Bootcamp

Which of the following is not a European Union institution?

• European External Action Service

• Court of Justice of the European Union 

• European Court of Auditors

• European Court of Human Rights

What is meant by ‘Exclusive Union Competence’?

• Only Member States can legislate in these areas

• Both the Union and the Member States are able to act and Member States are free to legislate as long as they do not enact legislation that conflicts with EU law or principles

• Only the EU can legislate and adopt legally binding acts i.e. the Member States cannot act independently in these areas

• The EU can carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement Member State activity, but these must not include making the laws of Member States the same 

Answer explanation

Article 2 (1) TFEU defines exclusive Union competence as an area where ‘only the Union may legislate and adopt legally binding acts, the Member States being able to do so themselves only if so empowered by the Union or for the implementation of Union acts’.

What is a directive?

• A piece of legislation binding on Member States as regards the results to be achieved, but leaves the choice of the method up to them

• The highest form of European legislation, directly applicable in all Member States

• A legislative instrument of the EU that is binding in its entirety on those to whom it is addressed 

• A direction

What are the two initial main treaties on which the European Union is based?

• The treaty of Paris and the Treaty of Brussels

• The Treaty of Maastricht and The Treaty of Rome

• The European constitution and the Schengen Convention 

• The treaty of Amsterdam and the Treaty of Lisbon

Who is the current president of the European Commission?

• 
• 
• 
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What is the COREPER?

• A Council working group for eurozone members working on stock exchange regulations

• A NATO committee of permanent representatives gathering highest military representatives in Europe

• A Council Working Group where Member States representatives prepare and negotiate on behalf of their Ministers in advance of the Council meetings.

• The committee of Regions permanent representation in Brussels

What is the ‘’horizontal social clause’’?

• Legislation under preparation for a European universal unemployment benefit

• A soft law principle stating that the Union has to take into account the guarantee of adequate social protection when implementing new policies

• A European Parliament working group aiming at peace and social justice for Europe 

• A soft law principle stating that the Union has to take into account the guarantee of adequate social protection when implementing new policies

Which one of these is not part of the European Union’s ‘’four freedoms’’

• Freedom of movement of capital

• Freedom of movement of services

• Freedom of movement of goods 

• Freedom of movement of migrants

The European Parliament organizes its work following two main stages:

• Inter-groups where specific interest are discussed and plenary session where legislative proposal are passed

• Council where legislation is proposed and working groups where it is discussed

• Political groups where legislation is discussed and preparatory committees where it is prepared and passed

• Committees meetings where legislation is prepared and plenary session where legislation is passed 

To summarize, decisions in the EU are taken through…

• A mix of ‘’supranational’’ institutions (including the European Commission) and ‘’intergovernmental’’ negotiations

• A federal body called the European Commission 

• The president of the European Commission and the president of the European Parliament

• The European Parliament inter-groups and the European Commission desk officers