EU

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  • Created by: Q_
  • Created on: 01-04-19 21:11
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  • Is there a democratic deficit in the European Union?
    • NO
      • The European Commission, which initiates legislation, is accountable to the European Parliament, and its key personnel are nominated by national governments.
      • The EU's supranational institutions have greatest autonomy in technical matters (e.g. central banking).
      • National governments are represented in the Council of the European Union and the European Council, where bargaining is the norm.
      • The European Parliament shares legislative power with the Council of the European Union in most policy areas - there is some form of checks and balances.
      • The EU does not have power in key areas of national life, such as taxation, social security and education.
    • YES
      • Legislation is initiated by the European Commission, which is not directly elected.
      • National governmentscan be outvoted under qualified majority voting, and this may mean that the will of the electorate is thwarted.
      • The directly elected European Parliament is not sufficiently powerful.
      • Elections to the European Parliament are dominated by national issues and turnout is low.
      • Citizens do not understand or identify with the EU - it is too distant and complex - and have opposed key developments.
    • DEMOCRATICDEFICIT: The erosion of democratic accountability that occurs when decision-making authority is transferred from national governments to EU institutions.

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