EU POLITICS & POLICY
Claire Dupont
2DE BACHELOR BESTUURSKUNDE
CLASSE NOTES
,European Union Politics and policy I – How does the parliament decide? .................... 13
J – EP elections ....................................................... 13
7 – Court of Justice of the European Union.............. 13
Inhoud
1 – The EU at a glance ................................................. 2 A – Role and organization of the Court ................. 13
A – What is the European Union.............................. 2 B – Proceedings...................................................... 14
B – EU objectives and values.................................... 2 C – Fundamental Case Law .................................... 15
C – EU institutions .................................................... 2 8 – Stakeholders and lobbying in the EU .................. 15
D – Decision making in the EU ................................. 3 A – Who lobbies the institutions of the EU ........... 15
2 – EU law .................................................................... 4 B – Why is lobbying important? Is there a legal
basis? ..................................................................... 15
A – Why study EU law? ............................................ 4
C – Access: Where are lobbyist going? .................. 16
B – decision making in the EU .................................. 5
D – The Brussels Bubble......................................... 16
3 – the European council ............................................. 6
E – Key policies subject to lobbying ....................... 16
A – What is the European Council?.......................... 6
F – Voice: projecting influence in the EU ............... 16
B – History of the European Council ........................ 7
G – Legitimate representation vs. corporate capture
C – Organisation of the European Council ............... 7 ............................................................................... 17
D – Role of the European Council ............................ 7 H – Corporate capture ........................................... 17
E – Eurosummit ........................................................ 7 I – Conclusion ......................................................... 18
4 – The council of the European Union ...................... 7 8 – National Parliaments........................................... 18
A – roles of the council............................................. 7 A – Problem?.......................................................... 18
B – decisionmaking .................................................. 7 B – Protocol (No1) on the role of national
C – organization of council ....................................... 8 parliaments in the EU ............................................ 18
D – ordinary legislative procedure ........................... 8 C – Protocol (No2) – on the application of the
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality........ 19
E – presidency .......................................................... 9
D – Early warning system (EWS) ............................ 19
F – Liberal intergovernmentalism ............................ 9
E – Posted workers ................................................ 19
5 – The European Commission .................................. 10
F – Analysis............................................................. 19
A - What is the European Commission?................. 10
G – Self study ......................................................... 20
B - Roles of the commission ................................... 10
9 – EU foreign and security policy ............................ 20
C - Organization...................................................... 11
A – History common foreign and security policy
D - Historical development .................................... 11
(CFSP) ..................................................................... 20
6 - European parliament ........................................... 12
B – Common Foreign and security policy today .... 21
A - Historical development .................................... 12
C – History common security and defence policy.. 22
B – Expanding powers ............................................ 12
D – Common security and defence policy today ... 22
C – The organization of the European Parliament . 12
D – President of the EP .......................................... 12
E – Political groups ................................................. 12
F – committees....................................................... 12
G – The EP role ....................................................... 12
H – Ordinary legislative procedure ........................ 12
1
, 1 – The EU at a glance = talks about the economic vision an it’s internal
market
A – What is the European Union
- 27 countries are members Article 3.4, TEU
- 24 official languages = The Union shall establish an economic and monetary
union whose currency is the euro.
It is difficult to give an exact definition of the EU → it’s
a combination of several things like democracy, Article 3.5, TEU
international organization, economic union … = the EU sets objections for itself and they have to
- It’s certainly a rule-making body uphold those values. They also show how they have to
- Is at the minimum a political union, economic communicate with the other countries
union and
- Includes elements of an international C – EU institutions
organization and a democratic governance
system
Import abbreviations
- Is not a federation or state
- COEU = council of the European Union
- Was formed after WOII, through cooperation
- EP = European Parliament
- COM = Council of ministers
Uses Treaties to make a policy
- EUCO = European Council
= can be seen as the ‘constitutions’ of the EU (the
founding/basics treaties)
1 The European Parliament
- Co-deciding institution of the EU
The last one is ‘the treaty of Lisbon’ → has 2 main
- Directly elected by European citizens
treaties
- 705 members → MEP’s (members of the
- TEU (treaty of EU = what are the objections,
European parliament)
ambitions and values?)
- Located in Brussels, Luxembourg & Strasbourg
- TFEU (treaty of functioning of EU = how do we
= why in different places? Every country
do this? Rules on how to make policy)
wants something that is related to the EU so
= whatever the EU does, has to have a source in
some institutions have different buildings like
one of those 2
this one
= can they move/change the seat in
B – EU objectives and values Strasbourg? If they want to do that, they have
= can be found in the TEU to decide unanimously
- Every month, the MEP’s move to Strasbourg
EU motto → united in diversity for a week to have their meetings over there
- They work in political groups
Article 2, TEU - President = Roberta Metsola (since 2022/EPP
= The Union is founded on the values of respect for group)
humans. - In the parliament, they work across political
groups.
Article 3.1, TEU ➔ Every group is the closest you can come to
= The union promotes peace → how does it want to a party on national level.
function inside the EU = divided by ideology
(bv. ECR = far-right, RE = liberal)
Article 3.2, TEU ➔ They elect their own chairman and
= the EU offers its citizens an area of free movement function as a block
(people and things) ➔ Coalitions can shift, depending on the
- At the end of this area there are borders issues
- The decisions on how to control the external
border differs from the people who have 2 The European Commission
control in the COEU - Has the monopoly on initiating proposals (for
new European legislation)
Article 3..3, TEU ➔ They have to use it carefully
2
Claire Dupont
2DE BACHELOR BESTUURSKUNDE
CLASSE NOTES
,European Union Politics and policy I – How does the parliament decide? .................... 13
J – EP elections ....................................................... 13
7 – Court of Justice of the European Union.............. 13
Inhoud
1 – The EU at a glance ................................................. 2 A – Role and organization of the Court ................. 13
A – What is the European Union.............................. 2 B – Proceedings...................................................... 14
B – EU objectives and values.................................... 2 C – Fundamental Case Law .................................... 15
C – EU institutions .................................................... 2 8 – Stakeholders and lobbying in the EU .................. 15
D – Decision making in the EU ................................. 3 A – Who lobbies the institutions of the EU ........... 15
2 – EU law .................................................................... 4 B – Why is lobbying important? Is there a legal
basis? ..................................................................... 15
A – Why study EU law? ............................................ 4
C – Access: Where are lobbyist going? .................. 16
B – decision making in the EU .................................. 5
D – The Brussels Bubble......................................... 16
3 – the European council ............................................. 6
E – Key policies subject to lobbying ....................... 16
A – What is the European Council?.......................... 6
F – Voice: projecting influence in the EU ............... 16
B – History of the European Council ........................ 7
G – Legitimate representation vs. corporate capture
C – Organisation of the European Council ............... 7 ............................................................................... 17
D – Role of the European Council ............................ 7 H – Corporate capture ........................................... 17
E – Eurosummit ........................................................ 7 I – Conclusion ......................................................... 18
4 – The council of the European Union ...................... 7 8 – National Parliaments........................................... 18
A – roles of the council............................................. 7 A – Problem?.......................................................... 18
B – decisionmaking .................................................. 7 B – Protocol (No1) on the role of national
C – organization of council ....................................... 8 parliaments in the EU ............................................ 18
D – ordinary legislative procedure ........................... 8 C – Protocol (No2) – on the application of the
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality........ 19
E – presidency .......................................................... 9
D – Early warning system (EWS) ............................ 19
F – Liberal intergovernmentalism ............................ 9
E – Posted workers ................................................ 19
5 – The European Commission .................................. 10
F – Analysis............................................................. 19
A - What is the European Commission?................. 10
G – Self study ......................................................... 20
B - Roles of the commission ................................... 10
9 – EU foreign and security policy ............................ 20
C - Organization...................................................... 11
A – History common foreign and security policy
D - Historical development .................................... 11
(CFSP) ..................................................................... 20
6 - European parliament ........................................... 12
B – Common Foreign and security policy today .... 21
A - Historical development .................................... 12
C – History common security and defence policy.. 22
B – Expanding powers ............................................ 12
D – Common security and defence policy today ... 22
C – The organization of the European Parliament . 12
D – President of the EP .......................................... 12
E – Political groups ................................................. 12
F – committees....................................................... 12
G – The EP role ....................................................... 12
H – Ordinary legislative procedure ........................ 12
1
, 1 – The EU at a glance = talks about the economic vision an it’s internal
market
A – What is the European Union
- 27 countries are members Article 3.4, TEU
- 24 official languages = The Union shall establish an economic and monetary
union whose currency is the euro.
It is difficult to give an exact definition of the EU → it’s
a combination of several things like democracy, Article 3.5, TEU
international organization, economic union … = the EU sets objections for itself and they have to
- It’s certainly a rule-making body uphold those values. They also show how they have to
- Is at the minimum a political union, economic communicate with the other countries
union and
- Includes elements of an international C – EU institutions
organization and a democratic governance
system
Import abbreviations
- Is not a federation or state
- COEU = council of the European Union
- Was formed after WOII, through cooperation
- EP = European Parliament
- COM = Council of ministers
Uses Treaties to make a policy
- EUCO = European Council
= can be seen as the ‘constitutions’ of the EU (the
founding/basics treaties)
1 The European Parliament
- Co-deciding institution of the EU
The last one is ‘the treaty of Lisbon’ → has 2 main
- Directly elected by European citizens
treaties
- 705 members → MEP’s (members of the
- TEU (treaty of EU = what are the objections,
European parliament)
ambitions and values?)
- Located in Brussels, Luxembourg & Strasbourg
- TFEU (treaty of functioning of EU = how do we
= why in different places? Every country
do this? Rules on how to make policy)
wants something that is related to the EU so
= whatever the EU does, has to have a source in
some institutions have different buildings like
one of those 2
this one
= can they move/change the seat in
B – EU objectives and values Strasbourg? If they want to do that, they have
= can be found in the TEU to decide unanimously
- Every month, the MEP’s move to Strasbourg
EU motto → united in diversity for a week to have their meetings over there
- They work in political groups
Article 2, TEU - President = Roberta Metsola (since 2022/EPP
= The Union is founded on the values of respect for group)
humans. - In the parliament, they work across political
groups.
Article 3.1, TEU ➔ Every group is the closest you can come to
= The union promotes peace → how does it want to a party on national level.
function inside the EU = divided by ideology
(bv. ECR = far-right, RE = liberal)
Article 3.2, TEU ➔ They elect their own chairman and
= the EU offers its citizens an area of free movement function as a block
(people and things) ➔ Coalitions can shift, depending on the
- At the end of this area there are borders issues
- The decisions on how to control the external
border differs from the people who have 2 The European Commission
control in the COEU - Has the monopoly on initiating proposals (for
new European legislation)
Article 3..3, TEU ➔ They have to use it carefully
2
