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Research Briefing
Debate on possible independence of Catalonia: key issues
The Catalan Government hopes to hold a "consultation" on Catalan independence on 9 November 2014., but the Spanish Government hopes to prevent it from going ahead. This note provides an overview of the debate.
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Research Briefing
France’s Front National (FN)
A brief profile of the far-right Front National (FN), led by Marine Le Pen, which obtained 24.9% of the vote in France in the recent European elections. This result was described as a “political earthquake.”
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Research Briefing
A new Commission President in 2014
Will David Cameron succeed in blocking the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker for European Commission President? Juncker has the support of most Member State governments but the UK Prime Minister thinks he is too integrationist and would not implement necessary reforms.
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Research Briefing
The European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament
In the European Parliament discussions are on-going about the formation of political groups. The European Conservatives and Reformists group, in which UK Conservatives are one of the largest parties, has recently admitted the Alternative fur Deutschland party, and there are fears that this might damage Anglo-German relations.
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Research Briefing
European Parliament Elections 2014
Elections to the European Parliament took place in 28 countries of the EU between 22 and 25 May 2014. In the United Kingdom, UKIP won 24 seats, Labour 20, the Conservatives 19, and the Green Party three. The Liberal Democrats won only one seat, down from 11 at the 2009 European election. The BNP lost the two seats they had won for the first time at the previous election.
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Research Briefing
European Parliament elections 2014
Voting in the 2014 European Parliament elections takes place across the EU from 22 to 25 May. In the United Kingdom, voting will be on Thursday 22 May 2014.
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Research Briefing
The European Union: a democratic institution?
The paper acknowledges the EU’s ‘democratic deficit’ and considers the causes of this. In the context of future EU Treaty reform, it considers possible remedies for the democratic deficit, including those proposed by the UK Government.
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Research Briefing
Democratic Legitimacy and the EU: reading list
Is the European Union democratic? There is a vast amount of academic literature and a range of political views on the subject of the EU’s democratic legitimacy and how it might be improved.
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Research Briefing
Is adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights a condition of European Union membership?
This Note looks at what the EU Treaties say about adherence to human rights provisions and considers different views on the compatibility of withdrawal from the European Convention with continued EU membership.
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Research Briefing
Burma: recent political and security developments
Burma’s international rehabilitation continues. However, critics argue that the pace of this rehabilitation is too fast because the outcome of the current Constitutional review process is not yet clear; a durable peace deal with the country’s ethnic insurgencies has not been achieved; and inter-communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims persists. There has been criticism of the UK Government for providing some training for the Burmese military.
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Research Briefing
The Commission Work Programme 2014
The European Commission's Work Programme for 2014 sets out four priority areas in which it intends to act: economic and monetary union, sustainable growth, justice and security and external action. The UK Government broadly supports the programme but has some specific concerns and reservations.
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Research Briefing
EU Enforcement of Free Movement of People Rules
What action has the EU taken to enforce freedom of movement throughout the EU?
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Research Briefing
The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy: A Fresh Impetus?
The European Council Summit is due to be held on 19-20 December 2013. Among the main issues for debate is the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). It will be the first time in five years that EU leaders have comprehensively discussed EU defence policy, amid criticisms that CSDP has lost momentum due to a lack of consensus over its strategic direction, an unwillingness on the part of Member States to commit the necessary resources and the prevailing economic crisis which has seen defence budgets fall across Europe and capabilities cut.
Total results (page 12 of 17)