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MATSEC SEC European Studies study materials
MATSEC SEC European Studies study resources

MATSEC SEC European Studies: Contemporary European Issues and Citizenship

MATSEC SEC European Studies · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Contemporary European Issues and Citizenship

The exam tests your ability to link current policy debates to the legal framework and to show how citizens actually participate.

The policy agenda

  • Climate: the European Green Deal, the 2021 European Climate Law (net 55% cut by 2030, climate neutrality by 2050), the Fit for 55 package, and national energy and climate plans.
  • Digital: Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, AI Act, and data and platform rules.
  • Migration: the New Pact on Migration and Asylum adopted in 2024, with a solidarity mechanism and an external dimension; the Central Mediterranean route is Malta's frontline issue.
  • Rule of law: Article 7 TEU procedures, the rule-of-law conditionality regulation, and country-specific Parliament resolutions.
  • Enlargement and neighbourhood: candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova in 2022 with talks opened in 2024, the Western Balkans, and the post-Brexit EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
  • Funding: NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Citizenship in practice

Rights used in daily life: voting in European elections (Malta's most recent in June 2024), standing as a candidate, the European Citizens' Initiative, petitions to the Parliament, complaints to the European Ombudsman, and reliance on the Charter when EU law is implemented.

Worked example

An NGO wants a European law on plastic waste. Reasoning: only the Commission holds the legislative initiative. A citizens' initiative can request it, but needs a citizens' committee of seven EU residents, one million verified signatures with minimum thresholds in at least seven member states, and registration with the Commission. The Commission must respond and explain its decision, but it is not obliged to propose the law.

Traps

  • Treating the Green Deal as a treaty: it is a policy strategy delivered through regulations and directives.
  • Assuming the EU can legislate on anything; competences are conferred, and health, culture, tourism and education are supporting competences.
  • Confusing the ECHR (Council of Europe) with the EU Charter in asylum or free-expression cases.