11.3 Aims and Policy Making of the EU Flashcards
Four freedoms
The EU has “four freedoms” which are the basis of the EU.
The EU aims to integrate its member states using the four freedoms.
The four freedoms are free movement of goods, free movement of capital, free movement of workers and the freedom to provide and establish services.
The freedoms were outlined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome which established the European Economic Community.
Social policy
There have been developments in the EU’s social policy through the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Social Chapter.
The Social Chapter was introduced by the 1992 Maastricht Treaty to protect workers’ rights and to regulate social policy.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights was introduced by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty and outlines the political, social and economic rights that must be respected when the EU institutions exercise their powers.
Social Chapter
The Social Chapter outlines 30 principles including rules about working hours, working conditions and employee payment.
PM Tony Blair signed the UK up to the Social Chapter in 1997.
Following the Social Chapter, the EU has undertaken many social policy initiatives including putting out directives to prevent employers from discriminating against workers based on their race, gender, age, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
Charter of Fundamental Rights
Member states must account for the Charter of Fundamental Rights when incorporating EU law into national law and in matters concerning EU law.
The rights listed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights includes the right to life, private and family life, the right to vote, a fair trial, freedom of religion, expression and assembly among many others.
Political and Economic Union
The EU has moved towards becoming a Political and Economic Union by introducing the Euro and reducing the veto powers of national governments.
In 2017 the EU outlined proposals to prevent EU states from having veto powers to block the passing of some legislation, in areas such as taxation, to bring about a closer political and economic union.
The Euro was introduced as a common currency among European Union member states, and since its creation 19 EU members and 6 non-EU member states have adopted it.
Policy: treaties and regulations
Treaties are binding agreements made between EU member states, which set out EU institutions’ rules, the relationship of the member states with the Union, and the objectives of the EU.
An example of an EU treaty is the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam.
Regulations are binding legal acts of the EU. Regulations apply immediately to all EU member states.
General Data Protection Regulation was an EU law designed to increase data protection for all citizens within the EU and applied to all member states from May 2018.
Policy: directives and rulings
Directives are legislation that set out the goals which all EU member states must achieve.
Directives give member states the power to make their own laws so that they can decide how to reach the EU’s goals.
The 2013 Industrial Emissions Directive set out goals for EU member states to lower their industrial emissions.
The European Court of Justice enforces EU law by hearing cases from the European Commission against a national government that has failed to comply with EU law.
The Common Fisheries Policy
The Common Fisheries Policy outlines the rules for managing stocks of fish and fishing fleets in Europe.
The Common Fisheries Policy aims to preserve fish stocks by setting quotas on the amounts of certain types of fish that each member state is allowed to catch.
The Common Fisheries Policy provides funding to support fishermen and gives EU fleets the same level of access to all waters within the EU.
Impact on the UK
In the UK the Common Fisheries Policy was viewed as unfair on fishermen in certain areas who have their quotas bought up by fishermen of other countries.
Some people within the UK have viewed the equal access for all EU fishermen to UK waters as unfair because of the UK’s large fishing zone compared to other countries, which means that fishermen in other EU states benefit more than those in the UK.
As part of Brexit, the UK government wants the UK to leave the Common Fisheries Policy.
The Social Chapter
The Social Chapter has outlined 30 principles which promote workers’ rights and was adopted by EU members after the single market was introduced in 1992.
The UK initially opted out of the Social Chapter but signed up to it in 1997.
Impact on the UK
The Social Chapter can be argued to erode the UK’s sovereignty by introducing laws and regulations which UK businesses must follow.
The Working Time Directive outlines rules set by the EU around weekly working hours and a minimum numbers of holiday days for employees in UK businesses.
Many UK businesses are opposed to the Social Chapter because it has increased their labour costs and made them less competitive than businesses in other countries with less tight regulations.
