Inhoud
Hoofdstuk 1: The EU at a glance.............................................................................................................6
What is the European Union?.............................................................................................................6
Treaties of the European Union......................................................................................................6
EU objectives and values....................................................................................................................6
EU values........................................................................................................................................6
Institutions..........................................................................................................................................8
European Parliament (Week 5).......................................................................................................8
European Commission (week 4).....................................................................................................9
Council of the European Union (week 7)........................................................................................9
European Council (week 7)...........................................................................................................10
European Court of Justice.............................................................................................................10
Decision-making...............................................................................................................................10
Primary legislation........................................................................................................................10
Secondary legislation....................................................................................................................10
Soft law instruments.....................................................................................................................10
Hoofdstuk 2: Belgium in the EU............................................................................................................11
Belgium was at the forefront and still is today.................................................................................11
Belgians in the European Institutions...............................................................................................11
The European Commission...........................................................................................................11
The European Council...................................................................................................................11
European Parliament....................................................................................................................12
Council of Ministers......................................................................................................................12
Court of justice.............................................................................................................................13
Advantages Belgium.....................................................................................................................13
An Example: European energy policy...........................................................................................13
Hoofdstuk 3: EU Treaties and EU law, decision-making in context.......................................................13
What is the European Union.............................................................................................................13
Why study EU law?...........................................................................................................................14
What is EU law?................................................................................................................................14
Eu legal instruments.....................................................................................................................14
EU decision making...........................................................................................................................17
Hoofdstuk 4: The European Commission..............................................................................................17
What sort of institution is the European Commission?....................................................................17
What is the European Commission?.................................................................................................17
1
, The European Commission’s roles....................................................................................................18
Proposing legislation.....................................................................................................................18
Manage and implement EU policies and budget..........................................................................18
Enforce EU law..............................................................................................................................18
Represent the EU in international affairs......................................................................................18
Organisation of the Commission......................................................................................................19
TFEU on the European Commission..............................................................................................19
Organisation.................................................................................................................................19
DG Competition............................................................................................................................20
Interservice consultation..............................................................................................................20
Historical development (NK).............................................................................................................20
Delors Commission.......................................................................................................................20
Santer Commission.......................................................................................................................20
Prodi Commission.........................................................................................................................20
Barroso Commission.....................................................................................................................20
Juncker Commission.....................................................................................................................20
Key ambitions of the European Union..............................................................................................21
Better regulation...........................................................................................................................21
In sum:..............................................................................................................................................21
Hoofdstuk 5: The European Parliament................................................................................................21
The European Parliament.................................................................................................................21
President of the European Parliament.............................................................................................22
Political groups in the European Parliament.....................................................................................22
MEPs per country.........................................................................................................................22
The European Parliament’s roles......................................................................................................22
Ordinary legislative procedures........................................................................................................22
Historical development....................................................................................................................24
Expanding powers…......................................................................................................................24
European Parliament election..........................................................................................................25
In sum…............................................................................................................................................25
Hoofdstuk 6: The Council of the European Union................................................................................25
Interests of Member States..............................................................................................................25
Roles of the Council..........................................................................................................................26
Organisation of Council....................................................................................................................26
Ordinary legislative procedure.........................................................................................................27
From position to adoption............................................................................................................27
2
, Second reading.............................................................................................................................27
Conciliation...................................................................................................................................27
Presidency........................................................................................................................................27
Roles of the Presidency................................................................................................................27
Presidency trios............................................................................................................................28
Understanding decision-making in the Council............................................................................28
Liberal intergovernmentalism.......................................................................................................28
Supranationalism..........................................................................................................................28
Reality…?..........................................................................................................................................28
Hoofdstuk 7: The European Council (EUCO).........................................................................................29
Head of state and government.........................................................................................................29
History of the European Council.......................................................................................................29
Organisation of the European Council..............................................................................................30
Role of the European Council...........................................................................................................30
Article 15, TEU, European Council................................................................................................30
Article 17, TEU, the Commission...................................................................................................31
Article 18, TEU, High Representative............................................................................................31
Article 283, TFEU, European Central Bank....................................................................................31
Examining the European Council Conclusions..................................................................................31
Eurosummit......................................................................................................................................31
EU27.............................................................................................................................................32
Hoofdstuk 8: Lobbying in the EU..........................................................................................................32
Lobbying in the EU context...............................................................................................................32
Who lobbies?................................................................................................................................32
Evolution over time…....................................................................................................................32
Why lobby?...................................................................................................................................32
Group exercise..............................................................................................................................33
How and when? Lobbying in practice...........................................................................................33
Corporate capture or legitimate representation?............................................................................33
Legitimate representation............................................................................................................33
Or corporate capture....................................................................................................................33
EU rules on lobbying.........................................................................................................................34
Transparency register...................................................................................................................34
Meeting register...........................................................................................................................34
Lobbying in the EU: the practice...........................................................................................................34
The importance of lobbying in the financial sector..........................................................................34
3
, Great Financial Crisis 2008............................................................................................................34
#11 years later: never waste a good crisis?..................................................................................35
What do lobbyists do........................................................................................................................35
The legislative process: long road to legislative proposal.................................................................35
Who are the players?.......................................................................................................................37
Example BEUC...............................................................................................................................37
Power of the financial lobby.........................................................................................................38
Some takeaways from this session...................................................................................................38
Hoofdstuk 9: Court of Justice of the European Union..........................................................................38
Actua:...............................................................................................................................................38
Role and organisation of the Court...................................................................................................39
EU and rule of law.........................................................................................................................39
Basics............................................................................................................................................39
Mission.........................................................................................................................................39
Tasks.............................................................................................................................................39
Court composition: Two courts....................................................................................................40
Court sittings.................................................................................................................................40
Advocates General........................................................................................................................40
General Court...................................................................................................................................40
Proceedings......................................................................................................................................40
Procedure for proceedings...............................................................................................................40
1. Preliminary rulings....................................................................................................................40
2. Actions for failure to fulfil obligations.......................................................................................41
3. Actions for annulment..............................................................................................................41
4. Actions for failures to act..........................................................................................................41
5. Appeals.....................................................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case law......................................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case law I................................................................................................................41
Fundamental case law II...............................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case Law III.............................................................................................................41
Other principles............................................................................................................................42
Case law (kunnen op examen!!!)......................................................................................................42
To sum up.........................................................................................................................................42
Hoofdstuk 10: national parliaments.....................................................................................................43
There are two levels namely the supranational level with the Commission and the Parliament and
the intergovernmental level with the Council and the European Council........................................43
4
Hoofdstuk 1: The EU at a glance.............................................................................................................6
What is the European Union?.............................................................................................................6
Treaties of the European Union......................................................................................................6
EU objectives and values....................................................................................................................6
EU values........................................................................................................................................6
Institutions..........................................................................................................................................8
European Parliament (Week 5).......................................................................................................8
European Commission (week 4).....................................................................................................9
Council of the European Union (week 7)........................................................................................9
European Council (week 7)...........................................................................................................10
European Court of Justice.............................................................................................................10
Decision-making...............................................................................................................................10
Primary legislation........................................................................................................................10
Secondary legislation....................................................................................................................10
Soft law instruments.....................................................................................................................10
Hoofdstuk 2: Belgium in the EU............................................................................................................11
Belgium was at the forefront and still is today.................................................................................11
Belgians in the European Institutions...............................................................................................11
The European Commission...........................................................................................................11
The European Council...................................................................................................................11
European Parliament....................................................................................................................12
Council of Ministers......................................................................................................................12
Court of justice.............................................................................................................................13
Advantages Belgium.....................................................................................................................13
An Example: European energy policy...........................................................................................13
Hoofdstuk 3: EU Treaties and EU law, decision-making in context.......................................................13
What is the European Union.............................................................................................................13
Why study EU law?...........................................................................................................................14
What is EU law?................................................................................................................................14
Eu legal instruments.....................................................................................................................14
EU decision making...........................................................................................................................17
Hoofdstuk 4: The European Commission..............................................................................................17
What sort of institution is the European Commission?....................................................................17
What is the European Commission?.................................................................................................17
1
, The European Commission’s roles....................................................................................................18
Proposing legislation.....................................................................................................................18
Manage and implement EU policies and budget..........................................................................18
Enforce EU law..............................................................................................................................18
Represent the EU in international affairs......................................................................................18
Organisation of the Commission......................................................................................................19
TFEU on the European Commission..............................................................................................19
Organisation.................................................................................................................................19
DG Competition............................................................................................................................20
Interservice consultation..............................................................................................................20
Historical development (NK).............................................................................................................20
Delors Commission.......................................................................................................................20
Santer Commission.......................................................................................................................20
Prodi Commission.........................................................................................................................20
Barroso Commission.....................................................................................................................20
Juncker Commission.....................................................................................................................20
Key ambitions of the European Union..............................................................................................21
Better regulation...........................................................................................................................21
In sum:..............................................................................................................................................21
Hoofdstuk 5: The European Parliament................................................................................................21
The European Parliament.................................................................................................................21
President of the European Parliament.............................................................................................22
Political groups in the European Parliament.....................................................................................22
MEPs per country.........................................................................................................................22
The European Parliament’s roles......................................................................................................22
Ordinary legislative procedures........................................................................................................22
Historical development....................................................................................................................24
Expanding powers…......................................................................................................................24
European Parliament election..........................................................................................................25
In sum…............................................................................................................................................25
Hoofdstuk 6: The Council of the European Union................................................................................25
Interests of Member States..............................................................................................................25
Roles of the Council..........................................................................................................................26
Organisation of Council....................................................................................................................26
Ordinary legislative procedure.........................................................................................................27
From position to adoption............................................................................................................27
2
, Second reading.............................................................................................................................27
Conciliation...................................................................................................................................27
Presidency........................................................................................................................................27
Roles of the Presidency................................................................................................................27
Presidency trios............................................................................................................................28
Understanding decision-making in the Council............................................................................28
Liberal intergovernmentalism.......................................................................................................28
Supranationalism..........................................................................................................................28
Reality…?..........................................................................................................................................28
Hoofdstuk 7: The European Council (EUCO).........................................................................................29
Head of state and government.........................................................................................................29
History of the European Council.......................................................................................................29
Organisation of the European Council..............................................................................................30
Role of the European Council...........................................................................................................30
Article 15, TEU, European Council................................................................................................30
Article 17, TEU, the Commission...................................................................................................31
Article 18, TEU, High Representative............................................................................................31
Article 283, TFEU, European Central Bank....................................................................................31
Examining the European Council Conclusions..................................................................................31
Eurosummit......................................................................................................................................31
EU27.............................................................................................................................................32
Hoofdstuk 8: Lobbying in the EU..........................................................................................................32
Lobbying in the EU context...............................................................................................................32
Who lobbies?................................................................................................................................32
Evolution over time…....................................................................................................................32
Why lobby?...................................................................................................................................32
Group exercise..............................................................................................................................33
How and when? Lobbying in practice...........................................................................................33
Corporate capture or legitimate representation?............................................................................33
Legitimate representation............................................................................................................33
Or corporate capture....................................................................................................................33
EU rules on lobbying.........................................................................................................................34
Transparency register...................................................................................................................34
Meeting register...........................................................................................................................34
Lobbying in the EU: the practice...........................................................................................................34
The importance of lobbying in the financial sector..........................................................................34
3
, Great Financial Crisis 2008............................................................................................................34
#11 years later: never waste a good crisis?..................................................................................35
What do lobbyists do........................................................................................................................35
The legislative process: long road to legislative proposal.................................................................35
Who are the players?.......................................................................................................................37
Example BEUC...............................................................................................................................37
Power of the financial lobby.........................................................................................................38
Some takeaways from this session...................................................................................................38
Hoofdstuk 9: Court of Justice of the European Union..........................................................................38
Actua:...............................................................................................................................................38
Role and organisation of the Court...................................................................................................39
EU and rule of law.........................................................................................................................39
Basics............................................................................................................................................39
Mission.........................................................................................................................................39
Tasks.............................................................................................................................................39
Court composition: Two courts....................................................................................................40
Court sittings.................................................................................................................................40
Advocates General........................................................................................................................40
General Court...................................................................................................................................40
Proceedings......................................................................................................................................40
Procedure for proceedings...............................................................................................................40
1. Preliminary rulings....................................................................................................................40
2. Actions for failure to fulfil obligations.......................................................................................41
3. Actions for annulment..............................................................................................................41
4. Actions for failures to act..........................................................................................................41
5. Appeals.....................................................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case law......................................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case law I................................................................................................................41
Fundamental case law II...............................................................................................................41
Fundamental Case Law III.............................................................................................................41
Other principles............................................................................................................................42
Case law (kunnen op examen!!!)......................................................................................................42
To sum up.........................................................................................................................................42
Hoofdstuk 10: national parliaments.....................................................................................................43
There are two levels namely the supranational level with the Commission and the Parliament and
the intergovernmental level with the Council and the European Council........................................43
4
