EU final exam

a regulation

is directly applicable in member states

At what points during the ordinary legislative procedure can a proposal be rejected?

After the second reading in the EP; when the conciliation committee does not reach agreement within the specified deadlines; and when either the EP or the Council does not approve the outcome of the conciliation procedure within the specified deadlines.

For what types of issues is a special legislative procedure, rather than the ordinary legislative procedure, likely to be used?

For issues that touch upon national sovereignty.

In the Treaty of Lisbon, a new system of qualified majority voting was adopted. Which statement about this new system is correct?

In the new system, the voting weight of each member state equals the population size of that member state.

in which areas is the Open Method of Coordination most widely used?

Economic policy, health, and education.

he subsidiarity principle, as it is defined in EU law, implies that...

The EU is only allowed to adopt legislation if the objectives of that legislation can be reached better by the EU than by the member states.

When does the ‘orange card’ procedure apply under the subsidiarity check?

When more than half of all member state parliaments submit a reasoned opinion against a proposal.

Which of the following statements about the differences between the first and the second reading in the ordinary legislative procedure is not correct?

In the second reading, all decisions in the Council of Ministers are taken by unanimity.

Which of the following statements is a correct statement about informal processes of decision-making under the ordinary legislative procedure?

Negotiations between the Council and the EP keep often take place before official decisions are taken.

Which of the following statements on the Community method of decision-making is correct?

n the Community method, the EU’s supranational institutions play an important role.

If the Commission receives an unsatisfactory answer from a member state after it has sent a letter of formal notice, what is the next formal step it can take?

Send a reasoned opinion to the member state.

In a post litigation infringement proceeding

The Commission asks the Court of Justice to impose a fine on a member state because the member state has failed to implement a ruling of the Court.

The actions of the Commission to make Italy comply with the terms of the Waste Framework directive are an example of what Tanja Borzel has called?

A push factor

Transposition refers to the process of …?

turning EU directives into national legislation

Which of the following best describes the Meroni-doctrine:

Agencies are not allowed to have discretionary powers because they have not been granted these by the treaties.

Which of the following Comitology procedures also involves the EP??

Regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

Which of the following is not a feature of the of Comitology in practice?

The Council regularly overturns Comitology decisions because it disagrees with them.

Which of the following practices is not reviewed by the Commission within the framework of competition policies?

Deceptive advertising.

Which of the following problems with the application of EU law is the most difficult to detect for the Commission?

incorrect or no application of legislation.

Which of the following statements about preliminary rulings is correct?

Preliminary rulings are always the result of a request by a court from a member state.

Complete the following. 'Legitimacy refers to the level of ________ that the governed have towards the political system.'

trust

In 1979 the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held in a bid to achieve what?

to increase representative democracy

The 'governance turn' is associated with three of the following. With which of the following is it not associated?

permissive consensus

Three of the following were introduced by the 1992 Maastricht Treaty in order to boost the representative democracy of the EU. Which of the following was not among them but was instead introduced by the 2007 Lisbon Treaty?

citizens initiative

Which of the following best describes the EU?

supranational polity

Which of the following describes the role of the executive in the 'Monnet method' of European integration?

technical and strong

Which of the following is not used to explain the difficulty of engaging citizens in European political debates?

there are no European interest groups

which of the following is the most accurate?

The Lisbon Treaty strengthened both representative and participatory democracy.

Which of the following organisations is primarily concerned with the representation of civil society organizations in European decision-making?

European economic and social committee

With respect to the economic crisis, which of the following impacts upon the legitimacy and democratic credentials of the EU?

all of the above

Imagine two member states on the eve of EP elections. In member state A all the parties that take part in national elections also take part in the EP elections. In member state B there is in addition also a new Eurosceptic party taking part. Which of the following predictions will most likely be correct?

Pro-European parties in member state B will loose relatively more votes than those in member state A.

What is meant by the lack of a European public sphere?

The fact that there is no Europe-wide set of common issues around which the debate on the EU revolves.

What is the most important predictor of the way people vote in a national referendum on a matter that relates to the EU?

Their attitudes toward European integration.

Which best characterizes support for the EU?

Support for the EU varies both between member states and between different time periods

Which of the following indicators is not a measure of public opinion?

The average support amongst members of the EP for enlarging the EU.

Which of the following is not a prediction of second-order national elections theory?

Votes for parties are primarily determined by EU issues.

Which of the following is not an indicator of the constraining dissensus?

The considerable levels of support for the EU among most citizens.

Which of the following statements about referenda on the EU is correct?

All of the countries that were part of the 2004 enlargement, have sought popular approval of their accession through a referendum.

Which of the statements below is not correct?

Citizens of the old member states are more supportive of accepting new member states than citizens of the new member states.

Why is it somewhat puzzling that turn-out for EP elections has shown a steady decline since 1979?

In the same period the powers of the EP have increased dramatically.

Since 1979, the cohesion of political groups in the EP

has increased

What role outside the EP do European political parties not perform?

Supporting candidates from their member parties during national elections.

Which of the following functions is not performed by European political parties?

Recruiting candidates for political office.

Which of the following statements about political groups in the EP is correct?

Political groups can only be formed on the basis of a shared political programme.

Which of the political groups listed below has the strongest Eurosceptic ideological orientation?

Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD)

Which political cleavage is the most important determinant of voting behaviour in the EP?

The left-right cleavage

Which statement about coalition formation among political groups in the EP is correct?

Voting coalitions in the EP form both on the basis of ideological affinities and around specific issues.

Which statement about the development of European political parties is correct?

The 2003 Party Regulation provided for a separation between European political parties and political groups in the EP.

Which three political groups have been represented in the European Parliament and its predecessors since 1953?

Christian Democrats, Socialists and Liberals.

Which two party families are not (yet) organized in an EU-level political party?

Agrarian parties and extreme-right parties.

In a corporatist system of interest representation

Some interest groups have privileged access to government decision-making.

Representatives of a major chemicals firm request a meeting with the minister of economic affairs of an EU member state in order to discuss a European Commission proposal on chemicals regulation. What type of lobbying is this?

Inside lobbying through a national channel.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the European car industry; the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC) represents national consumer organisations in Brussels. What types of interest groups are ACEA and BEUC?

ACEA is a European trade federation, BEUC is an NGO.

What is the main difference between an interest group and a political party?

A political party competes in elections and an interest group does not.

Which of the following are examples of corporatist arrangements in the EU?

The EESC, the CoR, and the Social Dialogue.

Which of the following factors does not account for the pattern of political protest at the EU-level?

The financial resources of EU interest groups.

Which of the following statements on interest group strategies in the EU is correct?

Outside lobbying is used primarily for issues that arouse public sentiments.

Which of the following statements on interest groups in the EU is correct?

Many regional and local governments in the EU member states are actively lobbying the EU.

Which of the following statements on interest representation in the EU is correct?

The EU has a predominantly pluralist system of interest representation.

Which of the following statements on the influence of interest groups in the EU is correct?

Expertise and political support are two important resources that interest groups have to offer to EU policy-makers.

'Fortress Europe' refers to what?

The EU's strict external border controls

How many signatories are there to the Schengen Agreement?

26

Post-Maastricht, the member states focused on which of the following?

Producing common rules of entry, stay, and expulsion for third-country nationals

The EC's 1975 'Trevi Group' and the subsequent groups that followed covered how many policy clusters that were gradually becoming Europeanized?

four

When parts of the JHA were 'Communitarized' by the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997), they moved into which pillar?

Pillar 1

When was 'Justice and Home Affairs' brought into the EU as the third pillar?

Maastricht Treaty

Which of the following countries was an original member of the 1985 Schengen Agreement?

france

Which of the following have been required or steered to adopt all or some of the EU's AFSJ policies?

All mentioned

Which of the following institutions has played the most important role in JHA/AFSJ?

EU Council

Which of the following most accurately describes the pace of cooperation in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice?

Slow and difficult

Which institution primarily represents the EU's political interests abroad?

The European External Action Service

What is the role of the EU in global peacekeeping efforts?

The EU coordinates peacekeeping missions through its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

What is the primary purpose of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)?

To enable the EU to act as a cohesive entity in international diplomacy and security matters.

What is one of the main objectives of the EU's Common Commercial Policy (CCP)?

to regulate trade agreements with non-EU countries on behalf of all member states.

Which of the following is a key feature of the EU's external economic relations?

The promotion of free trade through a network of trade agreements with countries and regions around the world.

Which of the following describes the EU's approach to neighborhood policy?

The EU promotes stability, security, and prosperity in its neighboring regions through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

How does the EU promote human rights and democracy in its external relations?

By integrating human rights clauses into trade agreements and providing support to civil society organizations in third countries.

How does the EU use its trade policy as a tool for promoting its values internationally?

By integrating labor, environmental, and human rights standards into trade agreements.

The EU's Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) is designed to:

Offer preferential trade terms to developing countries to help them integrate into the global economy.

What role does the EU play in global economic governance through organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

The EU acts as a single entity in trade negotiations, representing all its member states.

The European Green Deal includes the development of a 'Farm to Fork' strategy. What is the primary focus of this strategy?

Designing a fair, healthy, and environmentally-friendly food system

What is the primary goal of the European Green Deal as outlined in the Commission Communication?

To transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient economy and no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

What role does digital technology play in the European Green Deal, according to the Commission's communication?

It is a critical enabler for achieving sustainability goals across various sectors.

How does the European Green Deal plan to address the issue of energy poverty?

By financing schemes to help households renovate their homes and reduce energy bills.

Which of the following sectors is highlighted as contributing to over 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, thus requiring significant decarbonization efforts?

energy

What is the purpose of the proposed 'Just Transition Mechanism' in the European Green Deal?

To support regions and sectors most affected by the transition to a low-carbon economy.

What is the EU's climate ambition for the year 2050 according to the European Green Deal?

To achieve climate neutrality by having no net emissions of greenhouse gases.

The European Green Deal emphasizes the need to involve which groups in the transition towards sustainability?

Citizens, local authorities, civil society, and industry.

The European Green Deal proposes the creation of a new law by March 2020. What is the purpose of this 'Climate Law'?

To enshrine the 2050 climate neutrality objective in legislation.

Which of the following is NOT a sector targeted by the European Green Deal for transformation?

defense

What was the main objective of the EU’s Health 2020 strategy?

To improve health for all and reduce health inequalities across the EU.

What is the purpose of the European Medicines Agency (EMA)?

To evaluate and supervise medicinal products to ensure they are safe, effective, and of high quality for use across the EU.

Which EU initiative aims to address health emergencies like pandemics through enhanced cooperation and resource sharing among member states?

The European Health Union

How does the EU's Cross-Border Healthcare Directive benefit EU citizens?

By allowing EU citizens to receive healthcare in any EU country and have the costs reimbursed by their home country.

What is the EU’s “One Health” approach?

A collaborative effort that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

What is the primary role of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)?

To assist EU member states in combating infectious diseases through surveillance, risk assessment, and response.

Which of the following is true about the EU's role in public health?

The EU coordinates public health responses and supports member states, especially in cross-border health threats.

How does the EU address health inequalities among its member states?

By providing funding through the EU Cohesion Policy to improve healthcare infrastructure in less developed regions.

Which of the following is a key focus of the EU’s 'Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan'?

To prevent cancer through lifestyle changes and early detection, ensure access to high-quality treatment, and improve quality of life for cancer patients and survivors.

How does the EU contribute to global health initiatives?

By actively participating in and funding global health initiatives, including those led by the World Health Organization (WHO).