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(Darbą įkėlė Svečias)

Darbas:

the Council only acts on a proposal from the Commission, and the Commission normally has responsibility for ensuring that EU legislation, once adopted, is correctly applied.
2. Co-ordinating the policies of member states
The EU countries have decided that they want an overall economic policy based on close co-ordination between their national economic policies. This co-ordination is carried out by the economics and finance ministers, who collectively form the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council.
They also want to create more jobs and to improve4 their education, health and social protection systems. Although each EU country is responsible for its own policy in these areas, they can agree on common goals5 and learn from each other’s experience of what works best. This process is called the ‘open method of coordination’, and it takes place within the Council.
3. Concluding international agreements
Each year the Council ‘concludes’ (i.e. officially

signs) a number of agreements between the European Union and non-EU countries, as well as with international organisations. These agreements may cover broad areas such as trade, co-operation and development or they may deal with specific subjects such as textiles, fisheries, science and technology, transport etc.

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Conclude1 – padaryti išvadą, nuspręsti
Prelate2 - prelatas
Domain3 – valda, teritorija
Improve4 – pagerinti, patobulinti
Goal5 – tikslas, uždavinys, vartai
In addition, the Council may conclude1 conventions between the EU member states in fields such as taxation2, company law or consular3 protection. Conventions can also deal with co-operation on issues of freedom, security and justice.
4. Approving the EU budget
The EU’s annual budget is decided jointly by the Council and the European Parliament.
5. Common Foreign and Security Policy
The member states of the EU are working to develop a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). But foreign policy, security and defence are matters over which the individual national governments retain independent control. They have not pooled their national sovereignty in these areas, so Parliament and the European Commission play only a limited role here. However, the EU countries have much to gain4 by working together on these issues, and the Council is the main forum in which this ‘inter-governmental co-operation’ takes place.

To enable it to respond more effectively to international crises, the European Union has created a ‘Rapid Reaction Force’. This is not a European army: the personnel remain members of their national armed forces and under national command, and their role is limited to carrying out humanitarian,