The EU parliament (the supposed democratic heart of the EU) can’t propose its own legislation. It can only approve, reject or make minor adjustments to legislation handed down by the unelected European Commission. The European Commission itself gets its instructions from the “Eurogroup” which consists of a few unelected wealthy finance ministers that offer no transparency of their meetings.
##A “competitive free market economy” is mandatory for EU member states (https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/international-economic-relations/candidate-and-neighbouring-countries/enlargement/economic-accession-criteria_en)
##Neoliberal TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) articles:
Article 81 Prohibits government intervention in the economy “which may affect trade between member states”
Article 107 Prohibits state aid to strategic national industries
Article 121 Gives the European Council and European Commission the right to “Formulate … the broad guidelines of the economic policies of the member states and of the union”
Article 126 Regulates the disciplinary measures to be adopted in case of excessive deficit
Article 151 Says that the EU’s Labour and Social Policy shall take account of the need to “Maintain the competitiveness of the union economy”
“There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties”
- Jean-Claude Juncker (Former president of the European Commission)
There’s both (and some other minor types nobody gives a shit about) - Regulations are immediatly binding when they come into effect, usually they come with some opening clauses so every member state can adopt some regulation to national laws and structure, i.e. most states have one data protection authority and germany has 18.
Then there’s directives, which must be codified into national law within the given time limit. If they aren’t they also become directly applicable though and the EU will start a breach of contract procedure and eventually fine you per each day you ballsed it.