Paper 2.6 - EU law (OPTIONAL) Flashcards
Name the four institutions of the EU.
Council of the EU.
European Commission.
European Parliament.
Court of Justice of the EU.
Where is the Council of the EU located?
Brussels, Belgium.
Who works at the Council of EU?
Government ministers from each EU state; president elected for six month terms.
What does the Council of the EU do?
Discuss, amend and adopt laws for the EU; the main decision making body of the EU.
Where is the European Commission located?
Brussels or Luxembourg (varies).
Who works at the European Commission and how many employees are there?
Policy officers, researchers, lawyers and translators.
27 commissioners (1 per state). Approx 32,000 employees.
What does the European Commission do?
Shapes EU strategy, proposes law and policies and monitors budgets.
Where is European Parliament located?
Strasbourg or Brussels (varies).
Who works at European Parliament?
705 MEPs (Members of European Parliament) - proportional to each country’s population.
What does European Parliament do?
Acts as a co-legislator with Council of EU; decides whether to admit new members.
Where is the Court of Justice of the EU located?
Luxembourg.
Who works at the Court of Justice of the EU?
1 judge from EU plus 11 advocates per case.
Up to 11 judges may sit on important cases.
What does the Court of Justice of the EU do?
Interprets EU law to define how it should be applied in EU countries.
What are the three sources of EU law?
Treaties.
Regulations.
Directives.
What does an EU treaty do?
Primary source of EU law; directly applied - once signed automatically becomes law in member states (no need for country to create an Act). Often more reactive than preventative.
Name an example of an EU treaty’s effect.
Treaty of Rome 1957 - established the EU.
Treaty of Accession - signs when a new member joins.
Connaught - C, a woman, was replaced by a higher paid man; company was violating EU treaties.
What does an EU regulation do?
Directly applied - automatically becomes law in member states once signed. Often more preventative than reactive.
Name an example of an EU regulation’s effect.
UK government delayed installation of tacographs in lorries; violated EU regulation.
What is an EU directive?
Member states must pass their own laws on a topic within a time limit.
Name an example of an EU directive’s effect.
In Marshall, C was required to retire at 62 whereas men didn’t have to until 65. If Equal Treatment Directive had been passed in the UK she would have had a successful suit, however the time limit meant the UK were not pressured into doing anything.
