In the tumultuous political climate following Brexit, the European integration lives on borrowed time. With the ever-increasing need for democratic legitimacy on the EU stage, the ‘Early Warning Mechanism’ is viewed by many as the last salvation. Since its introduction to the EU with the Treaty of Lisbon of 2007, it has been used to trigger a subsidiarity test three times, issuing so called ‘yellow cards’ to the Commission, and forcing it to review its proposal on grounds of subsidiarity. However, the Commission has ruled in favor of itself at every instance, making both the EU and the Member States question its efficiency. By presenting the three yellow cards, this study aims to scrutinize the Commission’s and the Member States’ involvement in the EWM while discussing their views on subsidiarity as a whole.

This essay studies the national parliaments' reasoned opinions at the early warning mechanism. The study aim to declare if there is any variation in which national parliaments who is active in the early warning mechanism, and if there is a variation in type of bills in the early warning mechanism. These study also wants to describe some variation in how the national parliaments argued in the reasoned opinions. The study gives an enhanced understanding of the importance and legitimacy of the early warning mechanism and the reasoned opinions. The result shows that there is a certain group of parliaments who are more active and these are with few exceptions EU 15 countries. The study also shows that there is some kind of bills that is more prevalent than others, there is however some variation. There is also a wide variation in the arguments raised in the reasoned opinions. The results indicate that the national parliaments varies greatly in managing the reasoned opinions and it gives a negatively impacton the early warning mechanism. / Studien granskar de nationella parlamentens motiverade yttranden inom ramen för EU:s subsidiaritetsgranskning. Studiens syfte är att beskriva en möjlig variation angående  vilka nationella parlamenten som är aktiva inom subsidiaritetsgranskningen. Studiens syfte är även att beskriva variationen i vilka lagförslag som återfinns i subsidiaritetsgrankningen, samt om de nationella parlamenten varierar i  argumentering i de motiverade yttrandena. Studien visar att det finns nationella parlament som är vanligare förekommande inom granskningen, samt att vissa typer av lagförslag föranleder fler yttranden än andra. Beträffande argumenteringen i de motiverade yttrandena fanns en stor variation.

為有效減少因不可預期的極端氣候災害所產生的傷亡，可透過提升災害預警機制與災害認知使民眾具備更佳的災害應變決策能力。本研究選擇以台灣地區仍不常見的堰塞湖災害為研究對象以呼應極端氣候不可預期的特性，首先整理出居民在進行災害應變決策時的思考模式與程序，並釐清影響最後決策的各項因素，作為本研究主要研究架構的初擬參考；在分析工具方面則選用結構方程模式(Structural Equation Modeling, SEM)，以同時解決將心理層面認知量化與各變項間直線迴歸關係的問題。 為將以上構想付諸實行，本研究先經由文獻回顧提出居民的災害應變決策概念架構，以此概念架構為基礎進行問卷設計，並在台東縣嘉蘭村與高雄市瑪雅里進行問卷調查作業，取得資料後再透過結構方程模式建立適合台灣地區民眾的堰塞湖災害決策模型；最後則針對本研究所建立的模型與分析，對現況風險溝通與預警機制提出相關政策建議。 在試圖達成前述目的的研究過程中，本研究發現台灣民眾在面對不熟悉的堰塞湖災害時，外在的預警訊息、過去的受災經驗，以及家戶狀況等三項因素對決策影響最大；另外雖然本研究所提出的決策架構在台東與高雄兩處受測範圍內均可適用，但仍會因聚落的受災經驗、居民屬性，以及交通區位等特性上的不同而在變項重要性上有所差異。最後，本研究提出相關風險溝通的策略建議，作為未來在面臨堰塞湖災害或其他極端氣候時的政策參考。 / In order to reduce the unpredictable and extreme weather disasters’ casualties effectively, we can improve disaster warning mechanisms and disaster awareness so that people have decision-making capacity for better disaster response. This study selects the Landslide dam’s disaster, which is not common in Taiwan, as the research object. First sorted out the residents’ disaster response policy and procedures of thinking, and clarified the factors affect the final decision as the beginning research framework of this study. Analysis tools are used in structural equation model (SEM), to address both the psychological aspects of cognitive variables to quantify and the question of the relationship between the linear regressions. On the research process, first put forward the residents’ conceptual framework for disaster response decision-making through the literature review, and using this conceptual framework as the basis for questionnaire design. Taitung County and Kaohsiung City are the questionnaire surveys in this study. After the data obtained, we established a suitable decision model for Taiwan’s Landslide dam disaster through the SEM tool. Finally, we can make recommendations on risk communication policy and early warning mechanism through this model. In the research results, this study found that the external warning message, past disaster experience, and household conditions are three of the most important decision factors when Taiwan public is facing the Landslide dam disaster. In addition, although this framework can be applied in Taitung and Kaohsiung areas, but there will still be differences because of the differences in some characteristics such as the affected experience, residents’ properties, and location of traffic. Last, this study proposes some strategies of risk communication as the policy reference when facing the Landslide dam’s disaster or other extreme weather disasters in the future.

This Master thesis focuses on the three occurrences of the so-called Yellow Card procedure, a part of the Early Warning Mechanism introduced into the EU legislative practice with the Lisbon Treaty. The analysis of the practical cases helps to shed light on the development of the interparliamenatry cooperation among the national parliaments of the EU Member States and the ability of this cooperation to affect the EU decision-making process. The work discusses how the Mechanism was institutionalised and whether it established a more direct link between the EU decision-making and the EU citizens, thus creating an additional accountability channel. The thesis addresses to which extent the Mechanism is capable of compensating the national parliaments for being cut off from the EU processes. The next task of the work is to assess how well the interparliamentary cooperation works and whether in the three practical instances the Mechanism proved to be effective. Furthermore, the thesis elaborates on whether the novelty was successful and if it realised the potential to curb the democratic deficit problem in the EU. Attention is given as well to the practical issues with the Mechanism implementation and to how the national parliaments are capable of dealing with them. All in all, the thesis at hand is a...

Aim of this Diploma Thesis is to have a closer look at current powers of National Parliaments of the Member States to influence legislative process of the European Union. The main question is how do National Parliaments control legislative process in practise. Theoretical Framework is based on a debate about Democratic Legitimacy of the European Union. First the term needs to be defined and basic arguments about the (non)existence of Democratic deficit need to be introduced, then the research question can be introduced. The main focus is on Early Warning Mechanism and a process of issueing of reasoned opinions. An assumption is that through a process of issueing those reasoned opinions by National Parliaments that consist of a democratic elected political parties a Democratic Legitimacy of the European Union could be strenghtened. It is a one-case study of Czech Parliament. All the reasoned opinions, that Czech Senate and Czech Chamber of Deputies issued, will be analysed.