INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY OF THE EU
– SUMMARY
INHOUD
0. introduction ................................................................................................................................2
1. what is the eu? ............................................................................................................................3
2. European commission .................................................................................................................9
3. council of ministers & european council ..................................................................................... 15
4. The european parliament ........................................................................................................... 23
5. Court of justice ......................................................................................................................... 31
6. European central bank & other eu bodies & agencies ................................................................... 36
7. landbouw- & milieubeleid .......................................................................................................... 42
8. security & global power .............................................................................................................. 46
1
,0. INTRODUCTION
What is the EU? - more than a conventional international organization
- less than a European Superstate
≈ international organization driven by decisions made among the governments of MS’s
• 9th may: Europe day → Schuman declaration
• EU = sui generis = unique actor
• EU ≈ political system in its own right
o Importance: executive, legislative & judicial features institutions
The EU has been prized and criticized since its beginning.
➔ It has been prized because:
• The European experiment brought peace
• Revitalized the European marketplace
• Its changing definition of Europe
• changes the global balance of power
➔ It has been criticized because
• There is unemployment
• Problems with productivity
• Labor market restrictions
• A declining and ageing population
• Undermining the sovereignty of states
• tarnishes the quality of European democracy.
European commission
• Administrative and executive arm of the EU
• Drafts new laws
• Oversees the laws execution Manages the EU budget
Council of minister
• Intergovernmental body comprising of ministers from each member state
• Shares power with the European parliament
• Adopts new laws
European parliament
• Represents the interests of the European voters
• Shares power with the council of ministers
• Adopts new laws
The European court of justice
• EU’s constitutional court
• Interpreting the treaties
• Issuing judgments on cases involving parties in a dispute over EU law
• Issuing rulings in cases in national courts where the EU law is at stake
2
,1. WHAT IS THE EU?
1.1 ROLE OF THE STATE
Ben Rosamond: 4 possible approaches of the EU + (5th critical) state
1) EU as an international organization
2) EU as an example of regionalism in the global economic system
o compare it to other regional blocs (fe. NAFTA, Mercosur)
3) EU as an example of the dynamics of policy making to better
understand the crafting of interstate policy political international
systems organization
o how it is influenced by actors interested in the use of power
4) EU as an unique organization that emerged out of a unique set of circumstances
5) EU as an political system in its own right
o comparing structure & operating principles with those of conventional national pol systems
nation
= group of people defined by shared identity or culture based on language, ethnicity, religion etc.
• ethnic group
= group of people who share a heritage, common language, culture (often including religion) & can
discuss shared ancestry
• nations (political)
= unified by a sense of purpose to control the territory that the members of the group believe to be
theirs
Nation state
= sovereign states in which a majority of the population is united based on factors that define a nation
state
= political-legal unit defined by territory & laws based on an institutional basis
• how we approach the EU depends on how we think about the role of the state
• 1648: Order of Westphalia
o international state system
o start states (borders & sovereignty)
➔ 4 main characteristics
• fixed & populated territory
• has authority over that territory
• is legally & politically independent
• is recognized by its people & by other states (fe. ≠ Kosovo)
➔ case of the EU
• Fixed & populated territory
+ EU = sum of it’s MS’s territory borders recognized
- EU keeps expanding / territory changes
• Authority over that territory
+ EU system of law to which MS are subject
- EU competences vary no all-encompassing areas
• Legally and politically independent
+ (rather) independent of other international actors
- (rather) dependent of its MS
3
, • Recognized by its people and by other states
+ general recognition by other states (fe. Trade agreements)
+ EU citizenship
- variation in extent of recognition by other states
- various extent of ‘feeling European’ among EU citizens
Critics on the state
• Diving humans > unity
• place sectional interest > humanity
• identification with states ≈ nationalism
= belief that every state should be founded on a nation and that national identity should be promoted
through political action
o internal instability
o national superiority, ethnocentrism, racism, genocide, war… (fe. WWI, WWII, Yugoslavia…)
▪ fe. USA: united, no problems with nationalism
international organizations (IO’s)
= bodies that set up to promote cooperation between or among states, based on the principles of
voluntary cooperation, communal management & shared interests
➔ 2 categories
• international nongovernmental organizations
o members are individuals / representatives of private associations
• intergovernmental organizations (IGO’s)
o members are states & their goal is to promote cooperation among state governments
1909 220 1951 1000 1972 4000 1989 25.000 2024 70.000
• Olsen
o voluntary cooperation & coordination between or among their members
+ voluntary decision to join & delegate authority
o neither autonomous powers nor the authority to impose their rulings on their members
+ EU institutions not fully autonomous
- EU institutions hold different levels of authority (some extensive)
- Primacy of EU law, role of the EU courts
• Eilstrup
o Organizations with ≥ 3 state parties
+ 27 EU MS’s
o Permanent HQ / secretariat
+ permanent HQ in Brussels, Strasbourg, Frankfurt…
o Regular meetings & budgets
+ Various EU institutions meet regularly
+ EU had a budget
4
– SUMMARY
INHOUD
0. introduction ................................................................................................................................2
1. what is the eu? ............................................................................................................................3
2. European commission .................................................................................................................9
3. council of ministers & european council ..................................................................................... 15
4. The european parliament ........................................................................................................... 23
5. Court of justice ......................................................................................................................... 31
6. European central bank & other eu bodies & agencies ................................................................... 36
7. landbouw- & milieubeleid .......................................................................................................... 42
8. security & global power .............................................................................................................. 46
1
,0. INTRODUCTION
What is the EU? - more than a conventional international organization
- less than a European Superstate
≈ international organization driven by decisions made among the governments of MS’s
• 9th may: Europe day → Schuman declaration
• EU = sui generis = unique actor
• EU ≈ political system in its own right
o Importance: executive, legislative & judicial features institutions
The EU has been prized and criticized since its beginning.
➔ It has been prized because:
• The European experiment brought peace
• Revitalized the European marketplace
• Its changing definition of Europe
• changes the global balance of power
➔ It has been criticized because
• There is unemployment
• Problems with productivity
• Labor market restrictions
• A declining and ageing population
• Undermining the sovereignty of states
• tarnishes the quality of European democracy.
European commission
• Administrative and executive arm of the EU
• Drafts new laws
• Oversees the laws execution Manages the EU budget
Council of minister
• Intergovernmental body comprising of ministers from each member state
• Shares power with the European parliament
• Adopts new laws
European parliament
• Represents the interests of the European voters
• Shares power with the council of ministers
• Adopts new laws
The European court of justice
• EU’s constitutional court
• Interpreting the treaties
• Issuing judgments on cases involving parties in a dispute over EU law
• Issuing rulings in cases in national courts where the EU law is at stake
2
,1. WHAT IS THE EU?
1.1 ROLE OF THE STATE
Ben Rosamond: 4 possible approaches of the EU + (5th critical) state
1) EU as an international organization
2) EU as an example of regionalism in the global economic system
o compare it to other regional blocs (fe. NAFTA, Mercosur)
3) EU as an example of the dynamics of policy making to better
understand the crafting of interstate policy political international
systems organization
o how it is influenced by actors interested in the use of power
4) EU as an unique organization that emerged out of a unique set of circumstances
5) EU as an political system in its own right
o comparing structure & operating principles with those of conventional national pol systems
nation
= group of people defined by shared identity or culture based on language, ethnicity, religion etc.
• ethnic group
= group of people who share a heritage, common language, culture (often including religion) & can
discuss shared ancestry
• nations (political)
= unified by a sense of purpose to control the territory that the members of the group believe to be
theirs
Nation state
= sovereign states in which a majority of the population is united based on factors that define a nation
state
= political-legal unit defined by territory & laws based on an institutional basis
• how we approach the EU depends on how we think about the role of the state
• 1648: Order of Westphalia
o international state system
o start states (borders & sovereignty)
➔ 4 main characteristics
• fixed & populated territory
• has authority over that territory
• is legally & politically independent
• is recognized by its people & by other states (fe. ≠ Kosovo)
➔ case of the EU
• Fixed & populated territory
+ EU = sum of it’s MS’s territory borders recognized
- EU keeps expanding / territory changes
• Authority over that territory
+ EU system of law to which MS are subject
- EU competences vary no all-encompassing areas
• Legally and politically independent
+ (rather) independent of other international actors
- (rather) dependent of its MS
3
, • Recognized by its people and by other states
+ general recognition by other states (fe. Trade agreements)
+ EU citizenship
- variation in extent of recognition by other states
- various extent of ‘feeling European’ among EU citizens
Critics on the state
• Diving humans > unity
• place sectional interest > humanity
• identification with states ≈ nationalism
= belief that every state should be founded on a nation and that national identity should be promoted
through political action
o internal instability
o national superiority, ethnocentrism, racism, genocide, war… (fe. WWI, WWII, Yugoslavia…)
▪ fe. USA: united, no problems with nationalism
international organizations (IO’s)
= bodies that set up to promote cooperation between or among states, based on the principles of
voluntary cooperation, communal management & shared interests
➔ 2 categories
• international nongovernmental organizations
o members are individuals / representatives of private associations
• intergovernmental organizations (IGO’s)
o members are states & their goal is to promote cooperation among state governments
1909 220 1951 1000 1972 4000 1989 25.000 2024 70.000
• Olsen
o voluntary cooperation & coordination between or among their members
+ voluntary decision to join & delegate authority
o neither autonomous powers nor the authority to impose their rulings on their members
+ EU institutions not fully autonomous
- EU institutions hold different levels of authority (some extensive)
- Primacy of EU law, role of the EU courts
• Eilstrup
o Organizations with ≥ 3 state parties
+ 27 EU MS’s
o Permanent HQ / secretariat
+ permanent HQ in Brussels, Strasbourg, Frankfurt…
o Regular meetings & budgets
+ Various EU institutions meet regularly
+ EU had a budget
4
