Glossary of Institutions, policies and enlargement of the European Union
(Starting with "S")
©
European Communities, 1995-2007
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Schengen
(Agreement and Convention)
By the Schengen Agreement signed on
14 June 1985, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands agreed that they would gradually
remove controls at their common borders and introduce
freedom of movement for all nationals of the signatory
Member States, other Member States or third countries.
The Schengen Convention supplements
the Agreement and lays down the arrangements and safeguards
for implementing freedom of movement. It was signed
by the same five Member States on 19 June 1990 but
did not enter into force until 1995.
The Agreement and the Convention,
the rules adopted on that basis and the related agreements
together form the "Schengen acquis". Since
1999, this has formed part of the institutional and
legal framework of the European Union by virtue of
a protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam.
The Schengen agreements have been
extended over time to all 15 old Member States: Italy
signed them in 1990, Spain and Portugal in 1991, Greece
in 1992, Austria in 1995 and Finland, Sweden and Denmark
(under a special arrangement) in 1996. Ireland and
the United Kingdom are only partial participants in
the Schengen acquis, since their border controls
have been maintained.
The 10 new Member States have adopted
the Schengen acquis, but a decision of the
Council of the European Union will be required before
controls at their borders are lifted.
Two non-Community countries -- Iceland
and Norway -- have also belonged to the Schengen area
since 1996, though they have only a limited role in
decision-taking. Switzerland has also begun to work
towards joining the Schengen acquis.
Countries that are candidates for
Union membership must have accepted the whole of the
Schengen acquis at the time of accession.
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Screening
Screening, or analytical examination
of the acquis, is the stage preparatory to accession
negotiations. It is vital since it forms the basis
for the bilateral negotiations between the European
Union and the various candidate countries.
The screening process is carried out
jointly by the Commission and each of the candidate
countries, allowing the latter to familiarise themselves
with the acquis and demonstrate their capacity
to put it into effect.
A further purpose of screening is
to identify those areas of the acquis in which
progress is needed if the candidate countries' legislation
is to be compatible with the Community rules. These
areas are divided into chapters, which are negotiated
individually.
A screening exercise may be carried
out during the accession negotiations if the acquis
has to be updated.
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Services
of general economic interest
Services of general economic interest
are commercial services of general economic utility,
on which the public authorities therefore impose specific
public-service obligations (Article 86 of the EC Treaty,
formerly Article 90). Transport, energy and communications
services are prime examples.
Article 16, which was written into
the EC Treaty by the Treaty of Amsterdam, acknowledges
the place occupied by services of general economic
interest in the shared values of the Union and their
role in promoting social and territorial cohesion.
Article 16 also states that such services must operate
on the basis of principles and conditions which enable
them to fulfil their functions.
Article 36 of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union requires the Union to
recognise and respect access to services of general
economic interest to promote the social and territorial
cohesion of the Union.
The Constitution currently being ratified
incorporates the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including
therefore Article 36. It also amends the existing
Article 16 of the EC Treaty by providing that the
Union and the Member States, each within their respective
competences and within the scope of application of
the Constitution, take care that services of general
economic interest operate on the basis of principles
and conditions, in particular economic and financial
conditions, which enable them to fulfil their missions.
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Simplification
of legislation
Simplifying legislation means weeding
out the superfluous by rigorously applying the principles
of necessity and proportionality. The exercise mainly
involves the recasting and formal or informal consolidation
of legislation.
This concept has grown in importance
in relation to the internal market since the White
Paper on the Completion of the Single Market. It was
highlighted by the Edinburgh European Council in 1992.
Over the past decade a concentrated effort has been
made to establish a market giving priority to the
four freedoms, but this has meant a wealth of European
legislation, simplification of which has now become
a priority in order to ensure that Community action
is transparent and effective. The pilot programme
(Simplification of Legislation for the Internal Market
— SLIM) covering four specific areas was launched
in May 1996 and has been reinforced by a multiannual
programme on the simplification and updating of Community
legislation adopted by the European Commission in
February 2003.
In response to the declaration on
the quality of the drafting of Community legislation
appended to the Final Act of the Intergovernmental
Conference (1997), an interinstitutional agreement
defining the guidelines for improving the quality
of the drafting of legislation was adopted in December
1998.
A new interinstitutional agreement which goes beyond
drafting quality alone and is entitled "Better Lawmaking"
was adopted in December 2003.
The European Constitution currently
being ratified provides for reinforcing the subsidiarity
and proportionality principles with a view to simplification.
It also simplifies legal instruments (reducing their
number) and legislative procedures (with codecision
becoming the general practice). The text of the Constitution
itself has been written with a concern for readability
and clarity to help the general public understand
it.
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Single
institutional framework
The single institutional framework
(Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union) is the
practical expression of the principle that there is
only one set of institutions. This implies that the
institutions serving the Union and the Community are
the same. These institutions thus play a part in the
decision-making process for the various pillars.
The existence of a single set of institutions
is one of the means used by the authors of the Treaties
to ensure coherence between the action of the Union
and that of the Community.
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Small and
medium-sized enterprises
At Community level, small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) are defined by a set of criteria
concerning the workforce, turnover and independence
of the business. In terms of the workforce alone,
a micro-enterprise has fewer than 10 employees, a
small enterprise fewer than 50 and a medium-sized
enterprise fewer than 250. The European Union has
specifically defined SMEs so that the benefits introduced
for their support are reserved for those businesses
which genuinely have the characteristics of such firms.
Small and medium-sized enterprises
account for more than 90% of all European enterprises
and are at the very heart of the European economy.
In line with the slogan "think small first" from the
European Charter for Small Enterprises (2000), the
Union is setting up a number of SME support measures
(access to funding, taxation, research, information
and communication technology, etc.) It has also established
a single, coherent policy framework for these various
measures, with the aim of realising the untapped potential
of SMEs for growth and job creation within the Union.
To ensure that the specific interests
and needs of SMEs are taken more fully into account
in European policies, a representative of the SMEs
acts as a link between them and the European Commission.
While the Union encourages using the
Community definition of SMEs as a reference, it is
binding only for certain matters, such as state aid,
implementing structural funds or Community programmes.
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Social
Charter (Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights
of Workers)
The Charter of the Fundamental Social
Rights of Workers, known as the Social Charter, was
adopted in 1989, in the form of a declaration by all
Member States except the United Kingdom, which did
not sign it until 1998. It is seen as a political
instrument containing "moral obligations" whose object
is to guarantee that certain social rights are respected
in the countries concerned. These relate primarily
to the labour market, vocational training, social
protection, equal opportunities and health and safety
at work. It also contains an explicit request to the
Commission to put forward proposals for translating
the content of the Social Charter into legislation.
The Social Charter has been followed up by action
programmes and specific legislative proposals.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights,
proclaimed in Nice on 7 December 2000 and incorporated
in full in the European Constitution (undergoing ratification),
includes the rights set out in this Social Charter.
See:
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Social
Policy Agreement
The Social Policy Agreement was signed
by 11 of the Member States in December 1991. The United
Kingdom opted out. It sets out the policy objectives
for which the 1989 Social Charter paved the way: promoting
employment, improving living and working conditions,
combating exclusion, developing human resources, etc.
It also lays down the procedure for adopting social
policy measures and acknowledges the vital part played
by management and labour in this field.
When it was signed, this Social Policy
Agreement was annexed to the Social Policy Protocol,
the mechanism by which the United Kingdom allowed
the other Member States to advance on the social policy
front without taking part itself.
Following the election of a new government
in May 1997, the United Kingdom announced that it
intended to drop its opt-out. The Social Policy Agreement
was then incorporated into the Social Chapter of the
EC Treaty through the Treaty of Amsterdam. This also
involved the formal abolition of the Social Policy
Protocol.
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Social
dialogue
Social dialogue is the term used to
describe the consultation procedures involving the
European social partners: the Union of Industrial
and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), the
European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation
(CEEP) and the European Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC).
It encompasses discussions, joint
action and sometimes negotiations between the European
social partners, and discussions between the social
partners and the institutions of the European Union.
The dialogue was started by the European
Commission in 1985, and Article 138 of the EC Treaty
(as amended by the Single European Act) formally requires
the Commission to develop it.
To date, fifteen joint opinions have
been delivered on economic growth, the introduction
of new technology, education, vocational training
and other subjects. The social dialogue may also lead
to contractual forms of relations, including agreements
which are implemented by the Council or by the social
partners themselves, on a proposal from the Commission.
There have so far been five cross-industry framework
agreements of this type, concerning parental leave,
part-time work, temporary work, telework and stress.
With a view to giving new impetus
to the European social dialogue, a Tripartite Social
Summit for Growth and Employment was set up in March
2003. It consists of high-ranking officials from the
Council Presidency and the Commission Presidency and
representatives of the European social partners. It
meets once per year, on the eve of the Spring European
Council which debates the economic and social situation
in the Union.
The role of the social partners and
of independent social dialogue is enshrined, for the
first time, in the European Constitution, which is
in the process of being ratified.
Article I-48 states that the European Union recognises
and promotes the role of the social partners, facilitating
dialogue between them and respecting their autonomy.
It also reiterates the role of the Tripartite Social
Summit for Growth and Employment in contributing to
the social dialogue.
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Social
partners
The Commission is required to consult
various social partners when it wishes to submit proposals
in this field (article 138 of the EC Treaty). This
social dialogue occurs via the three main cross-industry
organisations representing the social partners at
European level:
- the European Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC);
- the Union of Industrial and Employers'
Confederations of Europe (UNICE);
- the European Centre of Enterprises
with Public Participation (CEEP).
In addition to these three European
cross-industry organisations, there are many other
socio-professional groups representing specific or
sectoral interests.
It is the Commission's task to promote
consultation of the social partners and take any relevant
measures to facilitate their dialogue by ensuring
balanced support for the parties.
Before submitting proposals in the
field of social policy, the Commission consults the
social partners on the possible direction of EU action.
The social partners also play an important
role in the European Economic and Social Committee,
where they sit alongside other representatives of
civil society.
The role of the social partners and
of independent social dialogue is enshrined, for the
first time, in the constitutional Treaty, which is
in the process of being ratified.
Article I-48 states that the European
Union recognises and promotes the role of the social
partners, facilitating dialogue between them and respecting
their autonomy. It also reiterates the role of the
Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment
in contributing to the social dialogue.
See:
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Social
policy
The Treaty of Amsterdam incorporated
the Agreement on social policy signed by eleven Member
States into the Treaty establishing the European Community,
thus bringing a complicated situation to an end. Between
1993 and 1999, there were two distinct legal bases
for social policy: the EC Treaty itself and a separate
agreement that the United Kingdom had not signed.
Now, all the measures are brought together in Title
XI of the EC Treaty.
The social policy objectives defined
in the EC Treaty and included in the text of the European
Constitution were inspired by the 1961 European Social
Charter and the 1989 Community Charter of the Fundamental
Social Rights of Workers: promoting employment, improving
working conditions, proper social protection, social
dialogue, workforce training to achieve a high and
sustainable level of employment and combating exclusion.
Moreover, according to a general
clause created by the Constitution - which is currently
in the process of ratification - the Union must, in
the definition and implementation of its policies
and actions, guarantee proper social protection and
combat social exclusion.
The inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights in the European Constitution reinforces the
social dimension of Europe but does not create additional
powers for the Union. However, it must be respected
in the acts of the Member States and of the institutions
when they implement EU law.
In the new system of powers created
by the Constitution, social policy is a shared competence.
Depending on the area in question, three cases are
possible:
- a European law or framework law
establishes measures to encourage cooperation between
the Member States through initiatives aimed at improving
knowledge, developing exchanges of information and
best practices, promoting innovative approaches
and evaluating experiences (the open method of coordination);
- a European framework law establishes
minimum requirements, once the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions have
been consulted (ordinary legislative procedure);
- a European law or framework law
establishes minimum requirements adopted unanimously
by the Council, having consulted the European Parliament,
the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and
Social Committee.
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Stabilisation
and Association Process
The European Union's policy towards
the countries of the Western Balkans takes the form
of the Stabilisation and Association Process launched
at the Zagreb Summit in November 2000. The countries
concerned are: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia,
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro
and Serbia, including Kosovo as defined by resolution
1244 of the UN Security Council.
The process is intended to ensure
peace and stability in the region by providing support
for the strengthening of democracy and the rule of
law and the development of a market economy. It places
great stress on developing regional cooperation, e.g.
by a free trade area and political dialogue.
The purpose of the Stabilisation and
Association Process is to establish special relations
between the countries concerned and the Union in exchange
for reforms with a view to accession, which will involve
aligning their legislation more closely with that
of the Community. These countries are recognised as
potential candidates for Union membership.
The Stabilisation and Association
Process was strengthened at the Thessaloniki Summit
in 2003, taking over elements of the accession process.
It rests on:
- contractual relationships by means
of bilateral Stabilisation and Association Agreements
(SAA), the conclusion of which depends on the progress
made by the countries within the process; in this
connection, the evaluation of their application
for membership will be based on the results concerning
their compliance with the provisions, particularly
on trade;
- trade relations at regional level
and with the Union; the Union grants trade preferences
to the Western Balkans countries;
- a financial instrument, the Instrument
for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) for the period
2007 - 2013 (replacing the CARDS programme for 2000
- 2006).
The Western Balkans countries that
acquire candidate country status continue to benefit
from certain aspects of the Stabilisation and Association
process although they are engaged in the process of
accession.
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Stability
and Growth Pact
The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP)
pertains to the third stage of economic and monetary
union (EMU), which began on 1 January 1999. It is
intended to ensure that the Member States maintain
budgetary discipline after the single currency has
been introduced.
In formal terms, the Pact comprises
a European Council resolution (adopted at Amsterdam
on 17 June 1997) and two Council Regulations of 7
July 1997 laying down detailed technical arrangements
(one on the surveillance of budgetary positions and
the coordination of economic policies and the other
on implementing the excessive deficit procedure).
Following discussions on operation of the SGP, the
two regulations were amended in June 2005.
In the medium term, the Member States
undertook to pursue the goal of a balanced or nearly
balanced budget and to provide the Council and Commission
with a stability programme by 1 March 1999 (and update
it annually thereafter). Similarly, States not taking
part in the third stage of EMU, i.e. those that have
not (yet) introduced the euro, are required to submit
a convergence programme.
The Stability and Growth Pact opens
the way for the Council to penalise any participating
Member State that fails to take appropriate measures
to end an excessive deficit (the "excessive deficit
procedure"). Initially, the penalty would take the
form of a non-interest-bearing deposit with the Community,
but it could be converted into a fine if the excessive
deficit is not corrected within two years. However,
there is no fixed rule concerning these penalties:
they are subject to assessment of the circumstances
by the Council.
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State
aid
State aid means action by a (national,
regional or local) public authority, using public
resources, to favour certain undertakings or the production
of certain goods. A business that benefits from such
aid thus enjoys an advantage over its competitors.
Control of state aids thus reflects the need to maintain
free and fair competition within the European Union.
Aid which is granted selectively by
Member States or through state resources and which
may affect trade between Member States or distort
competition is therefore prohibited (Article 87 of
the Treaty establishing the European Community). State
aid may nonetheless be permitted if justified by objectives
of general interest: aid to promote the development
of disadvantaged areas or for services of general
economic interest, small and medium-sized enterprises,
research and development, environmental protection,
training, employment and culture.
The European Commission has the task
of keeping under review state aid granted by the Member
States, whether planned or already operational, in
order to ensure that it does not distort competition.
The Commission and the Court of Justice
have placed a very broad interpretation on the concept
of "aid" as regards the body granting it (the state
itself, a regional or local authority, a body over
which the state exercises a dominant influence, directly
or indirectly, a private company or a publicly owned
company operating under private law, etc.), its form
(direct or indirect aid, such as relief of a firm's
financial burdens) and its purpose.
A reform of the rules and procedures
concerning state aid is in hand. It proposes that
state aid should be less frequent and better targeted
in order to make a greater contribution to raising
the competitiveness of European industry and creating
lasting jobs.
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Statute
for Members of the European Parliament
Article 190 of the Treaty establishing
the European Community provides that the European
Parliament shall lay down the regulations and general
conditions governing the performance of the duties
of its Members after seeking an opinion from the Commission
and with the approval of the Council acting by a qualified
majority (except as regards taxation, for which unanimity
within the Council is required).
After nearly ten years of negotiations
between Parliament and the Council, new rules were
finally adopted in September 2005.
This new statute does away with the
differences in the remuneration of Members of the
European Parliament depending on their country of
origin, providing for a basic monthly salary of EUR
7 000, which is subject to Community tax. At present,
the MEPs are paid by the parliaments of their countries
of origin and generally receive the same salary as
their national counterparts.
The other main changes introduced
by the new regime are as follows:
- travelling expenses incurred in
the performance of the MEPs' duties to be reimbursed
on the basis of actual cost and not at a flat rate;
- MEPs' salaries to be paid from
the Community budget and no longer from national
budgets;
- retirement age to be set at 63,
the whole cost of pensions being borne by the European
Parliament;
- Member States to have the right
to tax MEPs' remuneration at a rate in accordance
with the national tax regime, in addition to the
Community tax levied.
The new rules will enter into force
on the first day of the Parliamentary session beginning
in 2009.
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Structural
Funds and Cohesion Fund
The Structural Funds and the Cohesion
Fund are the financial instruments of European Union
(EU) regional policy, which is intended to narrow
the development disparities among regions and Member
States. The Funds participate fully, therefore, in
pursuing the goal of economic, social and territorial
cohesion.
For the period 2007-2013, the budget
allocated to regional policy amounts to around €
348 billion, comprising € 278 billion for the
Structural Funds and € 70 billion for the Cohesion
Fund. This represents 35% of the Community budget
and is the second largest budget item.
There are two Structural Funds:
- the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) is currently the largest. Since 1975
it has provided support for the creation of infrastructure
and productive job-creating investment, mainly for
businesses;
- the European Social Fund (ESF),
set up in 1958, contributes to the integration into
working life of the unemployed and disadvantaged
sections of the population, mainly by funding training
measures.
In order to speed up economic, social
and territorial convergence, the European Union set
up a Cohesion Fund in 1994. It is intended for countries
whose per capita GDP is below 90% of the Community
average. The purpose of the Cohesion Fund is to grant
financing to environment and transport infrastructure
projects. However, aid under the Cohesion Fund is
subject to certain conditions. If the public deficit
of a beneficiary Member State exceeds 3% of national
GDP (EMU convergence criteria), no new project will
be approved until the deficit has been brought under
control.
These Funds will be used to finance
regional policy between 2007 and 2013 in the framework
of the three new objectives, namely:
- the "convergence" objective to
accelerate the convergence of the least developed
EU Member States and regions by improving growth
and employment conditions. This objective is financed
by the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund. It represents
81.5% of the total resources allocated. The co-financing
ceilings for public expenditure amount to 75% for
the ERDF and the ESF and 85% for the Cohesion Fund;
- the "regional competitiveness and
employment" objective to anticipate economic and
social change, promote innovation, entrepreneurship,
environmental protection and the development of
labour markets which include regions not covered
by the Convergence objective. It is financed by
the ERDF and the ESF and accounts for 16% of the
total allocated resources. Measures under this objective
can receive co-financing of up to 50% of public
expenditure;
- the "European territorial cooperation"
objective to strengthen cooperation at cross-border,
transnational and interregional levels in the fields
of urban, rural and coastal development, and foster
the development of economic relations and networking
between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This objective is financed by the ERDF and represents
2.5% of the total allocated resources. Measures
under the Territorial Cooperation objective can
receive co-financing of up to 75% of public expenditure.
Structural Fund and Cohesion Fund
support for the three objectives always involves co-financing.
The rates of co-financing may be reduced in accordance
with the "polluter pays" principle or where a project
generates income. All projects must of course comply
with EU legislation, particularly with regard to competition,
the environment and public procurement.
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Subsidiarity
The subsidiarity principle is intended
to ensure that decisions are taken as closely as possible
to the citizen and that constant checks are made as
to whether action at Community level is justified
in the light of the possibilities available at national,
regional or local level. Specifically, it is the principle
whereby the Union does not take action (except in
the areas which fall within its exclusive competence)
unless it is more effective than action taken at national,
regional or local level. It is closely bound up with
the principles of proportionality and necessity, which
require that any action by the Union should not go
beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives
of the Treaty.
The Edinburgh European Council of
December 1992 defined the basic principles underlying
subsidiarity and laid down guidelines for interpreting
Article 5, which enshrines subsidiarity in the EU
Treaty. Its conclusions were set out in a declaration
that still serves as the cornerstone of the subsidiarity
principle.
The Treaty of Amsterdam has taken
up the approach that follows from this declaration
in a Protocol on the application of the principles
of subsidiarity and proportionality annexed to the
EC Treaty. Two of the things this Protocol introduces
are the systematic analysis of the impact of legislative
proposals on the principle of subsidiarity and the
use, where possible, of less binding Community measures.
The European Constitution currently
being ratified provides for enhancing the subsidiarity
principle, in particular by means of an obligation
for the Union institutions to inform national parliaments
at all stages of the legislative procedure. The establishment
of an early-warning system regarding respect for the
subsidiarity principle will enable national parliaments
to ask the Commission to review a legislative proposal
if they consider that it violates the principle.
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Subsidiary
powers
Article 308 of the Treaty establishing
the European Community (EC Treaty) provides a measure
of flexibility with regard to the Community's areas
of competence. It thus allows the Community's powers
to be adjusted to the objectives laid down by the
Treaty when the latter has not provided the powers
of action necessary to attain them.
Article 308 of the EC Treaty thus
cannot be used as a legal basis unless the following
conditions are met:
- the action envisaged is "necessary
to attain, in the operation of the common market,
one of the objectives of the Community";
- no provision in the Treaty provides
for action to attain the objective.
Moreover, it is for the Council of
the European Union, acting unanimously on a proposal
from the Commission and after consulting the European
Parliament, to decide whether this Article should
be used.
Article 308 thus reflects awareness
on the part of those who drafted the Treaty of Rome
that the powers specifically conferred (functional
competence) might not be adequate for the purpose
of attaining the objectives expressly set by the Treaties
themselves (competence ratione materiae). It
cannot in any circumstances be used as a basis for
extending the areas of competence of the Community.
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Suspension
clause
The suspension clause was written
into the EU Treaty (Article 7) by the Treaty of Amsterdam.
Under this clause, some of a Member State's rights
(e.g. its voting rights in the Council) may be suspended
if it seriously and persistently breaches the principles
on which the Union is founded (liberty, democracy,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
and the rule of law). But its obligations would still
be binding.
The Treaty of Nice added a preventive
mechanism to this procedure. On a proposal by one
third of the Member States, by the Commission or by
the European Parliament, the Council, acting by a
majority of four fifths of its members after obtaining
the assent of the European Parliament, may determine
that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of
these fundamental principles by a Member State, and
address appropriate recommendations to it.
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Sustainable
development
The concept of sustainable development
refers to a form of development that meets present-day
needs without compromising the ability of future generations
to satisfy their own requirements. It aims to improve
individuals' living conditions whilst preserving their
environment in the short, medium and -- above all
-- long term. The objective of sustainable development
is threefold: development that is economically efficient,
socially fair and environmentally sustainable.
In May 2001, an EU strategy in favour
of sustainable development was adopted and in 2005
it was revised to give it new impetus. The global
partnership for sustainable development, adopted by
the Commission in 2002, gave it an external dimension.
The inclusion of environmental issues
in the definition and implementation of other policies
is essential for achieving the objective of sustainable
development. This principle was confirmed in the Treaty
of Maastricht and in the Cardiff Summit in 1998 and
formed the cornerstone for coordinated action at Community
level for the integration of environmental issues.
To promote sustainable development,
the public authorities must take appropriate measures
to limit the damaging effects of transport and the
risks to health, improve the management of natural
resources, in particular their consumption, and combat
social exclusion and poverty in Europe and the rest
of the world. They must also take measures to counter
climate change and limit its consequences.
The European Union and its Member
States are taking action to promote sustainable development
not only within the Union but also beyond its borders,
mainly through international bodies and at meetings
such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
which toThe concept of sustainable development refers
to a form of development that meets present-day needs
without compromising the ability of future generations
to satisfy their own requirements. It aims to improve
individuals' living conditions whilst preserving their
environment in the short, medium and -- above all
-- long term. The objective of sustainable development
is threefold: development which is economically efficient,
socially fair and environmentally sustainable.
In May 2001, an EU strategy in favour
of sustainable development was adopted and in 2005
it was revised to give it new impetus. The global
partnership for sustainable development, adopted by
the Commission in 2002, gave it an external dimension.
The inclusion of environmental issues
in the definition and implementation of other policies
is essential for achieving the objective of sustainable
development. This principle was confirmed in the Treaty
of Maastricht and in the Cardiff Summit in 1998 and
formed the cornerstone for coordinated action at Community
level for the integration of environmental issues.
To promote sustainable development,
the public authorities must take appropriate measures
to limit the damaging effects of transport and the
risks to health, improve the management of natural
resources, in particular their consumption, and combat
social exclusion and poverty in Europe and the rest
of the world. They must also take measures to counter
climate change and limit its consequences.
The European Union and its Member
States are taking action to promote sustainable development
not only within the Union but also beyond its borders,
mainly through international bodies and at meetings
such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
which took place in Johannesburg in August-September
2002.
See:
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