EU

• A political & economic union of 27 different members which aims to:

  1. Promote peace, its values and the wellbeing of its citizens
  2. Offer freedom, security and justice without internal borders
  3. Offer sustainable development
  4. Offer a competitive market economy
  5. Combat social exclusion and discriminatory regulation
  6. Promote scientific and technological progress
  7. Enhance economic/social and territorial cohesion/solidarity
  8. Respect culture and linguistic diversity
  9. Establish economic & monetary union - Euro
• 4 Freedoms:

  1. Free movement of workers (Schengen area 23/27 controversial)
  2. Free movement of goods (no tariffs/taxes)
  3. Free movement of services (business in multiple countries)
  4. Free movement of capital (easy transactions across countries)
• Lisbon treaty forms the constitutional basis of the EU. It came into force in 2009, it brought new law-making powers to the European Parliament and put it on an equal footing with the council of ministers in decision making and finance.
• European Council = has a permanent president with 2 & 1/2 year terms that the same person can only be renewed once
• Double majority voting system in European parliament, legislative bills to be passed with 55% of member states support, at least 65% of member-states populations
• The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union brings together the fundamental rights of everyone living in the EU. It was introduced to bring consistency and clarity to the rights established at different times and in different ways in individual EU Member States.

  The Charter sets out the full range of civil, political, economic and social right. The Charter became legally binding on EU Member States when the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force.
• The uk refused the charter of fundamental rights because, the uk was worried that the charter might be used to alter British labour law, especially as relates to allowing more strikes
• Intergovernmental is the joining of different governments.
• Supranational has power above separate countries governments and dont have a responsibility to countries?
• The European Commission - Supernational

  • Consists of officials nominated by each member state government
  • Proposes EU law and prepares EU budget
  • Enforces EU laws on member states and other governments
• The European Council - Intergovernmental

  • meets up to 4 times a year
  • consists of the heads of governments of member states
  • takes key strategic decisions like admission of new members
• The Council of the European Union - Intergovernmental

  • consists of ministers from member states
  • discusses different policy areas like agriculture or trade
  • takes decisions on whether to adopt legislation, working in co-operation with the European Parliament
• The European Parliament - Supranational

  • the only directly elected EU institution
  • co-decision on most legislation with the council of the EU
  • has a say in the adoption of the EU budget
  • can accept/reject nominations to the European commission
• The European Court of Justice - Supranational

  • enforces EU law
  • resolves disputes between member states
• The European commission and council work together as a sort of executive
• The council of the European union considers (with experts) laws made by the commission while the parliament debates and votes on the laws. The parliament is proportional to countries populations so bigger countries have more seats. They are voted in separately, we used to use SVT to vote them in. (legislature)
• The European court of justice is the judiciary, every country has a justice (judge). Holds countries accountable to the laws.
• Directives: sets out a goal all member states must work towards. Expected to pass laws to achieve (e.g. 1998 working time regulations in the uk)
• Regulations: all member-states are bound by this, must be immediately enforced (e.g. 2015 regulation on import safe-guards for imports outside EU)
• Negotiations of treaties:

  • legal document that sets out power of EU institutions & rules for decision-making
  • European Councils are a key body that has powers to commit their countries to treaties
  • European Parliament than votes on a treaty, it is then ratified by each member state domestically, e.g. in a vote in their respective parliament
• Factorfame Case:

  • The EU created a quota on the amount of deep-sea fishing, of fish caught within a system, in effect from 1983. And allowing member states to have equal access to each others fishing grounds
• Factorfame Case:

  • Factorfame - Spanish fishing company sued the UK government for restricting its access to UK waters
  • The Law Lords followed the European Court of Justice in ruling that the 1988 Merchant Shipping Act, could not be allowed to stand because it violated EU law
  • It established the supremacy of EU law over UK law
• EU Aim = Economic Integration and the Single Market

  • free movement/trade is beneficial for all and growth
  • migration and borders can cause conflict
  • 1 of the 4 freedom
• EU Aims = Economic & Monetary Union

  • creation of Euro & Central Bank
  • 19 states are part of the Eurozone
  • 2012 Fiscal Compact treaty - strict budgetary rules due to 2007-8 financial crisis
• EU Aim = Enlargement

  • This is somewhat controversial as it can lead to increased migration which causes tensions
  • the criteria of the EU is stopping some countries form joining -Turkey
• EU Aim = Promoting Peace & Social Policy

  • avoided another conflict like ww2
  • support human rights and anti-discrimination (workers)
  • Ukraine/Russia war
• EU Aim = Political Union

  • Lisbon treaty - gave law making powers to parliament (EU)
  • Supranational and intergovernmental
  • some countries like france, germany and Italy have more influence than places like Croatia
• The social chapter, formed part of the 1992 Maastricht treaty, was the most significant Eu measure to protect workers rights. Initially majors government negotiated an op-out since it didn't want businesses to be held back by "red tape"
• Labour in 1997 signs up to the social chapter (workers got parental leave, paid annual holidays & equal rights for part/full time). The government wanted to balance social protection and market flexibility.
• The coalition government was more concerned with boosting economic growth though deregulation. A conflict arose when the European court of Justice ruled that time spent by tradesmen travelling to a job needs to be included in the maximum 48-hour work week. Cameron's government took the side of businesses
• Why was the 2016 referendum called

  • divisions in the tory party
  • 2014 - UKIPs success in the European parliament 24 seats
  • British publics increased euroskeptism
  • pressure for no more EU intergration
  • backbenchers (rebelling) forced a vote on a referendum
  • France + Germany wanted a new treaty with more regulation of member states
• Impact on UK sovereignty after leaving the EU

  • no longer subject to EU law
  • more control over immigration policy
  • more economic freedom
  • end of freedom of movement
• Impact on UK sovereignty after leaving the EU

  • EU doesn't have influence on UK domestic policy
  • UK negotiates its own trade deals
  • UK supreme court is the highest
  • no customs union or single market so more power over trade finance
• The Lisbon Treaty (2007) updated EU regulations, establishing more centralized leadership, a process for countries that want to leave the EU, and a streamlined process for enacting new policies. 
• The EU charter and ECHR is often confused. The Charter is only applied when the government acting within the scope of EU law while ECHR is all. Which is why the Uk isn't bound to the EU charter.
• The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European was created by the European council (EU) and is interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
• The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) 1950 was created by the Council of Europe and is enforced by the European Court of human rights.