Midterm Flashcards
1
Q
Three communities which were initially established in the 1950’s, they’re respective treaties and the year of signing.
A
ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community)
Treaty of Paris (1951)
EEC (European Economic Community)
Treaty of Rome (1957)
EURATOM (Atomic Energy Community)
Treaty of Rome (1957)
2
Q
Europe’s 5 Founding Fathers
A
Adenauer - German chancellor
Schuman - French foreign minister
Monnet - French economic advisor
De Gasperi - Italian PM
Spaak - Belgian PM
3
Q
What is the ECSC?
A
- The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was created in 1951 through the Treaty of Paris.
- It aimed to pool Franco-German coal and steel resources under the power of a single High Authority.
- This way, conflict between the two countries would be virtually impossible, since the resources for the manufacturing of munitions for war were controlled by the ECSC.
- The ESCS also removed trade restrictions of coal and steel between the countries.
- Sunset clause: 50 years
- Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
- Institutions:Council of Ministers: consultative roleHigh Authority Commission: executive roleAssembly: supervisory and advisory roleCourt of Justice: reviewed legality of acts
4
Q
Treaty of Rome
A
- Signed in 1957
- On the basis of the Spaak report
- Introduced the EEC and EURATOM
- No sunset clause
- The assembly and court of justice were shared with ECSC, but the Council and the Commission were separate.
5
Q
Luxembourg Accords
A
- Signed in 1966
- Empty Chair Crisis (1965)
- Provisions were made to move towards a Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) rather than a consensus among the 6 MS.
- This would mean that bigger MS would have more voting power than smaller ones (because 1 person (population) = 1 vote, instead of 1 MS = 1 vote).
- All states would lose their veto power under QMV.
- France didn’t like this, seeing it as a renunciation of sovereignty.
- France was also afraid that a coalition of MS’s might challenge the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which France had persuaded its partners to accept with great difficulty.
- As such, France refused to attend any further Council meetings.
- Luxembourg Accords represented a gentlemen’s agreement on disagreeing on the voting method.
- In cases of vital importance for a MS, discussions must continue until unanimity is reached instead of QMV.
6
Q
Merger Treaty
A
- Signed in 1967
- Objective: unify the three communities (ECSC, EEC and EURATOM).
- Established a single Council and Commission of the European Communities.
- Merger kept the three communities legally independent while rationalizing them by merging their executive bodies and amending the community treaties.
7
Q
Single European ACT (SEA)
A
- Signed in 1986
- Revised the Treaty of Rome with the intention to increase European integration.
- Established a single market within the EC
8
Q
Maastricht Treaty
A
- Signed in 1992
- Also called the Treaty on the European Union (TEU)
- Renamed the European Economic Community (EEC) to only European Community (EC), and created the European Union (EU)
- Three-pillar structure:Amendments to the EEC, ECSC, and the
Euratom TreatiesCommon foreign and security policyJustice and home affairs
9
Q
What are the Amending Treaties?
A
- Treaty of Amsterdam (1999): changes in the institutions to accommodate requests of enlargement
- Treaty of Nice (2001): institutional changes necessary to cope with further enlargement
- (Rejected) European Constitution (2005): people were afraid to call it a constitution, as they did not want a federal structure.
- Treaty of Lisbon (2009): amended the TEU and the TFEU to make the EU more democratic, efficient, and better able to address global problems
10
Q
Membership order
A
- 1951: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
- 1973: UK, Denmark, Ireland
- 1981: Greece
- 1986: Portugal, Spain
- 1995: Autria, Finland, Sweden
- 2004: Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
- 2007: Bulgaria, Romania
- 2013: Croatia
- 2016: (Exit) UK
11
Q
Typical acts of the EU
A
Binding:
- Legislation: Treaties, Regulations, Directives, Decisions
- Case-Law: Judgements, Orders
Non-Binding:
Reccomendations, Opinions
12
Q
Distinguish between the TEU and the TFEU
A
TEU: sets out the objectives and principles of the EU
TFEU: provides organizational and functional details
13
Q
What are the 7 Principal Institutions of the EU?
A
- European Partilament: legislative power
- European Council: defne general political directions and priorities
- Council (of Ministers): legislative power
- (European) Commission: executive power
- Court of Justice of the EU: ensure that EU law is applied correctly and uniformly
- European Central Bank (ECB): monetary policy
- Court of Auditors
14
Q
Pyramid of Courts
A
- Supreme Courts
- Appellate Courts
- First-Instance (Trial) Courts
15
Q
Article 263 TFEU
A
- When the citizen’s conflict is directly with an EU institution.
- Provides for actions before the General Court. However, there is the possibility that the ECJ will contribute to the case.
- If an appeal of the GC’s ruling is lodged, the ECJ acts as the court of appeal.
