European Union Flashcards
What are the ‘Inner Six’ countries that first formed the European Union
France, West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy
What is Schengen ?
European member countries who have relaxed internal border controls and checks to provide easy movement thoughout the region.
Single European Act 1985 facilitated the removal of barriers to mobility of goods, people, services and capital …. a mini globalisation ?
When was the European Union (EU) formerly the European Economic Community (EEC) formed and how ?
The Treaty of Paris signed in 1951 in Paris - by implementation of the 1952 European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
The Treaty of Rome 1957 inaugurated the European Economic Community (EEC)
Merged into European Community (EC) in 1967
European Union formed in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty - the Treaty of European Union
When and why was the EU formed ?
It was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries who trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict - LIBERALISM INSTITUTIONALISM
What is Max Webers definition of the State ?
Max Weber (1864 - 1920) describes the State as “any human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory” Politics as a vocation (1919)
How democratic is the European Union ?
Despite the existence of both an European Commission, European Parliament and its own judiciary in the form of e European Court of Justice, there exists a ‘democratic deficit’
EU functionalist or Neofunctionalist ?
The EU was initiall premised upon the functionalist cooperation and integration predominantly in the economic sector. Now considered Neofunctionalist as economic integration had lead to a spilling over into a broader political harmony, or at the very least an easing of political tensions
What is the Role of European Commission ?
The role of the European Commission is to initiate, administer and oversee the implementation of EU policies and legislation. Similar to Westminster Parliaments executive body - the executive.
Who creates EU legislation?
The European Parliament, with its elected members - one from each member state - creates legislation and which is BINDING by law to be integrated into national law into, for example the Working time Directive which restricts the total number of hours worked in one week to 48 amongst other provisions although in the UK there is an ‘opt out’ for Doctors for example
EU reach ?
Intra-regional (Regional hegemon)
Trans-regional - EU-US
