The European Union: Politics and Policies
Europese Politi ek – KUL – 2022/2023 – Prof. Wouter Wolfs
Introduction
The EU has been prized and criticized since its beginning.
➔ It has been prized because:
o The European experiment brought peace.
o Revitalized the European marketplace.
o Its changing definition of Europe.
o And altering the global balance of power.
➔ It has been criticized because;
o There is unemployment.
o Problems with productivity.
o Labour market restrictions.
o A declining and ageing population.
o Undermining the sovereignty of states.
o Sullying the quality of European democracy.
European commission
o Administrative and executive arm of the EU.
o Drafts new laws.
o Oversees the laws execution Manages the EU budget
The council of ministers
o Intergovernmental body comprising of ministers from each member state.
o Shares power with the European parliament.
o Adopts new laws.
European parliament
o Represents the interests of the European voters.
o Shares power with the council of ministers.
o Adopts new laws.
The European court of justice
o EU’s constitutional court.
o Interpreting the treaties.
o Issuing judgments on cases involving parties in a dispute over EU law.
o Issuing rulings in cases in national courts where the EU law is at stake.
,PART 1: HISTORY
Chapter 1: what is the European Union?
Chapter overview
The EU is a unique political arrangement that defies easy definition or categorization and
defies orthodox ideas about politics and government.
- Much more than a conventional international organization.
- Less than a European superstate.
- The EU institutions were seen as less important than the national government, but
the EU is now increasingly seen as a political system in its own right.
The role of the state
Ben Rosamond: four possible approaches to the study of the EU.
1) EU as an international organization.
2) EU as an example of regionalism in the global economic system.
3) EU as an example of the dynamics of policy making.
4) EU as a unique organization that emerged out of a unique set of circumstances.
➔ Forgot an important fifth option:
5) EU as a political system on it’s own right.
A state = a political-legal unit defined by territory and by laws based on an institutional basis
A nation = a group of people defined by shared identity or culture based on language,
ethnicity, religion, etc.
Difference nation & ethnic group:
o Ethnic group = a group of people who share a heritage, common language,
culture (often including religion) and can discuss shared ancestry
o Nations (more political) = unified by a sense of purpose to control the
territory that the members of the group believe to be theirs.
A nation-state = sovereign states in which a majority of the population is united based on
factors that define a nation
How we approach the EU depends on how we think about the role of the state.
Order of Westphalia (1648): international state system.
➔ 4 main characteristics:
o Fixed and populated territory.
o Possibility to impose authority over that territory.
o Legally and politically independent.
o Recognized by its people and by other states.
The state has many critics:
Dividing humans.
Encouraging people to place sectional interest above the broader interest of
humanity.
, Nationalism.
o Can lead to internal stability, national superiority, racism, war, …
Criticism contributed to the growth of international cooperation in the 20 th century,
especially after 1945. Seeking to reduce tensions and promote cooperations, states signed
international treaties, reduced trade barriers, worked together on shared problems and
formed a networl of international organizations (IO’s).
International organizations (IO’s) = bodies that set up to promote cooperation between or
among states, based on the principles of voluntary cooperation, communal management
and shared interests.
➔ Two categories:
o International nongovernmental organizations: their members are individuals
or the representatives of private associations.
o Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): their members are states and their
goal is to promote cooperation among state governments.
Ex. United Nations
Integration
= transfer by states of (parts of) sovereignty.
= pooling of authority in specific policy areas, and the creation of common institutions with
restricted powers (delegation).
≠ the total surrender of their own separate legal, political, economic, social and national
identities (≈ assimilation).
How did the EU evolve?
Collaboration = Integration =
member states decide to achieve certain the authority to take decisions is
goals together by taking joint measures, but transferred to a higher (supra-) national
the member states retain authority over the level, so there is a transfer of competences
specific policy domain from the member states to the EU level
Theory of European integration = explanation on why states decided to transfer more and
more authority to the European level and to supranational institutions.
Two competing theories in international relations (= explanations for relations between
states):
Realism
o World is defined by anarchy, international relations are chaotic, and main
motivation of states is ensure survival, security, sovereignty
o Core actors in international relations = states (no “world government”)
o States are unitary actors that act rationally out of self-interest (zero-sum
games)
o Core concept = power
, Liberalism
o International relations is more than survival, more than power, collaboration
is possible
o Other actors in addition to states = international organizations (that promote
further collaboration and prevent freeriding)
o States can go beyond self-interest, collaboration can lead to positive-sum
games
o Core concept = values (freedom, democracy, human rights)
Other theories:
Functionalism (Mitrany) (= normative)
o Nationalism = source of conflict.
o Peace trough collaboration between states built on common interests.
o International agencies that fulfil specific functional needs.
o Economic and financial ties precede political ties.
o “Integration by stealth / “sneak up on peace”: Integration in noncontroversial
fields encourages collaboration in other fields.
Neofunctionalism (Haas and Lindberg; 1950s-1960s):
o Part of the “liberal school of IR”
o Spill-over effect = a given action, related to a specific goal, creates a situation
in which the original goal can be assured only by taking further actions, which
in turn create a further condition and a need for more, and so forth.
o Different types of spill-over:
Functional spill-over: economies are so interconnected that if states
integrate one sector of their economies it will lead to the integration
of other sectors.
Political spill-over: once different functional sectors are integrated,
interest groups will switch from trying to influence national
governments to trying to influence regional institutions, which will
encourage their attempt to win new powers for theirselves.
Technical spill-over: disparities in standards will cause states to rise
(or sink) to the level of those with the tightest (or loosest) regulations.
Cultural spill-over
Geographical spill-over
o European integration = deterministic process (“expansive logic”)
o European integration = autonomous process (not a result of deliberate
strategies of member states)
o Driving forces = non-state actors:
Companies
Trade unions
Political parties
EU institutions (Commission, European Court of Justice)
o BUT: not explanation for stagnation European integration 1960s
