Institutions and Governance of the European Union (4019979EER)
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Class Notes and Example Exam Questions (17/20) Institutions and Governance of the European Union 2023/2024 (4019979EER)
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Course
Institutions and Governance of the European Union (4019979EER)
Institution
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
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Institutions and Governance of the European Union (4019979EER)
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Week 1 – Introduction
What are the objectives and methods of this course? What kind of entity is the EU? How to analyse
institutions and governance of the EU?
Course objectives:
Challenges and resilience of the EU integration process
Theoretical debates on EU integration and governance
Dynamics of EU-decision-making
Role of institutions in EU public policy
Key ideas:
EU crises and resilience to crises
EU Treaties and Competency Milestones:
1952
o The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
Supranational
First move away from intergovernmentalism previously favoured in
cooperative efforts like OEEC and Council of Europe
France and Germany led
With Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg
Schuman was first big proponent (from Luxembourg)
Economic and political
Principle materials for waging war
Disallow German rearmament, but allow back into European fold against
encroaching Cold War
Institutions:
High Authority: Supervisory authority that administers coal and steel
resources
o 9 appointees of the 6 MS governments
o Decision-making power
o Will become what Commission is today
(Parliamentary) Assembly
o National parliament delegates
o Supervisory/advisory powers
Almost devoid of authority
o Maintained equilibrium balance between institutions
o Symbolic of European unification
o Formally subjected High Authority/Commission to democratic
control
Council
o National representatives
o Limited decision-making power
o Consultative role
, Court of Justice
o 9 judges
o European Defence Community (EDC) and European Political Community (EPC) both
failed at the time
Included European army, common institutions, and common budget
Parliamentary
Roused considerable opposition
Considerable supranational power and cooperation
Failed in France
Setback for integration
But, encouraged proponents to focus on economic rather than political aspects
1958
o It would be negative (integration) to say Rome was built in a day, or that it was political,
but we are (four) free(doms) to say that it laid down the foundations for an ever-closer
union
o Treaties of Rome
European Economic Community (EEC)
European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Luxembourg
Signatories were “determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union
among the peoples of Europe”
Objective of “Common Market”
Four freedoms to increase efficiency:
o Goods
o Capital
o Workers
o Services
o Core of EU economic constitution
o To promote harmonious economic development
Negative integration
Remove barriers to trade
o E.g. tariffs: things that increase cost of imports; quotas: limits on
number of imports
Common customs tariff
Legislative power divided
Commission (proposed)
Council of Ministers (voted)
Assembly (consultation only)
Executive power divided
Commission (watchdog enforcement; principal negotiator on behalf of
Community)
Council (concluded international agreements, policy agenda, Community
budget)
Assembly (some power over budget, power of censure – never used)
Institutions
New: Commission
o Executive authority
, o Members drawn from MS, obliged to act independently to
represent Community
New: Council of Ministers
o National representatives
o Limited decision-making power
o Consultative role
New: Economic and Social Committee
o Advisory status
Continued: (Parliamentary) Assembly
o 1962: Changed name to European Parliament; official in 1986
SEA
o National parliament delegates
o Supervisory/advisory powers
Continued: Court of Justice
o 9 judges
1987
o I am positive the Community (method) wanted to work together more in decision-
making and integration, with a single market
o The Single European Act
Created formally the Single Market
Still a disappointment to those who advocated sweeping reform in face of
political stagnation before it
But did pretty good:
Heralded revival of Community method and momentum towards integration
Positive integration, as well as negative
Approximation/harmonisation
European regulation in place of national regulation
One set of rules = less costs
Article 14 TFEU
Qualified majority voting in Council here, cooperation with Parliament
Boosted Community Method
Boosted role of the Commission
Transformed role of European Parliament
New legislative procedure = “Cooperation procedure”
o Applied to defined list of Treaty Articles
European Parliament could block proposals with a bit of
support in the Council
Community competences:
Cooperation in economic and monetary union
Social policy
Economic and social cohesion
Research and technology development
Environmental policy
o Commission would have to take seriously the views of the
European Parliament
Gave formal recognition to European Council
Court of First Instance to support ECJ
, 1993
o Maa stricht is a temple. If you spell temple wrong it is spelled TEUmple.
o Maastricht Treaty: Treaty of the European Union (TEU)
Followed momentum for Community method from SEA
Introduced CFSP and JHA in temple-structure Treaty framework
Temple Structure:
Community Method/Supranational
o First Pillar: European Community
o Commission, Parliament, and ECJ had more power here
Intergovernmental
o Second Pillar: Common Foreign and Security Policy
CFSP built on European Political Cooperation
Established objectives of EU action
Preservation of peace
International security
Respect for human rights
Development of democracy
MS had to inform and consult each other on matters of
common foreign/security policy
To execute efficient, combined influence
Integrated intergovernmentalism
o Third Pillar: Justice and Home Affairs
Asylum, immigration, and third country nationals
International crime issues
Judicial, customs, and police cooperation, including
establishment of Europol European police office
MS felt too nationally sensitive
Decision-making dominated by Council, limited ECJ
powers
Lisbon Treaty now has brought all of this into the regular
part of the Treaty
Intergovernmental
o MS in Council and European Council retained reins of power in
these areas
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