Can one of you European types please explain to me what the interaction of the Council of the European Union, the European Council, and Council of Ministers, and the COREPER is?  I'm sitting in class and am massively lost.  I tried Wiki, but it sort of contradicted what my teacher is saying, which I don't know how to take.  So please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

I live in America.  I don't need to know anything about the outside world, esp. this 'Yerup' of which you speak...

Ah, the EU.  Isn't that a bunch of countries trying to be as great and powerful as one other country in particular?



(j/k)

I think understanding the "Three Pillars" is you're best bet to understanding the EU government, although it still seems pretty complicated. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_pillars_of_the_European_Union

Quote (Corran Horn @ Nov. 15 2006, 7:53 am)

Ah, the EU.  Isn't that a bunch of countries trying to be as great and powerful as one other country in particular? (j/k)

its more like a confederation of independant states trying to be as great and powerful as one other confederation of independant states.

Quote (Cobalt60 @ Nov. 15 2006, 10:19 am)

Quote (Corran Horn @ Nov. 15 2006, 7:53 am) Ah, the EU.  Isn't that a bunch of countries trying to be as great and powerful as one other country in particular? (j/k) its more like a confederation of independant states trying to be as great and powerful as one other confederation of independant states.

Oh, I didn't realize the states were independent.

Maybe Wisconsin will decide to pull out of Iraq and my wife's cousin won't have to go back.

Quote (Cobalt60 @ Nov. 15 2006, 10:46 am)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation

Maybe you missed this nugget...

It was replaced by the much stronger United States Constitution upon its ratification on June 21, 1788.

Unless you were positing that the formation of the EU is a stepping stone toward all of these 'independent states' merging into one nation.  If so, I propose it be called "Cobaltia" and you move there immediately.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution

" it marked the creation of a union of sovereign states, and a federal government to administer that union"  

Quote (Cobalt60 @ Nov. 15 2006, 11:14 am)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution " it marked the creation of a union of sovereign states, and a federal government to administer that union"

I think state sovereignty is a little more complicated an issue than how you're stating it, particularly in the post-Civil War era.