Kaarten: Conceptenlijst European Societies | Quizlet

European Parliament

The EU's directly elected legislative body. It shares legislative, budgetary, and supervisory powers with the Council of the EU. It approves legislation, monitors other EU institutions, and adopts the EU budget.

European Court of Justice (ECJ)

The highest court in the EU legal system. It ensures uniform interpretation and application of EU law and can overrule national laws that conflict with EU treaties.

Schengen Agreement

An agreement that allows free movement of people across internal EU borders without passport checks. Most EU countries participate

Treaty of Rome (1957)

Created the European Economic Community (EEC) and Euratom. It established a common market without tariffs or barriers to labor and goods

EU Regulation

A binding legislative act that must be applied in its entirety across all EU member states without the need for national implementation.

EU Directive

A legislative act that sets goals all EU countries must achieve, but they can choose how to implement it within national law.

EU Recommendation

A non-binding measure that allows the EU to suggest policies or actions to member states without legal obligation.

Council of the EU

Also known as the Council of Ministers. It represents national governments and shares law-making and budgetary powers with the European Parliament.

European Council

Defines the EU's overall political direction. Composed of heads of state/government. It does not pass laws but sets priorities.

European Commission

The EU's executive body. It proposes legislation, enforces EU laws, manages the budget, and represents the EU internationally.

Subsidiarity

The principle that decisions should be taken as closely as possible to citizens, and the EU should only act when objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states.

Treaty of Lisbon (2007)

Reformed the EU's structure. It created the position of European Council President and gave the EU legal personality. It aimed to make the EU more democratic and efficient.

Maastricht Treaty (1993)

Formally established the EU. It introduced the euro, EU citizenship, and three policy pillars (economic, foreign/security, and justice/home affairs).

Stability and Growth Pact

A set of fiscal rules to ensure EU countries maintain budget discipline, including limits on budget deficits (<3% GDP) and public debt (<60% GDP).

Four Freedoms

Fundamental principles of the EU single market: free movement of goods, services, capital, and people.

Single European Act (1987)

A treaty that set the goal of completing the internal market and introduced more majority voting to speed up legislative processes.

Single Market / Single European Market

An integrated market allowing free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. It aims to boost trade, efficiency, and growth across the EU.

Comparative Advantage in Trade

Economic principle that countries should specialize in producing goods they can produce most efficiently, even if they can produce everything more efficiently than others.

Tariff

A tax imposed on imported goods to protect domestic industries or generate revenue.

Non-Tariff Barrier

Regulations or standards (e.g. health or safety rules) that hinder trade, even though they are not tariffs.

Maastricht Rules

Fiscal and economic criteria set by the Maastricht Treaty for joining the euro, including deficit and debt limits.

ECB (European Central Bank)

Manages the euro and EU monetary policy. It aims to maintain price stability and supports the EU's economic objectives.

Optimal Currency Area (OCA)

A region where a single currency would create maximum economic efficiency. Criteria include labor mobility, fiscal transfers, and economic convergence.

NextGenerationEU

A post-COVID EU recovery plan worth €750 billion to support member states through grants and loans, funded by common EU borrowing.

SURE

Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency. An EU scheme providing financial assistance to help countries maintain employment during crises like COVID-19.

(National) Welfare State

A system in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens.

Decommodification

The extent to which individuals can maintain a livelihood without reliance on the market, usually through state-provided benefits.

Stratification

The way welfare states structure social inequality, e.g., reinforcing or reducing income differences and social classes.

Public/Private Mix

The balance between government and private sector roles in providing welfare services like health, pensions, or education.

EU-SILC

The "EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions" survey collects cross-national data on income, poverty, social exclusion, and living conditions.

At-Risk-of-Poverty Threshold (AROP Threshold)

A fixed point set at 60% of the national median income; individuals below this income level are considered at risk of poverty.

At-Risk-of-Poverty Rate (AROP)

The percentage of the population with an income below the AROP threshold.

Severe Material and Social Deprivation Rate

Measures individuals who lack at least 7 out of 13 basic items considered essential for adequate living conditions.

People Living in Households with Very Low Work Intensity

Refers to people aged 0-59 living in households where working-age members worked less than 20% of their potential during the past year.

At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion (AROPE)

Composite indicator capturing people who are at risk of poverty, severely deprived, or living in low-work-intensity households.

Upward Convergence

A situation where all member states improve their social/economic indicators and reduce disparities between them.

Social Dumping

The practice of employers using cheaper labor (often migrant or posted workers) to undercut local wages and standards.

Automatic Stabilizer

Economic policies like unemployment benefits or progressive taxes that automatically counteract economic fluctuations without new legislation.

Europe 2020

An EU strategy (2010-2020) for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth with targets for employment, R&D, climate, education, and poverty reduction.

Employment Rate

The proportion of the working-age population (15-64) that is currently employed.

Unemployment Rate

The percentage of the labor force that is actively seeking work but unable to find a job.

Long-term Unemployment Rate

The percentage of unemployed people who have been without a job for 12 months or more.

Coordination of Social Security Systems

EU rules that allow mobile citizens to maintain social security rights when moving across countries, including rules on exportability and aggregation.

Social Acquis

The body of EU social legislation and policy, including treaties, directives, case law, and declarations that shape social rights in the EU.

Conferral

The EU can only act within the competences voluntarily granted to it by member states through treaties.

Proportionality

EU actions must not exceed what is necessary to achieve treaty objectives.

Social Subsidiarity

In social policy, the EU acts only when national or local authorities cannot sufficiently address the issues.

Supremacy of EU Law

EU law takes precedence over conflicting national laws.

QMV (Qualified Majority Voting)

A voting system in the Council where decisions need the approval of 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU population.

Ordinary Legislative Procedure (Co-decision)

The main method for adopting EU legislation, requiring joint adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Fiscal Federalism

A theory on how financial responsibilities and resources are distributed across different levels of government, often used to analyze EU fiscal capacity.

Negative Integration

Removing barriers to trade and movement (e.g., tariffs, quotas).

Positive Integration

Creating common policies and standards (e.g., social policy harmonization).

Homeland Principle

Social security applies according to the laws of the country where a person is insured.

Workland Principle

Social security applies in the country where the person actually works.

Aggregation of Periods

Combining insurance, work, or residence periods from different EU countries to meet eligibility criteria for social security benefits.

Exportability of Benefits

The right to receive social security benefits (e.g. pensions) even when living in another EU country.

Frontex

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, responsible for coordinating border control across Schengen area states.

Brain Drain

The emigration of skilled workers from one country to another, often from less to more developed regions.

Remittances

Money sent by migrants back to their country of origin, often supporting families and local economies.

Posting / Posted Workers Directive

Refers to workers temporarily sent by their employer to another EU country. The directive ensures basic protections but remains controversial.

Third Country Nationals

People who are not citizens of any EU member state.

European Labour Authority (ELA)

An EU agency helping ensure fair labor mobility and enforcing labor rights across member states.

Ohlin Doctrine

Early EU social policy idea stating that harmonizing labor standards wasn't necessary; focus should be on trade benefits and national autonomy.

European Social Fund (ESF)

One of the EU's main instruments for supporting employment, education, and social inclusion policies.

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

Combines a single market, shared economic policy coordination, and a common currency (the euro) among member states.

Lisbon Agenda

A 2000 EU strategy aimed at making the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy" by 2010.

Social Convergence Strategy

Efforts to reduce disparities in social outcomes and living standards across EU member states.

Open Method of Coordination (OMC)

A soft law tool where member states voluntarily coordinate policy, share best practices, and agree on benchmarks without binding legislation.

European Semester

A yearly cycle of economic and budgetary policy coordination across the EU.

European Pillar of Social Rights

A set of 20 principles for fair working conditions, social protection, and equal opportunities endorsed by EU institutions.

Holding Environment

A supportive policy or institutional setting that enables actors to manage change or complexity, often used in discussions of EU governance capacity.