European Union Politics and policy

The Department of Political Science Presents Parties, Policy Styles and the Politics of Climate Change: Does the number of parties matter? Dr. Steven Wolinetz Department of Political Science, MUN Friday March 28, 2008 SN2033 3:30pm

Key institutions: European Commission European Commission College of CommissionersCollege of Commissioners BureaucracyBureaucracy Council of Ministers (intergovernmental) Council of Ministers (intergovernmental) With its own staff & bureaucracyWith its own staff & bureaucracy European Parliament European Parliament European Court of Justice European Court of Justice European Council (Intergovernmental) European Council (Intergovernmental)

Policy processes Multiple modes: ‘Normal’ ‘Normal’ Commission proposesCommission proposes Council of Ministers & European Parliament approve through cooperation or co-decision procedureCouncil of Ministers & European Parliament approve through cooperation or co-decision procedure Intergovernmental Intergovernmental Initiatives from European Council or Council of MinistersInitiatives from European Council or Council of Ministers

Policy areas Trade Trade Competition policy & industrial policy Competition policy & industrial policy Managing the EURO Managing the EURO Foreign policy Foreign policy Environment Environment Justice and Home Affairs Justice and Home Affairs Others… Others… Where common action desirable & deem acceptableWhere common action desirable & deem acceptable

Policy-making Segmented and differentiated Segmented and differentiated Different policy areas handled in Councils of Ministers with different composition – e.g. finance ministers, economics ministers, agriculture ministersDifferent policy areas handled in Councils of Ministers with different composition – e.g. finance ministers, economics ministers, agriculture ministers Some policy areas sometimes operate under distinct rules, sometimes with different complements of countries involvedSome policy areas sometimes operate under distinct rules, sometimes with different complements of countries involved Foreign and Security Policy Foreign and Security Policy EURO EURO Schengen – common border Schengen – common border

Foreign and security policy Designation of high representative: Designation of high representative: Overlaps with CommissionOverlaps with Commission Unanimity important – intergovernmental Unanimity important – intergovernmental Effectively multi-speed Effectively multi-speed

Euro-zone Not everyone is in: Not everyone is in: Britain, Denmark and Sweden are notBritain, Denmark and Sweden are not Stability and Growth Pact imposes Maastricht debt and deficit rules on Eurozone countries Stability and Growth Pact imposes Maastricht debt and deficit rules on Eurozone countries Governed through European Central Bank (Bundesbank writ large?) Governed through European Central Bank (Bundesbank writ large?) New member-states required to join when ready New member-states required to join when ready Crimps member-states freedom of action Crimps member-states freedom of action

Schengen Pact on common borders Pact on common borders Britain and Ireland outBritain and Ireland out Norway includedNorway included Enforces need for joint action in Justice and Home Affairs – raises questions about who is controlling what border Enforces need for joint action in Justice and Home Affairs – raises questions about who is controlling what border

Changes over time Less Community Method or Monnet method: Less Community Method or Monnet method: Commission retains right of initiative but has lost prestige : Now tries to “do less better”Commission retains right of initiative but has lost prestige : Now tries to “do less better” Rivaled and upstaged by Rivaled and upstaged by European Council: plays both agenda-setting and problem-resolving roleEuropean Council: plays both agenda-setting and problem-resolving role Council of Ministers with rival bureaucracyCouncil of Ministers with rival bureaucracy Emergence of new ways of doing things: Emergence of new ways of doing things: Open method of coordination, benchmarkingOpen method of coordination, benchmarking

The Constitutional Treaty: Process launched in 2001 Process launched in 2001 Constitutional Convention chaired by Giscard D’Estaing (former French President) Constitutional Convention chaired by Giscard D’Estaing (former French President) Draft Constitution Draft Constitution Restructures Commission,Restructures Commission, rebalancing qualified majority votingrebalancing qualified majority voting Builds in role for national parliaments, including subsidiarity mechanismsBuilds in role for national parliaments, including subsidiarity mechanisms Rationalizes treatiesRationalizes treaties But.. But.. Ratified by 18 of 25 member-statesRatified by 18 of 25 member-states Stalls in 2005 when France & Netherlands reject in referendaStalls in 2005 when France & Netherlands reject in referenda

Consequences: what next? The Treaty The Treaty Debacle? Classic case of overreach?Debacle? Classic case of overreach? Regrouping at Berlin European Council (2007) Regrouping at Berlin European Council (2007) Lisbon Treaty builds in institutional reforms & guarantees for skepticsLisbon Treaty builds in institutional reforms & guarantees for skeptics But reluctance to submit it to referenda in Britain, France, NetherlandsBut reluctance to submit it to referenda in Britain, France, Netherlands