European Parliament

Question 1

When did the EP start being elected by the citizens of the EU?

Answer 1

Initially, the Parliament was a consultative assembly, with members appointed by national parliaments. It became directly elected by EU citizens in 1979.

Question 1

What are the origins of the EP?

Answer 1

The European Parliament traces its origins back to the 1950s with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), predecessors of the EU.

Question 2

How can the EP hold the commission to account?

Answer 2

Dismissal of the college of commissioners (2/3 vote), Spitzenkandidaten system, co-legislator

Question 3

What sort of legislative power does the EP hold?

Answer 3

OLP/trilogues - EP can veto legislation, special legislative procedures - consultative,

Question 4

What are the types of Euroskeptic members?

Answer 4

absentee, public orator, pragmatist, participant

Question 5

Who does the Commission represent? What is its role?

Answer 5

he European Commission represents the European Union as a whole.
The Commission acts as the executive branch of the EU, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing EU policies and decisions, enforcing EU law, and representing the EU in international negotiations.

Question 6

Who does the Parliament represent? What is its role?

Answer 6

The European Parliament represents the citizens of the European Union.
The Parliament is the directly elected legislative body of the EU, representing the interests of EU citizens and exercising legislative, supervisory, and budgetary powers. It shares legislative authority with the Council of the European Union.

Question 7

Who does the Council represent? What is its role?

Answer 7

The Council of the European Union represents the governments of the EU member states.
The Council is the main decision-making body of the EU, along with the European Parliament. It represents the member states’ interests and coordinates their policies. The Council shares legislative and budgetary authority with the European Parliament.

Question 8

How do you become an MEP? What/Who do you represent?

Answer 8

MEPs are elected through the European Parliament elections, which are held every five years. The elections take place in all EU member states, and each country has its own electoral system. They are members of political parties (national-level politics). They represent the citizens of their member states.

Question 9

Who are rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs? What do they do?

Answer 9

Rapporteurs are MEPs appointed by parliamentary committees to prepare reports on legislative proposals or other significant issues within the committee’s competence. They engage in negotiations with representatives of other EU institutions.
Shadow rapporteurs are MEPs appointed by political groups in the European Parliament to monitor and scrutinize the work of the rapporteur from the opposing political group.

Question 10

What is the Council of Ministers? How is it structured?

Answer 10

The Council is composed of government ministers from the EU member states. The Council is chaired by a minister from the member state holding the rotating presidency of the Council, which changes every six months.

Question 11

What are the council’s roles and responsibilities?

Answer 11

Legislative Role - OLP
Policy Coordination - a forum for coordinating the policies of EU member states
Budgetary Authority - with the EP

Question 12

What is the COREPER?

Answer 12

It is a key preparatory body of the Council of the European Union, responsible for assisting the Council in its work by preparing the agenda for Council meetings, conducting negotiations on behalf of the member states, and ensuring the consistency and coherence of the Council’s decisions.

COREPER I - focuses on internal EU policies and legislative matters.

COREPER II - deals with issues related to foreign affairs, security, defense, and external relations.

Question 13

What is the European Council? How is it structured?

Answer 13

It defines the EU’s overall political directions and priorities and sets the EU’s policy agenda in both the short term and the long term.

heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also participates in its meetings.

President - elected for 2.5 years. Serves

Question 14

What are the roles and responsibilties of the European Council?

Answer 14

Setting the EU’s Political Agenda, coordinates the policies of the EU member states and ensures consistency in their actions

Question 15

What does a demoi-cratist think about the election of Ursula von der Leyen in 2019 as President of the Commission?

Answer 15

Contrary to the parliamentarization theory, demoi-cracy assumes that there are two sources of sovereignty in the EU: the member states, and the citizens. While the former are represented in the European Council, the latter have representation in the Parliament. The election of Ursula von der Leyen was democratic since it was in accordance to the law of the treaties, and it was based on a decision taken by the two organs that represent the legitimacy of the EU.

Question 16

What are the roles and responsibilities of the European Commission?

Answer 16

To represent the EU abroad, it has the right of legislative initiative (right to initiate new legislation), to monitor the implementation of EU laws, to approve implementing acts and/or delegating legislation, mediating between the EP and the Council.

Question 17

How is the Commission structured?

Answer 17

Political arm (College of Commissioners and Commission President)
Administrative arm (Directorate generals and services)
Cabinets as liaisons

Question 18

What is neofunctionalism? What is intergovernmentalism? What does the Commission’s role prescribe to?

Answer 18

Neofunctionalism - a theory of regional integration that emphasizes the role of supranational institutions and the gradual transfer of sovereignty from national governments to these institutions as a result of functional spillover.

Intergovernmentalism - a theory of integration that focuses on the role of national governments as the primary actors in the integration process.

Commission - Principal-Agent relationship with MS

Question 19

How does the EU officially make legislation? Explain

Answer 19

OLP - proposal - evaluation by Council and EP - Early Warning Systems with National Governments (yellow cards) - first reading, - early second reading - second reading - third reading

Question 20

What are the different modes of governance in the EU?

Answer 20

EU Competences - exclusive competences, shared competences, supporting competences, policy coordination

Question 21

What are the different ways in which the Council votes?

Answer 21

By unanimity - amendments to the EU treaties, decisions on the EU’s budget, and certain aspects of foreign and security policy.

QMV (55% of member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population) - most legislative decisions, including those related to the single market, environmental policy, justice and home affairs, and others.

Consensus

Question 22

What are the different ways in which the EP votes?

Answer 22

Simple Majority - more than half of the MEPs present and voting support the proposal. Abstentions are not counted in determining the majority.

Qualified Majority - Certain decisions, such as the election of the President of the European Commission, require a qualified majority. This means that the proposal must be supported by at least 376 out of 751 MEPs (representing at least 50% of all MEPs) to be approved.
Two-thirds Majority - Some decisions, such as amending the EU treaties or impeaching a member of the European Commission, require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.