European Union Flashcards
When did the UK become a member of the EU?
1973
How many members does the EU have?
What’s its population?
27 members
500m population
What is the budget of the EU?
About 148bn a year (2020)
What is the biggest item of expenditure (40%)
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which provides subsidies for farmers
What is the European Council?
Compromises of elected heads of government from each members state. Meet 4 times a year, sets legislative agenda for coming months. President is Charles Michel
What is the European Commission?
Civil service and executive of the EU. Consists of 28 Commissioners - one appointed by each member state. It has the monopoly on initiating policy. President is Von Der Layen. Appointed rather than elected so criticised for being in democratic and unaccountable
What is European Parliament
705 members of European Parliament directly elected using proportional representation and the party list system. UK had 73 MEPs divided amount 12 multi-member constituency’s depending on population. UK no longer has an MEPs. President is David Sassoli
What is Council of the EU?
Compromises of 27 departmental ministers from member states. Composition changes depending on what is being debated. For ex, if topic is education, education ministers of the 27 member states would sit on counci. Uses Qualified Majority voting to pass legislation, which requires approval of 55% of member states and 65% of EU population. This is to stop huh counties being outvoted by allowances of smaller counties - six month rotating presidency
What is European Court of Justice?
ECJ has 27 judges. One from each state. Rules on issues such as competition and employment law, can impose fines
How is legislative agenda set?
By heads of governemnt in European Council
Who introduced and has a monopoly of introducing new laws?
European Commission, although European Parliament and the citizenry can ask Commisson to introduce new laws
How are proposals debated on making new laws?
Debated by European Parliament and Council of the EU and both must agree for bill to become law. This process is called the “ordinary legislative procedure”
What happens if an agreement can’t be made on a new law?
Set up a conciliation Comitee, compromising of member sit the European Parliament and Council of EU to thrash out compromise
When was Euro Lauched?
2002
How many counties joined Eurozone?
18 joined, ten did not (including UK)
What encouraged some countries to borrow heavily?
Low interest rates throughout Eurozone
What happened in 2008?
Banking crisis - loans became much more expensive and harder to come by, sparking debt crisis in PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain)
Which had to be bailed out and had severe austerity measures
What have economists argued as a result of 2008 banking crisis
You can’t have a monetary union (involves two or kore states sharing money) without a fiscal union (central control over spending and taxes)
What was Immigration crisis 2015?
EU come under further pressure following mass migration into Europe during 2015
Estimated 1.1m people entered EU via Greece and Italy, many fleeing civil war in Syria
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed refugees, but following Pairs atrocities in Nov 2015 and mess sex attacks committed by migrants in Cologne and other German cities on New Year’s Eve public opinion swung against her
As a result the passport-free Schengen zone has come under enormous pressure and the future of the zone is now in doubt
What has the imigration crisis sharpened the debate over?
Over the EUs future. Some people want to see “ever closer union” with increasing central control of member state economics, including tax and spending and also a foreign policy and defence
Others want to see a looser federation based on trade, where individual states retain control over wide areas of policy including defence and taxation
What happened in 2016 referendum
Vote was 51% leave
49% stay
What happened to David Cameron
Resigned
Theresa May put in charge
What was included in Mays 2017 speech January
UK would leave the single market and seek best possible trade deal with EU
What happened in Feb 2017?
HOC voted 498 to 114 to back gov European Union bill, allowing Theresa May to trigger A50
March 2017?
May triggers A50
What happened during 2019
She tried and failed 3 times to get her withdrawal agreement through Commons. The result was gridlock
May reigned and BJ became leader of Conservative party
Who pledges to leave EU by 31 October but fails to get deal through
What does BJ have to do after failed deal.
Agree an extension and with support of labour proposes a general election on December 12
Which Tories win exponentially
January 23, 2020?
EU withdrawal agreement receives royal assent
And Jan 31st 2020 UK leaves EU
What is Council of Europe?
Not part of EU
Founded 1949
47 member states
The council of Europe’s court is the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg
Clashed with UK multiple times, most recently on UKs blanket ban on prisoners to vote
