Glasgow

http://www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Depts/MOPS/EU/treaties.shtml

Primary law of the EU:

Treaties

Europa’s Eur-Lex

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/en/treaties/index.htm

Secondary Legislation:

Directives

Binding as to result achieved but specific implementation is left to

the member states

Secondary Legislation:

Regulations

General application and are binding on the member states

Secondary Legislation:

Decisions

Addressed to specific individuals, institutions or countries

Secondary Legislation:

Directives, Regulations & Decisions

Published in their official form in the European Union Official

Journal

Secondary Legislation:

Directives, Regulations & Decisions

European Union Official Journal

(OJ)

Official gazette of the Community, published daily

Secondary Legislation:

Directives, Regulations & Decisions

European Union Official Journal

Is divided into the following series:

L Series

C Series

Secondary Legislation:

Directives, Regulations & Decisions

European Union Official Journal

L Series contains adopted legislation including directives

and regulations

Secondary Legislation:

Directives, Regulations & Decisions

European Union Official Journal

C Series contains commission proposals for legislation (drafts), non-binding decisions, Minutes of

the Parliament and other information

Reading Citations:

1993 OJ L95/29

=

Page 29 in Issue L Series 95 in year 1993

Reading Citations:

Regulations

(EC) 2913/92

=

European Community regulation 2913 in year 1992

Recommended European Union Law Sites

Europa’s Eur-Lex

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/

Recommended European Union Law Sites

European Union in the US

http://www.eurunion.org

Recommended European Union Law Sites

UC Berkeley Library: European Union Internet Resources

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff/gov_eu.html