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The European Union Unidentified Political Object?

The European Union Unidentified Political Object?. Lecture Plan. Why integration? Milestones The political system Institutions Policy-making Problems and issues The future What is the EU?. Why integration?.

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The European Union Unidentified Political Object?

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  1. The European UnionUnidentified Political Object?

  2. Lecture Plan • Why integration? • Milestones • The political system • Institutions • Policy-making • Problems and issues • The future • What is the EU?

  3. Why integration? • Post WWII - physical destruction and nationalism discredited - desire for new start • Churchill: “United States of Europe” • Need to overcome French/German hostility • Cold War and American support • Domestic considerations • Different ideals • Federalism • Jean Monnet

  4. 1951 - ECSC 1957 - Treaty of Rome 1973 1st enlargement (UK, Dk, Ire)- Oil crisis 1979 - direct elections EP 1981 - 2nd enlargement (Gr) 1985 - Single European Act 1986 - 3rd enlargement (E, P) 1989-91 - E&C Europe: collapse of communism 1992 - Maastricht - TEU 1995 - 4th enlargement (Au, Fi, Sw) 1997 - Treaty of Amsterdam 1999 - launch of Euro and resignation of Commission 2001 - Treaty of Nice 2002 - Convention opens 2004 - 5th enlargementand new treaty? Milestones

  5. The EU 2003

  6. The Pillar Structure EU 1st Pillar EC 2nd Pillar CFSP 3rd Pillar JHA supranational intergovernmental

  7. Institutions • The European Commission • The Council of Ministers • The European Parliament • The European Council • The European Court of Justice and Court of First Instance • Other institutions, agencies and bodies • And … the Presidency • Don’t get confused (!) • Council of the EU, European Council, Council of Europe

  8. Where are the institutions?

  9. The Commission 2 aspects of the Commission: • The political executive - the College of Commissioners • The bureaucracy - the Commission Services The College of Commissioners • The President • The 19 other Commissioners The Services • The Directorates-General • Other services • Size

  10. The Council of Ministers • Powerful and central institution • represents interests of member states • primary decision-making body, though increasingly sharing this with EP • consists of a representative of each member state at ministerial level • Many different councils, depending on policy area (eg GAC & Ecofin & Agriculture) • Voting increasingly by QMV • Coreper and Secretariat

  11. The European Parliament • The only directly elected EU institution (1979) • Voice of the people, or expensive talking shop? • Weak compared to member state parliaments • But with each treaty its powers have increased • 625 MEPs sit in party groups - ideologies divided along left/right and pro/anti-integration axes • Situated in Brussels and Strasbourg, with secretariat in Luxembourg

  12. The European Council • Summit meetings of heads of state and government • 3 or 4 times a year - major media events • normally hosted by country holding the Presidency • top of decision-making hierarchy, and an important agenda-setter • Major treaty reforms agreed here after IGCs • Problems resolved here that cannot be resolved in Council of Ministers

  13. The Courts of Justice • ECJ has pushed the integration process forward, especially in early 1960s • direct effect (1963) and supremacy of EC law (1965) • Two courts - ECJ and Court of 1st Instance • 15 judges in both • Cumulative decisions of ECJ along with the treaties have created a Constitution for Europe? • (Not to be confused with ECHR)

  14. Other bodies • European Central Bank • The Court of Auditors • The EU Ombudsman • The Committee of the Regions (CoR) • The Economic and Social Committee • Various European agencies

  15. Policy-making The ‘Community Method’ • Commission formulates and proposes policy • Complex decision-making process between Council and EP (with opinions from other bodies) • Final decision by Council of Ministers • Commission oversees implementation by Member States • The Court of Justice adjudicates on conflicts Other policy-making styles developing

  16. Problems and Issues • The ‘democratic deficit’ • The complexity of governance • Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) • Common Foreign and Security Policy • Enlargement - where does it stop? • What should the EU be?

  17. The Future • Enlargement • The Convention on the Future of Europe • The 2004 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) • A new ‘Constitutional Treaty’

  18. What is the EU? • A political system but not a state • An intergovernmental organisation controlled by nation states? • A federal super-state in the making? • A complex system of multi-level governance? • A hybrid - a unique experiment? • The tools of comparative government may be used to analyse the EU

  19. Resumé • Why integration? • Historical development • Complex and evolving political system • Policy-making • Future • Nature of the EU • http://europa.eu.int

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