2014 – 035 The EU control over the UK expands.

On the 1st November 2014 the right of Parliament to legislate over us in 43 areas, the important ones, will be removed and be made subject to approval via QMV,  or Qualified Majority Voting.

Falling for the meme that has been floating around on diverse websites, including this one, we see the myth perpetrated that: “On the 1st November 2014 the right of Parliament to legislate over us in 43 areas … will be removed and be made subject to … QMV”.

Included in a magical mystery list is Article 50 of the TEU – that which relates to the procedures for leaving the EU – the supposed removal of the veto translated as making the withdrawal of a member state conditional on QMV. Needless to say, there are no original sources cited for the assertions.

In fact, there is no loss of veto coming into force on 1 November. The change over from unanimous voting to QMV in about 40 areas has already taken place. It came with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009, so these changes have already been in place for nearly five years.

What does change on 1 November 2014 is that a there is a new system of QMV. A new “double majority” will apply when, according to Article 16 of the consolidated treaty, “a qualified majority shall be defined as at least 55% of the members of the Council, comprising at least fifteen of them and representing Member States comprising at least 65% of the population of the Union”.
Dr Richard North.

The following areas of competence will switch from requiring unanimous approval of all member states to qualified majority voting only:

Initiatives of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbonn: QMV
Administrative co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Asylum – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV

Border controls – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QQMV

Citizens’ initiative regulations – Nicce: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Civil protection – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Committee of the Regions – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Common defence policy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbonn: QMV
Crime prevention incentives – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal judicial co-operation – NNice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal law – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Culture – Nice: Unanimity;; Lisbon: QMV

Diplomatic & Consular protection – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV

Economic & Social Committee – Nice: QMV Lisbon: QMV
Emergency international aid – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV
Energy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV