Darbas:

Parliament, the Council and the Commission to make certain decisions under certain circumstances6. If they fail to do so, the member states, the other Community institutions and (under certain conditions) individuals or companies can lodge7 a complaint with the Court so as to have this failure8 to act officially recorded.
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Validity1 – pagrįstumas, svarumas
Fulfil2 – įvykdyti, atlikti, patenkinti
Obligation3 – įsipareigojimas, pareiga, prievolė
Allegation4 – tvirtinimas, teigimas, įtarimas
Annulment5 – panaikinimas, anuliavimas
Circumstance6 – aplinkybės, sąlygos, padėtis
Lodge7 – paduoti, pateikti
Failure8 – nepasisekimas, nesėkmė, žlugimas


How is the Court's work organised?
Cases are submitted to the registry and a specific judge and advocate-general are assigned to each case.

The procedure that follows is in two stages: first a written and then an oral phase.

At the first stage, all the parties involved submit written statements and the judge assigned to the case draws up a report summarising these statements and the legal background to the case.

Then comes the second stage – the public hearing. Depending on the importance and complexity1 of the case, this hearing can take place before a chamber of three, five or 13 judges, or before the full Court. At the hearing, the parties’ lawyers put their case before the judges and the advocate-general, who can question them. The advocate-general then gives his or her opinion, after which the judges deliberate and deliver their judgment.

Since 2003, advocates general are required to give an opinion on a case only if the Court considers that this particular case raises a new point of law. Nor does the Court necessarily follow the advocate-general’s opinion.
Judgments of the Court are decided by a majority and pronounced at a public hearing. Dissenting opinions are not expressed. Decisions are published on the day of delivery. The Court of Auditors was set up in 1975. It is based in Luxembourg. The Court’s job is to check that EU funds, which come from the taxpayers, are properly collected and that they are spent legally, economically and for the intended purpose. Its aim is to ensure that the taxpayers get maximum value for their money, and it has the right to audit any person or organisation handling EU funds.

The Court has one member from each EU country, appointed by the Council for a renewable term of six years. The members elect one of their number as President for a renewable2 term of three years. Hubert Weber, from Austria, was elected President in January 2005.
What does the Court do?
The Court’s main role is to check that the EU budget is correctly implemented – in other words, that EU income and expenditure3 is legal and above board and to ensure sound financial management. So its work helps guarantee that the EU system operates efficiently and openly.

To carry out its tasks, the Court investigates the paperwork of any person or organisation handling EU income or expenditure. It frequently4 carries out on-the-spot checks. Its findings are written up in reports which bring any problems to the attention of the Commission and EU member state governments.

To do its job effectively, the Court of Auditors must remain completely independent of the other institutions but at the same time stay in constant touch with them.
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Complexity1 - sudėtingumas, painumas; painiava
Renewable2 - atnaujinamas; atstatomas;
Expenditure3 - sunaudojimas, eikvojimas
frequently4 – dažnai

One of its key functions is to help the European Parliament and the Council by presenting them every year with an audit report on the previous financial year. Parliament examines the Court’s report in detail before deciding whether or not to approve the Commission’s handling of the budget. If satisfied, the Court of Auditors also sends the Council and Parliament a statement of assurance1 that European taxpayers' money Finally, the Court of Auditors gives its opinion on proposals for EU financial legislation and for EU action to fight fraud2.
How is the Court's work organised?
The Court of Auditors has approximately 800 staff, including translators and administrators as well as auditors. The auditors are divided into ‘audit groups’. They prepare draft reports on which the Court takes decisions.

The auditors frequently go on tours of inspection to the other EU institutions, the member states and any country that receives aid from the EU. Indeed3, although the Court's work largely concerns money for which the Commission is responsible, in practice 90% of this income and expenditure is managed by the national authorities.

The Court of Auditors has no legal powers of its own. If auditors discover fraud or irregularities4 they inform OLAF – the European Anti-Fraud Office.
Founded in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is an advisory5 body representing employers, trade unions, farmers, consumers and the other interest groups that collectively make up ‘organised civil society’. It presents their views and defends their interests in policy discussions with the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.
So the EESC is a bridge between the Union and its citizens, promoting a more participatory, more inclusive and therefore more democratic society in Europe.

The Committee is an integral part of the EU’s decision-making process: it must be consulted before decisions are taken on economic and social policy. On its own initiative6, or at the request7 of another EU institution, it may also give its opinion on other matters.

The EESC has 317 members – the number from each EU country roughly8 reflecting9 the size of its population. The numbers per country are as follows:
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Assurance1 – garantija, patikinimas
Fraud2 - apgaulė, apgavystė
Indeed3 - iš tikrųjų, tikrai
Irregularity4 – netaisyklingumas; nereguliarumas; nukrypimas nuo normos; taisyklių/drausmės/tvarkos ir pan. pažeidimas/nesilaikymas
Advisory5 – patariamasis; konsultacinis
Initiative6 – iniciatyva;
Request7 – prašymas; pageidavimas, (mandagus) (pa)reikalavimas
Roughly8 - šiurkščiai, nelygiai
Reflect9 - at(si)spindėti; atmušti

Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom 24
Poland and Spain 21
Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Sweden 12
Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland 9
Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia 7
Cyprus and Luxembourg 6
Malta 5
TOTAL 317
Once Bulgaria and Romania join, the Committee will have 344 members.
The members are nominated by the EU governments but they work in complete political independence. They are appointed1 for four years, and may be re-appointed.
The Committee meets in Plenary Assembly, and its discussions are prepared by six subcommittees known as ‘sections’, each dealing with particular policy areas. It elects its President and two Vice-Presidents for a two-year term. Anne-Marie Sigmund, from Austria, became President of the EESC in October 2004.
What does the EESC do?
The European Economic and Social Committee has three main roles:
• to advise the Council, Commission and European Parliament, either at their request or on the Committee’s own initiative;
• to encourage2 civil society to become more involved in EU policymaking;
• to bolster the role of civil society in non-EU countries and to help set up advisory structures.
Who are the EESC's members?
Working mostly in their countries of origin, the members of the Committee form three groups that represent employers, workers and various economic and social interests.

The Employers' Group has members from private and public sectors of industry, small and medium-sized businesses, chambers of commerce, wholesale3 and retail trade, banking and insurance, transport and agriculture.

The Workers’ Group represents all categories of employees, from manual to executive. Its members come from national trade union organisations.
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Appoint1 – paskirti, nustatyti
Encourage2 – padrąsinti, paskątinti
Wholesale3 – didmeninė prekyba, didmeninis


The third group represents a wide range of interests: NGOs, farmers' organisations, small businesses, crafts1 and professions, cooperatives and non-profit associations, consumer and environmental organisations, the scientific and academic communities and associations that represent the family, women, persons with disabilities, etc.

Set up in 1994 under the Treaty on European Union, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an advisory body composed of representatives of Europe’s regional and local authorities. The CoR has to be consulted before EU decisions are taken on matters such as regional policy, the environment, education and transport – all of which concern local and regional government.

The Committee has 317 members. The number from each member state approximately2 reflects its population size, as follows:
Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom 24
Poland and Spain 21
Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Sweden 12
Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland 9
Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia 7
Cyprus and Luxembourg 6
Malta 5
TOTAL 317
Once Bulgaria and Romania join, the CoR will have 344 members.
The members of the Committee are elected municipal or regional politicians, often leaders of regional governments or mayors of cities.
They are nominated by the EU governments but they work in complete political independence. The Council of the European Union appoints them for four years, and they may be reappointed. They must also have a mandate from the authorities they represent, or must be politically accountable to them.
The Committee of the Regions chooses a President from among its members, for a term of two years. Peter Straub, from Germany, was elected President in February 2004.

What does the Committee do?
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Craft1 – profesija, menas, mokėjimas
Approximately2 - apytikriai, apytiksliai, maždaug, beveik


The role of the Committee of the Regions is to put forward the local and regional points of view on EU legislation. It does so by issuing opinions on Commission proposals.

The Commission and the Council must consult the Committee of the Regions on topics of direct relevance to local and regional authorities, but they can also consult the Committee whenever they wish. For its part, the Committee can adopt