1. BCSSTA Workshop on Europe: Politics and Institutions of the EU February 20, 2015 – Dr. Valerie D’Erman Department of Political Science, University of Victoria vjderman@uvic.ca

2. Tools for learning Students’ own European background and experience with the EU – Decision-making exercises: when to have unanimity and when to have QMV Languages, motto, flag, anthem, currency – Integration and issue of culture and identity Debates surrounding state interdependence: – Are nations always rooted in their own self-interest? Or has the EU created an existential crisis of the nation-state? Democratic debates – is the EU democratic enough?

3. Map of Europe 1914

4. Map of Europe 1919

5. Map of Europe during Cold War

6. Map of Europe present-day

7. Enlargement Phases 197319811986 1995 2004 2007 © European Communities, 1995-2009

8. What is the EU? Sui generis, unprecedented Often defined by what it is not – Federal entity – Typical IO (International Organization) – Free trade agreement Most basic definition: “Supranational organization” Highly political definition: “Ever closer union”

9. Who is the EU? Began as a limited experiment in economic interdependence among 6 countries in 1951 – grown to a unique organization of 28 members with a great deal of “pooled sovereignty” in economic, political, and social spheres Politics of enlargement (numerous examples): – Who is “in”? Who should be in? What are the criteria? When is culture relevant? – End of Cold War and sudden pan-Europeanism – ‘Enlargement fatigue’ – where does EU stop? – NOT all European countries are EU members; and NOT all EU members are EMU members (single currency)

10. Entanglement of History, Economics, & Politics Political development of EU heavily shaped by economic integration and histories of conflict on the continent – Logic of economic interdependence – extension to the Single Market, EMU, free trade agreements – Franco-German conflicts, WWI and WWII, Cold War and role of USSR Political impetus for integration exists, but has always been justified in economic or conflict- avoidance terms

11. How the EU functions Two critical terms: – Supranational and Intergovernmental Major institutions – Commission, Council, Parliament Other institutions – European Court of Justice (ECB), European Central Bank (ECB) Role of analogies in teaching EU institutions Role of treaties in integration

12. How institutions work Supranational / European / ‘Community’ level – European Commission: delegated authority to set agenda and draft legislation – European Parliament: representative legislature to analyze legislation and check power of Commission Intergovernmental level – European Council, and Council of Ministers: national representatives (“motor of integration”) Balance of authority between Commission, Council & Parliament, and Court

13. Perspectives on European Integration Big application of political theory (coming from International Relations): – Intergovernmentalism (Realism) – Neo-functionalism (Spillover) – Social Constructivism – Historical Institutionalism  Comparable to other IOs in this regard

14. Europeanization vs. Globalization Both a reduction in sovereignty of nations/governments Europeanization goes farther and deeper; is intentionally driven by clearly defined procedures – Driven by governments – Partly concerned with redistribution Globalization has no formal procedure, no regulation, and no democratic impetus – Driven by markets – Much more uneven process

15. When is the EU a single actor? International trade, external economic affairs – The Single Market makes the EU a unified actor for external trade agreements (ie.g., CETA) – Foreign aid, development Agricultural, environmental, competition, climate, fisheries… When is the EU not a single actor (when do members act individually)? – Welfare policies, government spending and taxation, military and defense, local administration and bureaucracy Many competencies are blurred between levels