Economists estimate extreme poverty could be drastically reduced for a fraction of global defence spending, yet military budgets continue to expand year on year, says JON TRICKETT MP, ahead of the Stop the War International Conference on Saturday
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How the EU operates: The European Council
JOHN BOYD presents the next part of his informative series on EU institutions
As Unison launches its Year of Women Workers, ANNIE COGAN-THOMAS argues that stronger organisation and collective bargaining are essential to winning equality
Trade unions, trades councils and community organisations must work together to build lasting solidarity and resistance to the far right, argues DREW GILCHRIST
Recent violence in Belfast was not spontaneous — it was built on years of failure and political neglect, argues STIOFAN O NUALLAIN
As delegates meet in Brighton this week, Unison faces pressing questions about pay, organising, workers’ rights and political representation, explains ANDY CHAFFER
Andy Burnham’s growing stature has fuelled hopes of a Labour revival – but ALAN SIMPSON warns that Britain’s crisis runs far deeper than just its leadership and traces its roots to decades of financialised capitalism
THE European Council consists of the 28 heads of state or government of member states. In addition the commission president attends and a European president chairs the EU summits. With the high representative for foreign affairs the latter represents the EU on the international stage.
The Council of Europe, with 47 member states, is not an EU institution. It was founded in 1949 and drew up the European Convention of Human Rights and established the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The European Council considers legislation and policies tabled solely by the commission. The little-known but powerful Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) prepares agenda items and drafts some legislation. There is an even lesser-known General Secretariat led by the secretary-general of the European Council. We shall meet both these powerful arrangements later in the series.
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