Why do not all countries have to be rich to become a member, what is it that is good about poorer countries?
most of the times they have to offer something valuable to richer countries
True or false: That most of the population be Christian.
False, it should be the biggest religion (cannot be bigger than Islam). That is the problem with Turkey joining: then Islam would be bigger.
Who decides on the application to join the EU?
The Council of the European Union (unanimously)
Who gives community/EU approval?
parliament and the council of EU
What is the Subsidiarity Principle? Applies mainly to?
The EU should act only if objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states.
–> Applies mainly to
Shared competences
Who decides on national ratification?
All member states individually:
National parliaments
Sometimes referenda
How long does the whole process of becoming a member take
usually 10 years
What is the Principle of Proportionality?
EU action must not go beyond what is necessary to achieve its objectives.
–> do not overregulate
treaty of rome
EEC, EURATOM and created COMMON MARKET
Treaty of Lisbon
Made EU more efficient after enlargements
treaty of nice
institutional reform
Does the court of justice only keeps focus on EU law?
No can also help with national law if there is unclear about an EU law
Why is the court of justice in strassbourg
it balances larger states
the commission is a mix of technical and political
it is technical in how it prepares policies, but political in what it chooses to prioritize.
in qualified majority voting you need a minmal of 4 countries to block a decision, how do you call this?
blocking minority
Why is the EU stronger legally than organizations like the United Nations?
Because EU law can be enforced over national law, while UN rules usually cannot.
what are the 3 core legal principles of the EU
PRIMACY
DIRECT EFFECT
STATE RESPONSIBILITY
what does consensus mean in decision making
a decision is accepted by all member states without a formal vote, as long as no one actively opposes it
why was the single market needed after the common market?
The single market was needed because the common market could fragment over time. Although the common market ensured free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor, national regulations and standards (behind-the-border barriers) could still differ between countries. These differences could distort competition and limit true integration. The single market was created to reduce these regulatory barriers and remove internal customs controls, ensuring a more unified and efficient market.
interwoven ander woord
interconnected
Has the EU completely removed fiscal barriers?
No, but it has harmonised them (e.g. VAT).
True or False: Balassa fully includes behind-the-border barriers in his model.
False. Balassa’s model mainly focuses on the removal of on-the-border barriers, such as tariffs and quotas, especially in the early stages (FTA, Customs Union, Common Market). He does not explicitly include behind-the-border barriers. However, in practice, deeper stages of integration (such as Economic Union) require addressing regulatory, fiscal, and cultural differences, which are behind-the-border barriers.
what kind of agreement does turkey have with the EU
customs union
whats key to mention when talking about FTA’s that Europe has and turkey
Turkey does not automatically gain access to that market, they have to make an agreement themselves –> asymmetric
