EU law and treaties Archives

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.
Research Briefing

EU obligations: UK implementing legislation since 1993

Saturday, 31 January, 2015

How much UK law implements EU obligations? This is virtually impossible to answer accurately, but approximate calculations can be made using law databases.
Research Briefing

The UK in the European Union: in brief

Monday, 15 December, 2014

What has happended in the European Economic Community since the UK joined in 1973?
Research Briefing

Main Treaty amendments since the UK joined the EEC

Tuesday, 09 December, 2014

Many argue that the EU is a far cry from what the UK signed up to in 1973. This note looks at the major Treaty changes since the UK joined the EEC in 1973.
Research Briefing

Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) Bill 2014-15

Thursday, 27 November, 2014

The Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) Bill is a Private Members’ Bill presented by Christopher Chope. The Bill makes provision “to restrict the entitlement of non-UK Citizens from the European Union and the European Economic Area to taxpayer-funded benefits.” The Bill provides that the restrictions on entitlement are “notwithstanding the provisions of the European Communities Act 1972.”
Research Briefing

The UK’s EU surcharge

Wednesday, 12 November, 2014

Debate over the UK’s EU budget surcharge of £1.63bn1 has raged since the end of October, culminating in an urgent question in the House on Monday (11th November). The Chancellor of the Exchequer claims to have, amongst other things, halved the surcharge – his opponents say that this is based on a rebate which was
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Research Briefing

The UK block opt-out in police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters: recent developments

Monday, 10 November, 2014

The UK Government would like to opt back into 35 measures in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters adopted before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, but will the other EU Member States agree unanimously on this? Will the Government manage to get approval for the draft regulations published on 6 November which complete the transposition of 11 of the 35 opt-back-ins?
Research Briefing

Making EU law into UK law

Wednesday, 22 October, 2014

EU law becomes part of UK law by means of primary or secondary legislation (Act of Parliament, Order or Statutory Instrument) or by administrative rules. This note looks at the procedures for transposing EU law in the UK.
Research Briefing

European Union (Referendum) Bill

Wednesday, 15 October, 2014

This Private Member’s Bill was introduced to the Commons on 2 July 2014 and requires the holding of a referendum on the UK’s continued membership of the European Union (EU) before the end of 2017. This Paper has been prepared as a guide in advance of the second reading on Friday 17 October.
Research Briefing

EU Institutional Appointments in 2014

Thursday, 11 September, 2014

The EU has just appointed four new institutional leaders: the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This Note looks at the background to the four recent appointments.
Research Briefing

A new Commission President in 2014

Tuesday, 24 June, 2014

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

Auditing the EU accounts

Tuesday, 24 June, 2014

A common complaint from the UK press is that the EU accounts have not been “signed off” (for example, see articles from the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and the BBC). In fact, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has signed off the accounts for each year up to 2012 – although it has never given a
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Research Briefing

How much legislation comes from Europe?

Monday, 02 June, 2014

In a television debate on Europe in March 2014 between the UK Independence Party leader, Nigel Farage, and the Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, the amount of UK legislation that originates in Europe was raised. Nick Clegg said that only 7% of UK legislation was based on EU law, citing as
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Research Briefing

EU bibliographies: Food safety legislation: review package

Friday, 23 May, 2014

This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposals to strengthen and simplify health and safety standards for the whole agri-food chain and their scrutiny in the UK and EU, published on 6 May 2013. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on policy developments contact Emma Downing on extn 6787.

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