Lecture 2 (Week 37) - EEC to SEM

Question 1

What does the Council do?

Answer 1

EU INSTITUTION
Council of the European Union(Council of minesters)

In the Council of the EU, informally also known as the Council, government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and coordinate policies. Originally, it had to agree unanimously, but there has been a steady move towards the adoption of QMV.

• Together with the European parliament, the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU.
• coordinates EU countries’ policies
• develops the EU’s foreign & security policy, based on European Council guidelines
• concludes agreements between the EU and other countries or international organisations
• adopts the annual EU budget - jointly with the European Parliament

Not to be confused with:
• European Council - quarterly summits, where EU leaders meet to set the broad direction of EU policy making

Question 2

Key takeaways from the single european act:

Answer 2

Single European Act (SEA) (1986):
INTRODUCTION OF QMV which strengthen the power the EU:(More sovereignty was passed to the EU because legislation procedure became easier)

• Signed in 1986 (Luxembourg and Haag) (dansk: EF-pakken)
  New procedure in EC
• European parliament got greater influence in the EC legislation. Should be heard twice regarding matter concerning the common market.
• Council of Ministers was given the opportunity to adopt legislation by a qualified majority rather than unanimously.

Purpose: Establish the Common market and the cooperation in EU

• Making European industry more competitive
• Eliminated more than 300 technical barriers (before 1993)
• Elimination of non-tarrifs barriers to trade.
• Strengthened the foreign policy cooperation
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
• Foreign policy cooperation remained intergovernmental
• Spillover potential.
  The beginning of single european market(1992)

Question 3

What is Qualified Majority voting (QMV) and why is it important for deepening integration in the EU?

Answer 3

You need 15 out 27 (55% of the council of ministers (same percentage in EP. ) but it has to represent at least 65% of the population. So, if 15 small countries agree on a proposal but only represent 55% of the total population it will be neglected.

a qualified majority is reached if two conditions are met:
• 55% of member states vote in favour - in practice this means 15 out of 27
• the proposal is supported by member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population

This procedure is also known as the ‘double majority’ rule. 55%of the EU countries 65%of the EU population

• Designed to speed up decision making. The legislation procedure was built on unanimous voting which meant that new legislation was often blocked by one member state.

INTRODUCTION OF QMV IN SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT.

Question 4

Widening integration -> which countries became a part of the EC in the period 1960-1986:

Answer 4

Southern enlargement of EU 1986:
- Spain, Portugal, Greece etc.

1972:
- Ireland, Britain and Denmark
- UK and DK made problems (more intergovernmental minds)