EPSO EU Knowledge & Field-Related Test key terms

The default EU law-making route under Article 294 TFEU, in which the Commission proposes and the European Parliament and Council of the EU act as co-legislators, adopting or amending the text through up to two readings and a conciliation stage.

The Council voting rule used for most internal market and policy decisions: at least 55% of member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population, must vote in favour; a blocking minority requires at least four member states.

Informal negotiation meetings between representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission aimed at agreeing a compromise text early, so that legislation can be adopted at first reading rather than through conciliation.

A body composed of Council and Parliament delegations convened when the two institutions cannot agree during the ordinary legislative procedure; it has six weeks to produce a joint text, which both must then approve.

A Treaty provision allowing the European Council or Council to switch a policy area from unanimity to qualified majority voting, or from special to ordinary legislative procedure, usually subject to national parliamentary veto rights.

A Council voting requirement under which every member state must agree; it applies to sensitive fields such as taxation, some social policy, common foreign and security policy and Treaty revision, giving each government an effective veto.

The Treaty article that authorises an EU institution to act in a given field and determines the applicable procedure and voting rule; choosing the wrong basis can invalidate the act before the Court of Justice.

The rule in Article 5 TEU that the EU acts only within the limits of the competences that member states have granted it in the Treaties; competences not conferred remain with the member states.

The principle that, outside its exclusive competences, the EU acts only where objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states and can better be achieved at Union level; national parliaments monitor compliance through reasoned opinions.

A general principle of EU law requiring that EU action not exceed what is necessary to achieve Treaty objectives; measures must be suitable and not go beyond what is needed, and it is used to review penalties and restrictions.

The capacity of a provision of EU law to be invoked by individuals before national courts; Treaty articles and regulations may be directly effective when clear, precise and unconditional, while directives generally have only vertical direct effect.

The principle that EU law prevails over conflicting national law, including later national statutes and constitutional provisions as interpreted by national courts; it underpins uniform application across member states.

A binding EU legal act of general application that is directly applicable in all member states without transposition, creating uniform rules; it is the main instrument in fields such as competition and financial supervision.

A binding EU act that sets objectives member states must achieve through national implementing measures, leaving choice of form and methods; failure to transpose can trigger infringement proceedings or state liability.

A procedure under Article 267 TFEU in which a national court asks the Court of Justice to interpret EU law or rule on validity; courts of last instance are generally obliged to refer.

Proceedings brought by the Commission against a member state for failing to comply with EU law, starting with a letter of formal notice and reasoned opinion and potentially ending in Court of Justice rulings and financial penalties.

The EU's codified catalogue of civil, political, economic and social rights, given the same legal value as the Treaties by the Lisbon Treaty; it binds EU institutions and member states when implementing EU law.

The principle that public power is exercised under law, with independent courts, legal certainty and effective judicial protection; it is a founding value in Article 2 TEU and a condition for accessing EU funds.

The single area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured, supported by harmonised rules and mutual recognition; it is the core economic competence of the EU.

The principle that a product or service lawfully marketed in one member state can generally be sold in another, even if it does not meet the host state's rules, subject to overriding public interest justifications.

The adoption of common EU rules, usually through directives or regulations based on internal market articles, to replace divergent national standards and remove obstacles to trade while maintaining health, safety and consumer protection.

Any selective advantage granted by a public authority to an undertaking that distorts competition and affects trade between member states; it is generally prohibited unless notified and approved under Treaty derogations.

Competition rules prohibiting agreements that restrict competition and abuse of dominance by firms holding substantial market power, enforced by the Commission and national competition authorities under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU.

The ex ante review of concentrations with an EU dimension to prevent significant impediment of effective competition; thresholds based on turnover determine whether the Commission or national authorities have jurisdiction.

The analytical step identifying the relevant product and geographic market in which competitive constraints are assessed, typically using demand substitutability, supply substitutability and the hypothetical monopolist test.

The environmental principle that those who cause pollution should bear the cost of preventing, controlling and remedying it; it underpins instruments such as emissions trading, environmental liability and waste charges.

A principle allowing protective measures where scientific evidence is insufficient but a plausible risk of serious harm exists, provided the measures are non-discriminatory, proportionate and subject to review as evidence develops.

A market-based climate instrument that caps total greenhouse gas emissions and allocates tradable allowances, so firms with low abatement costs sell permits to those facing higher costs, achieving reductions at least cost.

EU regulation imposing due diligence, transparency and risk-management duties on online intermediaries, with stricter obligations for very large platforms, enforced through a supervisory architecture involving the Commission and national coordinators.

EU regulation designating large platforms as gatekeepers and imposing ex ante obligations and prohibitions to keep digital markets contestable, enforced by the Commission with fines and possible behavioural remedies.

The General Data Protection Regulation, directly applicable across the EU, setting rules on lawful processing, data subject rights, controller obligations and cross-border enforcement coordinated by national supervisory authorities and the EDPB.

The annual EU coordination cycle for economic, fiscal, employment and social policies, producing country-specific recommendations and guiding national budgets and reform plans, linked to Recovery and Resilience Facility disbursements.

The fiscal framework requiring member states to keep deficits and debt within reference values and to pursue medium-term budgetary objectives, with preventive and corrective arms overseen by the Commission and Council.

The EU's seven-year spending plan, adopted by unanimous Council vote with Parliament's consent, which sets annual ceilings per heading and provides the framework within which annual budgets are agreed.

The revenue sources financing the EU budget, including customs duties, a share of value added tax, a plastics-based contribution and a national income-based contribution, decided unanimously by member states and ratified nationally.

The European Parliament's formal decision, on a Council recommendation, approving the Commission's implementation of the budget for a given year after scrutiny by the Court of Auditors and the Budgetary Control Committee.

The EU's external audit institution, which examines the legality and regularity of revenue and expenditure and the soundness of financial management, issuing an annual statement of assurance to Parliament and Council.

The budgetary principle requiring economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of EU funds, assessed through performance reporting and controls, and a criterion for legality and regularity audits of spending programmes.

The rule allowing the EU budget to be protected by suspending payments to a member state where deficiencies in the rule of law affect the sound management of EU funds or the protection of financial interests.

The EU's intergovernmental external policy, conducted largely by unanimity in the Council and implemented by the High Representative, covering diplomacy, sanctions, crisis management and civilian and military missions.

The Vice-President of the Commission responsible for foreign affairs and security policy, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Council, conducts EU diplomacy and heads the European External Action Service.

The EU's diplomatic service, staffed by officials from the Commission, Council and member state diplomatic services, supporting the High Representative and running EU delegations in third countries.

The process by which a European state joins the EU after meeting the Copenhagen criteria on democracy, market economy and administrative capacity, negotiated chapter by chapter and requiring unanimous Council approval.

The conditions for EU membership agreed in 1993: stable democratic institutions and rule of law, a functioning market economy, and capacity to take on the obligations of membership including administrative structures.

The framework for relations with countries to the east and south of the EU, offering association agreements, funding and reform incentives short of membership, based on differentiation and joint ownership.

The entire body of EU law, policies and obligations accumulated over time, which candidate countries must adopt and implement before accession and which new member states accept in full.