Democracy Impacts

EU Committee Seeks Strengthening of Biodiversity Action

July 17, 2017

The European Committee of the Regions recently touted its role in supporting the development by the European Commission of an "action plan" to bolster its Birds and Habitats Directives in an effort toward meeting the EU's biodiversity targets for the year 2020.
EU Explores Future Role in Social Policy

July 17, 2017

Highlighting its growing role as a policy-setter in the realm of labor rights and social protection policy, the European Commission recently published a "reflection paper" on the "social dimension of Europe" to set the stage for discussion on how the EU can best contribute to the development of the best social policy within the bloc.
EU Council Agrees to Strengthened Gun Restrictions

July 14, 2017

In an effort to align EU firearms policy with a relevant UN Protocol, the Council of the EU recently adopted a directive bolstering restrictions on the ownership of certain types of guns and placing new duties on gun dealers to register all firearms-related transactions.
Reports Evaluate National Implementation of EU Law

July 14, 2017

In two recently released reports, the European Commission warned of increases in the incorrect application of EU legislation by national governments and ranked countries regarding their compliance with and implementation of "single market" rules.
Kelly: Trump Warsaw Speech Echoes Warnings of Historians

July 13, 2017

Jim Kelly of Solidarity Center for Law and Justice explains how the speech President Donald Trump delivered in Warsaw, Poland defending Western Civilization echoes the warnings of the "meta-historians" Arnold Toynbee and Oswald Spengler.
UK Committee Seeks Tight Bonds with EU on Energy, Climate

July 13, 2017

The UK House of Commons' Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee recently issued a report calling on Britain, as part of its Brexit strategy, to bind itself to the EU's internal energy market, the atomic energy community Euratom, and the EU's carbon emissions trading market after its departure from the bloc.
Official: ECJ May Monitor Future UK-EU Security Cooperation

July 13, 2017

The Guardian reports that Sir Julian King, the EU official from the UK who handles the European Commission's security agenda, recently warned that maintaining access to the current structure of security and law enforcement cooperation in the EU would require post-Brexit Britain to effectively accept the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) over some of its decisions.
UK Official Criticizes Scottish Calls to Remain in EU Market

July 13, 2017

Reuters reports that, prior to the recent British general election, the UK's Brexit Secretary David Davis warned in a letter to the Scottish government that there were "clear barriers" to calls from Scotland to remain in the EU "single market" even after the departure of the rest of the UK that would result in "significant disruption to the internal UK market."
MEP Threatens to Veto UK Deal over EU Citizens Proposal

July 12, 2017

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s (EP) Brexit coordinator, has warned that the EP will veto any Brexit deal between the EU and UK containing Britain's current proposal for permitting EU citizens to remain in the country, characterizing the UK proposal as relegating EU nationals to the status of "second-class citizens" and calling for EU courts to retain jurisdiction in British territory.
Trump Signals Support for Post-Brexit UK-US Trade Deal

July 12, 2017

After meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to reach a trade deal with the UK “very, very quickly” after Britain leaves the EU.