The European Union

Steven P. McGiffen

Description

The political dynamics of the European Union can often appear confusing, shrouded as they are in complex legislative processes. This book offers a clear and thorough critical introduction to the origins, development and current direction of the EU, and pinpoints the major policy debates animating decision-makers.



This revised and updated edition offers a well-illustrated analysis of each of the EU's major policy areas, and covers arguments both for and against the EU. McGiffen explores subjects including enlargement, internal and external security, the Euro, trade, the environment, employment, transport and regional policy. He explains how and why the debate about membership is frequently and falsely presented as if it were a conflict between 'nationalism' and 'internationalism', and argues instead that the EU is merely one of a number of possible solutions to the the economic and political problems facing Europe.



Published in association with Spectre.
Preface

Abbreviations and Acronyms

1 Introduction to the 2nd Edition

2 The Treaties

3 The Institutions

4 How the European Union makes law

5 Enlargement

6 The Common Foreign and Security Policy

7 Citizenship, Justice and Home Affairs

8 Monetary Policy

9 The Internal Market

10 External Economic Relations

11 Employment and Social Policy

12 The Environment and Public Health

13 The Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy

14 Transport

15 Regional Policy

16 Industrial Policy and Energy

17 The proposed European Constitution and beyond: What future for the European Union?

18 Conclusion

Notes

Recommended Reading

Index

Sujets

• Political Science
• 21st century
• General officer
• International relations
• European Union
• General

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 octobre 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849643146
• Langue: English

Extrait

The European Union

A Critical Guide

New and updated edition

Steven P. McGiffen

P Pluto Press LONDON • ANN ARBOR, MI

First published 2001 Second edition published 2005 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106

www.plutobooks.com

Copyright © Steven P. McGiffen 2001, 2005

The right of Steven P. McGiffen to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN

0 7453 2506 8 paperback

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for

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Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services Ltd, Fortescue, Sidmouth, EX10 9QG, England Typeset from disk by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in the European Union by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne, England

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The European Union: An Uncritical Guide to the Abbreviations and Acronyms

Preface

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

Introduction

The Treaties The Treaty of Rome – The Single European Act – Maastricht – Amsterdam – Nice

The Institutions The European Council – The Council of Ministers – The Council Presidency – COREPER (The Committee of Permanent Representatives) – The Convention and Intergovernmental Conferences (IGCs) – The Commission – The European Parliament – The European Court of Justice (ECJ) – The European Court of Auditors – The Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) – The Committee of the Regions

How the European Union Makes Law Different sorts of law – Unanimity v. Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) – The legislative procedures: consultation, cooperation, codecision and assent – The budget and budgetary procedure – Monitoring expenditure

Enlargement Background and history – Problems – The mass accession of May 2004 – Possible further accessions

The Common Foreign and Security Policy Background and history – The Second Pillar – From Yugoslavia to Amsterdam – Common defence or militarisation? – How the CFSP works –The Nice Treaty’s reforms and developments since – Common (market) values?

viii

xiii

1

4

14

32

43

51

vi The European Union

 7

 8

 9

10

11

12

13

Citizenship, Justice and Security A controversial policy area – What is EU citizenship? – The Amsterdam Treaty – The Third Pillar – The Charter of Fundamental Rights – Citizenship, Justice and Home Affairs – Europol – Refugees and asylum – After 9/11

Monetary Policy Arguments for and against a single currency – The Convergence Criteria and Growth and Stability Pact – The Euro

The Internal Market The long arm of the Internal Market – Vital regulation or barrier to trade? – Competition policy – The Single European Act – Widows, orphans and jobs (Does the internal market mean a ‘race to the bottom’ in social and environmental policy?) – The four freedoms (Goods, services, capital and labour), some freer than others – Capital – Private Good, Public Bad (How the EU undermines public ownership) – Mixed blessings of a big market – Services – Plans – Consumer protection

External Economic Relations Imports – Exports – Globalisation – Development

Employment and Social Policy Background and history – The question of competence – Competing theories of what causes unemployment – Recent developments in employment policy – The European Employment Strategy – The Lisbon Strategy – Health and safety at work – Informing and Consulting Workers – Gender equality – Disability and ageing – Education and training – Socrates, Leonardo, and Youth for Europe – The European Social Fund (ESF)

The Environment and Public Health Background and History – Programmes, policies and problems – Kyoto – GMOs – REACH (A new framework for control of chemicals) – Public Health – Food Safety

57

68

76

92

99

119

The Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy 132 The CAP: background, history and aims – How it works – The reform of 2003 – Criticisms

14

15

16

17

18

Contents vii

The CFP: background, history and aims – The reform of 2002 – Regional Advisory Councils – Criticisms

Transport 141 The Common Transport Policy and its limitations – The 2001 White Paper – TransEuropean Networks (TENs) – Marco Polo and Galileo

Regional Policy 149 Background and history –Agenda 2000– Impact of enlargement – The European Regional Development Fund and other Structural Funds – The Cohesion Fund – The Community Instruments – The future

Industrial Policy and Energy Background, history and aims – Recent developments in industrial and related policies – Energy policy – Technology, Research and Development – The Sixth Framework Programme

155

The Rejection of the Constitutional Treaty: What next for the European Union? 162 The Giscard text: Institutional reform – Foreign and defence policy (The militarisation of the EU) – Citizenship and citizens’ rights – Federalism and subsidiarity – Fiscal, financial and economic policy – Why was no agreement initially reached? – The immediate future – The revised text: The Commission – The Council – The Parliament – The Euro – Economic and employment policies – Stability and Growth Pact – Multiannual Financial Framework – Charter of Fundamental Rights – Eurojust – Enhanced Cooperation – Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion – Energy – Declarations and Protocols relating to individual member States – The Future

Conclusion A summary of the criticisms

Notes Recommended Reading Index

179 180

188 201 211

The European Union: An Uncritical Guide to the Abbreviations and Acronyms

ACP

ALDE

ASEAN ASP BSE

CAP CCT CDM

CEE CEEP CFCA CFP CFSP CI CMO Comenius

COR COREPER

CP CPs CTP DG EAGGF

EAP EASA EC

Trade cooperation body comprising EU and developing countries (the initials stand for ‘Africa, Caribbean, Pacific’) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (Liberal Group in European Parliament, previously ELDR) Association of South East Asian Nations Agreement on Social Policy Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (‘Mad Cow Disease’) Common Agricultural Policy Common Customs Tariff Clean Development Mechanism (a Kyoto Protocol instrument) Central and Eastern Europe EUwide small businesses’ group Community Fisheries Control Agency Common Fisheries Policy Common Foreign and Security Policy Community Instrument Common Market Organisation (under the CAP) Programme encouraging transnational cooperation between schools Committee of the Regions Committee of Member States’ Permanent Representatives Common Position (i.e. adopted by Council) Community programmes Common Transport Policy DirectorateGeneral (a division of the Commission) European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund Environmental Action Programme European Aviation Safety Agency European Community

viii

ECB ECHR ECJ Ecofin ECOSOC

ECSC ECU EEA EEB EEC EES EFSA EFTA EIA EIB EIF EMI EMS EMU EP EPPED

Equal

ERA Erasmus

ERDF ESC

ESCB ESF ETUC ETUI EU Euratom Eures Eurojust Europol

Abbreviations and Acronyms ix

European Central Bank European Convention on Human Rights European Court of Justice Economic and Finance Council Economic and Social Committee (also known as ESC) European Coal and Steel Community European Currency Unit European Economic Area European Environmental Bureau European Economic Community European Employment Strategy European Food Safety Agency European Free Trade Area Environmental Impact Assessment European Investment Bank European Investment Fund European Monetary Institute European Monetary System European Monetary Union European Parliament European People’s Party: the centreright Group in the EP Community Instrument to encourage equal opportunities European Research Area Programme encouraging transnational cooperation between universities and mobility of university students European Regional Development Fund Economic and Social Committee (also known as ECOSOC) European System of Central Banks European Social Fund European Trade Union Confederation European Trade Union Institute European Union European Atomic Energy Community European Employment Service EU cooperation system for legal affairs EU police force

x The European Union

EWC FIFG Galileo GATS GATT GDP GM GMOs GNP GPS Greens/EFA

Grundtvig

GSP

GUE/NGL Helios

Horizon

ICT ID

IGC ILO IMF Interreg III IT JHA JI JRC Leader Leonardo LIFE Lingua MAGP Marco Polo

MDGs MEP

European Works Council Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance EUfunded satellite navigation system General Agreement on Trade in Services General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Gross Domestic Product Genetically Modified Genetically Modified Organisms Gross National Product Global Positioning System GreensEuropean Free Alliance political Group in European Parliament Programmeencouraging the European dimension of lifelong learning Generalised System of Preferences (under external trade rules) Left Group in the EP EUfunded network for disabled people, now defunct Community Instrument to address unemployment, now defunct Information and Communication Technology Independence and Democracy, political Group in European Parliament Intergovernmental Conference International Labour Organisation International Monetary Fund Community Instrument for border regions Information Technology Justice and Home Affairs Joint Initiative – Kyoto Protocol instrument (EU) Joint Research Council Community Instrument for poorer regions EU training and education programme EU fund to support nature conservation projects EU language education programme Multiannual Guidance Programme (under CFP) EU initiative to encourage movement of freight by rail rather than road Millennium Development Goals Member of the European Parliament

Mercosur Minerva

MNCs MTR NAFTA NATO NGO NHS NI NOW

OECD

PDB PES

PHARE

PSC QMV R&D RACs

REACH

SAFE

SAP SAPARD SEA SEM SES SIS SMEs SMUs Socrates TAC TDI

Abbreviations and Acronyms xi

Latin American economic community Programmeencouraging open and distance learning, information and communication technologies in education Multinational Corporations MidTerm Review North American Free Trade Area North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NonGovernmental Organisation National Health Service Noninscrit: independent Member of EP New Opportunities for Women – an employment initiative, now defunct Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Preliminary Draft Budget Party of European Socialists: centreleft group in the EP Development programme for CEE applicant countries Political and Security Committee Qualified Majority Voting Research and Development Regional Advisory Councils (of Common Fisheries Policy) Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals Safety Actions for Europe – small fund to support SMEs making health and safety improvements Structural Adjustment Programme Rural development fund for CEE applicant countries Single European Act Single European Market Single European Sky Schengen Information System Small and MediumSized Enterprises alternative term – ‘U’ is for Undertakings EU education programme Total Allowable Catch (under the CFP) A ragbag Group in the EP including fascists and others

xii The European Union

TENs TransEuropean Networks TEU Treaty on European Union – the ‘Maastricht Treaty’ third country Any country which is not a member of the EU, usually used in the context of international agreements and treaties UEN Group of the Union for a Europe of Nations UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party UNCTAD United Nations Council for Trade and Development UNFCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugeess UNICE EUwide employers’ group Urban Community Instrument for urban regions VAT Value Added tax VDU Visual Display Unit VIS Visa Information System WEU Western European Union WTO World Trade Organisation WWF World Wide Fund for Nature