UK Politics - The European Union Flashcards
The key events in the EU’s history
- 1951: European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) is founded by the Treaty of Paris. The members are West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The UK declines an invitation to join.
- 1957: Two further organisations are formed: the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the European Economic Community (EEC). The latter is set up under the Treaty of Rome. Both are made up of the same six countries as the ECSC.
- 1973: The UK makes a third – and successful – application, this time under Conservative PM Edward Heath. Joining alongside Britain are Denmark and Ireland. Norway also applies, but it does not join, after a referendum on membership.
- 5 June 1975: The UK holds a referendum to confirm its continuing membership of the EEC, following a renegotiation led by Labour PM Harold Wilson. The British people vote to stay in by 67% to 33%.
- 1986: The Single European Act is signed, launching an ambitious plan to create a single market by the end of 1992.
-1992: The Maastricht Treaty is signed, creating the European Union – into which was the EC was rolled. It also sets the foundations for the single currency, and establishes cooperation in foreign and security policy. - 2002: Euro coins and notes become the legal tender of the EU member states participating in the single currency.
- 2009: The Eurozone Crisis flares, following the broader economic problems brought about by the global financial crisis.
- 2015: The Migrant Crisis begins: refugees and migrants travel into the EU via the Mediterranean, or through south-east Europe, seeking asylum. Many are fleeing armed conflict in the Middle East.
- 2016: Britain votes to leave the EU.
- 2019: Britain scheduled to leave the EU in March 2019
Key points about the EU
- The EU consists of 28 member states (27 post Brexit)
- Different EU institutions are responsible for executive, legislative and judicial actions
- The EU’s aims include peace, removing internal borders and achieving freedom and economic growth while promoting different cultures and languages
- In June 2016 Britain voted to leave the EU
- The EU has played a significant role in UK politics, both before and since the EU referendum
Key Institutions - the European Commission
European Commission -
- Initiates EU legislation, drafts EU budget and allocates funding
- Significance - supranational body, with 28 commissioners (one from each country, 27 post Brexit) who are not directly elected but are nominated by national governments and the European Council nominates the President of the Commission - nominees are confirmed by the European Parliament
- Made up of the member states
Key Institutions - the European Council
- Decides the direction of the EU and policy priorities
- Significance - intergovernmental (or state) for all EU nations meet four times a year
Key Institutions - Council of the European Union
- Main decision-making body of EU, together with the European Parliament, coordinates the policy of Eu nations, approves legislation from the Commission (as does EuroParl) and approves the EU budget (as does EuroParl)
- Significance - intergovernmental body - government ministers from each of the member nations attend and make decisions together, with ten different types of meetings attended by appropriate meetings such as finance ministers and economic affairs meetings
Key Institutions - the European Parliament
- Approves legislation from the Commission (as does the Council of the European Union), approves the EU budget and provides democratic supervision of EU institutions
- Significance - The EU’s only directly elected body, 751 members (MEPs) and each EU nation is allocated a number of seats in the European Parliament that reflects its size e.g. Germany has 96 and Cyprus has 6
Key Institutions - The Court of European Justice
- Judiciary of the EU, interprets the law and ensures it is applied in the same way across the EU, rules against EU nations that infringe the law, ensures that the EY acts appropriately and in accordance with its own laws
- Significance - judges appointed by national governments
Key institutions within the system of government
- The EU system of government features shared executive powers (European Commission is the main but Council of the European Union has some) and shared legislative powers (EuroParl and Council of European Union)
- Council of European Union is made up of government ministers from members nations and therefore effectively acts under the authority of the European Council (less frequent formal meetings) and this means that both the democratically elected national governments have a direct role in the legislative process
- The European Council is responsible for making big strategic decisions (such as a change to a treaty) but it only meets a few times a year - more routine decision making is carried out by the Commission and the Council of the European Union, along with the European Parliament when changes to legislation are required
- The Court of Justice stands alone as the EU’s independent judiciary
Interaction between the systems of government:
- Voters -> elect national governments and European Parliament
- National Governments form the Council of the European Union and appoint with European Parliament approval the Commission
- Council of European Union is legislative and executive - they approve legislation and are composed of ministers, which is different to the European Council who coordinate the overall strategy of the EU rather than specific policy
- Court of justice sits alone in terms of election
Processes of legislation
- European commission proposes a draft law
- Goes to EU council and European Parliament, who amend the draft
- National parliaments scrutinise the amendments of the EU council
- The law is adopted (if approved by the Council and EP) by national governments which implement EU law
The four freedoms of the EU
Four freedoms of the EU -
1) Freedom of the movement of people - live and work in any EU country and have equal access to public services
2) Freedom of movement of services - professionals, businesses and the self-employed are recognised throughout all of the EU
3) Freedom of movement of capital - ability to move money and capital around the EU with no restrictions
4) Freedom of movement of goods - ability to buy and sell products across the EU without border checks, import duties or the need to meet additional national standards. Countries cannot protect domestic industries through tariffs and national regulatory requirements
Aims and achievements of the EU - Peace and stability
1) Promote peace, the values of the EU and wellbeing of its citizens
- Evidence of achievement - member nations have not fought since the Second World War, rising living standards and economic growth, democracy and rule of law in EU countries
- Evidence it has not been achieved - EU faces threats from Russia over Ukraine, unstable middle east and homegrown terrorism, rise of populist anti-EU parties over the last decade shows the frustration felt by citizens and the EU has a democratic deficit (not democratic as most institutions are unelected)
2) Freedom, security and justice without internal borders
- Achievements - all countries in the single market with the 4 freedoms and 22 of the 28 are members of the Schengen Area (no border control), working together to achieve anti-terrorism aims
- Not achieved - Since the 2015 migration crisis, border control was reintroduced, not all EU countries are in the Schengen Area and border checks
Key Aims - Promotion of economic growth across member states
1) Balanced economic growth, a competitive market economy with full employment and environmental protection
- Achieved - EU has led the development of competitive economies, encouraging Eastern Europe to transition from Communist states to capitalism, strict environmental laws
- Not achieved - 2008 economic crisis and unemployment
2) Scientific and technological progress
- Achieved - European Research Area, funding for science and technology, European Research Council investments have created may breakthroughs
- Not achieved - EU countries invest less in research and development than the US, US is more effective at using research
3) Economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity
- Achieved - pooled sovereignty, second largest economy in the world, largest single market, protects workers rights and provides hundreds of Euros of funding to less economically developed regions to reduce disparity
- Not achieved - Brexit shows the limitations of the solidarity, anti-EU voices, single market criticised, high levels of migration have called for ending freedom of movement
4) Establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro -
- Achieved - 19 members states use it and the euro is the world’s second most traded currency (after the dollar)
- Not achieved - the EU’s second biggest economy, the UK, did not join, 2008 economic crisis exposed the problems caused by a shared currency and there was a long period of recession as a result and forced austerity in countries such as Greece, fuelling anti-EU sentiments
Aims - individual rights and freedoms
1) Respect its rich cultural and linguistic heritage / diversity
- Achieved - 24 official languages and provides funding for learning languages, every year 2 EU cities are named capitals of culture
- Not achieved - EU criticised for large expenditure on translation services, only 25% of people have reached the goal of speaking two languages on top of their mother tongue, many EU countries have banned traditional Muslim clothing
2) Combat social exclusion and discrimination -
- Achieved - EU law protects individual human rights and freedom of movement, no discrimination
- Not achieved - migration crisis, legislation to restricting help for asylum seekers in some countries
Aims - integration and an ever-closer union
- Great deal of integration, in which large areas of policy making are now possible and due to the expansion of competence through treaties and the Eurozone and reduction in the ability of one country to veto
- Considerable integration in economic policy - single customs union and EU-wide standards in environmental protection and food safety e.g. chlorinated chicken banned
- Structural changes such as creation of the European Council president, flag and anthem, EU citizenship etc
- However - populism in many European states have led to a backlash and growing euroscepticism in countries such as France.
- Many poorer countries feel ignored or dictated by EU institutions, whilst richer countries such as Germany and the Netherlands baulk at the idea of taking on the debt of nations they see as being inadequate in their fiscal discipline
- One of the greatest challenges for the EU came in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic - initial split in policy, approach and limiting the freedoms in the EU but has generally brought the economies of countries closer together
The impact of the EU on UK politics - Cautious involvement (1970s-1990s)
- UK joined the European Economic Community (precursor to EU) in 1973 15 years after it was formed
- As well as joining late, UK politicians were divided over membership, with the Labour government holding a referendum in 1975 with the result the UK stayed in, and later they moved left and committed to leave the EEC if they won the general election
- They did not, and as a result the Gang of Four left the Labour party and formed the Social Democratic Party which became the Liberal Democrats in 1988 which was pro-EU
- UK governments negotiated an EU budget rebate in 1981 and a selection of opt-outs from EU policies and treaties, which reduced the impact of EU membership on the UK compared to other EU countries
The impact of the EU on UK politics - Rising Euroscepticism (1990s-2016)
- Conservative PM Major found his government full of Eurosceptic MP rebellions
- Tony Blair was a europhile, but the British political elite lacked the degree of consensus over membership found in other EU countries, and this stance was cross party
- Blair authorised the 2004 EU expansion but the resulting high level of immigration from eastern Europe was criticised by right-wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail and the Sun
- The UK Independence Party was first founded in the 1990s but grew significantly under Farage’s leadership who criticised mass immigration, the democratic deficit and the bureaucracy of the EU
- In 2014, UKIP won the UK elections to the European Parliament, pushing the Conservatives into third place
