The Power of Initiative of the European Commission: a Progressive Erosion?
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Next Generation EU: Has the Hamiltonian Moment Come for Europe? DI LUCA LIONELLO*
ISSN 2384-9169 Fascicolo n. 4 - 2020 rivista.eurojus.it Next Generation EU: has the Hamiltonian moment come for Europe? DI LUCA LIONELLO* Table of Contents: 1. Introduction. – 2. Why did the EU finally decide to create a common fiscal instrument? – 2.1. The Maastricht paradigm and its adaptations. – 2.2. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the risks of destabilisation for the Union. – 2.3. The structural limits of the economic governance. – 2.4. The ECB in action: the difficulty to repeat “whatever it takes”. – 3. Next Generation EU: main features and functioning. – 3.1. From the Franco-German proposal to the agreement of the European Council. – 3.2. Next Generation EU and the new Multiannual Financial Framework. – 4. The main innovations of Next Generation EU. – 4.1. European debt. – 4.2. Transfer mechanism. – 4.3. Shaping a common macroeconomic policy. – 4.4. Revitalising the community method. – 4.5. Weakening the control of national parliaments on fiscal policy. – 5. Conclusive remarks. 1. Introduction Many commenters hailed the decision to establish a new EU “recovery fund”, namely “Next Generation EU” (NGEU), as a turning point in the process of European integration. For the first time in its history, the Union will be allowed to borrow significant resources from the financial markets and use them to support national economies severely hit by the pandemic Covid-19. Aside from the positive effects on the stability of the euro area and the single market, such an instrument may also have a strategic relevance for the future development of the European Union. -
Understanding the European Union
SAMPLE SYLLABUS – SUBJECT TO CHANGE POL-UA 9595L01 Understanding the European Union NYU London Instructor Information ● Dr. Eiko Thielemann ● Individual meetings can usually be arranged for before or after class. Course Information ● Tuesdays 9:00 – 12:00 ● Location: Room 303 ● Prerequisites: none Course Overview and Goals The European Union constitutes the most prominent experiment in peaceful international cooperation in world history. The course will explore the origins, evolution and impact of the European Union. You will be introduced to the workings of the EU institutions such as the Council, the Commission, the Parliament and the Court of Justice. We will also explore the key areas of EU competence, such as the European Single Currency, the Single Market and free movement, asylum & immigration, the Common Agricultural Policy etc. Through small group debates, we will address questions such as: Is the European Union an economic giant but a political dwarf? Why is the EU so controversial among the European public? Why did the UK vote for Brexit and what will that mean for both Britain and the EU? Can the EU effectively manage immigration? How can the EU's institutions be made more democratic? Will the EURO survive? How far and how fast should the EU be enlarged? Will Europe develop into a federal (super) state? Course delivery will be through short lectures, small group discussions and in-class debates. Upon Completion of this Course, students will be able to critically analyze: ● the European integration process; ● the operation of the EU as a political system; ● the process of EU policy-making; ● and the EU’s role in the world. -
Luxembourg Compromise- Council of the European Community Ignores British At- Tempt to Exercise Implied Veto Power of Luxembourg Compromise
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS EUROPEAN COMMUNITY-LUXEMBOURG COMPROMISE- COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY IGNORES BRITISH AT- TEMPT TO EXERCISE IMPLIED VETO POWER OF LUXEMBOURG COMPROMISE On May 18, 1982, the Council of the European Community adopted a proposal for a 10.4% farm price increase, disregarding an attempted British veto of the measure.' The British voted against the proposal primarily as a means of protesting the sepa- rate, unresolved issue of the United Kingdom's budget contribu- tion' to the European Community (EC). S The British claimed au- thority to exercise de facto veto power under the Luxembourg Compromise,4 a seventeen year-old joint statement on EC Council See 15 BULL. EUR. COMM. (No. 5) 7-9 (1982). See The Day Britain'sBluff Was Called, ECONOMIST, May 22, 1982, at 77 [hereinafter cited as ECONOMIST]. Disagreement over the United Kingdom's budget contribution to the EC has been a perennial problem from the time the United Kingdom joined the Commu- nity. The British feel they have not received a fair return on their contribution to Commu- nity operating expenses. A temporary settlement of the issue was made a week after the May 18 majority vote, with further agreement that the question of a more permanent settle- ment would be taken up later. (Euromarket News] COMMON MKT. REP. (CCH) No. 699, at 1 (June 9, 1982). ' European economic cooperation was formalized in the Treaty Establishing the Euro- pean Economic Community (Treaty of Rome), done March 25, 1957, 298 U.N.T.S. 11 (unof- ficial English version) [hereinafter cited as EEC Treaty]. -
The European Commission
The European Commission What is the Commission? An executive cabinet + A bureaucracy Composition: (28 members, 41 DG´s and 36 Agencies) Tasks: legislative (agenda –setting, proposing legislation) executive (regulation, negotiation, administration) Logic of working: (College) Mainly by consensus, but absolute majority if disagreement Name Office Start Commissioner Hallstein I 1958 11 Hallstein II 1962 10 Rey I 1967 15 Malfetti I 1970 8 Mansholt I 1972 9 Ortoli I 1973 14 Jenkins I 1977 13 Thorn I 1981 17 Delors I 1985 18 Delors II 1989 17 Delors III 1993 15 Santer I 1995 18 Prodi I 1999 33 Barroso I 2004 33 Barroso II 2010 27 Juncker 2014 28 Evolution Hallstein Commission 62-67 Delors Commission 85- 89 Juncker Commission 2014-19 European Commission Executive power Political Administrative Agenda-setting Policy implementation Tasks Policy initiative Policy application Policy decision Distribution of public funds External representation Policy supervision Main Functions of the Commission Engine and voice of the EU European regulator European Civil Service European level mediator External representative of the Union The Role of European Commission Role of the Commission Drafting legislation: The Commission is responsible for initiating legislative proposals. It is the only institution with the right to draft legislation. Administration of policies: The Commission manages (some) of the policies of the EU and budget of the EU. Guardian of the Treaties: The Commission supervises the application and of laws (carried out by and within the Member States by governments and other actors). Represenation of the EU in exterior trade. aThe Commision negotiates commerical agreements in the name of the EU with third countries, such as USA or China as well as the WTO. -
EU Commission Consultation Regime Quittkat, Christine; Finke, Barbara
www.ssoar.info The EU Commission consultation regime Quittkat, Christine; Finke, Barbara Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Sammelwerksbeitrag / collection article Zur Verfügung gestellt in Kooperation mit / provided in cooperation with: SSG Sozialwissenschaften, USB Köln Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Quittkat, C., & Finke, B. (2008). The EU Commission consultation regime. In B. Kohler-Koch, D. d. Bièvre, & W. Maloney (Eds.), Opening EU-governance to civil society: gains and challenges (pp. 183-222). Mannheim: Universität Mannheim, Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung (MZES). https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168- ssoar-195380 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Deposit-Lizenz (Keine This document is made available under Deposit Licence (No Weiterverbreitung - keine Bearbeitung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Redistribution - no modifications). We grant a non-exclusive, non- Gewährt wird ein nicht exklusives, nicht übertragbares, transferable, individual and limited right to using this document. persönliches und beschränktes Recht auf Nutzung dieses This document is solely intended for your personal, non- Dokuments. Dieses Dokument ist ausschließlich für commercial use. All of the copies of this documents must retain den persönlichen, nicht-kommerziellen Gebrauch bestimmt. all copyright information and other information regarding legal Auf sämtlichen Kopien dieses Dokuments müssen alle protection. You are not allowed to alter this document in any Urheberrechtshinweise und sonstigen Hinweise auf gesetzlichen way, to copy it for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the Schutz beibehalten werden. Sie dürfen dieses Dokument document in public, to perform, distribute or otherwise use the nicht in irgendeiner Weise abändern, noch dürfen Sie document in public. dieses Dokument für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke By using this particular document, you accept the above-stated vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, aufführen, vertreiben oder conditions of use. -
José Manuel Barroso's Leadership of the European Commission
A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Kassim, Hussein Working Paper A new model presidency: José Manuel Barroso's leadership of the European Commission WZB Discussion Paper, No. SP IV 2013-502 Provided in Cooperation with: WZB Berlin Social Science Center Suggested Citation: Kassim, Hussein (2013) : A new model presidency: José Manuel Barroso's leadership of the European Commission, WZB Discussion Paper, No. SP IV 2013-502, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB), Berlin This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/103427 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence -
The Eu and Public Opinions: a Love-Hate Relationship?
THE EU AND PUBLIC OPINIONS: A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP? Salvatore Signorelli Foreword by Julian Priestley NOVEMBER 2012 STUDIES & REPORTS 93 The EU and public opinions: A love-hate relationship? TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 9 1. European public opinion analysis instruments 12 1.1. The origins of the Eurobarometer: a brief overview 12 1.2. Deciphering European public opinion: quantitative polls 19 1.2.1. Standard EBS: regular public opinion monitoring 20 1.2.2. Special EB: in-depth thematic surveys 26 1.2.3. EB Flash: rapid thematic surveys 29 1.2.4. Sociological criticism of quantitative opinion polls 31 1.3. Qualitative Studies: analysis of reactions, feelings and motivations 33 1.4. Deliberative Polling® 37 1.5. National polls of the 27 Member States 43 2. The work of public opinion analysis within the institutions 44 2.1. The change in political context and in objectives for the EU: the rise of public opinion 44 The EU and public opinions: A love-hate relationship? 2.2. The European Commission: “driving force” of public opinion analysis in the EU 47 2.2.1. A role of interface in drafting Eurobarometer surveys 50 2.2.2. The “national” level of public opinion analysis at the Commission 52 2.3. The work of public opinion analysis at the European Parliament 54 2.3.1. An information tool 56 2.3.2. The “national” level of public opinion analysis at the European Parliament 57 2.4. The role of the other institutions 58 2.4.1. European Council 58 2.4.2. -
Unmasking Mutual Recognition : Current Inconsistencies and Future Chances
A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Kerber, Wolfgang; Bergh, Roger van den Working Paper Unmasking mutual recognition : current inconsistencies and future chances Marburger Volkswirtschaftliche Beiträge, No. 2007,11 Provided in Cooperation with: Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, University of Marburg Suggested Citation: Kerber, Wolfgang; Bergh, Roger van den (2007) : Unmasking mutual recognition : current inconsistencies and future chances, Marburger Volkswirtschaftliche Beiträge, No. 2007,11, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Marburg This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/29848 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made -
THE JUNCKER COMMISSION: an Early Assessment
THE JUNCKER COMMISSION: An Early Assessment John Peterson University of Edinburgh Paper prepared for the 14th Biennial Conference of the EU Studies Association, Boston, 5-7th February 2015 DRAFT: Not for citation without permission Comments welcome [email protected] Abstract This paper offers an early evaluation of the European Commission under the Presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker, following his contested appointment as the so-called Spitzencandidat of the centre-right after the 2014 European Parliament (EP) election. It confronts questions including: What will effect will the manner of Juncker’s appointment have on the perceived legitimacy of the Commission? Will Juncker claim that the strength his mandate gives him license to run a highly Presidential, centralised Commission along the lines of his predecessor, José Manuel Barroso? Will Juncker continue to seek a modest and supportive role for the Commission (as Barroso did), or will his Commission embrace more ambitious new projects or seek to re-energise old ones? What effect will British opposition to Juncker’s appointment have on the United Kingdom’s efforts to renegotiate its status in the EU? The paper draws on a round of interviews with senior Commission officials conducted in early 2015 to try to identify patterns of both continuity and change in the Commission. Its central aim is to assess the meaning of answers to the questions posed above both for the Commission and EU as a whole in the remainder of the decade. What follows is the proverbial ‘thought piece’: an analysis that seeks to provoke debate and pose the right questions about its subject, as opposed to one that offers many answers. -
The Euro Needs a Euro Treasury
Working Paper No. 780 Lost at Sea: The Euro Needs a Euro Treasury by Jörg Bibow Levy Economics Institute of Bard College November 2013 The Levy Economics Institute Working Paper Collection presents research in progress by Levy Institute scholars and conference participants. The purpose of the series is to disseminate ideas to and elicit comments from academics and professionals. Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, founded in 1986, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independently funded research organization devoted to public service. Through scholarship and economic research it generates viable, effective public policy responses to important economic problems that profoundly affect the quality of life in the United States and abroad. Levy Economics Institute P.O. Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000 http://www.levyinstitute.org Copyright © Levy Economics Institute 2013 All rights reserved ISSN 1547-366X ABSTRACT The euro crisis remains unresolved even as financial markets may seem calm for now. The current euro regime is inherently flawed, and recent reforms have failed to turn this dysfunctional regime into a viable one. Our investigation is informed by the “cartalist” critique of traditional “optimum currency area” theory (Goodhart 1998). Various proposals to rescue the euro are assessed and found lacking. A “Euro Treasury” scheme operating on a strict rule and specifically designed not to be a transfer union is proposed here as a condition sine qua non for healing the euro’s potentially fatal birth defects. The Euro Treasury proposed here is the missing element that will mend the current fiscal regime, which is unworkable without it. The proposed scheme would end the currently unfolding euro calamity by switching policy from a public thrift campaign that can only impoverish Europe to a public investment campaign designed to secure Europe’s future. -
Inclusive Growth: What Future for the European Social Model?
IZA Policy Paper No. 82 Inclusive Growth: What Future for the European Social Model? Günther Schmid P O L I C Y P A P E R S I E S P A P Y I C O L P May 2014 Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor Inclusive Growth: What Future for the European Social Model? Günther Schmid Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB), Free University of Berlin and IZA Policy Paper No. 82 May 2014 IZA P.O. Box 7240 53072 Bonn Germany Phone: +49-228-3894-0 Fax: +49-228-3894-180 E-mail: [email protected] The IZA Policy Paper Series publishes work by IZA staff and network members with immediate relevance for policymakers. Any opinions and views on policy expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of IZA. The papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the corresponding author. IZA Policy Paper No. 82 May 2014 ABSTRACT 1 Inclusive Growth: What Future for the European Social Model? This essay starts, after a short introduction on the importance and dimensions of “inclusive growth”, with a brief empirical sketch on to what extent Europe has already succeeded with respect to this ambitious goal. The result is quite sobering and gives rise to the question: why is it so? The main part of this paper is devoted to answering this question by presenting a model based on the trade-off between comparable productive capacity (CPC) and flexibility. -
The Commission: Boxed in and Constrained, but Still an Engine of Integration
The Commission: Boxed In and Constrained, but still an Engine of Integration Stefan Becker, Michael Bauer, Sara Connolly and Hussein Kassim In the debate about the impact of the Eurozone crisis on the EU’s institutional balance, an- tagonists have often argued past each other. Supporters of the new intergovernmentalism contend that the European Council has supplanted the European Commission in policy lead- ership, while scholars who hold that the EU executive has been a winner of the crisis high- light the new management functions it has acquired. This article argues, first, that an accu- rate assessment of the institutional balance requires a more global evaluation of the Commis- sion, acknowledging external and internal dynamics. Second, it contends that the Eurozone crisis did not cause a Commission retreat. Rather, the crisis accelerated a process already underway that finds its origins in a different dynamic: the presidentialization of policy control undertaken by Commission President Barroso. The adoption of fewer legislative proposals by the Commission during the crisis was due to the ability and choice of a strong president to focus the attention of the institution on crisis-related areas of policy, not the displacement of the institution by the European Council. The broader lesson is that rather than marking a further step in the decline of the Commission, the crisis reveals how the centralization of power within the institution and its expanded management duties have enhanced its capacity to take strategic action. The Commission’s role as an engine of integration will therefore en- dure, but in a different guise. Keywords: European Commission, Economic Governance, Eurozone Crisis, New Intergov- ernmentalism Introduction At the very moment the Lisbon Treaty entered into force – and thereby brought a decade of constitutional debate in the European Union (EU) to an end – the Eurozone crisis put the new institutional balance to the test.