Democracy Impacts

V4 Seeks Greater National Control of EU Policy

July 25, 2016

EUobserver reports that, at a summit of the Visegrad Group of Central European countries that focused on driving a power shift from the European Commission to national governments in the EU Council, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo criticized the Commission for overriding the objections of governments to the EU's directive on posted workers.
EU Seeks Tough Emissions Restrictions on Members

July 22, 2016

Politico reports that the European Commission's proposed Effort Sharing Regulation, which seeks to meet its greenhouse gas emissions pledges under the recent UN climate deal, is facing blowback from governments on which the regulation imposes the toughest emissions restrictions.
UK Ministers Downplay EU Migration Targets

July 21, 2016

The Telegraph reports that British Government Ministers have declined to commit to a pledge from their party's manifesto to decrease migration to the "tens of thousands" following the UK's vote to leave the EU, instead promising to reduce migration into the country to "sustainable levels."
France Seeks Stronger EU Defense Cooperation

July 21, 2016

EurActiv reports that, in the wake of the July terror attack in Nice, French President François Hollande has been engaging with other leaders of EU member states in preparation for a September summit in Bratislava, Slovakia, on the future of the EU to advocate greater cooperation on defense capabilities and policies in the bloc.
EU Overrides National Objections to Posted Worker Legislation

July 21, 2016

The European Commission has overridden objections from 14 chambers of national parliaments in 11 EU member states asserting that an EU directive providing for equal pay between posted and local workers violates the bloc's principle of subsidiarity and will permit the legislation to proceed in the EU Council and Parliament.
EU Parliament Reports Call for "More Europe"

July 20, 2016

According to Politico, in the face of calls from EU leaders and member states to step back from EU federalism following the UK's vote to leave the bloc, Members of the European Parliament have produced a set of reports seeking more measures to solve problems at the EU level and treaty changes that bring more power to Brussels.
EU Seeks Standardized Asylum Rules

July 20, 2016

Politico reports that a European Commission proposal for reforming the EU's Common European Asylum System includes measures to standardize rules for dealing with asylum seekers across member states and using financial incentives for countries as part of a permanent refugee resettlement system.
UK Minister Floats EU Migrant Cut-off

July 20, 2016

The BBC reports that, in order to prevent a migration "surge," UK Secretary for Brexit David Davis has suggested that the UK might provide in the future for a migration cut-off that only permitted EU migrants entering the UK before a certain date to remain following Britain's exit from the bloc.
Activist Calls for Post-Brexit UK Socialist Model

July 19, 2016

Social and environmental activist George Lakey has published a piece calling on Britain to embrace new opportunities, unavailable under the EU system, to move toward "social democracy" and strong environmental policies following its vote to leave the bloc.
EU Official Declines Changes in Migration Program

July 18, 2016

Setting aside evidence that the bloc's migration policies were a major factor in Britain's vote to exit the EU, European Commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has pledged to continue the EU's program on mandatory resettlement of refugees and implementing "comprehensive" reforms strengthening the Common European Asylum System.