Juridische aspecten van de Europese eenmaking, capita selecta
INDEX
1. Lezing 1- Professor Blizkovsky: Introductie en oefeningen
2. Lezing 2- Professor Blizkovsky: New economic governance of the European Union
3. Lezing 3- Professor Blizkovsky: New economic governance of the European Union
EXTRA: SAMENVATTING DOOR TONY JORIS (onze prof) van de vorige drie lezingen
4. Lezing 4- Professor Luca Prete - Primacy, national identity and the (unbearable
lightness of being) constitutional courts
5. Lezing 5- Niels Verborgh- De Europese Unie en (sport)recht
6. Lezing 6- Sir Jonathan Faull- Brexit
6bis. Lezing 6bis- Sir Jonathan Faull- Brexit Part two
7. Lezing 7- Aniel Pahladsingh - EU-migratierecht
8. Lezing 8- Prof. Stefaan van der Jeught - Taaldiversiteit en de interne markt van de
Europese Unie
9. Lezing 9- Professor Luca Prete- The recent case law of the European Court of Justice
in the field of external relations
Praktische inleiding
• Op hun niveau moeten de studenten in staat zijn te reflecteren over verschillende juridische
aspecten van de Europese eenmaking, en deze aspecten ook te verwerken, en dit op een
kritische wijze (interactie tijdens de lezingen wordt daarom gestimuleerd).
• De studenten moeten kunnen aantonen dat zij de behandelde aspecten beheersen (en op
kritische wijze kunnen benaderen). De studenten moeten in staat zijn kennis te uiten op basis
van zelfstudie.
• De examenvragen zijn meestal kennisvragen, maar laten soms ruimte voor eigen kritische
reflectie.
Examen: Schriftelijk examen met open (en mogelijks gesloten) vragen.
Voorbeelden:
• Geef en bespreek de juridische instrumenten die door de EU en de lidstaten van de eurozone
werden aangenomen n.a.v. de schuldencrisis (budgettaire discipline). Hoe vindt u dat de EU
had moeten reageren op deze crisis?
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,• Brexit: geef en bespreek de vier bekommernissen die in de brief van David Cameron van 10
november 2015 aan Donald Tusk werden geuit.
1. Lezing 1 – Professor Blizkovsky
1.1 Praktische opmerkingen van professor Joris bij de lessen van prof. Blinzkovsky
Professor Blizkovsky heeft me gevraagd een aantal documenten te verspreiden. U vindt deze
documenten op Canvas onder “Bestanden – Blizkovsky”. Zij dienen als achtergrondinformatie
en maken dus geen deel uit van de te kennen stof. Zij kunnen mogelijks wel een hulpmiddel
zijn om hetgeen professor Blizkovsky zal vertellen nog beter te begrijpen.
1.2 Introduction
The topic of the three lectures of prof. Blizkovsky is called ‘new economic governance’. This
term implies an old economic governance’. The new economic governance is a synonym to the
term ‘Economic and Monetary Union’ (hereafter, EMU), as defined in the EU Treaties. In these
three classes, we will refer to the EMU.
The first lecture will be introductory; we will brainstorm and answer some questions and
cases. We will study how and why the EMU was created. The second lecture will be about the
economic part of the Union. The third lecture will be on the monetary part of the EMU.
1.3 Oefening en antwoorden
What is the What is the What is the What is the bank Give the name of
GDP* in public dept (%) exchange rate asset compared 4 people
nominal terms compared to between the $ and to the annual
in these areas? their annual the euro in this GDP of the
GDP? time? (How much $ country?
would you get for 1
euro?)
USA: 19 trillion EU: 79% 2000: 1$ Rich, developed Minister of
countries: 100 finance of
Germany:
Lindner
EU: 17 trillion Euro area: 86% 2001: 0,87$ Japan: 200 Minister of
finance of
France: Le Maire
Euro area: 13 Czech June 2008: 1,57$ Ireland: 700 The chair of the
trillion Republic: 32% (hereafter, Greek Europe Group:
crisis) Donohoe
Germany: 4 France: 101% Today: 1,1$ Euro area: 30 The chair of the
trillion Europe Summit:
Charles Michel
China: 14 Germany: 65%
trillion
Japan: 5 Greece: 176%
trillion
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, The whole Italy: 137%
world: 81
trillion
Why this exercise? The prof wants to show us that the economic governments have 2
components: economic policy and public finances. The developed countries are dominating
the economic landscape globally. We notice that the US and the EU are very similar in
economic size. The Euro area has a big share of the overall EU economy.
*What Is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? Gross domestic product is the total monetary or
market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a
specific time period. As a broad measure of overall domestic production, it functions as a
comprehensive scorecard of a given country’s economic health.
What is the lesson of the public debt? The first lesson is that the debts are very high. Secondly,
we note that dept of the Czech Republic is much smaller that the dept of the Western
countries. How is that so?
• Culture: the protestant countries (f.e. Germany), culturally they don’t like to life with
dept. The southern countries are more relaxed about it.
• State of mind: If you are poor, you don’t want to be exposed to the risk of dept
• Psychology: the richer you are, the more easily you accept the psychology of a debt
• History: communists never used debts
• Oil: western countries bought oil from Arab countries; they had to take on dept
because the oil was expensive. In the communist countries, the Russians were the oil
dealers. The Russians did not increase the price of the oil too much, so the communist
countries didn’t take too much debt.
So here, we are in the monetary policy. The big lesson is that banks are big players.
The new economic government has a lot to do with politics. That’s why names are important.
In the governments, politics and economy is linked. Depending on the political deal, one
decision or another will be taken.
Do not mix economic policy and monetary policy.
1.4 Economic and monetary union
We empathise the important distinction between an economic policy and a monetary policy.
Monetary policy is a set of tools that a nation's central bank has available to promote
sustainable economic growth by controlling the overall supply of money that is available to
the nation's banks, its consumers, and its businesses. The goal is to keep the economy
humming along at a rate that is neither too hot nor too cold. The central bank may force up
interest rates on borrowing in order to discourage spending or force down interest rates to
inspire more borrowing and spending. The main weapon at its disposal is the nation's money.
The central bank sets the rates it charges to loan money to the nation's banks. When it raises
or lowers its rates, all financial institutions tweak the rates they charge all of their customers,
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, from big businesses borrowing for major projects to homebuyers applying for mortgages. A
synonym for the monetary policy is ‘guarantee’.
Stability of prices is important and can be achieved by inflation. Inflation is the increase of
the prices year to year.
So, these are the two parameters (budget and inflation) that are important for the economic
and monetary policy.
A. Small simulation in class: IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
Why is budget (the first parameter) important in the union? Belgium has a deficit debt of
100%. Should Italians or Germans in the EMU bother, or is it a purely Belgian problem?
Simulation:
Rafaela is a good student at VUB. She finished her studies, obtained a permanent job and gains
a lot of money. She decides to buy a flat of €200.000. She goes to a banker to get a mortgage;
she is interested in the interests. The bank will make her an offer.
Tom is another student, little bit less disciplined, enjoying life, no permanent job, more jobs
here and there, €500/month income and that is not permanent. He also wants to buy this flat
from €200.000. He also goes to the bank to get a mortgage and to discuss the interests.
In the end, neither of them bought the apartment. But they became a couple and got married
one year later.
They now go to the bank together to get a loan. Tom still works for €500/month temporary,
Rafaela for €10.000/month permanent. This is very unequal. This is the same in the EMU, the
Eurozone problem. This is what the economic and monetary situation is about.
Imagine that they’re countries. Tom is a country, Rafaela is one, and you want to create a
marriage, a union. In the EMU we created the economic and monetary union.
If Rafaela says that she is not marrying him because of his finances, it will be like the rich
countries (without debt) refusing to make a union with the poor countries (with debts)
because it will make their financial situation more expensive and difficult.
You have to remember that if your public finances and your budget are not in order, that will
be your individual problem. The consequence of your financial instability will be a debt
penalty. The bigger imbalance you have, the higher the debt penalty will be. If the bank lends
money to Tom, the bank is taking a big risk, that’s why the bank will be asking for a higher
premium.
The safer the country is, the cheaper that it will obtain loans because the debt is cheaper, and
the risk is smaller
So, if Belgium has a high debt, should Germany bother? Yes, for every million-euro Germany
is going to buy, Belgium is making the price of their loans higher. If Germany has their public
finances in order (meaning low deficit and low debt) should Belgium bother? Yes, Belgium will
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