European Union Governance and Policies Quiz

International Organizations: Concepts and Types

• International Organizations (IOs) are typically founded on a conventional legal basis.
• IOs are usually composed of inter-state entities.
• IOs aim to fulfill common or collective interests.
• IOs have permanent organizational structures.
• IOs often have their own international legal personalities.

Types of International Organizations

• International organizations can be categorized based on their purposes (general or special).
• They can also be categorized by their composition (universal or regional).
• Alternatively, they can be categorized by their competences (cooperative or integrative).

Treaties: Background and Historical Evolution

• The Council of Europe existed before the European Union.
• Key treaties leading to the European Union include the Treaty of Paris (1951), establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
• Treaties of Rome (1957) established the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC).
• A later treaty, the Merger Treaty (1965/1967), unified the executive bodies of the ECSC, EEC, and Euratom.
• The Single European Act (1986/1987) strengthened European integration, especially in foreign policy coordination, and expanded the qualified majority in the council.
• The Maastricht Treaty (1992/1993) transformed the EEC into the European Community.
• The Treaty of Amsterdam (1997/1999) focused on EU values enforcement and policy changes.
• The Treaty of Nice (2001/2003) revised EU institutions and policies.
• The Treaty of Lisbon (2007/2009) consolidated EU legal personality and redefined EU voting procedures.

EU Members

• Currently, there are 27 EU member states.
• Several countries are candidates for membership (Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Kosovo).
• Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) outlines the criteria for membership (political and economic stability).
• The Copenhagen Criteria (1993) describe the necessary political and economic stability required.

EU Membership Conditions and Process

• Article 49 TEU outlines the accession procedure, including application, pre-accession period, and concluding negotiations, culminating in an accession treaty signed by the acceding country and ratified by all existing EU Member States.
• Countries must meet several conditions, primarily revolving around upholding EU values (Article 49 TEU) and the Copenhagen Criteria.
• The Acquis communautaire (existing EU laws) must be effectively implemented.
• The administrative demands of membership are significant.

EU Membership Status

• The Union respects the equality of member states, their national identities, and their political and constitutional structures.
• Membership includes participation in the decision-making process, rights and duties.

Loss of EU Membership

• Article 50 TEU outlines the procedure for withdrawal from the EU.

Preventive Measures (Article 7 TEU)

• Article 7 TEU outlines measures for the prevention of a serious breach in EU values.
• A 1/3 of Member States or EU Parliament or European Commission can submit reasoned proposals.
• The EU country concerned is to be heard.
• A council decision can be made by 4/5 of Member States excluding the relevant EU country.
• Council can issue recommendations, and even suspend certain rights (by a qualified majority, excluding the EU country concerned).

EU Goals

• The Union's goals include promoting peace, values, and wellbeing, establishing an internal market, and upholding values and interests in relation to the wider world.

EU Institutions and Bodies

• The European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the EU, and the European Commission are core institutions. Other bodies include the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the Court of Auditors.
• Specialized agencies and bodies support various EU institutions (high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, European External Action Service, European Economic and Social Committee and European Committee of regions.

EU Law and National Law

• EU law is supreme over national laws.
• The EU has the power to issue regulations, directives, decisions, and recommendations.
• EU law can have direct effect( treaties have horizontal and vertical direct effect).
• EU treaties, regulations, and decisions have direct effect.

Jurisdictional Protection

• Fundamental rights are protected through judicial review at both national and EU levels.
• After EU accession to the ECHR, protection rests on general principles of EU law and constitutional principles common to member states, and related international instruments.
• EU Charter of Fundamental rights is incorporated into EU primary law.

Competences of the EU

• The EU's competences are derived from the treaties.
• EU competences are limited, functional, and specific to assigned tasks.
• The principle of conferral determines the limits of EU competences.
• The principle of subsidiarity ensures the balance between centralisation and decentralization in decision-making.

Decision-Making Procedures

• Various procedures exist for EU decision-making, including legislative procedures by the Parliament and Council, budgetary procedures, and procedures for international agreements.
• Procedures can be structured into categories, like legislative (ordinary and special), budgetary, and other procedures (consented procedure).
• The Treaty of Lisbon has led to considerable changes.

Test your knowledge on the key institutions and processes of the European Union with this comprehensive quiz. From the roles of the European Parliament to the functioning of the Court of Justice, you'll explore the various facets of EU governance and legislative procedures.