Meeting 1: The European Union
Task before tutorial meeting 1
1) 14/25: no, I was expecting a better result.
2) I don’t have any challenge that I could think of.
3) Debate 4: states should use military force to intervene during atrocities and protect
human rights abroad, even without a UN Security Council mandate.
Comprehension exercise
1) The aims of the European Union are to protect the peace and values of the people,
economic growth, equality, cultural diversity, social growth, safety,... The EU is a
result of WWII and makes the economy, politics and people so connected that
starting a war would be pretty much impossible ( article 3 TEU ).
- Treaty: a legally binding agreement between states with an aim.
- Internal market: no import taxes. It creates a ‘ helping each other out’
aspect.
- Service and labour can be international.
- No actual borders.
- No war because they help each other.
- Free movement of persons: travel to other states, do an exchange, move to
other states,... without restrictions.
2) - Being able to buy things from different European countries without having to pay
import costs or extreme shipping costs.
- It’s because of the European Union that we share the same currency.
- Erasmus.
- European healthcare.
- Safety.
- Difficulty immigration.
- Food restrictions.
- Human rights.
Meeting 2: European Union Law
Comprehension exercise
1) Competence = the powers that the EU has.
● 1. Exclusive competences of the EU (Article 3 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)). Areas in which the EU alone is
able to legislate and adopt binding acts. Member States are able to do so
themselves only if given the powers by the EU to implement these acts. The
EU has exclusive competence in the following areas:
○ Customs union.
○ The establishing of competition rules necessary for the functioning
of the internal market.
○ Monetary policy for euro-area countries.
○ Conservation of marine biological resources under the common
fisheries policy.
○ Common commercial policy.
● 2. Shared competences (Article 4 of the TFEU). The EU and its Member
States are able to legislate and adopt legally binding acts. Member States
exercise their own competence where the EU does not exercise, or has
, decided not to exercise, its own competence. Shared competence between
the EU and its Member States applies in the following areas:
○ Internal market.
○ Social policy (but only for aspects specifically defined in the treaty).
○ Economic, social and territorial cohesion (regional policy).
○ Agriculture and fisheries (except conservation of marine biological
resources).
○ Environment.
○ Consumer protection.
○ Transport.
○ Trans-European networks.
○ Energy.
○ Area of freedom, security and justice.
○ Common safety concerns in public health matters (limited to the
aspects defined in the TFEU).
○ Research, technological development and space.
○ Development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
● 3. Supporting competences (Article 6 of the TFEU). The EU can only
intervene to support, coordinate or complement the action of its Member
States. Legally binding EU acts must not require the harmonisation of the
laws or regulations of the Member States. Supporting competences relate
to the following policy areas:
○ Protection and improvement of human health.
○ Industry.
○ Culture.
○ Tourism.
○ Education, vocational training, youth and sport.
○ Civil protection.
○ Administrative cooperation.
2)
● European Parliament: The Parliament acts as a co-legislator, sharing with
the Council the power to adopt and amend legislative proposals and to
decide on the EU budget. It also supervises the work of the Commission
and other EU bodies and cooperates with national parliaments of EU
countries to get their input. They represent the citizens (art. 14 TEU ).
● European Council: it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides
the union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a
collective presidency ( art. 15 TEU ).
● Council of the European Union (simply called ‘the Council’): 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 meetings. Co-legislation with
European Parliament ( art. 16 TEU ).
● European Commission: helps to shape the EU's overall strategy, proposes
new EU laws and policies, monitors their implementation and manages the
EU budget. It also plays a significant role in supporting international
development and delivering aid ( art. 17 TEU ).
● Court of Justice of the European Union: interprets 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 -> 2 rooms: court of
justice and general court ( art. 251-281 TEU ). Also helps with interpretation.
Task before tutorial meeting 1
1) 14/25: no, I was expecting a better result.
2) I don’t have any challenge that I could think of.
3) Debate 4: states should use military force to intervene during atrocities and protect
human rights abroad, even without a UN Security Council mandate.
Comprehension exercise
1) The aims of the European Union are to protect the peace and values of the people,
economic growth, equality, cultural diversity, social growth, safety,... The EU is a
result of WWII and makes the economy, politics and people so connected that
starting a war would be pretty much impossible ( article 3 TEU ).
- Treaty: a legally binding agreement between states with an aim.
- Internal market: no import taxes. It creates a ‘ helping each other out’
aspect.
- Service and labour can be international.
- No actual borders.
- No war because they help each other.
- Free movement of persons: travel to other states, do an exchange, move to
other states,... without restrictions.
2) - Being able to buy things from different European countries without having to pay
import costs or extreme shipping costs.
- It’s because of the European Union that we share the same currency.
- Erasmus.
- European healthcare.
- Safety.
- Difficulty immigration.
- Food restrictions.
- Human rights.
Meeting 2: European Union Law
Comprehension exercise
1) Competence = the powers that the EU has.
● 1. Exclusive competences of the EU (Article 3 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)). Areas in which the EU alone is
able to legislate and adopt binding acts. Member States are able to do so
themselves only if given the powers by the EU to implement these acts. The
EU has exclusive competence in the following areas:
○ Customs union.
○ The establishing of competition rules necessary for the functioning
of the internal market.
○ Monetary policy for euro-area countries.
○ Conservation of marine biological resources under the common
fisheries policy.
○ Common commercial policy.
● 2. Shared competences (Article 4 of the TFEU). The EU and its Member
States are able to legislate and adopt legally binding acts. Member States
exercise their own competence where the EU does not exercise, or has
, decided not to exercise, its own competence. Shared competence between
the EU and its Member States applies in the following areas:
○ Internal market.
○ Social policy (but only for aspects specifically defined in the treaty).
○ Economic, social and territorial cohesion (regional policy).
○ Agriculture and fisheries (except conservation of marine biological
resources).
○ Environment.
○ Consumer protection.
○ Transport.
○ Trans-European networks.
○ Energy.
○ Area of freedom, security and justice.
○ Common safety concerns in public health matters (limited to the
aspects defined in the TFEU).
○ Research, technological development and space.
○ Development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
● 3. Supporting competences (Article 6 of the TFEU). The EU can only
intervene to support, coordinate or complement the action of its Member
States. Legally binding EU acts must not require the harmonisation of the
laws or regulations of the Member States. Supporting competences relate
to the following policy areas:
○ Protection and improvement of human health.
○ Industry.
○ Culture.
○ Tourism.
○ Education, vocational training, youth and sport.
○ Civil protection.
○ Administrative cooperation.
2)
● European Parliament: The Parliament acts as a co-legislator, sharing with
the Council the power to adopt and amend legislative proposals and to
decide on the EU budget. It also supervises the work of the Commission
and other EU bodies and cooperates with national parliaments of EU
countries to get their input. They represent the citizens (art. 14 TEU ).
● European Council: it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides
the union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a
collective presidency ( art. 15 TEU ).
● Council of the European Union (simply called ‘the Council’): 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 meetings. Co-legislation with
European Parliament ( art. 16 TEU ).
● European Commission: helps to shape the EU's overall strategy, proposes
new EU laws and policies, monitors their implementation and manages the
EU budget. It also plays a significant role in supporting international
development and delivering aid ( art. 17 TEU ).
● Court of Justice of the European Union: interprets 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 -> 2 rooms: court of
justice and general court ( art. 251-281 TEU ). Also helps with interpretation.
