Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

THE ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE IS A

THREAT TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE

STATE

Politics in the European UnionProf. Thomas Raineau

Filipe Mandieta Gotardi

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Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Introduction

“The Acquis Communautaire is a threat to the sovereignty of the State”

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Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Introduction

“The Acquis Communautaire is a threat to the sovereignty of the State”

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Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Acquis Communautaire

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1. Free movement of goods2. Freedom of movement for workers3. Right of establishment and freedom to provide

services4. Free movement of capital5. Public procurement6. Company law7. Intellectual property law8. Competition policy9. Financial services10. Information society and media11. Agriculture and rural development12. Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy13. Fisheries14. Transport policy15. Energy16. Taxation17. Economic and monetary policy18. Statistics

19. Social policy and employment(including anti-discrimination and equal opportunities for women and men)

20. Enterprise and industrial policy21. Trans-European networks22. Regional policy and coordination of structural

instruments23. Judiciary and fundamental rights24. Justice, freedom and security25. Science and research26. Education and culture27. Environment28. Consumer and health protection29. Customs union30. External relations31. Foreign, security and defence policy32. Financial control33. Financial and budgetary provisions34. Institutions35. Other issues

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Introduction

“The Acquis Communautaire is a threat to the sovereignty of the State”

15/10/12

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Problématique

“The dynamics of the EU can be portrayed as

shifting between the survival of the nation-

state versus the Union as a potential

‘suprastate’. Within this framework, to what

extent have the Acquis Communautaire and

the concept of sovereignty enabled the EU and

its Member States to pursue their interests vis-

à-vis each other?”

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Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Plan• Introduction

• Problématique

1. The Acquis Communautaire as a tool for

European Integration

2. The pursuit of domestic agendas through

national sovereignty

• Conclusion15/10/12

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

1. The Acquis Communautaire as a tool for European integration

• The impact of the EU’s pre-accession

procedures to potential member states

• Transposition and implementation of

EU law: the issue of compliance

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Example - Post-Communist

members and worlds of

compliance

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

2. The pursuit of domestic agendas through national sovereignty

• From Maastricht to Lisbon: the rising costs to national sovereignty

• The (re)constitution of boundaries in face of European integration: the embedding of interests under the heading of sovereignty

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Example – The safeguard of sovereignty through

national opt-outs: the reluctant approaches of the

United Kingdom and Denmark

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

Conclusion

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“Almost every major nation has been obliged by the pressures of the post-war world to pool significant areas of sovereignty so as to create

more effective politics units”Margaret Thatcher – 19th May 1975

Speech in Hendon European Referendum campaign

Europeanisation

Sovereignty

Simultaneous institutional facts in a continuous logic of mutual interaction that shapes the behaviour of the

States

Sciences Po - Politics in the European Union

• Tanja E. Aalberts, “Sovereignty Reloaded? A Constructivist Perspective on European Research”, Constitutionalism Web-Papers, Vol. 2, 2005

• Rebecca Adler-Nissen, “A Political Sociology of Sovereignty: Treaty Opt-Outs and the Doxa of an Even Closer Union”, 2009

 • Erkki Bahovski, “Sovereignty in the European Union: Case studies relating to Estonia”,

Reuters Foundation Fellowship, 2004

 • Gerda Falkner, Oliver Treib, “Three Worlds of Compliance or Four? The EU-15

Compared to New Member States”, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 46, 2008, pp.293-313

 • Bernard Steunenberg, “Is big brother watching? Commission oversight of the national

implementation of EU directives”, European Union Politics, Vol. 11, 2010, pp.359-380

 • Milada Anna Vachudova, “Corruption and Compliance in the EU’s Post-Communist

Members and Candidates”, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 47, 2009, pp.43-62

 • EU Legislation and Scrutiny Procedures, Factsheet L11, Legislation Series, House of

Commons Information Office, Revised September 201 http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/l11.pdf

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