The European Union Flashcards
When did the UK leave the eu?
The UK left the EU on 31/01/2020 but there is an 11 month transition period until 31/12/20 during which the UK will follow EU rules.
The UK left the transition period at 11pm 31 December 2020. The new EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement now governs the UK’s trading and security relationship with the EU. But Brexit is still not done. There will be changes until 2023
Exporting from Great Britain to the EU January 2021
The UK becomes a ‘third country’ and exports to the EU face the full EU Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariffs, checks and customs procedures when it arrives at the EU border.
If you’re an EU citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.
Origins of the EU
The origins of the EU can be traced to the European Coal and Steel Community started in 1951 at the Treaty of Paris with six members: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy. The UK became a member in 1973.
Today the EU
27 members
a population of about 500m
a budget of about £148bn a year (2020)
biggest item of expenditure (about 40%) is on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which provides subsidies for farmers
Main institutions - European council
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 Charles Michel.
European Commission
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 Ursula von der Layen. Because it is appointed rather than elected it is criticised for being undemocratic and unaccountable.
European parliament
705 members of the European Parliament directly elected using proportional representation and the party list system. The UK had 73 MEPs divided among 12 multi-member constituencies depending on population. The UK no longer has any MEPs. President is David Sassoli.
Council of the EU (also known as the council of ministers)
comprises of 27 departmental ministers from member states. Composition changes depending on what is being debated. e.g. if the topic is education, then education ministers of the 27 member states would sit on the council.
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 Portugal January - June 2021
The European Court of Justice (ECJ)
not to be confused with the European Court of Human Rights, which is not part of the EU. The ECJ has 27 judges - one from each state. Rules on issues such as competition and employment law, and can impose fines
Making new laws
The legislative agenda is set by the heads of government in the European Council.
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.
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. This process is called the ‘ordinary legislative procedure’.
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.
Eurozone sovereign debt crisis
euro currency landed in 2002 and 18 countries joined and 10 did not (UK didn’t)
low interest rates throughout the Eurozone encouraged some countries to borrow heavily
When the banking crisis hit in 2008, loans became much more expensive and harder to come by sparking a debt crisis in the PIGS - Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, which had to be 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.
Immigration crisis 2015
The EU has come under further pressure following mass migration into Europe during 2015
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.
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.
A federal superstate or cooperation between sovereign nations? result of the immigration crisis
The crisis 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 pn trade, where the individual states retain control over wide areas of policy including, defence and taxation.
EU Referendum 2016
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.
The vote was 51.89% Leave and 48.11% Remain.
Cameron resigned and May was elected as head of Cons Party prime minister
May’s keynote speech in Jan 2017 made it clear that the UK would leave the single market and seek the best possible trade deal with the EU.
Feb 2017 the HOC voted 498 to 114 to back the Governments European Union Bill (aka the Brexit Bill) allowing May to trigger Article 50.
March 2017, May triggers Article 50
During 2019 she tried and failed three times to get her Withdrawal Agreement through Commons. The result was gridlock.
Johnson breaks the deadlock
May resigned and Johnson becomes PM in July 2019
He pledges to leave the EU by Oct 31 deadline but failed to get his deal through the commons
He has to agree to an extension and then with labour support proposes a general election on Dec 12
Cons win 80 seat majority
Jan 23 2020 EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act receives Royal Assent
Jan 31 2020 - the UK formally leaves the EU
The Council of Europe
NOT part of the EU
Human Rights organisation founded in 1949
Has 47 members including Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine
The council of Europes court is the European court of human rights based in Strasbourg
Has clashed with the UK most notably over Britains blanket ban on prisoners voting and the imposition by British courts of ‘whole life’ jail terms.
