Research Briefing
A brief profile of the far-right Front National (FN), led by Marine Le Pen, which obtained 24.9% of the vote in France in the recent European elections. This result was described as a “political earthquake.”
Research Briefing
Will David Cameron succeed in blocking the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker for European Commission President? Juncker has the support of most Member State governments but the UK Prime Minister thinks he is too integrationist and would not implement necessary reforms.
Research Briefing
In the European Parliament discussions are on-going about the formation of political groups. The European Conservatives and Reformists group, in which UK Conservatives are one of the largest parties, has recently admitted the Alternative fur Deutschland party, and there are fears that this might damage Anglo-German relations.
Research Briefing
Elections to the European Parliament took place in 28 countries of the EU between 22 and 25 May 2014. In the United Kingdom, UKIP won 24 seats, Labour 20, the Conservatives 19, and the Green Party three. The Liberal Democrats won only one seat, down from 11 at the 2009 European election. The BNP lost the two seats they had won for the first time at the previous election.
Research Briefing
Voting in the 2014 European Parliament elections takes place across the EU from 22 to 25 May. In the United Kingdom, voting will be on Thursday 22 May 2014.
Research Briefing
The paper acknowledges the EU’s ‘democratic deficit’ and considers the causes of this. In the context of future EU Treaty reform, it considers possible remedies for the democratic deficit, including those proposed by the UK Government.
Research Briefing
Is the European Union democratic? There is a vast amount of academic literature and a range of political views on the subject of the EU’s democratic legitimacy and how it might be improved.
Research Briefing
This Note looks at what the EU Treaties say about adherence to human rights provisions and considers different views on the compatibility of withdrawal from the European Convention with continued EU membership.
Research Briefing
Burma’s international rehabilitation continues. However, critics argue that the pace of this rehabilitation is too fast because the outcome of the current Constitutional review process is not yet clear; a durable peace deal with the country’s ethnic insurgencies has not been achieved; and inter-communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims persists. There has been criticism of the UK Government for providing some training for the Burmese military.
Research Briefing
The European Commission's Work Programme for 2014 sets out four priority areas in which it intends to act: economic and monetary union, sustainable growth, justice and security and external action. The UK Government broadly supports the programme but has some specific concerns and reservations.
Research Briefing
What action has the EU taken to enforce freedom of movement throughout the EU?
Research Briefing
The European Council Summit is due to be held on 19-20 December 2013. Among the main issues for debate is the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). It will be the first time in five years that EU leaders have comprehensively discussed EU defence policy, amid criticisms that CSDP has lost momentum due to a lack of consensus over its strategic direction, an unwillingness on the part of Member States to commit the necessary resources and the prevailing economic crisis which has seen defence budgets fall across Europe and capabilities cut.
Research Briefing
This note, prepared for the parliamentary debate on 15 July 2013, looks briefly at the current situation regarding the UK's 2014 decision on justice and home affairs measures and lists the 35 measures the Government would like to opt back into.
Research Briefing
The Treaty on European Union provides for a Member State to leave the EU, either on the basis of a negotiated withdrawal agreement or without one. If the UK were to leave the EU following a referendum, it is likely that the Government would negotiate an agreement with the EU, which would probably contain transitional arrangements as well as provide for the UK’s long-term future relations with the EU. There is no precedent for such an agreement, but it would in all likelihood come at the end of complex and lengthy negotiations.
Total results (page 14 of 19)