Suchergebnisse

Argues that the executive competence of the European Commission should be expanded, the legislative powers of the European Parliament reinforced, and a senate of the states created to assure the constitutional future of the European Union. Summary in English p. 231.

The European Commission's role seems to have declined in the past few years. However, the autonomy & the influence of the European Commission cannot be properly evaluated by classical integration theories. New European studies are establishing new theoretical models & new conceptual frameworks to correct biases that may result from a statocentric analysis. Integration studies are being replaced by governance studies. This change in focus allows for more pertinent evaluation of the relative weight of European institutions, lamely the European Commission, consolidating its central position in he communitarian system. References. Adapted from the source document.

The relationship between Brazil & the European Union has been hostage to the EU-Mercosul relations & the negotiations on the association agreement between the two regional multilateral institutions. However, the European Commission has recognized that relations with Brazil are especially relevant & thus moved to support the first EU-Brazil summit. This summit, convened by the Portuguese Presidency, has established a strategic partnership with Brazil & also bolstered the bilateral relations between Portugal & Brazil. Adapted from the source document.

All elections have characteristics associated with the context in which they are held. European elections in 2014 do not escape this rule. In relation to European elections that occurred in the past, there are at least two aspects that contribute to the specificity of the event schedule. First, and the first time voters will elect a European Parliament (EP) with enhanced powers, after the entry into force in 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon. The EP will have a greater capacity for intervention in some key areas, such as the free circulation of people, international trade agreements and the reform of the agrarian policy. Besides that, for the first time will also elect 'formally' the president of the European Commission. In this sense, the political majority that will leave the next European elections will have a fundamental weight to influence an important set of policies, including the annual budget and the policies associated with the fiscal compact. Adapted from the source document.

The aim of the present article is to assess the main aspects of the institutionalization of party politics at the European Union level. The Political Parties at European Level (PPELs) originated outside the European institutions and were basically, before the approval of Regulation 2004-2003, transnational federations of national political parties. The introduction of public funding from the EU budget to the PPELs aimed to institutionalize and reinforce these organizations. However, the influence of PPELs in the European political sphere is still limited. Two institutional and political changes - namely the approval of a new Statute for European Parties and the nomination of candidates for the Presidency of the EU Commission - have been implemented, but their consequences on the consolidation of PPELs still need to be verified empirically. Adapted from the source document.

The Lisbon Treaty settled a new balance of power within the EU political process, through the so-called institutional reform. However, the Lisbon balance of power was changed by the Euro crisis, which saw the strengthening of member states' influence within the Union. The greater role taken by the European Council on crisis management went along with a new balance of power between member states, with Germany acting as a hegemonic power, and a group of countries taking political benefits from the crisis. The article also focuses on how the Euro crisis impacted on the role of the Commission and how the institution interacted with the new balance of powers. Adapted from the source document.