Constitutional Evolution of the EU

Question 1

How many members were in the original iteration of the EU? How many member states are there today?

Answer 1

6
27

Question 2

What was the main point of the Schuman Declaration?

Answer 2

France and Germany must be united in order to bring stability to Europe and make future unification/stablisation possible.

Question 3

Which countries were part of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC - 1951)?

Answer 3

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Question 4

Which countries were part of the European Defence Community (1952)? What was an alternate name for the EDC?

Answer 4

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (same as ECSC). Also called Pleven plan after French premier Rene Pleven

Question 5

What two bodies did the Treaty of Rome establish?

Answer 5

European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)

Question 6

What prompted the Luxembourg Compromise (1966)?

Answer 6

France’s boycotting of various supranational devleopments.

Question 7

What were the three main pillars of the Treaty on European Union (1991)?

Answer 7

I. the (existing) European Communities (includes timetable for establishment of the Euro/EMU)
II. Common Foreign Policy and Security
III. Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs

Question 8

What are the three pillars of the EU now? (After Treaty of Amsterdam)

Answer 8

I. European Communities
II. Common Foreign and Security Policy
III. Police and Judicial Cooperation

Question 9

What are the five latest crises the EU has faced?

Answer 9

1. Economic crisis: 2008-2013
2. Brexit (2016 - )
3. Rule of law crisis (2015- ) (Hungary, Poland, possibly Slovakia)
4. COVID (2020 -)
5. Ukraine war (2022 - )

Question 10

Why was the European Banking Union established (2012)?

Answer 10

One of the EU’s responses to the 2008-2013 financial/economic crisis. Helped avoid vicious circle between government debt and soverign debt

Question 11

What are three elements of the European Banking Union (EBU)?

Answer 11

Single Supervisory Mechanism (since 2014) - gives the European Central Bank supervisory power over EU banks​

Single Resolution Mechanism (since 2016) - gives Single Resolution Board power to restructure banks failing or likely to fail​

European Deposit Insurance Scheme (proposed 2015) - draft scheme to protect retail deposits in the banking union ​

Question 12

What is the conference on the future of Europe?

Answer 12

European Commission & European Parliament proposal, looking at medium to long term future of EU and what reforms should be made to its policies and institutions. ​

Designed to give opportunity for European citizens to debate on Europe’s challenges and priorities.

Question 13

What is the principle of conferral?

Answer 13

The European Union shall act only within the limits of the competences conferred upon it by the Member States in the Treaties to attain the objectives set out therein. Competences not conferred upon the Union in the Treaties remain with the Member States.​

Question 14

What is the principle of subsidiarity?

Answer 14

Under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the EU shall act only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, either at central level or at regional and local level, but can rather, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved at Union level. ​

Question 15

What was the EU born out of?

Answer 15

WW II

Question 16

What makes the EU unique/stand apart from organizations like the UN and NATO?

Answer 16

There are supranational elements to the EU, which NATO, UN, etc. don’t possess. The EU was formed out of an actual transfer of power, has the power to impose sanctions, and can participate in events as a separate actor.

Question 17

Which treaty replaced the European Community and the old EU with the new EU?

Answer 17

The Treaty of Lisbon (2009)

Question 18

What article of the TEU is supposed to hold member states accountable if there are perceived violations of the rule of law?

Answer 18

Article 7

Question 19

What crisis resulted in the first time the EU borrowed money in signficant amounts as an entity?

Answer 19

The COVID 19 crisis.

Question 20

Does the EU raise money by levying EU-level taxes on member states?

Answer 20

No.

Question 21

Which crisis resulted in the EU providing military assistance for the first time?

Answer 21

Ukraine War

Question 22

What was the Temporary Protection Directive deployed by the Council?

Answer 22

Allowed special immigration status in the EU for Ukranian refugees.

Question 23

What are three long term problems faced by the EU?

Answer 23

1. Limited competencies - lots of deference have to be paid to member states, which limits bargaining capability (e.g. energy policy)
2. Unanimity rule
3. Limited financial resources - EU budget is extremely small (compared to US, for instance)