Monday, February 9, 2009

2-9-09 Notes

Notes from 2-9-09

- Parliament can dismiss entire European commission, but it has never been done
- Parliament can't appoint individual commissioners
- Parliament holds some budgetary powers: can only determine small percentage of expidentures however
- Two treaties gave Parliament some powers on minor issues. Parliament has the power to investigate the conduct of the European Union (EU) and its governing bodies
- EU Unification : admission of 10 Eastern European countries in 2004 (countries had formally been in the Soviet Union block)
- The EU attempts to draft a constitution to glue the 27 member states together. The constitution was supposed to be done and ratified by 2006, but a referendum vote in 2005 rejected the constitution, so other nations put their ratifications on hold
- December of 2005, EU launched first satellite (spent $4.5 billion)
- December 2008, EU has plans to reduce greenhouse gas by 20%, and plans to use 20% more renewable resources by 2020. This plan is called the 20-20-20 plan.
- Recently, EU has given up on the constitution, and is now trying it a treaty. So far, 18 nations have ratified the Lisbon treaty, and more are predicted to follow. Ireland voted against ratifying the treaty

We have a test tomorrow!

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