European integration
- Voluntary cooperation of states that agreed on cooperation through surrendering some
of their national sovereignty
- It was not without problems!
- outcome of competing ideas, opportunities, chances, convictions, calculations,
personal preferences, contextual factors and ambitions.
- Can still be going on
- It has faced many issues
- European integration started after ww2
- They agreed to give up some sovereignty
- You need European institutions to make this work and organize this (surrendering
sovereignty)
Dealing with the question of sovereignty
- Many say ‘I am a Supernationalist’, and others say the same thing with ‘Federalist’
and ‘Intergovernmentalists’.
European Institutions
- The slide shows the most important/ central institutions in the EU
, - This slide shows what they are (the institutions), like supranational etc.
- In the European Union different institutions have different kind of responsibilities
- Some both execute policy but also control it for example
- There is a particular constellation to the EU which differs from these more classic
models which emerge from the larger debate about: how do we develop European
Institutions? How much power do we hand over? And how do we deal with matters
related to sovereignty?
- It is very much interrelated
- The institutions change over time > they involve
The European Commission
- Structure
o One commissioner per member states and years ago this was not the case.
They represent the interest of the European Union and not the interest of their
own states > 5 year mandate and has a portfolio
, o What the European commission is about:
- Role
o Four main roles
1. Propose Legislation to the Parliament and the Council
2. Manage and implements EU policies and budget
3. Enforce European Law (with the court of justice)
4. Represent the EU on the international stage
The European Council and Council of Ministers
- Many times you hear the council but they both do different things
- European council
o Leaders of the states
o Heads of the state or Government + presidents
o Meet every 6 months