In the exhibition, citizens learn how European policy is shaped and how they themselves can get involved. At the same time, the EUROPA EXPERIENCE is a place where the institutions show their willingness to talk to citizens, enter into discussions and answer questions.

In the exhibition, citizens learn how European policy is shaped and how they themselves can get involved. At the same time, the EUROPA EXPERIENCE is a place where the institutions show their willingness to talk to citizens, enter into discussions and answer questions.

In the permanent multimedia exhibition, visitors can find out how people in Europe live and how the European Union works. In a 360° cinema you can feel like a Member of Parliament and experience a plenary session of the European Parliament.

The European House in Berlin Mitte, directly on Pariser Platz by the Brandenburg Gate, is the seat of the Liaison Office of the European Parliament in Germany and the Representation of the European Commission in Germany. The offices act as mediators between the European institutions and citizens as well as contact persons for authorities, multipliers, the press and the media in Germany. The European Commission also has regional representations in Bonn and Munich. The European Parliament has another liaison office in Munich.

With the exception of a few areas, the institutions work independently of each other. They have different orientations and focusses. Details of the roles of the two institutions can be found on the following websites:

• - Representation of the European Commission in Germany
• - Liaison Office of the European Parliament in Germany

The large multimedia exhibition, the EUROPA EXPERIENCE, is located on the ground floor of the European House. The exhibition is open to all citizens 360 days a year to provide them with information about the European Union.

The necessary COVID-19 protective measures for exhibitions and museums are decided by the Berlin Senate. The same rules and regulations as in the rest of Berlin are applicable to the EUROPA EXPERIENCE. If masks must be worn in closed areas, this will also apply to those visiting the EUROPA EXPERIENCE.

The EUROPA EXPERIENCE offers information and entertainment for all age groups. Children, school classes, students and families will find a wealth of information about the European Union in all 24 official EU languages.

While adult visitors learn about the history and politics of the European Union, children are entertained at a multimedia table with videos and games. Brochures with quizzes, puzzles, coin-scratch pictures and coloring books are also on offer. The whole family can have their photo taken in a photo booth and email it around the world as an EUROPA EXPERIENCE greeting card.

For older pupils, there is a quiz tailored to different ages and interests, with which the information in the exhibition can be explored in a playful way. Just ask at the infodesk for more information about this.

The EUROPA EXPERIENCE is an exhibition that was designed to be visited in person for a personal ‘experience’. Visitors move freely through the exhibition without a predetermined path and decide for themselves which topic and which station they would like to explore next. Members of staff are always happy to answer questions relating to background information. The exhibition places ‘Europe at your fingertips’ and is not designed for the internet.

Visits to the individual EU institutions are the responsibility of the respective visitors’ services. The websites of the European Parliament and the European Commission provide information on what you need to know when preparing a visit.

The European Parliament offers visits to its three places of work – Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg – for individuals and for organised groups. Visits to the European Parliament last one to two hours and include an introduction to the role and work of the European Parliament by a speaker. If the parliamentary agenda allows, this may be followed by a discussion with a MEP. A list of German MEPs can be found here.

European Parliament visitors’ service: European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit, Paul-Henri-Spaak Building, Rue Wiertz 60/Wiertzstraat 60, B-1047 Brussels, Belgium

The European Commission offers guided tours for groups of 15 persons or more, which can also be combined with presentations on different EU policy areas to cater to individual interests. Demand is high, so visits should be booked at least 10 weeks in advance. More detailed information on the structure of a visit to the Commission, together with an online registration form, can be found here.

European Commission Visitors’ Centre: European Commission, Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 170, 1049 Brussels, Belgium

In addition, in Brussels there is also the possibility to visit a multimedia exhibition, PARLAMENTARIUM, which is open 7 days a week. In the PARTMENTARIUM, children and adults can embark on an interesting and original discovery of the institution which represents them in Europe. The PARLAMENTARIUM caters to all 24 official languages of the European Union. Admission is free of charge.

All citizens can also visit the House of European History in Brussels.

House of European History, Rue Belliard / Belliardstraat 135, Brussels, Belgium

The multimedia EUROPA EXPERIENCE is available in the 24 official EU languages. The highlight of the exhibition is a 360° cinema with 33 seats. Two films, which last a total of 20 minutes and which can also be followed using headphones in all official EU languages, present the work of the European Parliament and the current role of the EU.

The media station ‘United in diversity’ describes concrete regional EU projects and programmes in a series of short videos. At another video station, ‘Europe in everyday life’, individual Europeans tell us why and how they are committed to common European objectives in the fields of nature conservation, culture or linguistic diversity. Other media tables provide information on the history, policies and functioning of the European Union.

Children and young people can also discover the EU in a playful way at the media tables with puzzles and quizzes. There is also a comprehensive selection of topical brochures in German and other official EU languages.

The team at the EUROPA EXPERIENCE will be happy to help with selecting information and providing advice to those who are interested.

When you visit the EUROPA EXPERIENCE, the staff will also be happy to help you find specialist information. Often, our team will be able to point you to the right contact person or important sources of information.

We offer all visitors access to the websites of the EU institutions. You can research at your leisure and we will support you with a succinct printout of the most important information.

You can also access books, brochures, posters and academic reports in the EU Bookshop. Most publications are available in PDF format. However, many of the brochures can also be ordered in printed form, in all the languages in which they were published.

At the EUROPA EXPERIENCE, visitors can learn about the European Union or deepen the knowledge they already have. Our staff will also be happy to provide information on individual topics and specialist questions and can help with pointers to further information.

However, the exhibition is not a place for academic research. Staff members cannot give information or interviews that can be quoted in academic papers or journalistic reports. However, they will be happy to help you find the right contact person.

As the ‘Guardian of the Treaties’, the Commission is responsible for monitoring compliance with EU law in the Member States. Anyone who thinks that a Member State is infringing EU law can lodge a complaint about that Member State with the European Commission.

As the ‘Guardian of the Treaties’, the Commission is responsible for monitoring compliance with EU law in the Member States. Anyone who thinks that a Member State is infringing EU law can lodge a complaint about that Member State with the European Commission. To do so, it is recommended that complainants use the complaint form provided by the European Commission, which is available at the EUROPA EXPERIENCE.

Complaints can be sent to the European Commission in the form of a simple letter (European Commission, for the attention of the Secretary-General, B-1049 Brussels) or an e-mail (SG-PLAINTES@ec.europa.eu).

German is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. This means that all legal documents such as treaties, legislation (laws) and decisions of the institutions are available in all official languages or have to be translated into all these languages. Non-legal documents, such as press releases, background information or preliminary versions of legal texts or websites that have not yet been published, do not have to be translated.

The European institutions also endeavour to translate as many publications as possible and thus make them accessible to as many people as possible, even when translation of such documents is not mandatory. However, issues of cost-effectiveness, the importance or urgency of the texts and the capacity of the translation services naturally play a role. This is why, for example, press releases, specialist information or websites occasionally appear only in certain languages. For other publications, it is possible that the translation will become available somewhat later.

The European Parliament and the European Commission provide teachers and pupils of all ages with brochures on the European Union, its history, institutions and policies. Teaching materials are also available online:

European Parliament:

• - Teaching materials
• - Publications to order

 

European Commission:

• - Teaching materials
• - Publications to order

EU directives are legal acts of the European Union. Alongside regulations and decisions, they are the EU’s most important instrument for taking action. EU directives must be transposed into national law by the EU Member States. The choice of form and means is left to the Member States. The rights and obligations resulting from transposition must be clearly identifiable. This ensures that EU citizens can rely on them before national courts.

The European Commission checks whether the provisions of a directive have been fully and properly transposed into national law. On the website of the online database EUR-Lex you can find out the state of transposition into national law of each directive.

The European Commission produces an annual report on the transposition of EU law by the Member States and the main developments in that regard. You can find out more about directives and other forms of EU legislation on the European Union website.