This usually means the ability of a country or organization to receive aid and use it effectively. Developing countries often lack this capacity. For example, a country may receive enough money to enable all its children to attend primary school - but owing to a lack of teachers, lack of schools or a poor administrative system, it is impossible to spend this money in the short term. Work must first be done to train teachers, build schools and improve the efficiency of the system -  thus raising the country's 'absorption capacity'.

This is a candidate country (see below) that has met the Copenhagen criteria (see below) and has completed negotiations for joining the European Union.

This is a French term meaning, essentially, "the EU as it is" – in other words, the rights and obligations that EU countries share. The "acquis" includes all the EU's treaties and laws, declarations and resolutions, international agreements on EU affairs and the judgments given by the Court of Justice. It also includes action that EU governments take together in the area of "justice and home affairs" and on the Common Foreign and Security Policy. "Accepting the acquis" therefore means taking the EU as you find it. Candidate countries have to accept the "acquis" before they can join the EU, and make EU law part of their own national legislation.

This term literally means "things to be done". It normally refers to the list of items for discussion at a meeting, but politicians also use it as a jargon term meaning "things we want to achieve". For example, the EU’s "Social Agenda" sets out what the Union wants to achieve, over the next few years, in terms of employment and social policies. It forms part of the “Lisbon Strategy” (see below).

The EU aims to guarantee fair and free competition in the single market, and to ensure that companies compete rather than collude. So EU rules prohibit agreements that restrict competition (e.g. secret agreements between companies to charge artificially high prices) and abuses by firms who hold a dominant position on the market. Rules of this kind are known as “anti-trust” legislation. The Commission has considerable powers to prohibit anti-competitive activities, and to impose fines on firms found guilty of anti-competitive conduct.

This means a country that has applied to join the European Union. Once its application has been officially accepted, it becomes a candidate country (see below).

This means measuring how well one country, business, industry, etc. is performing compared to other countries, businesses, industries, and so on. The 'benchmark' is the standard by which performance will be judged.

One way of improving policies in the EU is for governments to look at what is going on in other EU countries and to see what works best. They can then adopt this 'best practice', adapting it to their own national and local circumstances.

The term “Brussels” is often used in the media to refer to the EU institutions, most of which are located in the city of Brussels. EU laws are proposed by the European Commission but it is the Council of the European Union (ministers from the national governments) and the European Parliament (elected by the European citizens) that debate, amend and ultimately decide whether to pass these proposed laws.

A technical term meaning the gap between a government's revenue and its expenditure.

This means a country that has applied to join the European Union and that has officially been accepted as a candidate for accession (see 'acceding country' above) to the European Union. At present there are three candidate countries: Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. Before a candidate country can join the EU it must meet the 'Copenhagen criteria' (see below).

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was first introduced in 1960, to ensure that Europe had secure food supplies at affordable prices. But it became a victim of its own success, generating unwanted surpluses of some products such as beef, barley, milk and wine. Also, the subsidies paid to European farmers were distorting world trade. So the European Commission began reviewing the CAP in 1999. The EU agreed further reforms in 2003, with the emphasis on high-quality farm produce and animal-friendly farming practices that respect the environment and preserve the countryside. The EU plans to cut back on direct subsidies to farmers, so as to redress the balance between EU agricultural markets and those of the developing world.

This means consulting civil society (see below) when the European Commission is drawing up its policies and proposals for legislation. It is a broader concept than 'social dialogue' (see below).

This is the collective name for all kinds of organizations and associations that are not part of government but that represent professions, interest groups or sections of society. It includes (for example) trade unions, employers' associations, environmental lobbies and groups representing women, farmers, people with disabilities and so on. Since these organizations have a lot of expertise in particular areas and are involved in implementing and monitoring European Union policies, the EU regularly consults civil society and wants it to become more involved in European policymaking.

This means (literally) 'sticking together'. The jargon term 'promoting social cohesion' means the EU tries to make sure that everyone has a place in society – for example by tackling poverty, unemployment and discrimination. The EU budget includes money known as the 'Cohesion Fund' which is used to finance projects that help the EU 'stick together'. For example, it finances new road and rail links that help disadvantaged regions take a full part in the EU economy.

This is more correctly known as "committee procedure". It describes a process in which the Commission, when implementing EU law, has to consult special advisory committees made up of experts from the EU countries.

When the EEC (see below) was founded in 1957, it was based on a 'common market'. In other words, people, goods and services should be able to move around freely between the member states as if they were all one country, with no checks carried out at the borders and no customs duties paid. However, this took a while to achieve: customs duties between the EEC countries were not completely abolished until 1 July 1968. Other barriers to trade also took a long while to remove, and it was not until the end of 1992 that the 'Single Market' (as it became known) was in place.

This technical term means transferring a matter from the second or third 'pillar' of the EU (see below) to the first 'pillar' so that it can be dealt with using the 'Community method ' (see below).

See 'European Communities' (below).

This is a procedure for transferring certain matters from the third 'pillar' of the EU (see below) to the first 'pillar' so that they can be dealt with using the Community method (see below). Any decision to use the bridge has to be taken by the Council, unanimously, and then ratified by each unanimously, and then ratified by each member state.

See 'European Communities' (below).

This is the EU's usual method of decision-making, in which the Commission makes a proposal to the Council and Parliament who then debate it, propose amendments and eventually adopt it as EU law. In the process, they will often consult other bodies such as the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

This is eurojargon for 'powers and responsibilities'. It is often used in political discussions about what powers and responsibilities should be given to EU institutions and what should be left to national, regional and local authorities.

This usually means the government department or other body responsible for dealing with a particular issue. It is 'competent' in the sense of having the legal power and responsibility.

At present, the EU is founded on four basic treaties that lay down the rules by which it has to operate. These treaties are big and complex, and EU leaders intend to replace them with a single, shorter, and simpler document. A 'Constitutional Treaty' was agreed and signed in 2004, but it did not come into force. It was rejected in referenda held in France and the Netherlands in 2005.

This term has various meanings, including (in the EU context) a group of people representing the EU institutions, the national governments and parliaments, who come together to draw up an important document. Conventions of this sort met to draw up the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the draft EU Constitution.

In June 1993, EU leaders meeting in Copenhagen set three criteria that any candidate country (see above) must meet before it can join the European Union. First, it must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for minorities. Second, it must have a functioning market economy. Third, it must take on board all the acquis (see above) and support the various aims of the European Union. In addition, it must have a public administration capable of applying and managing EU laws in practice. The EU reserves the right to decide when a candidate country has met these criteria and when the EU is ready to accept the new member.

There are three different European bodies with the word 'council' in their names: The European Council: This is the meeting of Heads of State and Government (i.e. presidents and/or prime ministers) of all the EU countries, plus the President of the European Commission. The European Council meets, in principle, four times a year to agree overall EU policy and to review progress. It is the highest-level policy-making body in the European Union, which is why its meetings are often called “summits”. The Council of the European Union: Formerly known as the Council of Ministers, this institution consists of government ministers from all the EU countries. The Council meets regularly to take detailed decisions and to pass EU laws. The Council of Europe: This is not an EU institution. It is an intergovernmental organisation based in Strasbourg, which aims (amongst other things) to protect human rights, to promote Europe's cultural diversity and to combat social problems such as xenophobia and intolerance. The Council of Europe was set up in 1949 and one of its early achievements was to draw up the European Convention on Human Rights. To enable citizens to exercise their rights under that Convention it set up the European Court of Human Rights.

Every year one or more European cities are designated as the “European capital of culture”. The aim is to publicise and celebrate the cultural achievements and charms of these cities and so make European citizens more aware of the rich heritage they share. . Liverpool (in the UK) and Stavanger (in Norway) were chosen as European capitals of culture for 2008.

It is often said that the EU's decision-making system is too remote from ordinary people, who cannot understand its complexities and its difficult legal texts. The EU is trying to overcome this “democratic deficit” through simpler legislation and better public information, and by giving civil society (see above) a greater say in European policymaking. Citizens are already represented in EU decision-making via the European Parliament.

The staff of the main EU institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament) are organised into a number of distinct departments, known as “Directorates-General” (DGs), each of which is responsible for specific tasks or policy areas. The administrative head of a DG is known as the 'Director-General' (a term sometimes also abbreviated to 'DG').

This abbreviation refers either to the 'European Community' or to the 'European Commission'. The European Community: Is the present name for what was originally called the 'European Economic Community' (EEC): see below. The European Commission: Is the politically independent institution that represents and upholds the interests of the European Union as a whole. It proposes legislation, policies and programmes of action and it is responsible for implementing the decisions of Parliament and the Council.

This abbreviation refers to the European Economic Area – which consists of the European Union and all the EFTA countries (see below) except Switzerland. The EEA Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 1994, enables Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to enjoy the benefits of the EU's single market without the full privileges and responsibilities of EU membership.

This is the abbreviation for the European Economic Community – one of three European Communities (see below) set up in 1957 to bring about economic integration in Europe. There were originally six member countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1993, when the Maastricht Treaty came into force, the EEC was re-named the European Community (EC) and it forms the basis of today's European Union. 

This is the abbreviation for the European Free Trade Association – an organization founded in 1960 to promote free trade in goods amongst its member states. There were originally seven EFTA countries: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (UK). Finland joined in 1961, Iceland in 1970, and Liechtenstein in 1991. In 1973, Denmark and the UK left EFTA and joined the EEC (see above). They were followed by Portugal in 1986, and by Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1995. Today the EFTA members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

This is an arrangement whereby a group of EU countries can work together in a particular field even if the other EU countries are unable or unwilling to join in at this stage. The outsiders must, however, be free to join in later if they wish.

In the 1950s, the EU began with just six member states. It now has 27. Growth in EU membership is known as 'enlargement', and it has happened several times: ·        1950           Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands ·        1973           Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom ·        1981           Greece ·        1986           Portugal, Spain ·        1995           Austria, Finland, Sweden ·        2004           Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. ·        2007           Bulgaria and Romania.

This is not really eurojargon. Named after the great Renaissance scholar, it is an EU-supported education programme that began in 1987. Well over 1.5 million students have so far benefited from Erasmus grants, which give European university students a chance of living and studying for the first time in a foreign country.

This is a Commission service, set up in 1973, which measures and analyses trends in public opinion in all the member states and in the candidate countries. Knowing what the general public thinks is important in helping the European Commission draft its legislative proposals, take decisions and evaluate its work. Eurobarometer uses both opinion polls and focus groups. For further information go to the Eurobarometer website.

The term “Eurocrats” (a pun on the word “bureaucrats”) refers to the many thousands of EU citizens who work for the European institutions (Parliament, the Council, the Commission, etc.).

This is an unofficial nickname for what is officially called “the euro area” - also often referred to as “the euro zone”. This area consists of the EU member states that have adopted the euro as their currency. So far the countries involved are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

This is not really eurojargon. It is the Latin name for Europe, and it is also the name of the European Union's official website. This contains a wealth of useful information about the EU, regularly updated, and it is available in all the official languages of the EU.

In the 1950s, six European countries decided to pool their economic resources and set up a system of joint decision-making on economic issues. To do so, they formed three organizations: ·        the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), ·        the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), ·        the European Economic Community (EEC). These three communities – collectively known as the 'European communities' – formed the basis of what is today the European Union. The EEC soon became by far the most important of the three and was eventually renamed simply 'the European Community' (EC). EC decisions are taken using the 'Community method' (see above), which involves the EU institutions. This covers everything the EU does except for those things that are decided purely by agreement between governments.

This means building unity between European countries and peoples. Within the European Union it means that countries pool their resources and take many decisions jointly. This joint decision-making takes place through interaction between the EU institutions (the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, etc.).

Every year or two, the EU or the Council of Europe may draw public attention to a particular European issue by organising a series of special events in connection with it. 2008 is the "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue".

It was on 9 May 1950 that Robert Schuman (then French Foreign Minister) made his famous speech proposing European integration (see above) as the way to secure peace and build prosperity in post-war Europe. His proposals laid the foundations for what is now the European Union, so 9 May is celebrated annually as the EU's birthday.

This term is often used to mean a person who is opposed to European integration or who is 'sceptical' of the EU and its aims.

Eurotariff is the new limit on the prices mobile operators can charge for mobile calls made or received while abroad in an EU country.

Broadly speaking, this means any system of government where several states form a unity and yet remain independent in their internal affairs. People who are in favour of this system are often called “federalists”. A number of countries around the world – e.g. Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the United States – have federal models of government, in which some matters (such as foreign policy) are decided at the federal level while others are decided by the individual states. However, the model differs from one country to another. The European Union is not based on any of these models: it is not a federation but a unique form of union in which the member states remain independent and sovereign nations while pooling their sovereignty in many areas of common interest. This gives them a collective strength and influence on the world stage than none of them could have on their own. Part of the debate about the future of Europe is the question of whether the EU should or should not become more 'federal'.

The word 'perspective' here really means 'plan'. The EU has to plan its work well in advance and ensure that it has enough money to pay for what it wants to do. So its main institutions (Parliament, the Council and the Commission) have to agree in advance on the priorities for the next few years and come up with a spending plan, which was earlier called a 'financial perspective' but is now better known as a 'financial framework'. This financial perspective or framework states the maximum amount the EU can spend, and what it can spend it on. In a world of rising costs, the purpose of the financial perspective/framework is to keep EU expenditure under control.

This means a welfare state model with a pro-active labour market policy. The model is a combination of easy hiring and firing (flexibility for employers) and high benefits for the unemployed (security for the employees). It was first implemented in Denmark in the 1990's.

This expression is often used to mean an attitude that wants to defend Europe from outside influences, especially cultural influences. The term 'Fortress Europe' often appears in discussions about asylum and immigration regulations.

In the years following the Second World War, people like Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman dreamed of uniting the peoples of Europe in lasting peace and friendship. Over the following fifty years, as the EU was built, their dream became reality. That is why they are called the “founding fathers” of the European Union.

One of the great achievements of the EU has been to create a frontier-free area within which (I) people, (2) goods, (3) services and (4) money can all move around freely. This four-fold freedom of movement is sometimes called “the four freedoms”. ree trade area: This means a group of countries that have removed barriers to trade between them – barriers such as import tariffs and quotas. Several free trade areas have been established around the world: Mercosur in South America, Nafta in North America and EFTA in Europe, for example. The European Union is also a free trade area, but it is much more than that because it is built on a process of economic and political integration, with joint decision-taking in many policy areas.

This may mean bringing national laws into line with one another, very often in order to remove national barriers that obstruct the free movement of workers, goods, services and capital. In other words, harmonisation means making sure that, on any particular issue for which the EU has responsibility, the rules laid down by the different EU countries impose similar obligations on citizens of all those countries and that they impose certain minimum obligations in each country. Harmonisation can also mean co-ordinating national technical rules so that products and services can be traded freely throughout the EU. Contrary to popular myth, this does not mean pointlessly standardising everything from the curvature of cucumbers to the colour of carrots. Often it simply means that EU countries recognise one another's safety rules.

See 'Intergovernmental Conference'. Intergovernmental: This literally means 'between governments'. In the EU, some matters – such as security and defence issues – are decided purely by intergovernmental agreement (i.e. agreement between the governments of the EU countries), and not by the 'Community method' (see above). These intergovernmental decisions are taken by ministers meeting in the Council of the European Union, or at the highest level by the prime ministers and/or presidents of the EU countries, meeting as the European Council.

This means a conference at which the EU member states' governments come together to amend the European Union treaties.

To compete with other major world players, the EU needs a modern efficient economy. Meeting in Lisbon in March 2000, the EU's political leaders set it a new goal: to become, within a decade, "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.” The EU's leaders also agreed on a detailed strategy for achieving this goal. The 'Lisbon strategy' covers such matters as research, education, training, Internet access and on-line business. It also covers reform of Europe's social protection systems, which must be made sustainable so that their benefits can be enjoyed by future generations. Every spring the European Council meets to review progress in implementing the Lisbon strategy. Maastricht criteria: These are five criteria that determine whether an EU country is ready to adopt the euro. They relate to: Price stability: The inflation rate should be no more than 1.5 percentage points above the rate for the three EU countries with the lowest inflation over the previous year; Budget deficit: (See above): This must generally be below 3% of gross domestic product (GDP); Debt: The national debt should not exceed 60% of GDP, but a country with a higher level of debt can still adopt the euro provided its debt level are falling steadily; Interest rates: The long-term rate should be no more than two percentage points above the rate in the three EU countries with the lowest inflation over the previous year; Exchange rate stability: The national currency's exchange rate should have stayed within certain pre-set margins of fluctuation for two years. These criteria were laid down in the Maastricht Treaty – hence their name.

Put simply, mainstreaming an issue means making sure it is fully taken into account in all EU polices. For example, every European Union policy decision must now take account of its environmental implications. In other words, environmental considerations have been 'mainstreamed'.

The countries that belong to an international organisation are its 'member states'. The term is also often used to mean the governments of those countries. From 1 January 2007, the member states of the European Union are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. For the years when they joined the EU, see 'enlargement' (above).

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed in the context of EU's 2004 enlargement with the aim of avoiding new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and neighbouring countries and instead strengthening the stability, security and well-being of everyone. It builds on shared values: democracy, human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy and sustainable development. The level of ambition of the relationship is linked to the extent to which these values are shared. Key to the ENP is the bilateral ENP action plans agreed between the EU and each partner country. These set out priorities for political and economic reforms in the short to medium-term.

This means an off-the-record or unofficial document – a paper that has not been through a formal adoption procedure (the use is not restricted to the EU).

From 1 January 2007 there are 23 official languages in the European Union: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. EU legislation is published in all the official languages, and you may use any of these languages to correspond with the EU institutions. In addition, of course, there are many other languages spoken in Europe, and this diversity of national and regional languages is something Europeans cherish. It is part of their rich cultural heritage. The European Commission runs programmes to promote language learning and linguistic diversity .

In many policy areas (for example education and training, pensions and health care, immigration and asylum), EU governments set their own national policies rather than having an EU-wide policy laid down in law. However, it makes sense for governments to share information, adopt best practice (see above) and bring their national policies into line. This way of learning from one another is called the 'open method of coordination'.

The European Union takes decisions in three separate 'domains' (policy areas), also known as the three 'pillars' of the EU. The first pillar is the 'Community domain', covering most of the common policies, where decisions are taken by the 'Community method' (see above) – involving the Commission, Parliament and the Council. The second pillar is the common foreign and security policy, where decisions are taken by the Council alone. The third pillar is 'police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters', where – once again – the Council takes the decisions. Within the first pillar, the Council normally takes decisions by 'qualified majority' vote (see below). In the other pillars, the Council decision has to be unanimous: it can therefore be blocked by the veto of any one country. If the Council so decides, it can use the 'Community bridge' (see above) to transfer certain matters from the third to the first pillar.

On most issues, the Council of the European Union takes its decisions by voting. Each country can cast a certain number of votes, roughly in proportion to the size of its population. The number of votes per country is as follows: France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom: 29 Poland and Spain: 27 Romania: 14 Netherlands:13 Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and Portugal: 12 Austria, Bulgaria and Sweden: 10 Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania and Slovakia: 7 Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovenia: 4 Malta: 3 Total: 345 A qualified majority is reached: · if a majority of member states (in some cased a two-thirds majority) approve; · if a minimum of 255 votes is cast in favour – which is 73.9% of the total. In addition, a member state may ask for confirmation that the votes in favour represent at least 62% of the total population of the Union. If this is found not to be the case, the decision will not be adopted. For further details on qualified majority voting, see glossary.

Sometimes, when EU leaders are discussing an important legal document, they cannot reach agreement on a particular issue. So they may decide to come back to this subject at a later date. Their decision is made official by putting it in writing and including it as a clause in the legal text they are discussing. This type of clause is sometimes known as a “rendezvous clause”.

In 1985, five EU countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) agreed to abolish all checks on people travelling between them. This created a territory without internal borders which became known as the Schengen area. (Schengen is the town in Luxembourg where the agreement was signed). The Schengen countries introduced a common visa policy for the whole area and agreed to establish effective controls at its external borders. Checks at the internal borders may be carried out for a limited period if public order or national security makes this necessary. Step by step, the Schengen area has been extended to include almost every EU country plus Iceland and Norway, and the agreement has become an integral part of the EU treaties. However, Ireland and the United Kingdom do not take part in the arrangements relating to border controls and visas. You do not need a visa for travelling within the Schengen area if you are a citizen of one of the Schengen countries. If you have a visa for entering any Schengen country it automatically allows you to travel freely throughout the Schengen area, except Ireland and the United Kingdom.

This means discussion, negotiation and joint action between the European social partners (see below) and discussions between these social partners and the EU institutions.

This is jargon for the two sides of industry – i.e. employers and workers. At EU level they are represented by three main organisations: ·        The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), representing workers; ·        The Union of Industries of the European Community (UNICE), representing private sector employers;  ·        The European Centre for Public Enterprise (CEEP), representing public sector employers. The European Commission consults them when drawing up proposals for social and employment legislation.

Any person or organisation with an interest in or affected by EU legislation and policymaking is a 'stakeholder' in that process. The European Commission makes a point of consulting as wide a range of stakeholders as possible before proposing new legislation or new policy initiatives.

Strasbourg is a French city located close to the border with Germany. The plenary sessions of the European Parliament are held here for one week every month. It is also home to the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe – which are not EU institutions. The term “Strasbourg” is sometimes used in the media to mean one or other of these bodies.

The “subsidiarity principle” means that EU decisions must be taken as closely as possible to the citizen. In other words, the Union does not take action (except on matters for which it alone is responsible) unless EU action is more effective than action taken at national, regional or local level.

Meetings of the European Council (see above) are sometimes referred to as European (or EU) 'summit' meetings, because they bring together the EU's heads of state or government. Some countries are represented by their Prime Minister, others by their President, some by both. It depends on their Constitution.

This literally means 'at a level above national governments' – as distinct from 'intergovernmental' (see above) which means 'between governments'. Many EU decisions are taken at 'supranational' level in the sense that they involve the EU institutions, to which EU countries have delegated some decision-making powers. Do not confuse this term with 'transnational' (see below).

This phrase simply means a non-EU country. The meaning is clearest when we are speaking about relations between two EU member states and another country - literally a third country - that is outside the European Union.

This word is often used to describe cooperation between businesses or organisations based in more than one EU country. Part of the EU's purpose is to encourage this cross-border or 'transnational' cooperation.

The term 'transparency' is often used to mean openness in the way the EU institutions work. The EU institutions are committed to greater openness. They are taking steps to improve public access to information, and they are working to produce clearer and more readable documents. This includes better drafting of laws and, ultimately, a single, simpler and shorter treaty.

When taking decisions on some issues, the Council of the European Union has to be in unanimous agreement – i.e. all countries have to agree. Any disagreement, even by one single country, will block the decision. This would make progress very difficult in a Union of 27 countries, so the unanimity rule now applies only in particularly sensitive areas such as asylum, taxation and the common foreign and security policy. In most fields, decisions are now taken by qualified majority voting (see above).