You will find in this file materials relating to the general EU knowledge or overall summaries of EU policies.
The two first documents EU integration_ the Treaties and EU organs and procedure are brief presentations of the EU institutions and of the Treaties that have paved the way for European integration. If you have no prior knowledge of the EU, they will help you get a broad idea of its main features before digging into more complex materials. EU competencies is a brief presentation of the competencies of the European Union, a useful thing to know when discussing what the EU can or cannot do in various fields – and what would require to change the Treaties or can be done within the current framework of the Treaties.
The following document The EU what it is and what it does 2020 a publication of the European Commission presenting the basics of the EU design and functioning, as well as its main policies.
Most importantly for the topic of our trip, you should remember that President Von der Leyen has defined her Commission as a ‘geopolitical’ one.
Additionally, do feel invited to follow the evolution of public opinion on various issues (as measured by the Eurobarometer) you can use this interactive data set.
For further details about a specific institution, do check the pages dedicated to background knowledge about the European Council.