Space and Environment in the European Union (MANBCU348A)
Class notes
Space and Environment in the European Union: all lecturenotes!
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Course
Space and Environment in the European Union (MANBCU348A)
Institution
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (RU)
This document gives an overview of all lectures of the course Space and Environment in the European Union at Radboud University.
Lecture 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 are more about the EU in general.
Lecture 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 are more about the EU and policy regarding space and environment.
Lecture 13...
Space and Environment in the European Union (MANBCU348A)
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Space and Environment in the
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HC1 Core characteristics of EU Public Policy-making - Gijs Jan Brandsma, Peter Ache – 29 January
2024........................................................................................................................................................2
HC2 A brief history of European integration - Gijs Jan Brandsma – 31 January 2024.............................5
HC3 The Council of Ministers and the European Council – Gijs Jan Brandsma – 5 February 2024.......10
HC4 The Evolution of EU Environmental Policy – Duncan Liefferink – 7 February 2025.......................14
HC5 The European Parliament – Gijs Jan Brandsma – 14 February 2024..............................................19
HC6 The European Commission – Gijs Jan Brandsma – 19 February 2024...........................................24
HC7 The EU’s legal order – Gijs Jan Brandsma – 21 February 2024......................................................28
HC8 Intro to SEEU specific part + EU ‘Water Policies’ – Peter Ache en Emma Avoyan – 26 Februari
2024......................................................................................................................................................33
HC9 Territory Matters – Framing European Regional Policy and Spatial Planning – Peter Ache – 28
February 2024 (recording of 2023).......................................................................................................40
HC10 EU Climate Policy – Duncan Liefferink & Emma Leenders – 4 March 2024.................................43
HC11 EU Policies in Arnhem and Gelderland – Peter Swart & R Zweers, 6 March 2024.......................49
HC12 Marine Spatial Planning & Regional Policy – Emma Avoyan & Peter Ache – 11 March 2024......52
HC13 Q&A SEEU exam – Peter Ache – 13 March 2024.........................................................................59
1
,HC1 Core characteristics of EU Public Policy-making -
Gijs Jan Brandsma, Peter Ache – 29 January 2024
EU is different from national systems, but has elements of different national systems.
What these courses are about:
- How the EU is organized
- EU policy-making
- Historical evolution
- Explanations of all the above
- GPM: application to environmental/spatial policies
How the EU matters
EU
↑ transfer of policy authority…
National level
↓ …but not a top-down organised system
Regional / local level
The EU is an extra level.
Some input of national governments, but also an independent power.
Not the case that members simply have to follow.
Even if at the EU level decisions are made, member states must self interpretate and applicate this
decisions.
Who runs the EU?
Difficult to point one person in charge.
- President of European Counsil: Charles Michel
- President of the European Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
- President of European Parliament: Roberta Metsola
- The people, everyone
France and Germany think differently, if they agree, everyone probably will agree, so they have a big
influence.
But, recently not the case anymore. Also other powers, like Italy.
Large member states EU:
France
Germany
Spain
Italy
Poland
The EU is…
1. A funding machinery for projects, for policy with priority, for member states
o Most of money is spent in the periphery of Europe: financial support
Exception: Belgium, because EU is located there.
o But if you look at what member states pay:
The Netherlands pays a lot. But misleading. This is because the port of
Rotterdam: European import taxes. Another country pays for the import
taxes via the Netherlands. The Netherlands pays it to the EU.
2
, 2. A common market with common rules
o Number of adopted decisions, directives and regulations decreases.
o But doesn’t tell how long a rule lasts and how big a rule is.
o Ambition of EU to do less, but better.
Rule production in the EU
o Many EU rules, but even more at national/regional level
o Estimates of % EU impact in total of rules vary (20%-70%)
Depends on issue areas (0%-100%)
Depends on definition of ‘impact’ and definition of ‘rules’
o Most importantly: rules at each level need to be aligned to each other
The EU does not directly enforce its own laws
EU steers and constrains member states…
… and member states steer and constrain the EU
Quite some variation between member states re. the same EU laws
3. A global actor (hopes to be, becomes better)
o External trade policy
Trade agreements can be used for foreign policy. E.g. against child labour.
Conditionality: environmental, labour standards, etc.
o Foreign & defence policy coordination
Difficult, because individual member states have different ties with other
countries.
o Speaking with one voice in international agreements
E.g. climate agreement of Paris
EU can work more on the background. While within member states the governments are constantly
watched.
Relatively less attention for EU.
Isn’t this strange? It is hard for people in member states to follow EU policy, while the policies have an
effect on them.
How the EU matters
EU
↑ policy without politics?
National level
↓ politics without policy?
Regional / local level
So, what is the EU really?
An international organisation or more like a state?
o Treaty-based organisation: member states may withdraw
o But it also adopts legislation (incl. court system which makes sure that EU members
actually follow EU laws)
o It has some state-like characteristics, but never in full
A federal or a confederal system? Or neither?
o Every member state has its own constitution (confederal)
o Member states may withdraw from EU (confederal)
o Supremacy of EU law does not exist in all policy areas (federal)
o National variation, despite EU policies in places (federal??)
o Caution: Federalism may refer to different things
The ideal of a federal union (late 1940s)
3
, The de facto organisation of a political system with authority constitutionally
dispersed over different levels of government
A pejorative term for an EU ‘super-state’
o Federal system one constitution
o Confederal system several constitutions. Member are free to go.
Powerhouse or a lame duck?
Supranational decision powers
o But not in all policy areas
If so, it’s the Commission deciding alone (Competition Policy)
… or the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers (Single Market
etc.)
No direct implementation in member states: national variation
o In some areas, the EU only supplements but does not replace MS policy
Coordination rather than decisions
But: increasingly difficult to make politically salient decisions, therefore risk-averse decision-
making. Difficult to move policies away from the status quo (joint decision trap (Scharpf,
1997)).
A democratic or a technocratic system?
o Very powerful European Parliament (is chosen by the people)
o But limited (though increasing) media attention
o National politics dominate public debate; second-order elections (many people don’t
vote, opposition wins votes)
o European Council rather secretive, but attentive of national interests
o But also a very influential European Commission
o Council work dominated by civil servants
o System depends on interaction between EU and member states: civil servants!
o Something of both.
Something unique? An ‘Unidentified Political Object’ (UPO) (Jacque Delors, 1985)
o The EU is unique in the features that it has
o Some theories explaining the EU’s general development are unique to the EU, other
theories also apply beyond the EU
o But ‘normal’ policy theories / political theories fit the EU’s internal workings quite
well (so not unique in that sense)
History matters
Institutions matter
Politics matter
4
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