Core features EU Flashcards
joint decision making and transfer of policy authority between:
EU
national level
regional / local level
(but not a top-down organized system)
what does the EU do?
single market (legislation) (movement of goods, services, people)
euro
foreign policy and military cooperation
rule production in the EU
many EU rules, but even more at national/regional level. the rules at each level needs to be aligned to each other.
estimates of EU impact in % vary betwen 20-70%. depends on issue area.
the EU does not directly enforce its own laws
the EU steers and constrains membe states and vice versa
EU on the world stage
external trade policy
foreign and defence policy coordination
speaking with one voice in international organizations, like the climate agreements and the WTO
EU as a geopolitical project
‘the West’ vs other global powers
speaking with one voice in international summits (climate agreements, WTO)
EU: international organization or state
IO has member states
Treaty based organisation: member states may withdraw
Some state-like characteristics –> like citizenship
EU: federal or confederal system?
every member state has its own constitution
member states may withdraw
supremacy of EU does not exist in all policy areas
federalism might refer to different things!
EU: powerhouse or lame duck
supranational decision-making, but not in all policy areas
increasingly difficult to make politically salient decision, therefore risk-averse decision making.
difficult to move policies away from the
status quo
EU: democratic or technocratic
powerful European Parliament, but limited through media attention
national politics dominate public debate
European Council attentive of national interests, but secretive
System depends on interaction between EU and member states
EU: unique or not
unique in the features that it has
some theories explaining the development are unique to the EU, others are more general
normal policy theories fit the EUs internal workings well
mostly an own political system, because of the integration, reach, law and policy of the EU
federation
a system with of administration involving two or more levels of government with autonomous power. opposite of an unitary state
three forms of federalism
- dual federalism
- cooperative federalism
- picket fence federalism
dual federalism
national and local levels are distinct from each other
cooperative federalism
lays are intertwined and it is difficult to see who is reponsible
picket fence federalism
national and local levels have their own subject of authority
confederation
federalism with a more loose form of association. sovereign states with their own responsibility over citizens without the interference of national government
why the EU is not a confederation
confederation is a weak form of federation
it is never formally declared
confederalism pleases no one
there are no formal models of confederalism
europe has always lived with states, confederation is not a state
two categories of international organisations
international nongovernmental organization
intergovernmental organizations
intergovernmental organizations
Members are sates and their goal is to promote cooperation among state governments.
Include the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the NATO.
Unlike states, IGOs do not control territory, nor do they have much opportunity for independent action, since they are based on the voluntary cooperation of their members, who define what the IGOs can and cannot do
do not control territory
members = state
international nongovernmental organizations
These members are individuals or the representatives of private associations. They include interest groups (Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Red Cross)
regional integration association
This is an organization within which independent states work to encourage cooperation and the pooling of authority and resources for the mutual benefit of its members.
integrative potential (the extent to which different groups of states are likely to succeed in their efforts) depends on:
economic equality
shared values of the political top
presence of group activity
capacity of member states to respond to public demands
