Europe Archives

Debate Pack

Debate Pack: Reform of Common Fisheries Policy

Tuesday, 08 September, 2015

This debate pack has been compiled ahead of the debate on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy to be held on Thursday 10 September 2015 at 3pm in Westminster Hall. The Member in charge of the debate is Rt. Hon. Mr Alistair Carmichael MP. Debate packs are produced quickly after the announcement of parliamentary business. They are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issue being debated and identify relevant briefings and useful documents, including press and parliamentary material. More detailed briefing can be prepared for MPs on request to the Library.
Research Briefing

Migration pressures in Europe

Tuesday, 08 September, 2015

The crisis over deaths in of migrants in the Mediterranean has brought calls for decisive action from the EU.
Research Briefing

Cuba and the United States – how close can they get?

Tuesday, 18 August, 2015

Since December 2014, when the Presidents of the US and Cuba announced the beginning of a rapprochement, there have been developments on both sides. The US has eased travel and commerce restrictions; in April the two leaders met in person and in May 2015 the US officially lifted its designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. In July both countries opened embassies in the other country. But much remains to be done before relations can be considered 'normal' and it is far from clear how close the two countries will get. This note looks at what has happened so far and obstacles to be overcome.
Research Briefing

The 1974-75 UK Renegotiation of EEC Membership and Referendum

Monday, 13 July, 2015

Why did the UK Government decide to renegotiate the UK's terms of EEC membership in 1974-75? What was the outcome of the negotiations and what did the Referendum Bill say? This briefing looks at the Labour Government's renegotiation and indicates where there are parallels with the present Government's renegotiation agenda.
Research Briefing

European banking union

Monday, 29 June, 2015

This note brings together the main documents and developments regarding the EU's pan-Community supervisory and recovery mechanism for members’ banking sectors - the Banking Union. Significant new measures were approved of in December 2013 it faces a severe test in respect to Greece in 2015..
Research Briefing

European Union (Finance) Bill 2015-16

Thursday, 18 June, 2015

The Commons Library's briefing note on the European Union (Finance) Bill 2015-16.
Research Briefing

Measures to limit migrants’ access to benefits

Wednesday, 17 June, 2015

Following an article by the Prime Minister’s in the Financial Times on 27 November 2013 in which he said he shared concerns about the impact of lifting transitional restrictions on the right of Romanian and Bulgarian right to work in the UK from 1 January 2014, the Government has introduced a raft of measures “to tighten up our EEA migration rules to ensure our welfare system is not taken advantage of.”
Research Briefing

EU Treaty change: the parliamentary process of bills

Monday, 15 June, 2015

How does Parliament deal with EU Treaty amendments? Is primary legislation needed to implement them? This briefing looks at the parliamentary process of bills linked to the ratification of EU Treaty amendments and compares the amount of time spent on the major EU Treaties since the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973.
Research Briefing

Turkey’s 2015 elections: a change of direction?

Wednesday, 10 June, 2015

What's next for Turkey? The AKP has lost power after 13 years in government, following a surge in support for the Kurdish HDP. Coalition negotiations may be underway, but fresh elections loom, and the uncertainty is likely to damage Turkey.
Research Briefing

Comparative Prison Sentences in the EU

Monday, 08 June, 2015

This briefing provides a downloadable tool which allows the user to make a graphical comparison of unsuspended custodial sentences for like crimes across the EU. Two countries may be selected for comparison of nine different offence types, with graphs showing the percentage of custodial sanctions awarded by sentence length.
Research Briefing

European Union Referendum Bill 2015-16

Wednesday, 03 June, 2015

The European Union Referendum Bill 2015-16 requires the holding of a referendum on the UK’s EU membership before the end of 2017. This paper provides information about the provisions in the Bill.
Research Briefing

Key Issues for the 2015 Parliament

Tuesday, 19 May, 2015

This book examines the key issues facing the House of Commons over the course of the 2015 Parliament - from the public finances to the UK’s membership of the EU and from school places for children to climate change.
Research Briefing

Regulating the web: The open internet and net neutrality

Monday, 18 May, 2015

Net neutrality is the concept that all information and services should have equal and open access online without regard to content, destination or source. Both net neutrality—and the associated concept of the ‘open internet’—are considered to be founding principles of the World Wide Web. Concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are looking to circumvent net neutrality principles—deciding how fast data will be transmitted and at what quality—have led to campaigns to explicitly legislate for net neutrality. Without net neutrality campaigners fear a two-tiered service with fast and slow lanes could develop. In the past few years, the EU and other countries have attempted to explicitly legislate to ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in a net neutral fashion.
Research Briefing

Further proposals to restrict migrants’ access to benefits

Friday, 20 March, 2015

In his keynote speech on immigration on 28 November 2014, the Prime Minister set out plans to secure agreement on changes to European law on free movement of persons in order to allow the UK to, among other things, deny EEA migrants in-work benefits for four years and prevent Child Benefit being paid for children living abroad. Proposals to further restrict EEA migrants’ access to benefits have also been put forward by Labour and by the Liberal Democrats.
Research Briefing

Reforming the EU: UK plans, proposals and prospects

Monday, 16 March, 2015

Prime Minister David Cameron would like to reform the EU and renegotiate the UK’s relationship with it, before holding an in/out referendum in 2017 if a Conservative government is elected in May 2015. The UK’s new relationship with the EU would be put to the electorate, who would decide whether the UK should remain in the EU under new terms or be the first Member State to leave the EU. This Note looks at what the Government is doing to tackle some of the perceived weaknesses of EU policy and procedures and looks at prospects for future reform.

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