The EU is the most complicated political organisation the world has ever seen, with countless confusing interrelationships and institutions – of which the European Parliament, which EU citizens get to vote for this week, just one part of a vast organisation. Little wonder, then, that hardly anyone understands how the damned thing works.

The following video is certainly simplistic, but is nonetheless a handy introduction to how the various parts of the EU fit together, who does what, where our elected representatives in the European Parliament (and, of course, in the Council) fit in to the equation, and even some of the problems of the current system for the scrutiny of EU legislation. If you’re unsure of why the European Parliament matters, this is well worth a few minutes of your time: