Miscellaneous Flashcards
All EU bodies
- 4 decision-making institutions: COM, Council, European Council, Parliament.
- 3 other institutions: CJEU, ECB and ECA.
- 7 bodies: EEAS, EESC, CoR, EIB, Ombudsman, European Data Protection Supervisor, European Data Protection Board.
- 4 interinstitutional services: Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-EU), European School of Administrators, EPSO, Publications Office.
- 35 decentralised agencies and 6 executive agencies.
Policy are became EU competency in:
- internal market: commmon market with Treaty of Rome in 1958, internal market wtih SEA
- customs union: 1968
- energy; Maastricht,
Water Framework Directive aim
Setting out rules to halt deterioration in the status of EU water bodies and achieve good status for Europe’s rivers, lakes and groundwater.
It requires Member States to use their River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) and Programmes of Measures (PoMs) to protect and, where necessary, restore water bodies in order to reach good status, and to prevent deterioration. Good status means both good chemical and good ecological status.
Nature restoration law target and stats on ecosystems
- 81% of habitats are in poor status
- One in three bee and butterfly species are in decline
- Every 1 euroinvested into nature restoration adds €4 to €38 in benefits
The regulation combines an overarching restoration objective for the long-term recovery of nature in the EU’s land and sea areas with binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species.
The law will:
- Require Member States to develop National Restoration Plans taking account of national circumstances
- Restore at least 20% of EU land and sea by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050
- Build on EU nature laws, focusing on all natural habitats, and not just those protected under Birds and Habitats Directives or Natura 2000
- Demonstrate EU leadership in protecting and restoring nature and set the bar for global action ahead of the Biodiversity COP1
Nature restoration law targets
- restore habitats and species protected by the EU nature legislation
- reverse the decline of pollinators by 2030
- no net loss of green urban spaces by 2030 and a minimum of 10% tree canopy cover in European cities
- improved biodiversity on farmland e.g. for grassland butterflies, farmland birds, high-diversity landscape features
- restore drained peatlands healthier forests with improved biodiversity
- at least 25.000 km free-flowing rivers by 2030
- restore seagrasses and sea bottoms
When can Ombudsman open investigation? what can tehy not investigate?
The Ombudsman can open an investigation on her own initiative or following a complaint, if an EU institution or body fails to respect:
- fundamental rights
- legal rules or principles
- the principles of good administration.
Complaints may relate to:
- access to information
- administrative delay
- unfairness or discrimination
- lack of transparency.
The Ombudsman cannot investigate:
- complaints against national, regional, or local authorities in Member States, even when the complaints are related to EU matters;
- the activities of national courts or ombudsmen;
- complaints against businesses or private individuals.
List of ORs (9)
Five French overseas departments – Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Réunion;
One French overseas community – Saint-Martin;
Two Portuguese autonomous regions – Madeira and the Azores;
One Spanish autonomous community – the Canary Islands.
OCTs list and rights
linked to Denmark: Greenland
linked to Netherlands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten
linked to France: French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, New Caledonia, Saint Barthélemy, St. Pierre et Miquelon, Wallis et Futuna Islands
The OCTs have wide-ranging autonomy, covering areas such as economic affairs, employment market, public health, home affairs and customs, while defense and foreign affairs usually remain within the remit of the Member States.
Relations between the OCTs and the EU date back to the signature of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. OCTs are neither part of the EU territory nor of the EU single market. Through the Association, the OCTs enjoy a special political, cooperation and commercial partnership with the EU (duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market).
List of years
2023-2024 - European Year of Skills
2022 - European Year of Youth
2021 – European Year of Rail
2018 – European Year for Cultural Heritage
2015 – European Year for Development
2013-2014 – European Year of Citizens
ICT standardisation priority areas
5G, Internet of Things, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data technologies
DSA and DMA goals
- To create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected
- To establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.
DSA criteria
- The DSA classifies platforms or search engines that have more than 45 million users per month in the EU as very large online platforms (VLOPs) or very large online search engines (VLOSEs).
- The Commission will revoke its decision if the platform or search engine does not reach the threshold of 45 million monthly users anymore during one full year.
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DMA and DSA sanctions
DMA
- Fines of up to 10% of the company’s total worldwide annual turnover, or up to 20% in the event of repeated infringements
- Periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily turnover
DSA
- fines up to 6% of the global turnover of the VLOP or VLOSE concerned
- apply periodic penalties up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover for each day of delay in complying with remedies
- At last resort measure, f the infringement persists and causes serious harm to users and entails criminal offences involving threat to persons’ life or safety, the Commission can request the temporary suspension of the service
DMA gatekeeper criteria
All 3 criteria have to be met:
- The Organisation has the ability to have a significant impact on the EU internal markets: nnual EU-wide group turnover of at least EUR 7.5 billion in each of the last three financial years or where the business’ average market capitalization or equivalent fair market value amounted to at least EUR 75 billion in the last financial yea
- Core Platforms Service is an important gateway for business users to reach end users: core platform service has more than 45 million monthly active end users established or located in the Union and more than 10,000 yearly active business users established in the Union in the last financial year
- The Organisation’s Core platform service has an (established or expected) entrenched and durable position. This criterion is presumed to be met when the user number thresholds have been met in each of the last three financial years.
EU Hybrid Toolbox.
- The Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, approved by the Council in 2022, calls for the development of an EU Hybrid Toolbox that brings together existing and possible new instruments to detect and respond to a broad range of hybrid threats.
- This includes the creation of EU Hybrid Rapid Response Teams adaptable to various hybrid threats and drawing on relevant sectoral national and EU civilian and military expertise.
cyber diplomacy
- cyber diplomacy toolbox: join diplomatic respionse
- Sanctions against cyberattacks: deter and respond to cyberattacks which constitute an external threat to the EU or its member states. More specifically, this framework allows the EU, for the first time, to impose sanctions on persons or entities that are responsible for cyberattacks or attempted cyberattacks, cyber-attacks which have a significant impact on and originate or are carried out from outside the EU,
- EU cybersecurity strategy from 2020, reinfoces cyber defence coordination and cooperation and the establishment of cyber defence capabilities
- EU policy on cyber defenec in 2022
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference framework
- Rapid Alert System (RAS) on disinformation to enable joint activities with other EU institutions and the Member States.
- omprehensive framework and methodology for systematic collection of evidence of FIMI incidents. also through Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (FIMI ISAC).
- EU’s Toolbox to tackle FIMI (FIMI Toolbox), to impose costs on the perpetrators.
GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development is a regional organization of four post-Soviet states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
Founded in 1997
Central European Free Trade Agreement
The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is an international trade agreement between countries mostly located in Southeastern Europe.
As of 2024, the parties of the CEFTA agreement are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is a regional international organization focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea region
SInce 1992
4 types of procedures EC
Oral procedure: the Commission takes decisions — mostly of major political or economic importance — during its ordinary or extra-ordinary meetings.
Written procedure: decisions are adopted when Members of the Commission do not express reservations or request changes to a draft act put at their disposal within a predetermined time limit.
Empowerment procedure: the Commission empowers one or more Commissioners to take management or administrative measures on its behalf.
Delegation procedure: the Commission delegates the power to adopt certain management or administrative measures on its behalf to directors-general or heads of service.
Quorum College and majority
The number of Members present required to constitute a quorum shall be equal to a majority of the number of Members specified in the Treaty.
Commission decisions shall be adopted if a majority of the number of Members specified in the Treaty vote in favour. This majority shall be required irrespective of the tenor and nature of the decision.
European Data Protection Board and European Data Protection Supervisor
The EDPB is an independent body that ensures the consistent application of data protection rules throughout the EU, and promotes cooperation between national data protection authorities in the EU.
The EDPS ensures that EU institutions and bodies respect people’s right to privacy when processing their personal data.
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre
Aim: increase Europe’s cybersecurity capacities and competitiveness, working together with a Network of National Coordination Centres (NCCs)
Task: funding and coordinating cybersecurity research projects
Formed in 2021
HQ: Bucharest
