Search results

WITH THE AID OF STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM, THE ROLE OF THE EEC SUMMIT CONFERENCES IN COMMUNITY DECISIONMAKING IS EVALUATED. SUMMITS ARE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND MAY BE ASSESSED AS DETERRING RATHER THAN PROMOTING INTEERATION. TO THE EXENT THEY FULFILL EEC FUNCTIONAL REQUISITES-PATTERN MAINTENANCE, GOAL ATTAINMENT, ADAPTATION, AND INTEGRATION- THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE INTENSIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITY.

PAPER CONSIDERS THE POWERS, OR MORE CORRECTLY THE LACK OF POWERS, OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE PARLIAMENT; ITS FINANCIAL POWERS FOLLOWING THE REVISION OF ARTICLE 203 OF THE TREATY OF ROME; AND ITS CONTROL, OR OVERSIGHT, POWERS."

INTERNAL SECURITY AND JUDICIAL COOPERATION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (EC) HAVE DEVELOPED OUTSIDE THE FRAMEWORK OF TREATIES. THE COMPLETION OF THE SINGLE MARKET AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE MAASTRICHT TREATY MAKE EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON THESE ISSUES IMPERATIVE. THIS ESSAY EXAMINES THE EC'S SECURITY COMPETENCE; THE SCOPE OF INTERNAL SECURITY POLICY; ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION; OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND SECURITY COOPERATION WITHIN SCHENGEN AND WITH CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE. IT CONCLUDES THAT STREAMLINING THE MULTIPLICITY OF BODIES ENGAGED IN SIMILAR ACTIVITIES IS IMPERATIVE.

THE AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL UNION REACHED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (E.C.) HEADS OF GOVERNMENT IN DECEMBER 1991 WILL ENHANCE THE ROLE OF NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE SEVERAL OTHER FEATURES OF THE AGREEMENT CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY IN E.C. DECISION MAKING HAS FIRMLY MOVED AWAY FROM NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TOWARDS A SUPRA-NATIONAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Examines the implications under three heads: integration, institutional transformation, and the expanding scope of EC policy making. (JMM)

ON 14 JUNE 1984, SOME 22 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE NETHERLANDS, DENMARK AND IRELAND WENT TO THE POLLS TO VOTE IN THE SECOND DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP). ON 17 JUNE 1984, 96 MILLION FRENCH, GREEKS, BELGIANS, ITALIANS, GERMANS AND LUXEMBOURGERS VOTED IN THE SAME ELECTIONS TO ELECT 434 MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (MEPS). ONLY WHEN THE LAST POLLING STATION HAD CLOSED ON SUNDAY EVENING, 17 JUNE, COULD COUNTING BEGIN THROUGHOUT THE TEN. AS THE ELECTION RESULTS AND TURNOUT FIGURES BEGAN TO COME IN, EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSION PRESIDENT, GASTON THORN, PRONOUNCED THEM A CATASTROPHE: FOR THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S ASPIRATIONS; FOR THE FATE OF THE DRAFT TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION; AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAD HOPED THAT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WOULD GAIN EXTRA DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY FROM ITS DIRECT ELECTION, AND THAT THUS ITS REPEATED CLAIMS FOR AN INCREASE IN ITS POWERS WOULD BE VINDICATED.

FROM 14 TO 17 JUNE NEXT YEAR, FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S FIXED FIVE-YEAR TERM OF OFFICE, NEW ELECTIONS TO THAT ASSEMBLY WILL BE HELD. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S HISTORY THAT ITS MEMBERS (MEPS) HAVE BEEN ELECTED DIRECTLY BY EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CITIZENS.

HAVE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S ROLE AND POWERS IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY'S (EC) LEGISLATIVE PROCESS CHANGED IN LINE WITH EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY WOULD AFTER THE DIRECT ELECTION OF ITS MEMBERS IN JUNE 1979? BEFORE DIRECT ELECTIONS IT WAS WIDELY CLAIMED THAT MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (MEPS) WOULD BE ABLE LEGITIMATELY TO DEMAND AND ACQUIRE GREATER INFLUENCE BY VIRTUE OF THEIR HAVING BEEN ELECTED DIRECTLY,1 IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEMOCRATIC NORMS. IT WAS ARGUED THAT IF MEPS WERE TO ADVANCE AND PROTECT ELECTORS' INTERESTS, THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A MORE EFFECTIVE SAY IN EC DECISIONMAKING THAN THAT PROVIDED BY THE LIMITED POWERS CONFERRED UPON THEM BY THE ROME TREATY. INDEED, MANY BRITISH OBJECTIONS TO DIRECT ELECTIONS HINGED UPON OPPOSITION TO ANY SUGGESTION OF AUGMENTING THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S POWERS.