The European Union Flashcards
What was the structure of the EU up until 2009?
There is a three-pillar structure.
First pillar: The European Communities that included areas of integration.
Second pillar: The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) as an area of intergovernmental cooperation.
Third pillar: The Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) as an area of intergovernmental cooperation on a wide range of issues.
Which are the enlargements of the modern EU?
In 1995: Austria, Sweden and Finland.
In 2004: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus (South Republic).
In 2007: Romania and Bulgaria.
In 2013: Croatia
How many Member States does the current Union have?
After Brexit there are 27 Member States of the EU.
What does the amendments of the TEU do and what are the three biggest amendments?
These amendments are moving the EU forward and deepening its competence.
The treaties must be updated for that to be possible.
The biggest amendments were done through the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Treaty of Nice and the Treaty of Lisbon.
What was the Treaty of Amsterdam and when did it enter into force?
Date: 1 May 1999
It led to a new EU objective on the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice with no internal borders in the EU.
The Member States took a step forward by moving from cooperation to integration in these areas.
What was the Treaty of Nice?
Date: 1 February 2003
The objective of this amendment treaty was to prepare the institutional framework to host the new members from Central and Eastern Europe.
Including some important changes relating to institutions and decision-making procedures:
- The weighting of votes in the Council: Qualified majority with attributed votes.
- The distribution of seats in the European Parliament.
- The composition of the Commission: One per MS.
What is the Lisbon Treaty and when was the entry into force?
Year: 1 December 2009
It finally established the EU as an international organization with legal personality that replaced and succeeded the EC. In other words the division between the EU and EC disappears.
What is the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, when was the entry into force and who drafted it?
Year: 1 December 2009 (with the Lisbon Treaty)
It aimed to draft a specific catalog of fundamental rights and freedoms to be enforced in the areas of EU power.
The Charter was drawn up by a new body, “Convention”, composed of national parliamentarians, European parliamentarians, national government representatives and the European Commission (62 members).
What is the European Union?
The current EU is a unique economic and political union at a continental level.
Which are the treaties currently governing the EU?
- Treaty on European Union
- Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
- Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community
- Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
