Lecture 1: European Union 1237
What is the European union?
Unidentified political object (UPO). Harms appointed the president of the European commision.
Jacque d’lore started as the president of the European Commision, he pushed the internal market
forward and he is known for pushing the euro.
Nation: Community whose members identify with each other based on shared characteristics. The
nation can be identified by its symbols.
- Some symbols show why the European Union is not a nation, banknotes.
- Negative beliefs see the EU as a superstate.
State: Legal and political arrangement through which all large-scale political communities are
organised, combining government population, legitimacy, territory and sovereignty.
- Westphalian system: every state has its own sovereignty
- Power of state acting on the economic markets (no merger allowed)
Federation: System of administration involving two or more levels of government with
autonomous powers and responsibilities.
- Monnet-method: The creation of the European Coal and Steel Community as a first
step towards more integration in other areas, with the eventual achievement of a
European federation. If you make coal and steel a common property you take away
the power of starting a war.
- Altiero Spinelli, criticism: no political centre of leadership to push this method along. All
structure, no agency. There is no political centre, but if we do not have people living
inside the federation it won;t work. There would be no people voting etc.
- Council, ECB, etc.
Confederation: Group of sovereign states with a central authority deriving its authority
from those states, and citizens linked to the central authority through the states in which they
live.
- The core of the EU is through national parliaments who are represented in the European
Commision. So there is no direct line between the EU and the people.
International organisation: Body set up to promote cooperation between or among states, based on
the principles of voluntary cooperation, communal management and shared interests.
- Members could be outvoted and still need to comply with the ruling. So, here they lose
sovereignty to get an internal market as a return. Losing certain rights means gaining
economic wealth in other aspects.
- Moving toward a federation, or is it still a confederation?
, What is it?
The EU as a political system is a multi-level governance
- It is about governance
- Refers to a particular kind of relationship that is not hierarchically ordered
- Negotiated order and not defined by formalised legal framework
- Political game
Government: The institutions and officials that make up the formal structure by which states or other
administrative units are managed and directed.
→ EU government is the idea that EU institutions constitute a level of authority above that of the
member states, and that they have powers to make laws and drive the political agenda.
Governance: An arrangement by which decisions, laws and policies are made without the existence
of formal institutions of government.
→ Arrangement in which laws and policies are made and implemented as a result of interactions
among a complex variety of actors, including member state governments, EU institutions, interest
groups and other sources of influence.
European Council: Heads of state of all EU countries,
and the presidents of the European Commission. It has
the role of overview, meaning that the government
ministers meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and
coordinate policies.
European Commission: The EU’s political executive.
It is responsible for drawing proposals for new
European legislation, and it implements the decisions of
the European Parliament and the council of the EU. It is also responsible for managing the budget and
publishing advice.
European Court of Justice: Interpret EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU
countries, and settles legal disputes between national governments and EU institutions.
European Parliament: is part of the legislative process in the EU. Laws must be approved by the
European parliament and the Council of the EU to become law. Elected by EU voters.
Council of ministers: government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt
laws, and coordinate policies. The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the
actions agreed on in the meeting.
National government: makes laws and sets policies for the country and provides services which fall
under national competencies. Divided in legislature, executive and judiciary.
National ministries: Working with the appointed heads of the agencies, they will implement
government policy and ensure agencies meet their goals and purposes within their allocated budgets.
National Parliament: Controls and guides the government of the country.
National courts: Judicial systems of sovereign states.
Citizens
What is the European union?
Unidentified political object (UPO). Harms appointed the president of the European commision.
Jacque d’lore started as the president of the European Commision, he pushed the internal market
forward and he is known for pushing the euro.
Nation: Community whose members identify with each other based on shared characteristics. The
nation can be identified by its symbols.
- Some symbols show why the European Union is not a nation, banknotes.
- Negative beliefs see the EU as a superstate.
State: Legal and political arrangement through which all large-scale political communities are
organised, combining government population, legitimacy, territory and sovereignty.
- Westphalian system: every state has its own sovereignty
- Power of state acting on the economic markets (no merger allowed)
Federation: System of administration involving two or more levels of government with
autonomous powers and responsibilities.
- Monnet-method: The creation of the European Coal and Steel Community as a first
step towards more integration in other areas, with the eventual achievement of a
European federation. If you make coal and steel a common property you take away
the power of starting a war.
- Altiero Spinelli, criticism: no political centre of leadership to push this method along. All
structure, no agency. There is no political centre, but if we do not have people living
inside the federation it won;t work. There would be no people voting etc.
- Council, ECB, etc.
Confederation: Group of sovereign states with a central authority deriving its authority
from those states, and citizens linked to the central authority through the states in which they
live.
- The core of the EU is through national parliaments who are represented in the European
Commision. So there is no direct line between the EU and the people.
International organisation: Body set up to promote cooperation between or among states, based on
the principles of voluntary cooperation, communal management and shared interests.
- Members could be outvoted and still need to comply with the ruling. So, here they lose
sovereignty to get an internal market as a return. Losing certain rights means gaining
economic wealth in other aspects.
- Moving toward a federation, or is it still a confederation?
, What is it?
The EU as a political system is a multi-level governance
- It is about governance
- Refers to a particular kind of relationship that is not hierarchically ordered
- Negotiated order and not defined by formalised legal framework
- Political game
Government: The institutions and officials that make up the formal structure by which states or other
administrative units are managed and directed.
→ EU government is the idea that EU institutions constitute a level of authority above that of the
member states, and that they have powers to make laws and drive the political agenda.
Governance: An arrangement by which decisions, laws and policies are made without the existence
of formal institutions of government.
→ Arrangement in which laws and policies are made and implemented as a result of interactions
among a complex variety of actors, including member state governments, EU institutions, interest
groups and other sources of influence.
European Council: Heads of state of all EU countries,
and the presidents of the European Commission. It has
the role of overview, meaning that the government
ministers meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and
coordinate policies.
European Commission: The EU’s political executive.
It is responsible for drawing proposals for new
European legislation, and it implements the decisions of
the European Parliament and the council of the EU. It is also responsible for managing the budget and
publishing advice.
European Court of Justice: Interpret EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU
countries, and settles legal disputes between national governments and EU institutions.
European Parliament: is part of the legislative process in the EU. Laws must be approved by the
European parliament and the Council of the EU to become law. Elected by EU voters.
Council of ministers: government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt
laws, and coordinate policies. The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the
actions agreed on in the meeting.
National government: makes laws and sets policies for the country and provides services which fall
under national competencies. Divided in legislature, executive and judiciary.
National ministries: Working with the appointed heads of the agencies, they will implement
government policy and ensure agencies meet their goals and purposes within their allocated budgets.
National Parliament: Controls and guides the government of the country.
National courts: Judicial systems of sovereign states.
Citizens
