The EU and Relations With the UK Flashcards
What are the 4 functions of the EU? - The EU
The EU acts as a customs union, a single market, an economic union and a political union.
How does the EU operate as both a customs union and a single market? - The EU
The EU operates as a customs union as member states can trade without tarifs and as a single market in that free movement of goods, services, money, labour and people are permitted.
What 5 things are permitted to move freely as a result of the EU being a single market? - The EU
The EU being a single market allows goods, services, money, labour and people to move freely within its borders.
How does the EU operate as an economic union? - The EU
The EU operates as an economic union by issuing grants, subsidies and other economic development programmes across member states to encourage prosperity. It also uses the Euro in the majority of states.
How does the EU operate as a political union? - The EU
The EU negotiates with other foreign powers as a single unit on matters of security and diplomacy, while also promotes common policies on human/social/economic rights and law enforcement. It has a European Parliament which drafts bloc-wide legislation.
What are the 5 institutions of the EU? - The EU
The EU is comprised of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the EU Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.
What is the purpose of the EU Commission? - The EU
The European Commission is an unelected bureaucratic institution with the role of drafting legislation and developing policies for the bloc.
What is the purpose of the Council of Ministers? - The EU
The Council of Ministers is a collection of bodies for different areas of policy comprised of ministers from member states. They meet to negotiate legislation, ratify laws and decide common policies.
What is the purpose of the EU Council? - The EU
The EU Council is a body comprised of the political leaders (PMs, Presidents and other) from all member states who meet biannually to ratify decisions.
What is the purpose of the EU Parliament? - The EU
The EU Parliament amends and blocks legislation, as well as holds the commission bureaucracy to account.
What is the purpose of the European Court of Justice? - The EU
The European Court of Justice is the highest EU court of appeal, with it tasked with interpreting law and dealing with disputes between member states. It can punish member states that disobey EU law and its rulings are binding on all legislatures.
What is the significance of the Factortame Case? What principle did this assert? - The EU
The Factortame case asserted that a Spanish fishing company, which had previously been prevented from fishing in UK waters by UK statute, was actually permitted to fish in the UK as a result of an EU statute. This asserted that EU Law was supreme over UK Law.
What was argued to be the consequence of the Factortame case on Parliamentary sovereignty? - The EU
As a result of the Factortame case asserting that EU law was supreme over UK law, it was argued that Parliamentary sovereignty had been eroded as a result of the UK’s membership of the EU.
What rebuttal is there of the claim that the Factortame case diminished Parliamentary sovereignty? - The EU
Even though EU law is supreme over UK law, it can be argued that Parliament is able to merely pass an act to withdraw the UK from the EU, hence ending the arrangement of pooled sovereignty and demonstrating that Parliament is the sovereign legislative body.
What are the supposed constitutional impacts of Brexit? - The EU
The UK’s exit from the EU means that pooled sovereignty at Brussels is returned to Westminster, that EU law is no longer part of UK law, that the UK is no longer subject to EU treaties and that the European Court of Justice no longer has jurisdiction in the UK.
What are the supposed political impacts of Brexit? - The EU
The Conservative Party (and now government) has become dominated by VoteLeave Conservatives, deep divisions were created on the basis of age, region and social group within the UK, issues were created around immigration, seen as a vote against the political establishment.
What is the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty? Why was the UK originally opted out from this by John Major? - The EU
The Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty meant that workers were provided certain protections of rights in EU Law, yet John Major opted out from this in order to deregulate the UK labour market (right wing principles).
Which PM eventually signed the UK up to the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty? Why? (specific benefits) - The EU
Tony Blair eventually signed the UK up to the Maastricht Treaty as he wished for workers to have better protection of rights, such as there being equal rights for part and full time workers, paid leave and the entitlement for paid annual holiday.
Why were any further extensions to the EU’s role in social policy refused by the New Labour government and Blair? - The EU
Blair wanted to maintain a partially flexible Labour market without excessive artificial restrictions on employers with regard to treatment of their workers. Blair did not want any further influence of the EU in this area of policy.
What is an EU Regulation? What is an EU directive? - The EU
An EU Regulation is a policy imposed by the EU directly upon member states, whereas a directive is an EU-wide aim that is expected to be met by member states through national legislation.
