Understanding the EU

Making sense of EU policy-making processes is not always straightforward.

This area of the site helps to shed some light on who the main EU institutions are, how EU decision making processes work, provides information on the range of EU legislation affecting the environment, and explains specific terms and concepts as well as commonly used EU acronyms:

  • The Manual

    Navigate the extensive body of EU environmental policy with the award-winning Manual of European Environmental Policy, IEEP’s flagship publication. /More

  • Guide to Institutions & Decision Making

    Get a quick overview of the main EU institutions, their roles and decision making processes. /More

  • EU Glossary

    Baffled by EU policy speak? To decipher this ‘eurojargon’, see our EU Glossary /More

  • Euro-Acronyms

    Consult our A to Z of commonly used EU acronyms. /More