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PEU Summary

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  • Course
  • Politics of the EU
  • Institution
  • Universiteit Leiden (UL)
  • Book
  • The Government and Politics of the European Union

A comprehensive summary of the lectures and readings

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Document information

  • No
  • Assigned chapters
  • December 1, 2020
  • 43
  • 2019/2020
  • Summary

Subjects

  • politics
  • european union
  • politics of the eu
  • iro
  • europe
  • european commission
  • european council
  • europa
  • eu
  • politics of the european union
  • ep
  • ec
  • eur

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  • Universiteit Leiden (UL)
  • International Relations and Organizations
  • Politics of the EU
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POLITICS OF THE EU

1. Introduction
 What is the EU?
o Is it a state?
 Has institutions with power
 Has executive, legislative, judiciary
 Has policy competences transferred from states to EU level
 Has external representation (EEAS = like a foreign ministry; High Representative =
quasi- foreign minister (Mogherini))
 Since 1993: EU Citizenship
o Is it an IO?
 Does not have monopoly on violence (can’t police, imprison etc)
 Does not have monopoly on taxes
 Unable to define its own powers (transferred from MS)
 Difference from other IOs
 Since 2009: Legal personality (can sign treaties; seat in other IOs)
 Scope of powers very broad: EU active across the board in all sorts of policy
areas
 EU law > national law -> direct rule over citizens
 Combines different institutions (eg different representative bodies)
o EU = an unidentified political object?
 “…in 30 or 40 years Europe will constitute a UPO – a sort of unidentified political
object – unless we weld it into an entity enabling each of our countries to benefit from
the European dimension and to prosper internally as well (…) externally” – Jacques
Delors
 3 levels of politics
o Domestic politics in the MS
o EU politics mainly in Brussels (supranational level)
o International politics, eg EU in the UN, EU-Japan strategic partnership
 4th level: local politics, esp. in federal states
 Boundaries = blurred
 Problematic to say which policies are supranational & which are domestic (division
between internal & external used to be clear, shocked Foreign Ministers at first)
 Reading
o Theme 1: Peace-Building thru economic cooperation in a mixed economy
o Theme 2: More than an IO, less than a state
o Theme 3: From economic to democratic legitimation?



2. EU history
 Intro Chapter
o A few successes of the EU
 Nobel Peace Prize (2012): “The Union and its forerunners have for over six decades
contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human
rights in Europe”
 Single Market
o Current challenges
 Financial crisis
 Shook EU profoundly, one Central Bank but so many different policies
 EU does not have a large budget
 Migration crisis
 No joint idea of how to deal with it
 Hit different countries in different ways, disproportionately affected Italy,
Spain, Greece)
 Brexit
 What will happen with the relationship between EU & UK?
 Will other countries want to leave?
 Deepening & widening

Calam Gallacher Roig

,  Deepening: transferring powers from national level to EU institution-level, eg
FP, environment & agricultural policies
 Widening: extension of policy fields / expansion number of MS
o 3 themes central in the book
 Building peace thru economic cooperation in a mixed economy
 More than an IO but less than a state
 From economic to democratic legitimacy
 History of the EU
o European unification is a concept that has been around for centuries
 origins of civilization in Europe back in 18/19C, great thinkers & leader writing letters
to each other about this
 Coudenhove-Kalergi: Pan-European Union
o It only really took off from 1945 onwards (more serious collaboration)
o Idealistic visions: creation of a federal state with a supranational authority
o Pragmatic goals: intergovernmental cooperation (Benelux)
o Competence (power to make laws regarding certain policy areas)
o Jean Monnet (1888-1979)
 Founding father of European integration
 Cognac merchant, travelled to Scandinavia, England, US, Canada
 Idea of European Unity
o Important events / dates
 Congress of Europe in The Hague (1948): Council of Europe
 Schuman Plan (09.05.1950): Coal & Steel Community
 Monnet method (work incrementally on collaboration, might move higher up
gradually)
 ECSC: 1951, in force 1952-2002 (avoid build-up of weapons)
 Euratom: 1957 (atomic energy & weaponry, know who is using uranium for what)
 EEC in force 1958 (economic benefits come easier if you collaborate economically)
 EDC signed in 1952, rejected in 1954 by French parliament (to ensure lasting peace
thru collaboration, also part of Monnet method)
o European Community
 1960s: empty chair crisis in 1965: France made sure there was a possibility to veto,
CAP major thing at the time
 1970s: turbulent period, oil crisis, different response in different countries
 1980s: EC MS have hard time picking up economic activity, own national business
methods / policies; Round Table of Industrialists come together and discuss the need
to jumpstart this
 1990s: geopolitical change, end of CW, intergovernmental conference generating
Maastricht Treaty




o Treaties
 Single European Act (1986)

Calam Gallacher Roig

,  Set objective to establish Single Market & codified political cooperation
(forerunner of EU’s CFSP)
 Treaty of Maastricht (1992/93)
 Creation of the EU
 Treaty of Amsterdam (1997/99)
 MS agreed to transfer certain powers to EP, implemented institutional changes
for expansion
 Treaty of Nice (2001/03)
 Amended Maastricht Treaty & Treaty of Rome
 Reformed institutional structure of EU to withstand eastward expansion
 Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004)
 Treaty of Lisbon (2007/09)
 Summary & Conclusion
o European integration started a long time ago
o Enlargement only works if MS all agree
o Sometimes deeper integration does not work
o Deepening is often incorporated into treaties
 Reading
o EU is best described as a unique entity governed by atypical institutions designed to ensure
dialogue between its members and the functioning of the decision-making process
o 2 understandings of integration:
 Establishment of a European federation
 Intergovernmental cooperation
o 1950s
 1948 conference in The Hague led to the creation of the Council of Europe
(consultative assembly) in 1949
 Schuman Plan (1950): Fra, W Germany, Ita, Benelux
 Underlined importance of establishing a High Authority, made up of
independent experts, decisions binding on MS
 Establishment of Council of Ministers to safeguard interests of national govts
 Result: Treaty establishing the ECSC signed in 1951
 EDC proposed by Monnet in 1952
 Aim: contain possible future rearmament of West Germany & prevent it from
becoming a NATO member
 Supranational character, joint institutions, armed forces & budget
 Rejected by French Assembly in 1954
 Mid 1950s: European integration seemed to have reached a deadlock
 Messina Conference 1955
 1957: Establishment of the EEC & the Euratom
 Treaty of Rome entered into force in 1958
 Establishment of a common market
 CAP & CCP (Common Commercial Policy)
o 1960s
 Empty Chair Crisis
 Origins: proposal to increase Commission’s role & enhance EP’s budgetary powers &
application of QMV instead of unanimity in the Council of Ministers
 Worried de Gaulle (feared that CAP would be reformed against France’s interests)
 France withdrew its representative in Council meetings for 6 months
 Luxembourg Compromise: QMV applies, but if
country feels that very important national
interests are at threat, it can veto a decision
o 1970s
 Summit of The Hague (1969) defined EEC’s
primary objectives
 Further membership expansion
 Establishment of an Economic and
Monetary Union (EMU)
 EMU attempts failed & plans abandoned by
late 80s
o 1980s & 90s

Calam Gallacher Roig

,  Unprecedented advance of European integration
 Single European Act (SEA) 1985: major reinforcement of supranational institutions &
extended EEC competence to new policy fields
 Creation of a single market 1992
 Maastricht Treaty of 1992
 Establishment of the EMU
 Expand EU competence in FP & security policy & justice & home affairs
 3 Pillars established by MT of 1992

o 2000s
 Massive enlargement of the EU
 Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe (2001)
 Replaced the ECS, EEC & Euratom
 Consolidated & simplified text (eg abolishing 3 pillar structure)
 Integrated charter of HR
 Introduced new EU symbols
 Was never ratified
 Lisbon Treaty (2007)
 Incorporated many innovations of the TECE
 Creation of the EEAS
 Addressed democratic deficit by giving national parliaments more say in the
legislative process
 Gave up 3 pillar system
 Preserved intergovernmental character of CFSP
o Expanded QMV

3. The European Commission
 Why look at institutions? Aren’t states all that manner?
o A state-centric approach (eg neorealism) in IR downplays the role of institution
o Institutional approaches argue that institutions matter
 Alter state preferences
 Alter power structures
 Provide normative environments
o EU = ‘rescue of the nation-state’?





 Article 9
o 7 official
institutions: EP, European Council, Council of the EU, European Commission, Court of Justice,
ECB, Court of Auditors
 Article 9d
o The Commission shall promote the general interest of the Union and take appropriate
initiatives to that end,
o So: represents whole EU? -> controversial
 ‘Guardian of the Treaties’ & of legal framework
o The case of Poland and the ‘rule of law’ procedure


Calam Gallacher Roig

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