Aims & Policymaking of the European Union

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Aims of the European Union

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of countries in Europe which is based on the free movement of people, goods, capital and services between member states.

Four freedoms

The EU has “four freedoms” which are the basis of the EU. The EU aims to integrate its member states using the four freedoms.
The four freedoms are free movement of goods, free movement of capital, free movement of workers and the freedom to provide and establish services.
The freedoms were outlined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome which established the European Economic Community.

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Member states must account for the Charter of Fundamental Rights when incorporating EU law into national law and in matters concerning EU law.
The rights listed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights include the right to life, private and family life, the right to vote, a fair trial, freedom of religion, expression and assembly among many others.

Political and Economic Union

The EU has moved towards becoming a Political and Economic Union by introducing the Euro and reducing the veto powers of national governments.
The euro was introduced as a common currency, and by 2026, 20 EU member states use it.
Some policy areas, such as taxation and treaty change, still require unanimity.

The EU is involved in policy-making through treaties, directives, regulations and rulings of the European Court of Justice. The European Commission ensures that all EU members apply EU law and policy.

Policy: treaties and regulations

Treaties are binding agreements made between EU member states, which set out EU institutions' rules, the relationship of member states with the Union, and the objectives of the EU.
- An example of an EU treaty is the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam.
Regulations are binding legal acts that apply immediately to all EU member states.
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was designed to strengthen data protection for all individuals within the EU and applied to all member states from May 2018.

Policy: directives and rulings

Directives set out goals which all EU member states must achieve. _ Directives give member states the power to decide how to reach those goals through their own laws.
- The Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) set goals for member states to reduce industrial emissions, which member states were required to implement from 2013.
The European Court of Justice enforces EU law by hearing cases from the European Commission against national governments that have failed to comply with EU law.

The Common Fisheries Policy

The Common Fisheries Policy outlines the rules for managing stocks of fish and fishing fleets in Europe.
The Common Fisheries Policy aims to preserve fish stocks by setting quotas on the amounts of certain types of fish that each member state is allowed to catch.
The Common Fisheries Policy provides funding to support fishermen and gives EU fleets the same level of access to all waters within the EU.

Impact on the UK

In the UK, the Common Fisheries Policy was viewed as unfair on fishermen in certain areas who had their quotas bought up by fishermen from other countries.
Some in the UK viewed equal access for all EU fishermen to UK waters as unfair, given the UK's comparatively large fishing zone.
- The UK left the Common Fisheries Policy when the Brexit transition period ended in December 2020, becoming an independent coastal state responsible for managing its own waters.

Impact on the UK

The Social Chapter can be argued to have eroded the UK's sovereignty by introducing laws and regulations which UK businesses had to follow.
The Working Time Directive set EU rules on weekly working hours and a minimum number of holiday days; the UK retained these provisions after Brexit through the Working Time Regulations.
Many UK businesses opposed the Social Chapter because it increased their labour costs and made them less competitive than businesses in countries with less stringent regulations.