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Absorption (absorptive) capacity
This term usually refers to the ability of a country or an organisation to recieve aid and use it effectively. The term "EU absorption capacity" refers to the capacity of the Union to integrate or "absorb" new Member States.

Acceding country
An acceding country is a candidate country that has met the Copenhagen criteria and competed negociations for joining the EU

Acquis communautaire
This french term means essentially, "The EU as it is" - in other words, the rights and obligations that EU countries share. The "aquis" includes all the EU's treaties and laws, declarations and resolutions, international agreements on EU affaires and the judgements given by the Court of Justice. It also includes actions undertaken in common by the Member States governments in the areas of Justice and Home affaires and Common Foreign and Security Policy. "Accepting the aquis" therefore means accepting the EU as it is. Candidate countries have to accept the acquis communautaire and adopt their national legislation to these aquis before acceding to the EU.

Additionality
This is a principle for EU funding by Structural Funds meaning that EU funding should be complementary to national programmes and not replace them. For each Objective the Member States must maintain their own public expenditure, at least at the level it was during the preceding period.

Agency of the European Community
Several specialised and decentralised EU agencies have been established in order to cope to a need to cope with new tasks of a legal, technical and/or scientific nature. There are four different types of agencies; Community agencies within the framework of EU's first pillar, Common Foreign and Security Policy Agencies within the framework of the 2nd pillar of the EU, Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters agencies to help cooperation within the EU's third pillar and Executive agencies related to the management of one or more Community programmes.

Agenda
This term literally means "things to be done". It normally refers to a list of items for discussion at a meeting, but politicians also use it as a jargon term meaning "things we want to achieve". For example, "Agenda 2000" was the title of a package of proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy and to plan the EU's budget for 2000-2006.

Amsterdam Treaty
This Treaty amended the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts when it was signed on 2nd October 1997 and came into force 1st May 1999. It was prepared in order to meet the challenges of the future enlargement of the EU. The final outcome meant a greater emphasis on citizenship and the rights for individuals, more democracy as the European Parliament gained more power, the creation of a Community area of freedom, security and justice, the beginnings of a common foreign and security policy and also a reform of the institutions in order to prepare for enlargement.

Anti-trust
The EU aims to guarantee fair and free competition within the single market, and to ensure that companies compete rather than collude. EU rules prohibit agreements that restrict competition (e.g. secret agreements between companies to charge artificially high prices) and abuses by firms who hold a dominant position on the market. Rules of this kind are known as "anti-trust" legislation. The Commission has considerable power to prohibit anti-competitive activities, and to impose fines on firms found guilty of anti-competitive conduct.

Applicant country
A country that has applied to join the EU. Once its application has been officially accepted, it becomes a Candidate country.

Area of freedom, security and justice
The creation of an area of freedom, security and justice is one of the main objectives of the EU and this policy is managed by the DG Justice and Home Affairs and involve several policies including the free movement of persons, Visa policy, EU external policy, Schengen area, immigration, asylum, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, drugs policy coordination, data protection, fundamental rights, racism and xenophobia, police and customs cooperation, crime prevention, fight against organised crime, external relations and enlargement from a justice and home affaires perspective.

Associated Countries
Countries that have signed an Association Agreement with the EU. This agreement creates a framework for cooperation between the country and the EU and covers the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links.