Author Archives: JamesPCross

By Suzanne Rowe Article 2 of the TEU states that the EU is “founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities”. It is considered that these values are common to all Member States andContinue reading “Rule of Law Conditionality on EU Funds: Why this addition to the rule of law toolbox is important in addressing rule of law backsliding in the EU”

By Nicola Mc Grath The European Parliament (EP) has been able to amend legislation since the entry into force of the Single European Act in July 1987, thereby incorporating certain interests and policy aims in the decision making process. Since 2008, the European Union’s (EU) political parties and foundations can receive private financial donations asContinue reading “Interest Groups: Some say donations others say bribes – What is the money really for?”

By Dovile Milisauskaite Since the fall of its communist regime in 1990, the Balkan nation of Albania has worked toward a clear goal: European integration. The country, which was isolated economically and politically from the rest of the world just 20 years ago, has been an official candidate for accession to the European Union since 2014.Continue reading “How is public health expenditure hindering Albania from EU accession?”

By Ekaterina Tarasova Since the accession of the Law and Justice party (PiS) in 2015, Poland has been engaged in democratic backsliding – a process defined as the deliberate undermining of liberal democratic values and the system of checks and balances by the domestic elite in order to achieve its long-term hegemony (Pech and Scheppele,Continue reading “The One that got away? How Poland is sidelining the EU’s anti-authoritarianism measures.”

By Elena Devereux With a considerable rise in the social awareness of human rights issues/violations globally, many have alerted attention to how international organizations such as the EU use their power to aid or tackle these situations. Whilst some argue that the EU’s use of trade deals and specific stipulations relating to human rights isContinue reading “The EU and Upholding Human Rights: Are Trade Deal Stipulations Enough?”

By Isabella Newton With the steep decline of democracy in Poland and Hungary, the effectiveness of the Copenhagen Criteria at ensuring integration has been called into question. Does the Criteria ensure integration as it did in the case of Croatia or has it failed as occurred in Poland? In this blog post, it will firstlyContinue reading “The Copenhagen Criteria: Coping with Integration?”

By Cara Mooney The Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), first introduced in 2011 and relaunched in 2016 is an attempt by the Commission to harmonise corporate taxation within the EU, to provide a sort of ‘one stop shop’ if you will. The Lisbon Goals, declared in March 2000 aimed for the European Union toContinue reading “The Commission’s ‘one stop shop’ of Corporate Tax Harmonisation – Why the CCCTB Proposals are desirable for EU Integration.”

By Alan Kelly Many commentators have argued that Irish participation in PESCO amounts to de-facto NATO membership, and marks an end to our traditional policy of Military Neutrality. This is not the case. This blogpost will show that PESCO membership falls squarely within the Irish definition of military neutrality. It will assess exactly what PESCOContinue reading “Why PESCO Membership Does not Threaten Irelands Policy of Military Neutrality”

By Eva McCarthy With the discussion of a trade deal between the EU and the U.S. back on the table, the EU faces a crucial decision about whether to prioritise its environmental obligations or future impacts on trade. The EU has stated that it cannot trade with a country outside of the Paris Agreement. ButContinue reading “Are the re-emergence of EU/U.S. trade talks a sign that trade remains the EU’s foremost priority?”