EU Decision Making - Main Deck Flashcards
What does the EU have to achieve the aims or goals, the EU and its institutions have:
specifically defined competences
Exclusive Competences (art. 3 TFEU)
The Union enjoys exclusive competences in a few areas only, such as (1) for certain aspects of the common custom duties, (2) commercial policy to third countries, and (3) Parts of the Common Fishing Policy
Shared / non-exclusive Competences (art. 4 TFEU)
The Union shall share competences with the member states where the Treaties confer on it a competence which does not relate to the areas referred to in Art. 3 and 6
In which article can you find the division of competences?
Art. 2 TFEU
Areas of Shared Competences
(1) Internal Market
(2) Social Policy
(3) Economic, social and territorial cohesion
(4) environment
(5) agriculture and fisheries
(6) consumer protection
(7) transport
(8) energy
(9) area of freedom security and justice
(10) common safety concerns in public health matters
In which TFEU article can you find the supporting, coordinating competences?
Art. 6 TFEU
Conferral (main principles)
Under this principle of conferral, the Union shall only act within it limits of the competences conferred upon it by the MS in the Treaties
The Principle of Conferral
This principle also entails that for each specific competence it is already determined
(1) Which procedure the institutions have to follow
(2) which instruments can be adopted
Principle of Subsidiarity
In areas that do not fall within the Union’s exclusive competence, the Union shall only act if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by MS
Principle of proportionality
Under this principle the content and form of the Union action shall not exceed what is necessary to achieve objectives of the Treaties
Who/What is the Primary Legislature of the Union
The Member States
Legal Autonomy of the EU
Autonomous legal order (van Gend en Loos) → Legal acts adopted by the institutions are binding to the MS
Political Autonomy of the EU
Developed since 1974 when the European Council was established and agreement on a directly elected parliament was reached
In which institution(s) are the MS represented
European Council → By their head of state or government and the Council of the European Union → by their governments
EU Citizenship
Every national of a MS shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship
EU Citizens have a dual citizenship
One of the MS and one of the EU
In which institutions are the Citizens of the Union represented?
Citizens are directly represented at Union level in the European Parliament
Community method (Decision making)
Classic Depiction of EU Decision Making → This method allows for a transparent, effective and democratic functioning of the European Union
The Union method (Decision making)
Coordinated action in a spirit of solidarity → each of us in the area for which we are responsible but all working together to the same goal
What does the Union method reflect?
- Eu Decision making is not a matter of traditional institutions
- Decision Making is not only technical and about rulemaking
- The Role of the European Council
- The role of member states
The EU and Corona
A coordinated approach to purchase vaccines
Which EU institutions are involved in EU Law Making
European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, Council, CJEU
The Concept of Institutional balance (Art. 13(2) TEU)
Each institution shall act within the limits of the powers conferred on it in the Treaties, and in conformity with the procedures, conditions and objectives set out in them.
Which EU Executive Branch has the right of initiative
The European Commission
The EU’s Executive Branch is
the European Commission
To whom can the content and timing of an initiative from the commission often be traced back?
To the conclusions of the European Council
The EU’s legislative branch
European Parliament and the Council (of the European Union) → equal
European Parliament
Different political groups + committees
Council
Different Configurations, in practice a lot is decided or prepared in Coreper and Working Groups
EU’s Judicial Branch
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)
Judicial Branch law making
Preliminary Procedure
Action for Annulment
Legal basis for the right of initiative (Commission)
Art. 17(2) TEU
Tobacco Advertising Case (Federal Republic of Germany v EP and Council
The Ordinary legislative procedure
Art. 294 TFEU → In most instances a proposal is adopted by the EP and the Council after the first reading. Normal to have this procedure where there are two chambers of the legislative branch
A special legislative procedure
Art. 289(2) TFEU → In most instances this means adoptions by the Council with the participation (Consent or Consultation) of the Parliament.
Legislative Acts
Art. 289(3) → Legal acts adopted by legislative procedure shall constitute legal acts
Which acts can be both legislative and non-legislative
Regulations, Directives and Decisions
Are Non-legislative acts binding?
Yes they are binding → Clarity in the Constitutional Treaty
When do we apply non-legislative acts
- When legislative acts cannot be adopted (CFSP)
- When the act is non-legislative in nature
(sometimes this is not so clear)
Delegated and implementing acts
Art. 290 and 291 TFEU
Direct Effect in EU Law
EU Law creates rights that can be directly enforced in national courts
Supremacy in EU Law
National Courts must give immediate effect to EU law of whatever rank. Any EU provision prevails over any provision of national law including the national constitutions
Problems of Direct Effect and Supremacy (EU law)
National courts have to apply EU law, the law can be unclear in its application.
EU Law is supreme and the CJEU provides binding interpretations of EU law
Solution of the problems of Direct Effect and Supremacy
Preliminary Reference → Form of reference specific to EU law
What is a preliminary ruling?
Where national courts encounter problems relating to the interpretation of European law, they can ask ‘preliminary questions’ to the CJEU. These questions are preliminary since they precede the formal application of EU law by the national court
Role of the CJEU in the Preliminary ruling
The CJEU does not decide the case, it is only indirectly involved in the judgement delivered by the national court. It rules on the questions and then refers the case back to the national court.
The legal function of the preliminary ruling
- Legal unity and uniformity of EU law → ensures that national courts apply the law uniformly
- Serves the development of EU law → new cases, new situations, development
- Protects individual rights
When has the Court jurisdiction in preliminary rulings
- Concerning the interpretation of the Treaties
2. Concerning the validity and interpretation of acts of the institutions, bodies, offices or agencies of the Union
FOTOFROST
significantly, national courts cannot declare an EU norm or act invalid
National Court’s rights to ask questions (article)
Art. 267 (2)
Acte Clair
When can the national court decline to refer?
Questions that can be referred
Mainly the responsibility of national courts in assessing the question when it is raised for a preliminary ruling before the CJEU. It is not up to the parties, not up to the CJEU
Referral Questions (Peterbroeck case)
If a national authority with proper legal authority finds that it needs to refer a question, this will not be reviewed by the CJEU
When are Courts obliged to refer?
Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a MS against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court
When can the national court decline to refer?
system of precedent begins to emerge, where past CJEU rulings can be applied to later cases by national courts.
Da Costa
Where the CJEU has already ruled an issue, national court can only refer if there is some new factor of argument, the court would still be inclined to just restate the substance of the earlier case
CILFIT
So obvious as to leave no scope for any reasonable doubt as to the manner in which the question raised is to be resolved. - equally clear -
Legal Effect of Preliminary rulings in Common law
Preliminary rulings are legal precedents that generally bind all national courts.