Topics to study:

1. Concept of​ ​"trio" as applied to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

MS holding the presidency work together closely in groups of three, called 'trios'. This was introduced by the
Lisbon Treaty. The trio sets long-term goals and prepares a common agenda determining the topics and major
issues that will be addressed by the Council over an 18 month period. Based on this programme, each
Presidency prepares its own 6-month programme.

2.​ ​Triple helix

triple helix model of innovation refers to a set of interactions between academia, industry and governments.

3.​ ​Aid for trade

The WTO-led Aid for Trade initiative encourages developing country governments and donors to recognize the
role that trade can play in development. In particular, the initiative seeks to mobilize resources to address the
trade-related constraints identified by developing and least-developed countries.

4.​ ​Red tape

refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic
and hinders or prevents action or decision-making.

5.​ ​Win-win negotiations

a voluntary transaction where both parties gain

6.​ ​Role and Headquarters of ESM

The European Stability Mechanism is based in luxembourg and was set up as an international financial
institution by the euro area Member States to help euro area countries in severe financial distress. For
instance, by providing loans.

7.​ ​What does SOLVIT​ do?

SOLVIT is a service provided by the national administration in each EU country and in Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway. SOLVIT can help you when: 1. your ​EU rights as a citizen or as ​a business are breached by public
authorities in another EU country and 2. you have not (yet) taken your case to court.

8. ​Objective of 3% investments in research and innovation in the Europe 2020: the European Union strategy
for growth and employment

9.​ ​Requirements to set up a political group​ at the​ ​European Parliament

25 MEPs from at least 25% of MS (7 MS).

10. D​ismissal of the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman may be dismissed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) at the request of
Parliament if he or she no longer fulfils the conditions required for the exercise of his or her duties or is guilty
of serious misconduct.

11.​ ​What is the Court of Auditors and what does it do

It 1.) Audits ​EU revenue & expenditure; 2.) Checks any person or organisation handling EU funds; 3.) Writes up
findings and recommendations in audit reports, for the EC and national governments; 4.) Reports suspected
fraud, corruption or other illegal activity to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF); 5.) Produces an annual
report for the European Parliament and Council of the EU; 6.) Gives its expert opinion to EU policymakers on
how EU finances could be better managed and made more accountable to citizens; 7.) publishes opinions on
preparatory legislation that will impact EU financial management, as well as position papers, reviews and ad
hoc publications on EU public finance issues.

12. Military presence in the ​Somalian Sea and and the EU naval task force operating under ​Operation
Atalanta​.

Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, is a current counter-piracy
military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval
operation conducted by the EU. The operational headquarters is currently located at the Spanish Operation
Headquarters in Spain.

13.​ ​New Development Bank

The New Development Bank, formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral
development bank established by the BRICS states. According to the Agreement on the NDB, "the Bank shall
support public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial
instruments.

14.​ ​Associated Countries – Horizon 2020

As of 01 January 2017, the following countries are associated to Horizon 2020:

Iceland Norway Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina North Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Turkey Israel
Moldova Switzerland Faroe Islands Ukraine Tunisia Georgia Armenia

15.​ ​Members of MERCOSUR

Mercosur, officially Southern Common Market, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of
Asunción in 1991 and the Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina​, Brazil​, Paraguay and
Uruguay​. Venezuela is a full member but has been suspended since December 1, 2016. Associate countries are
Bolivia​,​ Chile​,​ Colombia​,​ Ecuador​,​ Guyana​,​ Peru​ and​ Suriname​.​ ​New Zealand​ and​ Mexico​ are Observers.

16.​ ​Oldest Latin American organisation

International Conference of American States / Pan American Union, later the Organisation of American States.

17.​ ​Deficit and debt limits: Stability and Growth Pact (3% and 60%)

The ​Stability and Growth Pact (​SGP​) is an agreement, among the 28 ​MS, to facilitate and maintain the stability
of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Based primarily on Articles 121 and 126 of the TFEU, it consists of
fiscal monitoring of members by the ​EC and the Council of Ministers, and the issuing of a yearly
recommendation for policy actions to ensure a full compliance with the SGP also in the medium-term. If a MS
breaches the SGP's outlined maximum limit for government deficit and debt (3% and 60%), the surveillance
and request for corrective action will intensify through the declaration of an Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP);
and if these corrective actions continue to remain absent after multiple warnings, the Member State can
ultimately be issued economic sanctions. The pact was outlined by a resolution and two council regulations in
July 1997.

18.​ ​Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union​, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative
aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding
available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It
promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.

19.​ ​Role of the Joint Research Centre

The Joint Research Centre is the European Commission's science and knowledge service which employs
scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy.

The JRC has six sites in five EU countries (​Brussels,​ Geel,​ Ispra,​ Karlsruhe,​ Petten,​ Seville)

20.​ ​ITER

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is an international nuclear fusion research and
engineering megaproject​, which will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment.
It is an experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor that is being built next to the Cadarache facility in
Saint-Paul-lès-Durance​, in​ Provence​, southern France.

21.​ ​Bologna Process

The three priorities of the Bologna process are : 1. introduction of the three cycle system (
bachelor/masters/doctorate), 2. quality assurance, and 3. recognition of qualifications and periods of study

(​not promotion of language learning!​)

22.​ ​Trilogue

Trialogue (formal trilogue meeting) is a type of meeting used in the​ ​EU​ legislative process​.
A trilogue is understood as an equally composite tripartite meeting between those involved in the legislative
process of the EU institutions. These bodies are the European Commission​, the Council of the European Union
and the​ European Parliament​. The Commission takes on the mediating function.
Trilogue negotiations are provided for in EU treaties​. They are used if the Council of the European Union does
not agree to the amendments proposed by the European Parliament at the second reading. In this case, formal
trilogue negotiations are carried out within the framework of a conciliation committee.
23.​ ​First elections of EP

1979 , after the introduction of the European Elections Act in 1976.

Amended by Council Decision in 2002 to to ban dual membership to national parliament and EP ( that is, dual
mandate), came into effect in 2009 for all MS (UK and Ireland had negotiated exemptions for the 2004
elections)

24.​ ​Election for the President of the Commission and the Commission as a whole

Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union, as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, lays out the procedure for
appointing the President and his team. The European Council votes by qualified majority for a nominee for the
post of President, taking account of the latest European elections. This proposal is then put before Parliament
which must approve or veto the appointment. If an absolute majority of MEPs support the nominee, he/she is
elected.

The President then, together with the Council, puts forward his team to the Parliament to be scrutinised. The
Parliament normally insists that each one of them appear before the parliamentary committee that
corresponds to their prospective portfolio for a public hearing. The Parliament then votes on the Commission
as a whole; if approved, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, appoints the President and his
team to office

25.​ ​Executive Board of the ECB : president, vice-president, and 4 members

All 6 members are appointed by the European Council, acting by a qualified majority.

Parliament must be consulted before the President, Vice-President and Executive Board of the European
Central Bank (ECB) are appointed by the European Council.

26.​ ​Concept of conflict of interest under the Financial Regulation (Article 57 FR 2012)
A conflict of interests exists where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions of a financial actor or
other person, as referred to in paragraph 1, is compromised for reasons involving family, emotional life,
political or national affinity, economic interest or any other shared interest with a recipient.

27. Effectiveness and differences between: ​a) a declaration of the High Representative of the European
Union; b) a statement of the HR; c) a statement of the spokesperson of the HR; d) A statement made by
delegation from the HR​.

HR Declarations on behalf of the EU: ​Before publishing any declaration of this sort, the HR needs to have
agreed it with all the EU member states. A declaration by the HR on behalf of the EU is usually issued in cases
where an immediate reaction is not essential or a new situation makes it necessary first to work out the EU
position or adapt established EU stances.

HR Statements: T​ he High Representative issues statements on her own behalf when there is a need for a swift
response to an event or a particular situation and not enough time to liaise with the 28 member states. The
High Representative sometimes forgoes coordination among the member states when there is an established
standard response. Either way, the statement must chime with the agreed EU positions.

Statements by the Spokesperson of the HR: I​ f the event in question is not sufficiently significant to warrant the
HR’s personal response, the HR statement may be replaced with a statement by her spokesperson.

Local EU Delegation Statements:​ This form of statement can be used when an event is only of local or regional
significance, making a statement from Brussels appear superfluous.

28.​ ​Creative Europe

Is the European Commission's framework programme for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.
Following on from the previous Culture Programme and MEDIA programme, Creative Europe, with a budget of
€1.46 billion (9% higher than its predecessors), will support Europe's cultural and creative sectors.

29. ​European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI): 389 billion

Also known as the Jucker Plan. The budget is 30B (guarantees and own capital), planned to trigger 389 billion
of investment (additional). Managed by EIB.

June 2019 update: Target is now 500B total investment by 2020

30.​ European Structural Investment Fund​ (ESIF)

Over half of EU funding is channelled through the 5 European structural and investment funds (ESIF). They are
jointly managed by the European Commission and the EU countries. There are 5 structural funds:

1) European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF)

2) European Social Fund ( ESI)

3) Cohesion Fund

4) European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development ( EAFRD)

5) European Maritime and Fisheries Fund ( EMFF)

The purpose of all these funds is to invest in job creation and a sustainable and healthy European economy and
environment. The ESIF mainly focus on 5 areas:

1) research and innovation

2) digital technologies

3) supporting the low-carbon economy

 4) sustainable management of natural resources

5) small businesses

NOT: Horizon 2020 or Creative Europe, for example.

30.​ ​Supervisory power of the European Parliament:

Monitor the proper use of the EU budget and to ensure the correct implementation of EU law

The EP can censure the Commission and ultimately dismiss it. So far, none of the eight motions of censure
brought before Parliament has been adopted. In 1999, the Santer Commission stepped down before
Parliament forced its resignation.

The EP ensures democratic control over the Commission, which regularly submits reports to Parliament
including an annual report on EU activities and on the implementation of the budget. Once a year, the
Commission President gives a State of the Union address to plenary. Parliament regularly invites the
Commission to initiate new policies and the Commission is required to reply to oral and written questions from
MEPs.

Parliament must be consulted before the appointment of the members of the Court of Auditors by the Council.

not allowed to dismiss the Ombudsman

31.​ ​Percentage of Horizon 2020 Climate Action​ ,​environment, resource efficiency and raw materials​:

4%

32. ​Eurozone:

The eurozone consists of 19 members: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

L​ithuania entered the Eurozone in 2015 ( Latvia in 2014, Estonia in 2011)

Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City have formal agreements with the EU to use the euro as their
official currency and issue their own coins.

Kosovo and Montenegro have adopted the euro unilaterally, but these countries do not officially form part of
the eurozone and do not have representation in the European Central Bank (ECB) or in the Eurogroup.

33.​ ​MMF procedure:

approved by the Council after EP’s approval

The Lisbon Treaty gave Parliament an equal say with the Council in the entire EU budget.

34.​ ​EC representation Offices

The Commission has a representation office in each MS. The Commission representation offices act as the
Commission’s voice and monitor public opinion in their host country. They provide information on the EU
through events and the distribution of brochures, leaflets and other materials.

35.​ ​The European Research Council (ERC​)

The ERC's mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to
support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields of research, on the basis of scientific excellence. A
total budget of 13 095 million euro is available for the implementation of the ERC funding schemes under
Horizon 2020.

36.​ ​What is EPSO?

EPSO is an interinstitutional office responsible for selecting staff to work for all institutions and agencies of the
EU.

37.​ Simple​/​qualified​/Blocking majority in Council of the EU

A simple majority i​s reached if at least 15/28 Council members vote in favour. The Council takes decisions by
simple majority:

A. in procedural matters, such as the adoption of its own rules of procedure and organisation of its
secretariat general, the adoption of the rules governing the committees foreseen in the treaties; and
B. to request the Commission to undertake studies or submit proposals

A qualified majority​ is reached if two conditions are met:

A. 55% of member states vote in favour - in practice this means 16 out of 28; and
B. the proposal is supported by member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population

This procedure is used when the Council votes on a proposal by the Commission or the High Representative of
the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and also known as the 'double majority' rule.

The blocking minority must include at least four Council members representing more than 35% of the EU
population.

38.​ ​Sherpa

A sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who prepares an international
summit.

39.​ ​Rapporteur

During the monthly Plenary sessions certain MEPs present reports which have been adopted by one of
Parliament’s committees. These reports contain proposals for resolutions or legislative amendments to be
voted on by the entire Parliament. The reports are known by the personal names of the MEPs who draft and
present them i.e “the Spinelli report”. This role is highly important in Parliament and the MEPs who write the
reports are known by the French term “rapporteur”.

Rapporteurs are elected by fellow MEPs when one of Parliament's committees is assigned to draft up a report
on a legislative proposal, another document from the European Commission or a particular subject. The
rapporteur's key task is to analyse the project, consult with specialists in the particular field and with those
who could be affected, discuss with other members within the committee and recommend the political “line”
to be followed.

40. ​European Council vote for the President of the European Council, for the HR and for the European
Commission President

The European Council elects its own president. This requires a qualified majority. The president holds the post
for a 2.5 year term, renewable once.

The European Council is responsible for appointing the HR of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The decision on the proposed candidate requires a qualified majority. The European Council can also end the
high representative's 5 year term of office with a qualified majority.

The European Council has to propose a candidate for the post of President of the European Commission by
qualified majority, taking into account the European Parliament elections. The European Parliament has to
approve the proposed candidate by a majority of its members (a minimum of 376 MEPs).

41.​ ​President of the ECB

Appointed by the European Council through QMV. Current President is Mario Draghi.
42.​ ​Voting procedures in the Council of the EU

See 37.

43.​ ​Voting requirements for motion of censure against the Commission

A motion of censure in respect of the Commission may be submitted to the President by one tenth of the
component Members of Parliament. If a motion of censure has been voted on in the preceding two months,
any new one tabled by less than one fifth of the component Members of Parliament shall be inadmissible.

In accordance with Article 234 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the motion of censure
shall be adopted if it secures a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component
Members of Parliament. The President of the Council and the President of the Commission shall be notified of
the result of the vote.

44.​ ​Addressees of CoR opinions

Once adopted in plenary by CoR members, the opinion is sent to all EU institutions. (Commission, EP, Council
of the EU)

45. ​Percentage of monarchies in the EU

(7 monarchies in EU out of 12 European Monarchies) = 25% of EU MS are monarchies, whereas 58,3% of

European monarchies are part of the EU.

46.​ ​Current secretary-general of the NATO

Since 2014, Jens Stoltenberg (Norwegian) is SG for NATO.

47.​ ​US National Service Foundation

The National Service Foundation was created in 1948, with the goal of assisting our returning veterans from
World War II by aiding in their readjustment back into civilian life.

48.​ ​Date of the Commission communication on the new framework to strengthen the rule of Law

European Commission, Communication “A New EU Framework to strengthen the Rule of Law” of 19 March
2014, COM(2014)

49.​ ​SWOT analysis

Strength

Weakness

Opportunity

Threat

50.​ ​Implementing and Delegated acts

Primary responsibility for implementing EU law lies with EU countries. However, in areas where uniform
conditions for implementation are needed (taxation, agriculture, the internal market, health and food safety,
etc.), the Commission (or exceptionally the Council) adopts an implementing act.

Delegated acts are adopted by the Commission on the basis of a delegation granted in the text of an EU law, in
this case a legislative act. The Commission's power to adopt delegated acts is subject to strict limits: A. the
delegated act cannot change the essential elements of the law; B. the legislative act must define the
objectives, content, scope and duration of the delegation of power; and C. Parliament and Council may revoke
the delegation or express objections to the delegated act

51.​ ​Green paper​ /​ ​white paper

Green paper is the first step, alongside consultation, in the pre-proposal phase of legislation making. It may
become the basis of a formal proposal. They invite the relevant parties (bodies or individuals) to participate in
a consultation process and debate on the basis of the proposals they put forward. Green Papers may give rise
to legislative developments that are then outlined in White Papers.

White Papers are documents containing proposals for European Union (EU) action in a specific area. In some
cases, they follow on from a Green Paper published to launch a consultation process at EU level. The purpose
of a White Paper is to launch a debate with the public, stakeholders, the European Parliament and the Council
in order to arrive at a political consensus.

52.​ ​Who can propose treaty amendments?

The European Treaties might be amended by using one of three different procedures:

​ rocedure proceeds as follows: if the majority of the European Council agrees

In short ​the ordinary revision p
that one or both of the treaties require changing a Convention is convened. If the changes needed are not
drastic an intergovernmental conference is called without a Convention. If the Convention or
intergovernmental conference reach an agreement on changes to the treaties each member state must
approve of the changes.

The simplified revision ​procedure can only be used for revising all or part of the Treaty on the Functioning of
the European Union, relating to the internal policies and actions of the Union. The European Union is not
allowed to use this procedure to obtain any new power. In short, the simplified procedure proceeds as follows:
the European Council must unanimously decide to amend part of the Treaty. Next, all Member States must
separately approve of the proposed amendment(s).

The passarelle ​procedure is used to modify the legislative procedure used in some specific policy areas. The
passarelle procedure is only used in those areas where this option is explicitly stated in the Eropean treaties.
Roughly, the passarelle procedure proceeds as follows: the Council of the EU (Ministers) must decide, by
unanimity, to substitute a special legislative procedure with the ordinary legislative procedure for that policy
area.

53.​ ​Headquarters of the European Banking Authority

Relocation of its seat from London to Paris as of 30 March 2019.

54.​ ​Juncker’s 10 priorities

1) Jobs, growth and investment;

2) Digital Single Market
3) Energy Union and Climate
4) Internal Market
5) Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union
6) A balanced and progressive trade policy to harness globalisation
7) Justice and fundamental rights
8) Migration
9) A stronger global actor
10) Democratic Change

55.​ ​Juncker’s EU-job during 2005-2013​:

First permanent President of the Eurogroup.

56.​ ​Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
57. ​EU competences (Article 2 & 3 TFEU)

With EU exclusive competence, only the Union may legislate and adopt legally binding acts, the MS being able
to do so only if empowered by the Union or for the implementation of Union acts. ...

With shared competence, the Union and MS may legislate and adopt legally binding acts in that area. MS shall
exercise their competence to the extent that the Union has not exercised its competence. …

The Union shall have exclusive competence in the following areas: (a) customs union; (b) the establishing of
the competition rules necessary for the functioning of the internal market; (c) monetary policy for the Member
States whose currency is the euro; (d) the conservation of marine biological resources under the common
fisheries policy; (e) common commercial policy. The Union shall also have exclusive competence for the
conclusion of an international agreement when its conclusion is provided for in a legislative act of the Union or
is necessary to enable the Union to exercise its internal competence, or in so far as its conclusion may affect
common rules or alter their scope.

Shared competence between the Union and the Member States applies in the following principal areas: (a)
internal market; (b) social policy, for the aspects defined in this Treaty; (c) economic, social and territorial
cohesion; (d) agriculture and fisheries, excluding the conservation of marine biological resources; (e)
environment; (f) consumer protection; (g) transport; (h) trans-European networks; (i) energy; (j) area of
freedom, security and justice; (k) common safety concerns in public health matters, for the aspects defined in
this Treaty.

In the areas of research, technological development and space, the Union shall have competence to carry out
activities, in particular to define and implement programmes; however, the exercise of that competence shall
not result in MS being prevented from exercising theirs. For development cooperation and humanitarian aid,
the Union shall have competence to carry out activities and conduct a common policy; however, the exercise
of that competence shall not result in MS being prevented from exercising theirs.

58. ​Data protection (Article 16 TFEU)

Everyone has the right to the protection of personal data concerning them. The European Parliament and the
Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall lay down the rules relating to the
protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by Union institutions, bodies, offices
and agencies, and by the Member States when carrying out activities which fall within the scope of Union law,
and the rules relating to the free movement of such data.

59.​ ​EP discharge to the Commission in respect of the implementation of the budget (Article 319 TFEU)

The European Parliament, acting on a recommendation from the Council, shall give a discharge to the
Commission in respect of the implementation of the budget. …

Before giving a discharge to the Commission, or for any other purpose in connection with the exercise of its
powers over the implementation of the budget, the European Parliament may ask to hear the Commission give
evidence with regard to the execution of expenditure or the operation of financial control systems. The
Commission shall submit any necessary information to the European Parliament at the latter's request.

60. ​Consolidated version of the the Treaty on European Union

61. ​Principles of conferral, subsidiarity and proportionality, as laid down in Article 5 TEU

The limits of Union competences are governed by the principle of conferral. The use of Union competences is
governed by the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

Under the principle of conferral, the Union shall act only within the limits of the competences conferred upon
it by the MS in the Treaties. ...

Under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Union shall
act only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the MS, ...
but can be better achieved at Union level. … National Parliaments ensure compliance with the principle of
subsidiarity in accordance with the procedure set out in … the Protocol on the application of the principles of
subsidiarity and proportionality.

Under the principle of proportionality, the content and form of Union action shall not exceed what is necessary
to achieve the objectives of the Treaties.

62. ​Procedure to suspend certain rights of a MS (Article 7 TEU)

On a reasoned proposal by one third of the MS, by the European Parliament or by the European Commission,
the Council of the EU, acting by a majority of four fifths of its members after obtaining the consent of the
European Parliament, may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach by a MS of the values
referred to in Article 2 [​values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and
respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities​]. Before making such a
determination, the Council shall hear the MS in question and may address recommendations to it, acting in
accordance with the same procedure. ...

The European Council, acting by unanimity on a proposal by one third of the MS or by the Commission and
after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament, may determine the existence of a serious and
persistent breach by a MS of the values referred to in Article 2, after inviting the MS in question to submit its
observations.

Where a determination ... has been made, the Council of the EU, acting by a qualified majority, may decide to
suspend certain of the rights deriving from the application of the Treaties to the MS in question, including the
voting rights of the representative of the government of that MS in the Council of the EU. … The obligations of
the Member State in question under the Treaties shall in any case continue to be binding on that State. ...

The voting arrangements applying to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council for the
purposes of this Article are laid down in Article 354 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

63. ​Institutions listed in Article 13 TEU

The Union's institutions shall be: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European
Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors.

64.​ Article 48 TEU (who can trigger the change of the treaties)

Article 48 includes two basic procedures for treaty reform: the ordinary procedure and two simplified
procedures. In the case of the ordinary procedure, the European Council needs to consult the EP
before convening a convention on treaty change. If the European Council decides to proceed without a
Convention, it must obtain the consent of the EP.

65.​ Subsidiarity principle: only for non-exclusive competences: Article 5(3) TEU

When applied in the context of the European Union, the principle of subsidiarity serves to regulate the
exercise of the Union’s non-exclusive powers. It rules out Union intervention when an issue can be dealt with
effectively by MS at central, regional or local level and means that the Union is justified in exercising its powers
when MS are unable to achieve the objectives of a proposed action satisfactorily and added value can be
provided if the action is carried out at Union level. Under Article 5(3) TEU there are three preconditions for
intervention by Union institutions in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity: (a) the area concerned does
not fall within the Union’s exclusive competence (i.e. non-exclusive competence); (b) the objectives of the
proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States (i.e. necessity); (c) the action can
therefore, by reason of its scale or effects, be implemented more successfully by the Union (i.e. added value).

66.​ ​Charter attached to the Lisbon treaty

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFR) enshrines certain political, social, and
economic rights for EU citizens and residents into EU law. It was drafted by the European Convention and
solemnly proclaimed on 7 December 2000 by the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the
European Commission. However, its then legal status was uncertain and it did not have full legal effect until
the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009.

67. ​Bosman ruling (freedom of workers)

The Bosman ruling is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers,
freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39[2] (formerly 48) of the EC Treaty. The case was an
important decision on the free movement of labour and had a profound effect on the transfers of football
players within the EU. The decision banned restrictions on foreign EU players within national leagues and
allowed players in the EU to move to another club at the end of a contract without a transfer fee being paid.
The ruling was made in a consolidation of three separate legal cases, all involving Belgian player Jean-Marc
Bosman.

68.​ ​Energy directive

The 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) establishes a set of binding measures to help the EU reach
its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020. In 2018, as part of the Clean energy for all Europeans package, the
new amending Directive on Energy Efficiency (2018/2002) was agreed to update the policy framework in view
of 2030 and beyond. The key element of the amended Directive is a headline energy efficiency target for 2030
of at least 32.5%. EU countries will also have to achieve new energy savings of 0.8% each year of final energy
consumption for the 2021-2030 period.

69.​ ​Description of a referendum

A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is
invited to vote on a particular proposal.

70.​ ​overview of the ordinary legislative procedure

71. ​Eurobarometer

The Standard Eurobarometer was established in 1974. Each survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face
interviews per country. Reports are published twice yearly (​Spring and Autumn​).

72. ​BRICS

BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa. Originally the first four were grouped as "BRIC" (or "the BRICs"), before the induction
of South Africa in 2010.

73. ​EFTA membership

European Free-Trade Area Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The European Economic Area ​(EEA) unites the EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States (​Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway​) into an Internal Market governed by the same basic rules. These rules aim to enable
goods, services, capital, and persons to move freely about the EEA in an open and competitive environment.

74. ​Empty chair crisis

The proposal for the financing of the common agricultural policy (CAP), drawn up in 1965 by Walter Hallstein,
President of the Commission, marked the beginning of what was known as the ‘empty chair’ crisis. The
Commission proposal was geared towards the development of the Communities’ own financial resources,
independently of the Member States, and conferred additional budgetary powers on the European Parliament
and allocated a greater role to the Commission. Moreover, the progression, on 1 January 1966, to the third
stage of the transitional period for the establishment of the Common Market was to involve the application of
majority voting in the Council of Ministers. France could not agree to this development, which it regarded as
an unacceptable renunciation of sovereignty.

France held the Council Presidency until 30 June 1965, and its stance only exacerbated the latent conflicts
between the ideas of the Hallstein Commission and those of the Council of Ministers. On 1 July 1965, the
French Government recalled to Paris the French Permanent Representative in Brussels and announced
France’s intention not to take its seat in the Council of Ministers until it had its way. This was the beginning of
the extremely serious ‘empty chair’ crisis. It was the first time since the entry into force of the Treaty of Rome
in 1958 that the EEC had been prevented from operating by the actions of a Member State.

For six months, France stayed away from Brussels and boycotted the Community. Aware, however, of the risks
of prolonged isolation and its impact on the national economy, it eventually agreed to resume negotiations. At
the meetings held in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 January and 28 and 29 January 1966, Pierre Werner, Prime
Minister of Luxembourg and President-in-Office of the Council, proposed a compromise solution. This
compromise stipulated that, where a country believed that its vital national interests might be adversely
affected, negotiations had to continue until a universally acceptable compromise was reached.

75. ​24 official EU languages

76. ​Background of Donald Tusk

Prime Minister of Poland

77. ​EU Agencies

(Particularly EU-LISA and ERC)

78. ​Voting procedures for the Commission President

Council proposes, EP approves by majority (376), Council votes by QMV. Procedure in article 17 of the TEU.

79. ​How is the High Representative for foreign affairs appointed?

Council appoints with QMV and can also end with QMV. Procedure in article 18 of the TEU.

80. ​The role of the European Council in nominations and appointments

See 40.

81. ​Election of members of the committee of the regions

The CoR members are ​elected ​representatives serving in local or regional authorities​. Each country
nominates members of its choice who are appointed for a renewable five-year terms by the Council of the EU.
The number of members per country depends on the size of that country's population.

82. ​Directive 2006/2004 on consumer protection cooperation regulation

l​ays down a cooperation framework to allow national authorities from all countries in the European Economic
Area to jointly address breaches of consumer rules when the trader and the consumer are established in
different countries.

Was repealed and a reform initiated that expands its scope, applicable as of 17 January 2020.

83. ​Composition of the ECB

The ECB President + 1.) Governing Council – the main decision-making body. 2.) Executive Board – handles the
day-to-day running of the ECB. 3.) General Council – has more of an advisory & coordination role

84. ​Condition of admissibility of complaint in the ombudsman (who can make a complaint and does the
person need to have a special interest)

Requirements: 1.) You are an EU citizen or resident; 2.) Complaint is against an EU institution or body; 3.)
Complaint is about maladministration; 4.) preceded by the appropriate administrative approaches to the
institutions and bodies concerned; 5.) Complaint is filed within 2 years of learning about the issue; 6.) The issue
is/was not subject to legal proceedings; 7.) No complaint may concern work relationships between the
Community institutions and bodies and their officials and other servants unless all internal administrative
requests and complaints have been exhausted and the time limits for replies have expired.

85. ​Types of proceedings in the ECJ

1.) preliminary rulings; 2.) infringement proceedings; 3.) actions for annulment; 4.) actions for failure to act; 5.)
actions for damages

86. ​Costa v Enel Case

established the primacy of European Union law (then Community law) over the laws of its member states. This
case is confirmation that under Article 267 TFEU a court has an obligation to refer cases that have reached the
highest point of appeal in their respective country if there is a question of the application of EU Law.

87. ​Appointment of the judges of the ECJ

Each judge and advocate general is appointed for a renewable 6-year term, ​jointly by national governments​. In
each Court, the judges select a President who serves a renewable term of 3 years.

88. ​Ex-officio role of the High Representative of the Union

Vice President of the commission​ and chair of the foreign affairs council.

89. General history of​ ​South East Asian integration

ASEAN was preceded by an organization formed in 31 July 1961 called the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA),
a group consisting of Thailand, the Philippines, and the Federation of Malaya. ASEAN itself was created on 8
August 1967, when the foreign ministers of 5 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration.

90. The​ ​Commission work programme​ and the ​DG's management plans

Every year, the European Commission adopts a Work Programme which sets out its key initiatives for the year
ahead. The Commission Work Programme informs citizens and our institutional partners and staff how we
will deliver on our political priorities and turn them into concrete action.

Every department of the European Commission has a management plan for the year to come. It describes the
actions for each department derived from the priorities and the strategic objectives of the Commission. It
also enables the management of the department to plan, follow up and report on all its activities,
resources and staff needs.

91. ​MS & Members Eurozone

UK and Denmark have an exemption. Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia
were obliged to join

92. ​Commission's delegated powers to legislate: Article 290 TFEU

A legislative act may delegate to the Commission the power to adopt non-legislative acts of general application
to supplement or amend certain non-essential elements of the legislative act.

The objectives, content, scope and duration of the delegation of power shall be explicitly defined in the
legislative acts. The essential elements of an area shall be reserved for the legislative act and accordingly shall
not be the subject of a delegation of power.

Legislative acts shall explicitly lay down the conditions to which the delegation is subject; these conditions may
be as follows: (a) the European Parliament or the Council may decide to revoke the delegation; (b) the
delegated act may enter into force only if no objection has been expressed by the European Parliament or the
Council within a period set by the legislative act.
For the purposes of (a) and (b), the European Parliament shall act by a majority of its component members,
and the Council by a qualified majority.

Additional Topics to study:

- Euro crisis and measures taken

- H2020 funding structure and areas of eligibility + other research programmes.

- history of EU integration (EU treaties, dates signed and entered into force).

- current flagship Commission policies and priorities.

- A summary of the history of treaties and the key cases that have come before the Court of Justice.

- EP and Council approval of ​EU Budget

CAST FGIV Political Affairs​ ​Questions seen previously:

February 2019:

1. Where is the EBA based?

Paris

2. Definition of referendum

a direct public vote on a policy issue.

3. Which country joined the euro in 2015 out of Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania?

Lithuania​.

4. What is the only duty (out of the 4 listed) that the Court of Auditors doesn't perform?

depends on options.

5. What is the EU's cultural programme called?

Creative Europe.​

6. What majority do you need to adopt a motion of censure?

Two-thirds majority ​to dismiss the whole Commission.

8. What are the H2020 project selection criteria?

impact, excellence, and quality & efficiency of the implementation.​

9. Who set up the New Development Bank?

Leaders of the ​BRICS countries.​

10. What is the % of the EU budget to be spent on R&D?

3%​ under the Europe 2020: the European Union strategy for growth and employment.

11. What was the previous role of Juncker?

Juncker​ was the first Permanent President of the Euro Group; before that Prime Minister Luxembourg.

12. What was the previous role of Tusk

​ as Prime minister of Poland.

Donald Tusk w

13. How do we call an agreement that cannot be improved because all parties’ interests are satisfied?

Win-win.

14. How often is Eurobarometer published/collected?

Twice a year​ in Spring and Autumn.

15. How does the EU support trade in developing countries?

Aid for trade​: Globally the EU and its Member States are the biggest provider of Aid for Trade. In 2015 alone,
EU commitments amounted to a record €13.16 billion per year.

16. How many official languages does the EU have?

24 languages.

17. How many MEPs are necessary to form a group in parliament?

25 Members are needed to form a political group​, and at least one-quarter (25%) of the Member States must
be represented within the group. Members may not belong to more than one political group.

18. What is the European stability mechanism?

The E​ SM’s m
​ ission is to provide financial assistance to euro area countries experiencing or threatened by severe
financing problems. This assistance is granted only if it is proven necessary to safeguard the financial stability
of the euro area as a whole and of ESM Members. The ESM can grant a loan as part of a macroeconomic
adjustment programme, such as the one that was already used by Cyprus and Greece. The only other
instrument used was an ESM loan to recapitalise banks which was provided to Spain.

19. What is stability and growth pact?

The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is a set of rules designed to ensure that countries in the European Union
​ % deficit ratios and
pursue sound public finances and coordinate their fiscal policies. It sets limits on both MS 3
60% debt ratios​.

20. What organisation supports individuals and businesses to claim their rights?

SOLVIT​.

21. What is the US National Academy of Sciences?

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, private, non-governmental organization.
NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. As a national academy, new
members of the organization are elected annually by current members, one of the highest honors in the
scientific field. Members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation" on science, engineering, and medicine.

Unkown date/Other:

1. In the ECJ, a full court is composed by how many judges?

28 judges in the full Court.​ 15 in the Grand Chamber.

2. Who adopts the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation?
 ​ rogramme.​
The Council and European Parliament negotiate and subsequently adopt the p

3. Who negotiates the TTIP?

The European Commission, mandated by the Council​.

4. What is the role of the JRC?

To ​provide scientific advice ​to Commission

5. What is the first organisation for Latin American integration ?

The PanAmerican Union

6. What is NOT one of the 10 Junker priorities ?

Depends on the options, but could for instance be a fairer fishery policy.

7. Who joined the euro in 2015 ?

Lithuania.

8. What is a referendum?

direct citizen's vote on a policy matter.

9. What are the criteria to award H2020 funding

impact, excellence, quality and efficiency.

10. What is NOT a supervisory responsibility of the Parliament

Depends on the options.

11. What policy area is affected by the Bosman case 1995?

Freedom of movement.

12. Who awards the Sakharov prize?

The EP.

13. What is the size of the InvestEU plan?

InvestEU ​will run between 2021 and 2027 and it builds on the success of the Juncker Plan's European Fund for
Strategic Investments (EFSI) by providing an EU budget guarantee to support investment and access to finance
in the EU. InvestEU aims to trigger €650 billion in additional investment.

14. What was the size of Juncker Plan's European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)?

The EFSI a​ ims to mobilise 315 bn in additional investments. With EFSI support, the EIB Group is providing
funding for economically viable projects, especially for projects with a higher risk profile than usually taken on
by the Bank. It will focus on sectors of key importance for the European economy, including: Strategic
infrastructure including digital, transport and energy Education, research, development and innovation,
Renewable energy and resource efficiency, Support for small and mid-sized businesses.

15. How do you call the documents which tables data and a legislative proposal?

Staff working document

16. What is the triple helix in research policy jargon?

The interaction of government, industry, university

17. Where is the ESM HQ located?

In L​ uxembourg

18. How do you call a negotiating party that pretends to negotiate but in reality doesn't want to achieve a
compromise?

Negotiating in bad faith

19. Votes needed to pass MFF in the Council and the European Parliament?

Article 312 of the TFEU:​ The Council, acting in accordance with a special legislative procedure, shall adopt a
regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework. The Council shall act unanimously after obtaining
the consent of the European Parliament, which shall be given by a majority of its component members.

20. Provisions where unanimity was required in the Council before the Treaty of Nice and not after?

27 provisions changed over from unanimity to qualified-majority. The most important are: 1.) freedom of
movement; 2.) judicial cooperation in civil matters; 3.) The conclusion of international agreements in the area
of trade in services and the commercial aspects of intellectual property; 4.) industrial policy; 5.) economic,
financial and technical cooperation with third countries; 6.) approval of the regulations and general conditions
governing the performance of the duties of members of the European Parliament, with the exception of
matters relating to the fiscal regime; 7.) the statute of the political parties at European level; 8.) the approval of
the rules of procedure of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.

21. What are the competencies of The European Economic and Social Committee ?

The E​ ESC has an advisory function (Article 300 TFEU). Its purpose is to inform the institutions responsible for EU
decision-making of the opinions of the representatives of economic and social activity.

22. When was the Institute for Gender Equality founded?

It​ was founded in 2006.

23. Who leads the Operation Atalanta (formally European Union Naval Force Somalia)

led by the ​EU​, NOT by NATO.

24. What is EU-LISA?

It is ​the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom,
security and justice.​ It continuously supports MS efforts through technology for a safer Europe; Schengen
Information System (SIS II), the Visa Information System (VIS) and EURODAC. Specifically, it helps to maintain
internal security in the Schengen countries, to enable Schengen countries to exchange visa data, and to
determine which EU country is responsible for examining a particular asylum application.

25. What is ERC?

The European Research Council ​supports frontier research, cross disciplinary proposals and pioneering ideas in
new and emerging fields which introduce unconventional and innovative approaches. The ERC's mission is to
encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support
investigator-driven frontier research across all fields of research, on the basis of scientific excellence. A budget
of 13 095 million euro is available for the implementation of the ERC funding schemes under Horizon 2020.

26. Which institutions are listed in Article 13 TEU?

The Union's institutions shall be: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European
Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors.
27. How much of the Horizon 2020 is dedicated for climate change?

4%​.

28. Which one is a target set by the Energy Efficiency target?

20% energy efficiency by 2020​.

29. In which cases does the principle of subsidiarity apply?

Under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Union shall
act only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the MS, ...
but can be better achieved at Union level

30. When were the First direct elections of the EP?

1979​.

31. How do we call the proposal made by the Commission in a specific area?

White paper.​ It contains proposals for European Union (EU) action in a specific area. In some cases, they follow
on from a Green Paper published to launch a consultation process at EU level. The purpose of a White Paper is
to launch a debate with the public, stakeholders, the European Parliament and the Council in order to arrive at
a political consensus.

32. Which crisis did the Luxembourg compromise resolve in 1966?

The E​ mpty chair crisis

33. What constitutes a conflict of interest according to the financial regulation?

‘ a ​conflict of interests ​exists where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions of a financial actor
or other person … is compromised for reasons involving family, emotional life, political or national affinity,
economic interest or any other shared interest with a recipient,’

34. Which of the following options is not an official declaration or statement?

Depends, but could be a statement by a local EU delegation, not approved by the Head of Delegation

35. How does the EU negotiate trade agreements under the Aid for Trade scheme?

Bilaterally

36. Which one is not an associate country of Horizon 2020?

Depends, but could be Croatia (confirmed in one CAST exam)

37. How do we call that political guidance when you set the agenda and create the necessary environment of
policy change?

Leadership

38. How many advocates general does a judge in the ECJ have?

- 11 advocate generals
- 1 judge per MS in ECJ
- More than 80% of cases brought before the general court are heard by a chamber of 3 judges.

39. Which does not relate to the creation of the Banking Union?

European Exchange Rate mechanism (ERM) was introduced in 1979 to stabilise exchange rates, NOT part of
BU.
BU: European Deposit Insurance Scheme, Single Supervisory Mechanism, and Single Resolution Mechanism are
a part.

40. Length of an infringement procedure?

- 40 months

41. Where does the consultation procedure not apply?

- used for international agreements, competition law, and internal market exemptions
- not used for agriculture

42. In how many member states is German a national language, either at national or sub-national level?

- 7 - Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg at national, Poland, Italy and Denmark at sub-national

43. How many vice presidents in the Juncker Commission?

- 6, of which Frans Timmermans is the first

44. Following the Lisbon Treaty, what mechanism do national parliaments have to express their common
concerns regarding a legislative process?

- According to protocol 2 of Lisbon Treaty, Yellow card and orange card. Orange card has never been
triggered.

45. What is EC regulation no.261/2004?

The Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004 is a regulation in EU law establishing common rules on
compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays
of flights.

46. Which institutions took over the Schengen Executive Committee

- General Secretariat of the Council took over in 1999

- As set out in the Treaty of Amsterdam

47. Registration into the transparency register

- Is optional for lobbying organisations since June 2008

48. Which countries are in European Single market?

- not Turkey, which IS part of the customs union

- Norway, Lichtenstein, and Iceland ARE

49. When was ECB established?

- 1998, in preparation for euro introduction in 1999.

- 34 members sit on the ECB’s Supervisory board.
- 28 national representatives, 4 ECB representatives, and chair and vice-chair
- Mario Draghi is now President, for a 7 year term

What are the ECB tasks?

- Set inflation targets

- issue Euro banknotes and coins
- Supervise and make inquiries into relevant bank’s solvency
- NOT: to issue Euro bonds. MS national banks still issue their own bonds.

50. What are the ​council configurations​?

 - Note: any of the 10 council configurations can adopt an act that falls outside the remit of another
configuration. Therefore, with any legislative Act the Council adopts, no mention is made of the
configuration.
- There is no hierarchy among the Council configurations, although the General Affairs Council has a
special coordination role and is responsible for institutional, administrative and horizontal matters.

51. Which countries voted against Lisbon Treaty?

- Ireland

Which countries voted against the Constitution for Europe in 2005?

- Netherlands and France

52. What is the Academy of European Law?

- non-profit public foundation partly funded by EU , set up in 1991 to train professional in EU law.

53. What is open in the council for public viewers?

- Legislative deliberations

54. What is the SIGMA programme?

- joint EU OECD programme

- key objectives are to strengthen public governance and the implementation of EU legislation, created
in 1992
- works in ENP countries, including Albania

55. What is Twinning?

Twinning is a European Union instrument for institutional cooperation between Public Administrations of EU
Member States (MS) and of beneficiary countries (BC). It was originally designed in 1998 to help candidate
countries of the time to acquire the necessary skills and experience to adopt, implement and enforce EU
legislation.

- ENP countries

56. What is TAIEX?

- Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission. TAIEX
supports public administrations with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU
legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU best practices.
- ENP Countries

57. What is the European Market Infrastructure Regulation?

- created in response to 2008 crisis.

- increased regulation surrounding over-the-counter derivatives backed by central counterparties
(CCPs)
- made derivatives market more stable

58. If EU nationals feel their rights are not respected by MS authorities, who do they go to?

- Solvit, Your Europe Advice, or FIN-NET, which all operate on national levels.
- European Ombudsman, which operates on commission level ( if citizens feel the commission has failed
to address them)

59. Police and judicial cooperation on criminal matters agencies:

- FRONTEX
- EUROPOL
 - EUROJUST
- NOT Cepol ( European police college), which is just for training law enforcement officials.

60. Common Approach to Impact Assessment

- EC, EP and Council agreed on it in 2006

61. When was the European Social Dialogue agreed on?

- Single European Act in 1986

62. How many seats is every MS guaranteed, regardless of size, in the EP?

- 6 seats ( as cyprus, luxembourg, and malta all have)

- 751 is total number of EP seats

63. CJEU

the CJEU is actually comprised of three courts: the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the General Court and the
European Civil Service Tribunal

Located in Luxembourg

64. When was the ​principle of mutual recognition​ established?

- Cassis de Dijon case, 1979 landmark case of the Court of Justice, which established that products
which are legal in one Member State are legal throughout the whole Union.

65. Special legislative procedure and ordinary legislative procedure?

- Ordinary legislative procedure: Parliament and Council have equal voting powers. ( eg. Used for The
budget, Transportation, and worker’s rights). Before the Treaty of Lisbon came into force late 2009 it
was referred to as the co-decision procedure. The essential characteristic of this procedure is that both
the Council of Ministers as well as the European Parliament have a deciding vote in the legislative
process, and both institutions may amend a proposal.

- Special legislative procedure: ( used also for ​VAT legislation)

Legal base: Article 289(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Types of procedures:

Consent: the European Parliament has the power to accept or reject a legislative proposal by an
absolute majority vote, but cannot amend it (used for eg. withdrawal or acceptance of a new MS, or
negotiation of new international agreements)

Consultation: the European Parliament may approve, reject or propose amendments to a legislative
proposal ( eg. for internal market exemptions and competition law.)

66. Article 23 of TFEU

- EU nationals enjoy same rights and legal status across all MS’s.

67. Passerelle clause

- Article 48(7) of TEU, which allows the council to change its voting procedure from unanimity to
qualified majority voting on specific policy areas ( excluding military affairs)

68. Regarding the Budget

- The commission tells the council and parliament how it was spent.
- The European Court of auditors scrutinises the spending
 - It is decided democratically
- NOT: The R ​ egulatory Scrutiny Board ​scutinises it. ( The RSB scrutinises impact assessments of
legislation. It acts independently of any institution, agency, or body. It replaced the Impact
Assessment Board. Its opinions are non-binding. It is chaired by a Commission DG)
- Impact assessments are regularly applied to: regulatory proposals, policy reform proposals,
and white papers, expenditure programs)

69. INEA

- Innovations and Networks Executive Agency, which was set up in 2014 to replace TEN-T EA
- It manages projects such as Motorways of the Seas.

70. European Agricultural Guarantee Fund’s role within CAP ( Common Agricultural Policy)

- EAGF is a funding mechanism finances farmers directly via interventions and export refunds.
- Unlike The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), does not fund MS. Rather,
funds farmers directly.

71. Green direct payment in CAP?

- 2013 reforms of the CAP introduced green direct payments, implemented in 2015. Paid to farmers for
undertaking practices beneficial to climate and the environment. MS must allocate 30% to green direct
payments.

72. Council of Europe is not an EU institution!

Council of EU and European Council both are!

73. What is a treaty language?

- TEU Article 3 enshrines the principle of linguistic diversity

- treaty languages are not working languages - ​24 languages
- secondary legislation ( i.e. directives and regulations) does not have to be translated into treaty
languages.

74. Who advises Council, MS, and Commission on research and innovation issues?

- European Research Area Innovation Committee (ERAC)

- European Research Area ( ERA)
https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/newsletter/all-you-need-know-european-research-area-era​ is at
the heart of Europe 2020 strategy and the Innovation Union.

75. What was the Schuman Declaration?

- On 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman called for a common high authority for coal and steel.
- Led to the signing of treaty of Paris and creation of European Coal and Steel Community in 1951

76. Sources of EU budget

(Rebates are not a type of own resources)

77. Presidents of European Parliament in the past

- See ​this overview​.

78. Which countries are in accession talks with EU?

- 5 countries: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey

- Iceland quit, so not a beneficiary of IPA funds.

79. EU Solidarity Fund

The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was set up to respond to major natural disasters and express
European solidarity to disaster-stricken regions within Europe. The Fund was created as a reaction to the severe
floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002. Since then, it has been used for 80 disasters covering a range of
different catastrophic events including floods, forest fires, earthquakes, storms and drought. 24 different
European countries have been supported so far for an amount of over 5 billion €.

maximum is 500 million

80. EP has 14 Vice-Presidents