Democracy Impacts

Lawyer Examines “Terrible” Consequences of Delaying Brexit

February 14, 2019

British barrister Martin Howe QC explains why a lengthy delay in the Brexit process would cause a litany of legal problems related to the UK’s representation within the EU and practical problems related to the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
EC Begins Work Toward €13-Billion Defense Project

February 13, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has begun partnering with EU member states to fund “joint industrial projects in the field of defence” with the aim of ramping up financing to establish a €13-billion European Defence Fund in the 2021-2027 EU budget period.
EC Reflects on Strategies to Achieve SDGs

February 06, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has published a “reflection paper” setting out options for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Europe by 2030, including one scenario in which the EC develops an “overarching” SDGs strategy guiding EU institutions and the member states.
EU Struggles to Agree Common Foreign Policy

February 05, 2019

An article in Politico highlights how the difficulty for EU member states to agree a common position on foreign policy issues, including on the situation in Venezuela and the disintegration of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, may nudge EU leaders toward deciding foreign policy positions on a non-unanimous basis.
UK Official Floats Potential Delay in Brexit

February 05, 2019

The BBC reports that UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has indicated the UK and the EU may need to agree to a delay in Brexit to accommodate the need to pass the appropriate legislation for Britain to withdraw from the supranational organization.
EC Seeks UK Budget Contributions in Case of No-Deal Brexit

February 05, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has adopted a set of contingency measures meant to apply in the case of a “no-deal” Brexit, including provisions securing continued EU funding for UK beneficiaries if Britain reciprocates by “honouring its financial obligations under the EU budget.”
UK Parliament Votes in Favor of Post-Brexit Migration Restrictions

February 04, 2019

The UK Parliament has voted in favor of legislation setting out the country’s policy on immigration after Brexit, ending free movement by citizens of EU member states and requiring them to apply for a “Temporary Leave to Remain” to stay in the UK longer than three months.
Committee: UK “Cannot” Pursue No-Deal Brexit

February 04, 2019

The UK House of Commons’ Exiting the EU Committee recently published a response to the rejection of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposal EU withdrawal deal warning that leaving the EU without a negotiated deal “cannot be allowed to happen,” citing economic disruption and uncertainty regarding rights protections.
EP Member Seeks British Rethinking of Brexit

February 04, 2019

In a recent interview, the European Parliament’s (EP) representative on Brexit issues Guy Verhofstadt expressed optimism that the British Parliament would prevent a “no-deal” withdrawal from the EU and potentially “agree to a closer relationship” with the bloc that includes membership in a customs union and a single market.
EP Measure Seeks Ideology-Based Limit on Party Groupings

January 31, 2019

Politico reports that the European Parliament is voting this week on a measure that would limit EP political party groupings, which receive EU resources and privileges in the body, to coalitions of national parties perceived to share a “political affinity,” sparking objections that the measure targets recently formed euroskeptic party groupings.