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Policy And Governance > EU P&G > Flashcards

EU P&G Flashcards

1
Q

What is the task of the EU Council?

A

provide political direction and represent the EU externally

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2
Q

What is the task of the Council (of Ministers)?

A

implementation of policies

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3
Q

What is the task of the Commission?

A

initiate and implement legislation, represent the EU

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4
Q

What is the task of the ECB?

A

implement monetary policies in countries with EUR

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5
Q

What is the task of European Parliament?

A

examine, modify and adopt/vote on legislative but CANNOT initiate legislative proposals (Commission only)

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6
Q

What is the task of Court of Justice?

A

interpretations of EU law and adjudication of conflicts between EU, MS, citizens, corporations etc.

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7
Q

What is the task of the Court of Auditors?

A

examine EU revenues and expenses, the reports are used by the EP and the Council (of M) to control EU budget

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8
Q

What is the Economic and Social Committee and the Comittee of Regions?

A

A body to which the Commission submits drafts for advice

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9
Q

What are the Theories of Integration?

A

Neofunctionalism by Haas
Spinoff: Supranational governance
Intergovernmentalism by Hoffmann
Spinoff: Liberal intergovernmentalism

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10
Q

What are the Theories of EU Politics?

A

Multilevel governance
Comparative politics

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11
Q

What is the multilevel governance theory?

A

It considers EU to be one of a kind and mutually dependent collective of governments (local, regional, national, supranational) that work together to realize common policy objectives

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12
Q

In the context of the EU, what is the theory of comparative politics?

A

It asks questions and understands EU as similiar to nation-states because:
1. EU makes binding decisions
2. Institutions perform legis., exec., judicial tasks

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13
Q

What are the 3 types of spillovers?

A
  1. Functional
  2. Political
  3. Cultivated
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14
Q

What distinguishes Hoffman’s intergovernmental theory?

A

The theory has a realist approach of distinguishing between high politics (territory) vs low politics (economics).

The logic of diversity (like territory/sovereignty) dominates over the logic of integration.

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15
Q

What is the neofunctional spinoff theory?

A

Supranational Governance: The original neofunctionalism is too linear and self-sustaining. Actually, integration is more likely in certain sectors like trade and integration only continues “when the system gives it something to integrate”.

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16
Q

What is the intergovernmentalist spinoff theory?

A

Liberal Intergovernmentalism (Moravcsik) based on major treaties signed between 1952-99.

Institutions cannot go beyond their mandate. Economic considerations are major, political are less major.

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17
Q

When was the EU Council founded?

A

1974

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18
Q

Who makes up the EU Council?

A

Heads of Governments (PMs) and Head of State (in the case of France it is not the PM)

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19
Q

How long do EU MS hold presidency on a rotating basis in the Council?

A

6 months

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20
Q

What is Coreper II?

A

Committee of permanent representatives.

Highest preparatory body for meetings of the Council and European Council.

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21
Q

What is the difference of Coreper I?

A

It is composed of each country’s deputy permanent rep.

More technical matters in specific policy areas are discussed in Coreper I

22
Q

How does the TEU define the purpose of the Commission?

A

It “shall promote the general interest of the Union and take appropriate initiatives to that end”

(Article 17 TEU).

23
Q

Who nominates the President of the Commission?

A

The EU Council

24
Q

Who votes on the presidential nomination for the Commission?

A

The EU Parliament with a simple majority

25
Q

How do Commissioners get elected?

A

The Government of each Member State nominates a commissioner and they must be approved by the Parliament.

26
Q

What is the argument for an undemocratic aspect of the Commission?

A

It is believed that both the EU Council in proposing the Commission President, and the Commission President in nominating their Commissioners will anticipate the EP’s position and take the preferences of the EP into account when nominating candidates.

This is not assured.

27
Q

What are the tasks of the Commission?

A

-Preparing and initiating legislation
-Implementing policies
-Representation
-Monitoring correct application of EU law

28
Q

How many seats does the EP have after Brexit?

A

705

29
Q

How are the number of seats in the EP allocated?

A

The number of seats per member state is related to the population using a so-called degressively proportional formula.

30
Q

What categories can the power of the EP be divided into?

A
  • budgetary powers;
  • legislative powers;
  • scrutiny of the executive;
  • appointment/dismissal of the Commission
31
Q

Delt

A
32
Q

What did the 1992 Maastricht Treaty introduce to the EP?

A

Co-decision/Ordinary legislative procedure: both the Council and the EP need to agree on legislation proposed by the Commission

Under the Lisbon Treaty the procedure now covers 85 legal bases and applies to more than 95% of Community legislation

33
Q

What can the EP do instead of initiating legislation (EC only)?

A

it can press the Commission to take action on a certain policy issue through the adoption of its own initiative reports, motions for resolutions and written declarations

34
Q

How can the EP scrutinize the executive?

A

The EP has the right to:

  1. Ask for and receive information, by submitting written or oral questions to the Commission, Council and European Council.
  2. Set up temporary commissions of inquiry to investigate ‘contraventions or maladministration in the implementation of Union law’ (Article 226 TFEU)
  3. Submit cases to the Court of Justice when it believes that they have been made on the wrong legal basis or incorrectly implemented.
35
Q

Name an example of EP withholding its vote on a candidate for Commissioner

A

Barroso I Commission

The EP committee on Justice and Liberty disapproved of the candidature of the designated Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security – Rocco Buttiglione – because of his views on homosexuality.

Italy was forced to come up with another candidate

36
Q

Theoretically, how can the EP dismiss the entire Commission?

A

First, a motion of censure needs to be tabled, after which at least three days need to pass before it can be voted upon. The adoption of the motion requires at least two-thirds of the votes, and the votes in favour of dismissal need to represent at least half of the members of the EP. Hence a double majority is required to dismiss the full Commission.

37
Q

What are parliamentary committees?

A

Subdivision of Parliament dealing with specific policy areas. Prepares and debates proposals before sending them to the full, plenary Parliament for final decision-making.

38
Q

What is a rapporteur?

A

Member of Parliament responsible for summarizing a committee’s opinion and its modification proposals on a specific piece of legislation.

39
Q

How are the Court of Justice judges appointed?

A

The Court’s judges are ‘appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States’ (Article 19 TEU). All candidates are reviewed by a panel consisting of judges from the Court as well as legal experts from the member states.

One term is 6 years and it is renewable.

40
Q

What is an Action for Annulment?

A

A case brought before the Court of Justice in which an interested party asks the Court to declare a decision by any of the EU’s institutions to be void.

41
Q

What is an infringement procedure?

A

A legal procedure set in motion against a member state if it does not comply with EU legislation.

42
Q

What is a preliminary ruling?

A

A binding interpretation on a matter of EU law delivered by the Court of Justice at the request of a member state court.

43
Q

What are the different courts in the CoJ?

A

The CoJ forms the highest court, deals with all references for preliminary rulings as well as infringement proceedings initiated by the Commission. It decides upon actions for annulment brought by member states against the EP or the Council

The General Court deals with actions for annulment brought by natural or legal persons and those by member states against the Commission. It also handles issues of intellectual property.

The Civil Service Tribunal deals with labor disputes between EU civil servants and their employer, the EU. The seven judges in this court issue rulings on employment-related conflicts regarding salaries, promotions or lay-offs

44
Q

Types of Interest Groups in EU

A

*European Trade Federations (umbrella organizations of industries or professions)
*Commercial consultants (job to lobby on behalf of clients, ‘public affair” consultant)
*Companies(can be members of ETF but still lobby the EU themselves to have different channels)
*NGOs(public interest groups)
*National businesses and labour associations (can be part of ETF too)
*Regional and Local governments (for funding etc.)
*International organizations (e.g. World Bank)
*ThinkTanks(initiate debates)

45
Q

Designed EU pluralism and the Commission

A

Commission support for EU-level interest groups is not merely a matter of creating ‘fair’ competition

has also been a way to develop a European ‘constituency’ that the Commission can mobilize in support of its initiatives.

For the Commission, it is a great benefit if it can tell member state governments and the European Parliament that its proposal is supported by a wide range of European interest groups.

As a result, the Commission has shown a clear preference for interest groups that are willing to support its causes and take a constructive (as opposed to confrontational) stance in influencing EU policy-making.

Interest groups that fit into these categories have often enjoyed easier and more extensive access to the Commission than other groups.

46
Q

Designed pluralism in the EU

A

On an annual basis, the Commission spends some one billion Euros on supporting EU-level interest groups. This money goes primarily to NGOs, which suffer most from the ‘logic of collective action’

the logic of collective action (theory by Mancur Olson): concentrated minor interests will be overrepresented and diffuse majority interests trumped, due to a free-rider problem that is stronger when a group becomes larger

47
Q

What are some elements of pluralism and corporatism in the EU?

A

Elements of pluralism: many interest groups with easy access and competition

Elements of corporatism:
→ European Economic and Social Committee (EESC): Commission is obliged to consult them
→ Committee of the Regions (CoR): needs to be consulted when proposal potentially affects the MS

48
Q

What is the subsidiarity principle?

(Treaty of Lisbon)

A

the EU is only allowed to act if the objectives of that action can be better reached at EU level than at MS level

Yellow card procedure: if at least one-third of all parliaments considers the proposal to violate the subsidiarity principle, the institution or group of member states that initiated the proposal must review it.

Red card procedure: if more than half of all national parliaments raise objections, a more elaborate procedure is put in motion. Again, the Commission needs to review the proposal and may decide to withdraw, modify or maintain it, explaining its decision in a reasoned opinion

49
Q

QMV before and after Treaty of Lisbon

A

Before:

  • A minimum of 255 out of the 345 votes (74%).
  • A simple majority of member states (currently 14 out of 27).
  • Those member states need to represent at least 62% of the EU population.

After:

  • A proposal is supported by 55% of the member states.
  • The majority represents at least 65% of the EU population.
  • A decision can only be blocked by a group of at least four member states.
50
Q

Decision-making in The Council

A

the basic voting rule in the Council during the ordinary legislative procedure is QMV, with unanimity needed to adopt amendments that have not been endorsed by the Commission.

In special legislative procedures and under the CFSP, unanimity is often (though not always) the rule.

Policy And Governance (4 decks)

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