The EU

Question 1

where can the origens of the EU be traced back to?

Answer 1

The european coal and steel community started in 1951 at the treaty of paris

Question 2

who were the first 6 members of the EU?

Answer 2

france, the netherlands, belgium, luxembourg and italy

Question 3

when did the UK become a member of the EU?

Answer 3

1973

Question 4

Today the EU has:

Answer 4

28 members
a population of 5m
a budget of about 144bn a year
biggest item of expenditure (40%) is on the common agricultural policy which provides subsidies for farmers

Question 5

what does the european council do?

Answer 5

Comprises of the elected head of government from each member state (Cameron, Merkel etc.). Meets four times a year and sets the legislative agenda for the coming months. The President is Donald Tusk.

Question 6

what does the european commission do?

Answer 6

this is the civil service and executive of the EU. It consists of 28 Commissioners – one appointed by each member state. It has the monopoly on initiating policy. The President is Jean-Claude Junker. Because it is appointed rather than elected it is criticised for being undemocratic and unaccountable.

Question 7

What does the European parliament do?

Answer 7

751 Members of the European Parliament directly elected using proportional representation and the party list system. The UK has 73 MEPs divided among 12 multi-member constituencies depending on population. President is Antonio Tajani.

Question 8

What does the council of the EU (council of ministers) do?

Answer 8

Comprises of 28 departmental ministers from member states. Composition changes depending on what is being debated. For example if the topic is education, then the British Secretary of State for Education would sit on the council along with the most senior education ministers from each of the other 27 states. Uses Qualified Majority Voting to pass legislation, which requires the approval of 55% of member states and 65% of the EU’s population. This is to stop big countries being outvoted by alliances of smaller countries. Six month rotating presidency – currently Romania (Jan – June 2019)

Question 9

what does The European court of justice do?

Answer 9

not to be confused with the European Court of Human Rights, which is not part of the EU. The ECJ has 28 judges – one from each state. Rules on issues such as competition and employment law, and can impose fines.

Question 10

who is the legislative agenda set by?

Answer 10

the heads of government in the European council

Question 11

who can introduce new laws in the EU?

Answer 11

• The European Commission has a monopoly of introducing new laws, although the European Parliament and the citizenry (by way of petitions), can ask the Commission to introduce new laws.

Question 12

what happens in the ordinary legislative procedure EU?

Answer 12

• The proposals are then debated by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU and both must agree for a bill to become law

Question 13

what happens if the European parliament and the council of the EU can not agree on a new law?

Answer 13

If they cannot agree they set up a “conciliation committee” comprising of members of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to thrash out a compromise.

Question 14

when was the euro currency launched?

Answer 14

2002

Question 15

how many countries use the euro currency?

Answer 15

18, 10 have not

Question 16

low interest rates throughout the eurozone caused some countries to…

Answer 16

borrow heavily

Question 17

what happened when the banking crisis hit in 2008 EU?

Answer 17

, loans became much more expensive and harder to come by sparking a debt crisis in the PIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain, which had to bailed out and had severe austerity measures imposed
• As a consequence some economists have argued that you can’t have a monetary union without a fiscal union (i.e. central control over spending and taxes)

Question 18

when did the immigration crisis hit EU?

Answer 18

2015

Question 19

how many people entered the EU in 2015?

Answer 19

• It is estimated that around 1.1 million people entered the EU via Greece and Italy, many of them fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Question 20

why was there a massive swing against the German chancellor in 2015?

Answer 20

• The German chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the refugees, but following the Paris atrocities in November 2015 and the mass sex attacks committed by migrants in Cologne and other German cities on New Year’s Eve, public opinion has 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.

Question 21

A federal superstate or cooperation between sovereign nations?

Answer 21

• The crisis has sharpened the debate over the EU’s future. Some people want to see “ever closer union” with increasing central control of member state economies, including tax and spending, and also of foreign policy and defence.
• Others want to see a looser federation largely based on trade, where the individual states retain control over wide areas of policy including, defence and taxation.

Question 22

The EU referendum 2016?

Answer 22

• The results of a renegotiation of the UK’s membership conducted by then Prime Minister David Cameron were put to the British people on June 23, 2016 in an in/out referendum.
• Despite pollsters and bookies predicting a Remain win, Leave pulled off a surprise victory.

Question 23

what was the ratio of stay to leave?

Answer 23

The vote was 51.89% Leave; 48.11% Stay.

Question 24

who took over after David Cameron left as prime minister

Answer 24

may

Question 25

what did mays key not speech in 2017 make clear?

Answer 25

that the UK would leave the single market and seek the best possible trade deal with the EU.

Question 26

what happened in the house of commons in feb 2017 regarding the EU referendum?

Answer 26

• In February 2017 the House of Commons voted 498 to 114 to back the Government’s European Union Bill (aka the Brexit Bill) allowing Theresa May to trigger Article 50
• March 2017, May triggers Article 50

Question 27

when did article 50 get triggered EU

Answer 27

march 2017 by may

Question 28

when will the uk leave the EU?

Answer 28

march 29th 2019

Question 29

the council of Europe?

Answer 29

• Is NOT part of the EU
• Human rights organisation founded in 1949.
• Has 47 members including Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine.
• The Council of Europe’s court is the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg.
• Has clashed with the UK, most notably over Britain’s blanket ban on prisoners voting and the imposition by British courts of “whole life” jail terms.