Political Structures and Processes of
the European Union
Alexander Mattelaer
VUB 2020-2021
,Quick note: This document does not follow the same structure than the class-lectures, but everything is here
(for the theorical part at least). Moreover, when studying for the exam, you don’t have to retain every piece of
information this document contains. A lot of things are just meant to help you have a better grasp of the
materials, such as for instance the excerpts quoting the treaties or the list of the (many) supporting committees
of the Council. The goal is to understand how the EU works in general. The exam questions also touch upon
European current issues, it is therefore important to understand how the EU exactly deals with those.
Good luck!
Sarah Rousseau
Key for abbreviations
- CAP = Common Agricultural Policy
- CFSP = Common Foreign and Security Policy
- CJEU = Court of Justice of the European Union
- COM = European Commission
- Council = Council of the European Union
- CSDP = Common Security and Defence Policy
- DG = Directorate General (within the COM)
- ECA = European Court of Auditors
- ECB = European Central Bank
- ECSC = European Coal and Steel Community
- EEAS = European External Action Service
- EEC = European Economic Community
- EMU = Economic and Monetary Union
- EP = European Parliament
- ESCB = European System of Central Banks
- EU = European Union
- EUCO = European Council
- FAC = Foreign Affairs Council (within the Council)
- HR = High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
- JHA = Justice and Home Affairs
- MEPs = Members of the European Parliament
- MFF = Multiannual Financial Framework
- MS = EU’s member state(s)
- NATO = North Atalntic Treaty Organisation
- OLP = Ordinary Legislative Procedure
- OMC = Open Method of Coordination
- ORP = Ordinary Revision Procedure
- QMV = Qualified Majority Voting
- SGP = Stability and Growth Pact
- SIS = Schengen Information System
- SLP = Special Legislative Procedure(s)
- SRP = Simplified Revision Procedure
- TEU = Treaty on European Union
- TFEU = Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
2
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. History of European integration ............................................................................................. 4
Post-war Europe ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Historical overview: economic integration ..................................................................................................... 5
Geographical overview: EU enlargements .................................................................................................... 7
II. Institutions of the EU ............................................................................................................... 8
European Council (EUCO) ............................................................................................................................ 8
European Commission (COM) ...................................................................................................................... 9
European Parliament (EP) .......................................................................................................................... 11
Council of the European Union (Council) .................................................................................................... 13
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ......................................................................................... 15
European Central Bank (ECB) .................................................................................................................... 16
European Court of Auditors (ECA) .............................................................................................................. 16
III. Decision-making in the EU .................................................................................................... 17
Intergovernmental bargaining ..................................................................................................................... 17
Qualified Majority Voting (QMV).................................................................................................................. 17
Ordinary Legislative Procedure (OLP) ........................................................................................................ 17
Special Legislative Procedures (SLP) ......................................................................................................... 18
Open Method of Coordination (OMC) ......................................................................................................... 19
IV. EU Legislation ........................................................................................................................ 20
EU Law........................................................................................................................................................ 20
Division of competences ............................................................................................................................. 20
Delegated and Implementing acts............................................................................................................... 21
Joining and leaving the EU ......................................................................................................................... 21
Treaty changes ........................................................................................................................................... 23
V. EU finances ............................................................................................................................. 24
EU incomes ................................................................................................................................................. 24
EU expenses ............................................................................................................................................... 24
VI. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) ................................................................................. 26
Historical overview: monetary union ........................................................................................................... 26
Economic governance................................................................................................................................. 27
Monetary governance ................................................................................................................................. 28
Fiscal policy................................................................................................................................................. 29
VII. Justice and Home Affairs in the EU ..................................................................................... 30
JHA policies ................................................................................................................................................ 30
Historical overview: security cooperation .................................................................................................... 31
VIII. Foreign Affairs in the EU ....................................................................................................... 32
Security and Defence .................................................................................................................................. 32
Development ............................................................................................................................................... 33
Humanitarian Aid......................................................................................................................................... 34
Trade ........................................................................................................................................................... 34
IX. EU key policies ....................................................................................................................... 36
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) ............................................................................................................. 36
European Green Deal ................................................................................................................................. 37
Covid-19 crisis............................................................................................................................................. 38
3
, I. History of European integration
Importance to know the context of the European integration in order to understand the past and make sure
that history doesn’t repeat itself (trauma of the two world wars – especially WWII – and of the Cold War). The
EU is definitely the central historical phenomenon of post-war Europe.
Importance of understanding the multi-level governance and the policy-making processes of the EU in order
to fully understand the issues Europe has to deal with today.
Importance of being able to handle informed debates concerning the EU decision-making processes,
because today’s issues might be controversial. That is why it is also important to understand the different
European crises:
- 2008-2012: Eurozone crisis (or European sovereign debt crisis)
- 2014: Ukraine crisis and relations with Russia
- 2015: migration crisis
- 2016: Brexit crisis
- 2019: climate emergency crisis
- 2020: Covid-19 crisis
Those crises go hand in hand with political contestations around issues such as taxation, poverty,
distribution of wealth, citizenship and identity, political values, democracy, rule of law, …
Post-war Europe
After WWII, European mentality has shifted. There were already deep roots of integration before that (history,
culture, religion, values, …): states simply rediscovered them and the integration was quite natural. The goal
was to prevent the war from happening again, especially after the failure of the League of Nation (attempt of
intergovernmental cooperation after WWI).
WWII had a strong impact:
- Politics: need to oppose nationalism + need to redraw the European map + fight communist
influence (Iron Curtain)
- Economy: need to create economic and monetary stability
- Cooperation: need to work together and to monitor the growing interdependence between countries
(trade, currency)
- Collaboration: need to secure national interests and to be less vulnerable
Three major change:
- Common destiny: trauma of the war >
no more military conflict to resolve
disagreements (led to the founding of
NATO)
- Shift towards low politics: more focus
on non-vital matters (such as economic
and social issues) more than on
defence and territorial issues (high
politics)
- More communication: much more
informal and bilateral meetings
between national leaders (diplomatic
relations) > treaties and bargaining
4
the European Union
Alexander Mattelaer
VUB 2020-2021
,Quick note: This document does not follow the same structure than the class-lectures, but everything is here
(for the theorical part at least). Moreover, when studying for the exam, you don’t have to retain every piece of
information this document contains. A lot of things are just meant to help you have a better grasp of the
materials, such as for instance the excerpts quoting the treaties or the list of the (many) supporting committees
of the Council. The goal is to understand how the EU works in general. The exam questions also touch upon
European current issues, it is therefore important to understand how the EU exactly deals with those.
Good luck!
Sarah Rousseau
Key for abbreviations
- CAP = Common Agricultural Policy
- CFSP = Common Foreign and Security Policy
- CJEU = Court of Justice of the European Union
- COM = European Commission
- Council = Council of the European Union
- CSDP = Common Security and Defence Policy
- DG = Directorate General (within the COM)
- ECA = European Court of Auditors
- ECB = European Central Bank
- ECSC = European Coal and Steel Community
- EEAS = European External Action Service
- EEC = European Economic Community
- EMU = Economic and Monetary Union
- EP = European Parliament
- ESCB = European System of Central Banks
- EU = European Union
- EUCO = European Council
- FAC = Foreign Affairs Council (within the Council)
- HR = High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
- JHA = Justice and Home Affairs
- MEPs = Members of the European Parliament
- MFF = Multiannual Financial Framework
- MS = EU’s member state(s)
- NATO = North Atalntic Treaty Organisation
- OLP = Ordinary Legislative Procedure
- OMC = Open Method of Coordination
- ORP = Ordinary Revision Procedure
- QMV = Qualified Majority Voting
- SGP = Stability and Growth Pact
- SIS = Schengen Information System
- SLP = Special Legislative Procedure(s)
- SRP = Simplified Revision Procedure
- TEU = Treaty on European Union
- TFEU = Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
2
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. History of European integration ............................................................................................. 4
Post-war Europe ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Historical overview: economic integration ..................................................................................................... 5
Geographical overview: EU enlargements .................................................................................................... 7
II. Institutions of the EU ............................................................................................................... 8
European Council (EUCO) ............................................................................................................................ 8
European Commission (COM) ...................................................................................................................... 9
European Parliament (EP) .......................................................................................................................... 11
Council of the European Union (Council) .................................................................................................... 13
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ......................................................................................... 15
European Central Bank (ECB) .................................................................................................................... 16
European Court of Auditors (ECA) .............................................................................................................. 16
III. Decision-making in the EU .................................................................................................... 17
Intergovernmental bargaining ..................................................................................................................... 17
Qualified Majority Voting (QMV).................................................................................................................. 17
Ordinary Legislative Procedure (OLP) ........................................................................................................ 17
Special Legislative Procedures (SLP) ......................................................................................................... 18
Open Method of Coordination (OMC) ......................................................................................................... 19
IV. EU Legislation ........................................................................................................................ 20
EU Law........................................................................................................................................................ 20
Division of competences ............................................................................................................................. 20
Delegated and Implementing acts............................................................................................................... 21
Joining and leaving the EU ......................................................................................................................... 21
Treaty changes ........................................................................................................................................... 23
V. EU finances ............................................................................................................................. 24
EU incomes ................................................................................................................................................. 24
EU expenses ............................................................................................................................................... 24
VI. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) ................................................................................. 26
Historical overview: monetary union ........................................................................................................... 26
Economic governance................................................................................................................................. 27
Monetary governance ................................................................................................................................. 28
Fiscal policy................................................................................................................................................. 29
VII. Justice and Home Affairs in the EU ..................................................................................... 30
JHA policies ................................................................................................................................................ 30
Historical overview: security cooperation .................................................................................................... 31
VIII. Foreign Affairs in the EU ....................................................................................................... 32
Security and Defence .................................................................................................................................. 32
Development ............................................................................................................................................... 33
Humanitarian Aid......................................................................................................................................... 34
Trade ........................................................................................................................................................... 34
IX. EU key policies ....................................................................................................................... 36
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) ............................................................................................................. 36
European Green Deal ................................................................................................................................. 37
Covid-19 crisis............................................................................................................................................. 38
3
, I. History of European integration
Importance to know the context of the European integration in order to understand the past and make sure
that history doesn’t repeat itself (trauma of the two world wars – especially WWII – and of the Cold War). The
EU is definitely the central historical phenomenon of post-war Europe.
Importance of understanding the multi-level governance and the policy-making processes of the EU in order
to fully understand the issues Europe has to deal with today.
Importance of being able to handle informed debates concerning the EU decision-making processes,
because today’s issues might be controversial. That is why it is also important to understand the different
European crises:
- 2008-2012: Eurozone crisis (or European sovereign debt crisis)
- 2014: Ukraine crisis and relations with Russia
- 2015: migration crisis
- 2016: Brexit crisis
- 2019: climate emergency crisis
- 2020: Covid-19 crisis
Those crises go hand in hand with political contestations around issues such as taxation, poverty,
distribution of wealth, citizenship and identity, political values, democracy, rule of law, …
Post-war Europe
After WWII, European mentality has shifted. There were already deep roots of integration before that (history,
culture, religion, values, …): states simply rediscovered them and the integration was quite natural. The goal
was to prevent the war from happening again, especially after the failure of the League of Nation (attempt of
intergovernmental cooperation after WWI).
WWII had a strong impact:
- Politics: need to oppose nationalism + need to redraw the European map + fight communist
influence (Iron Curtain)
- Economy: need to create economic and monetary stability
- Cooperation: need to work together and to monitor the growing interdependence between countries
(trade, currency)
- Collaboration: need to secure national interests and to be less vulnerable
Three major change:
- Common destiny: trauma of the war >
no more military conflict to resolve
disagreements (led to the founding of
NATO)
- Shift towards low politics: more focus
on non-vital matters (such as economic
and social issues) more than on
defence and territorial issues (high
politics)
- More communication: much more
informal and bilateral meetings
between national leaders (diplomatic
relations) > treaties and bargaining
4
