MCQ Summary Notes
The EU as an evolving project:
- Treaty of Rome 1957 founded European Economic Community; seeking peace,
stability, and economic progress among 6 member states (Luxemburg,
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy).
- The Aim: was to integrate the economies of these countries by creating what was
called the common market.
- Expansion from Rome – Lisbon:
1. Territorial enlargements (now 27 MS- after the UK left).
2. A wider political and social goals.
3. A deepening legal order.
4. Creation of European Union 1992.
5. The Lisbon Treaty entered 2007 settlement in force since 1 December 2009.
The Council of Europe is something different it has 50+ States.
Evolving Economic Models:
- Free trade area (no internal border tariffs).
- Customs union (Common customs tariffs, Prohibition of duties and charges,
Prohibition of discriminatory taxation).
- Common market (free movement of goods, labor, services, and capital).
- Economic and monetary union (common currency).
- Political Union? Federal State? Break-up?
An Evolving Legal Framework:
- The EU legal order is Treaty based.
- On the face of it, it looks like a type of public international law. It is not!
- The treaties from the Primary legislation. These are agreed by the MS (the
‘masters’ of the Treaties).
, - The Treaties are complemented by Secondary legislation and case law from the
Court of Justice.
Legal Evolution: Treaty Milestones
1) Treaty of Rome 1957 founded EEC
2) Single European Act 1986 re-launched Single Market
3) Treaty of Maastricht 1992 established EU, renamed EEC as European
Community ‘pillar’ within EU
It changed that idea that it is not just about economic market, it is also about
adding a social and a political dimension to this integration project.
The EU’s immediate past (from 1992 TEU): The 3 Pillars of the EU:
(1) First Pillar: European Community supernational decision-making, review by
Courts, individual rights, etc…
(2) And (3) Pillars more intergovernmental in decision-making processes; greater
powers retained by MS; less renewable.
Supernational: the more MS give competence to the EU, the more the EU becomes
supernational organization. Meaning that the EU institutions can produce legislation
without MS being able to act as blockers of that policy
Intergovernmental: refers to governments collaborating but not giving much of their
sovereignty so they could still block decisions if they didn’t agree with something
through voting for example.
NB The Lisbon Treaty has now ended the formal pillar divisions: but Common
Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) still has special rules
All elements now called EU and EU law
, So the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community
The treaty of Maastricht created the European Union
But the Treaty of Amsterdam amended what already existed.
Treaty of Amsterdam 1997:
- Did not create anything new just an amending Treaty (i.e. amended the TEU and
EC Treaty)
- Some of pillar 3 (Justice and Home Affairs) moved to pillar 1 (EC)
- Stronger anti-discrimination provisions (now Art.19 TFEU)
- Introduced a sanction mechanism for violation of fundamental rights by a MS.
- Renumbered the EC Treaty and TEU
Treaty of Nice 2000:
Many new MS join the EU mostly from central and Eastern Europe, so it was important
to reform the institutions to ensure that they were suitable for such a large number of MS.
- Did not create anything, but amended.
- Dealt with the ‘Amsterdam leftovers’ regarding institutional reforms (with a view
to 2004 enlargement), e.g. just 1 Commissioner per MS; more QMV (qualified
majority vote rather than unanimity) in more areas.
- Charter of Fundamental Rights was solemnly proclaimed
- Outcome: a very unhappy compromise; declaration to open a more fundamental
and wide-ranging debate on the future of the EU.
From Nice to Lisbon:
- Political dispute over direction of the EU
- Social or market directions? Unwieldy decision-making structures after 2004
enlargement, conflict over constitutionalizing the EU
- Draft European Constitution 2004 Failure agreed by MSs but defeated by French
and Dutch referenda in ratification process.
The EU as an evolving project:
- Treaty of Rome 1957 founded European Economic Community; seeking peace,
stability, and economic progress among 6 member states (Luxemburg,
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy).
- The Aim: was to integrate the economies of these countries by creating what was
called the common market.
- Expansion from Rome – Lisbon:
1. Territorial enlargements (now 27 MS- after the UK left).
2. A wider political and social goals.
3. A deepening legal order.
4. Creation of European Union 1992.
5. The Lisbon Treaty entered 2007 settlement in force since 1 December 2009.
The Council of Europe is something different it has 50+ States.
Evolving Economic Models:
- Free trade area (no internal border tariffs).
- Customs union (Common customs tariffs, Prohibition of duties and charges,
Prohibition of discriminatory taxation).
- Common market (free movement of goods, labor, services, and capital).
- Economic and monetary union (common currency).
- Political Union? Federal State? Break-up?
An Evolving Legal Framework:
- The EU legal order is Treaty based.
- On the face of it, it looks like a type of public international law. It is not!
- The treaties from the Primary legislation. These are agreed by the MS (the
‘masters’ of the Treaties).
, - The Treaties are complemented by Secondary legislation and case law from the
Court of Justice.
Legal Evolution: Treaty Milestones
1) Treaty of Rome 1957 founded EEC
2) Single European Act 1986 re-launched Single Market
3) Treaty of Maastricht 1992 established EU, renamed EEC as European
Community ‘pillar’ within EU
It changed that idea that it is not just about economic market, it is also about
adding a social and a political dimension to this integration project.
The EU’s immediate past (from 1992 TEU): The 3 Pillars of the EU:
(1) First Pillar: European Community supernational decision-making, review by
Courts, individual rights, etc…
(2) And (3) Pillars more intergovernmental in decision-making processes; greater
powers retained by MS; less renewable.
Supernational: the more MS give competence to the EU, the more the EU becomes
supernational organization. Meaning that the EU institutions can produce legislation
without MS being able to act as blockers of that policy
Intergovernmental: refers to governments collaborating but not giving much of their
sovereignty so they could still block decisions if they didn’t agree with something
through voting for example.
NB The Lisbon Treaty has now ended the formal pillar divisions: but Common
Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) still has special rules
All elements now called EU and EU law
, So the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community
The treaty of Maastricht created the European Union
But the Treaty of Amsterdam amended what already existed.
Treaty of Amsterdam 1997:
- Did not create anything new just an amending Treaty (i.e. amended the TEU and
EC Treaty)
- Some of pillar 3 (Justice and Home Affairs) moved to pillar 1 (EC)
- Stronger anti-discrimination provisions (now Art.19 TFEU)
- Introduced a sanction mechanism for violation of fundamental rights by a MS.
- Renumbered the EC Treaty and TEU
Treaty of Nice 2000:
Many new MS join the EU mostly from central and Eastern Europe, so it was important
to reform the institutions to ensure that they were suitable for such a large number of MS.
- Did not create anything, but amended.
- Dealt with the ‘Amsterdam leftovers’ regarding institutional reforms (with a view
to 2004 enlargement), e.g. just 1 Commissioner per MS; more QMV (qualified
majority vote rather than unanimity) in more areas.
- Charter of Fundamental Rights was solemnly proclaimed
- Outcome: a very unhappy compromise; declaration to open a more fundamental
and wide-ranging debate on the future of the EU.
From Nice to Lisbon:
- Political dispute over direction of the EU
- Social or market directions? Unwieldy decision-making structures after 2004
enlargement, conflict over constitutionalizing the EU
- Draft European Constitution 2004 Failure agreed by MSs but defeated by French
and Dutch referenda in ratification process.
