D

Decision
The decisions are, in European law, binding in their entirety on those to whom it addresses.

Delegation
There are 118 delegations in third countries and five in international organisations i.e. theOECD, OSCE, UN and WTO. Their main task is to present, explain and implement the EU policies, analyze and report on the policies in their respective countries and conduct negotiations (in accordance with a given mandate).

Democratic deficit
It is often said that the EU's decision-making system is far removed from ordinary citizens, who cannot understand its complexities and its difficult legal texts. The EU is trying to overcome this "democratic deficit" through simpler legislation and better public information, and by giving civil society (see above) a greater say in European policy making.Citizens are already represented in EU decision-making via the European Parliament.

Demonstration project
As opposed to traditional research projects aimed at generating basic knowledge, the Demonstration Projects aim to use available knowledge, thereby transforming research results into a proven technology. In fact, the objective is to prove the technical viability of a new technology together with its possible “economic advantages” under “realistic conditions”. Examples of “demonstration objectives” can be toprove the technical superiority with respect to current practices or show the ability to comply with regulations and to demonstrate validity with respect to standard. The Community funding does not exceed 50 % of the costs for the project and the rate decreases with an increasing connection to the market.

DG
The European Commission is structured into 26 Directorate –Generals (DGs) and nine services. Each DG is divided into directorates which are divided into units. There is one DG for each main policy area and the administrative head of a DG is known as the Director General.

Direct subsidies
This is the mode of payment for the Common Policy and means that the European Commission pays financial aid directly to the beneficiaries

Directive
A legal act that binds the Member States to the objective to be achieved but leaves the choice of method up to the Member States. The directives must be transposed in every Member State in the form of a binding national legislation.