The european union

The European Union is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 27 European countries. The EU was created by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. The treaty was designed to enhance European political and economic integration by members of the European Community (EC), which later developed into the EU.

The European Union is a family of democratic European countries committed to working together for peace and prosperity. The European Union's activities cover all areas of the economy, industry, politics, citizen's rights and foreign policy.

The Member States have set up common institutions to run the EU and adopt its legislation: the European Parliament, The Council of the European Union, the European Commission, Court of Justice and Court of Auditors.

Law-making in the EU involves various European institutions, in particular the European Commissions, the European Parliament (EP), the Council of the European Union. In general, the European Commission proposes new legislation, the Council and Parliament pass the laws.

The European Union is based on the rule of law. This means that all legal acts are derived from treaties, which are agreed on voluntarily and democratically by all the Member States. Based on the Treaties, EU institutions can adopt legislation, which is then implemented by the Member States. The main forms of EU law are directives and regulations.

The Court of Justice makes sure that EU legislation is interpreted and applied in the same way in all EU countries. It ensures that national courts do not give different rulings on the same issue. The Court has the power to settle legal disputes between EU member states, EU institutions, businesses and individuals. The Court of Justice sits in Luxemburg and comprises 27 judges and 8 Advocates-General.

Legal profession in ukraine

Nowadays the legal profession is very important in Ukraine. As our country is a law-governed state, lawyers have a task to establish the rule of law, to improve the Ukrainian legislation, to increase legal protection of all groups of the population. Lawyers form legal culture of the Ukrainian society, respect for the law and legal policy of the state.

Legal education in Ukraine is provided for by state and private educational institutions. A graduate from a Law Faculty or Law University may choose his place of work and activity in any sphere of jurisprudence. To perform some kinds of legal activity a lawyer should also have work experience and pass special qualification examinations.

Persons who are in die legal profession can work as prosecutors, prosecutor's assistants at the Prosecutors Office; investigators at the Prosecutors Office, the Security Service of Ukraine, militia or other law-enforcement bodies; judges at courts and defence lawyers. There are public or private notaries at notary offices or legal advisers at private, public and municipal enterprises and organizations.

Persons who have legal education also work as officers at the Ministry of the Interior, the Tax Police, the Security Service of Ukraine and Customs Service. Lawyers are engaged in different spheres of life: politics, scientific and teaching activities.

Legal profession combines legal practitioners and scholars, members of the judiciary, the Bar, officials of the Prosecutor's Office and bodies of the Ministry of Justice. They have different professional functions, but all of them are charged with a responsible mission to be on guard of constitutional rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens.