Segment 1: Little Detailed Notes (Simplified
Version)
EU Institutions
The European Commission is the executive
body of the EU. It proposes laws, enforces
EU treaties, manages the EU's finances, and
represents the EU in international relations.
The Council of the EU, made up of
government ministers from each EU
country, works with the European
Parliament to adopt laws and policies. The
European Parliament, elected by EU citizens,
shares legislative power with the Council
and monitors the Commission’s activities.
Sources of EU Law
Primary law includes the Treaty on European
Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
These treaties lay the foundation for EU
governance, define its powers, and outline
its legal framework. Secondary law comes in
various forms:
Regulations are directly applicable in all
member states and do not need national
laws to implement them.
Directives set goals for member states but
allow flexibility in how to achieve those
goals.
Decisions are binding on specific individuals
or entities.
Recommendations are non-binding but
provide guidance.
Case law from the Court of Justice of the
European Union (CJEU) ensures the
consistent application of EU law across all
member states.
Key Treaties
The TEU sets the EU’s basic principles,
values, and goals. The TFEU lays out the
detailed rules for the EU’s functioning,
covering the areas where the EU has the
power to act.
Key Concepts
Legal Supremacy: EU law has priority over
national laws when there is a conflict.
Subsidiarity: The EU will only act in areas
where individual member states cannot
effectively achieve the objectives on their
own.
Competences: The EU has different types of
powers:
Exclusive Competence (e.g., trade policy),
Shared Competence (e.g., environmental
protection),
Supporting Competence (e.g., public
health).
Recent Developments
Under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership,
the European Commission has consolidated
its powers, especially focusing on the Green
Deal (environmental policies) and the digital
transformation. The EU budget now ties
financial support to countries’ adherence to
EU values like democracy and rule of law, in
addition to supporting post-pandemic
recovery.
EU Food Law
EU food law aims to ensure food safety,
protect consumers, and support
sustainability. The regulations are
harmonized across all member states to
facilitate smooth internal market trade and
ensure that food products meet common
safety standards.
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Segment 2: Bullet Points
EU Institutions:
European Commission: Proposes laws,
enforces treaties, manages EU finances.
Council of the EU: Represents member
states’ governments, adopts laws.
European Parliament: Elected by citizens,
shares law-making powers, oversees the
Commission.
Sources of Law:
Primary Law: TEU, TFEU (key treaties
defining EU's powers).
Secondary Law: Regulations (binding across
EU), Directives (flexible goals), Decisions
(for specific parties), Recommendations
(guidance).
Case Law: CJEU ensures uniform
interpretation of laws.
Key Concepts:
Legal Supremacy: EU law overrides national
law.
Subsidiarity: EU steps in only when
necessary.
Competences: Exclusive (e.g., trade),
Shared (e.g., environment), Supporting
(e.g., health).
Recent Developments:
Von der Leyen’s Leadership: Focus on the
Green Deal and digitalization.
EU Budget: Tied to adherence to rule of law
and EU values.
EU Food Law:
Goals: Safety, consumer protection,
sustainability.
Harmonized Standards: Ensure consistency
in food trade across the EU.
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Segment 3: Short Questions and Answers
Q: What does the European Commission do?
A: It proposes laws, enforces EU treaties,
manages the budget, and represents the EU
internationally.
Q: Who makes EU laws?
A: The Council of the EU and the European
Parliament.
Q: What types of Secondary Law exist in the
EU?
A: Regulations (binding), Directives (goal-
setting with flexibility), Decisions (specific to
parties), Recommendations (non-binding).
Q: What is Legal Supremacy?
A: EU law takes precedence over national
law if they conflict.
Q: What are the main treaties of the EU?
A: The TEU and the TFEU.
Q: What does EU food law aim to do?
A: Ensure food safety, protect consumers,
and promote sustainable practices.
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Segment 4: Three Key Words for Each Topic
Institutions: Commission, Council,
Parliament.
Sources of Law: Primary, Secondary, Case
Law.
Key Treaties: TEU, TFEU, Competences.
Key Concepts: Supremacy, Subsidiarity,
Competences.
Recent Developments: Von der Leyen, Green
Deal, Budget.
EU Food Law: Safety, Standards, Trade.
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These revisions should suit your brother’s
LLM studies by providing a more formal yet
accessible explanation, while ensuring the
content remains academically robust.