New member states still navigating the EU maze

Despite having six months of EU membership under their belts and a year of 'observer status' before that, diplomats from the ten new member states are still learning the ropes.

How the EU makes its laws, takes decisions and generally goes about its daily business is notoriously complex – making it seem like an impenetrable maze for newcomers.

A good measure of this difficulty are the weekly meetings going under the not particularly illuminating name of COREPER (Comité de Represent...