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European Union Politics Summary
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Summary of European Union Politics
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European Union PoliticsChapter 10: The European Commission
Bureaucratic arm of the EU, responsible for proposing new laws and policies, and
its executive, responsible for overseeing their implementation through the
member states. Origins in the High Authority of the ECSC. Under the Treaty of
Nice, each member state was given one commissioner.
College of Commissioners: Group of 28 commissioners who head the
European Commission, function somewhat like a European cabinet (beneath
them work thousands of European bureaucrats responsible for the day-to-day
work of the Commission, divided among directorates-general that are the
functional equivalent of national government departments).They’re appointed for
five-year renewable terms, one from each of the member states, and each is
given responsibility over a particular area of policy. Commissioners are chosen by
the president from lists submitted by the governments of the member states,
final draft list is submitted to the European Council -> QMV.
Lisbon: replaced the external relations commissioner with a redesigned High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; to place
responsibility for external relations in one office. HR appointed by the European
Council with agreement of the president of the Commission. HR is also a vice-
president in the Commission.
Structure of the European Commission: - Bureaucratic-executive arm of the EU –
Headed by a president nominated by the European Council, approved by
European Parliament. - Divided into directorates-general and services responsible
for a combination of internal and external policy areas or administrative
functions. – Work supported by a Secretariat-General. – Supranational and
confederal in character
Cabinet: Small group of assistants and advisers that works for each of the
commissioners. Headed by a chef de cabinet, members provide advice,
information and other services to the commissioners.
President of the Commission: Head of the commission and one of the most
visible of all the staff of the EU institutions. Appointed by the European Council
for renewable five-year terms, and charged with giving the Commission direction.
President is expected to give political guidance and direction to the Commission,
wich also means playing a central role in giving impetus to the direction taken by
the EU.
- Convene and chair meetings of the College, and approve agendas for College
meetings
- Lay down the guidelines for the work of the Commission, and decide its internal
organization
- Distribute policy portfolios in the College at the beginning of each term,
reshuffle them and ask members of the College to resign if necessary
- Assign themselves whatever duties and policy responsibilities interest them
- Regularly take questions before the EP
,- Represent the Commission in dealings with other EU institutions and at key
meetings of national government and their leaders
Directorate-General: A department within the Commission, headed by a
director-general and given responsibility for generating and overseeing the
implementation of laws and policies in particular areas. The body of the EU civil
service.
Comitology: process by which executive decisions within the Commission are
monitored and influenced by a network of advisory committees (provide opinions
to the Commission, no power to block Commission action), management
committees (power to refer Commission measures to the Council of Ministers,
which then has the option of overruling the Commission) and regulatory
committees (must allow the Council and Parliament to check proposed measures
taken by the Commission before they are adopted). Secretariat-General:
internal bureaucracy of the Commission, provide technical services and advice to
the Commission, prepare the annual work program of the Commission and
organize and coordinate the work of the DGs and services.
Task of the European Commission: to promote the general interest of the Union,
to ensure the application of the Treaties and to oversee the application of Union
law. It does this mainly through its powers of initiation and implementation, its
responsibilities for managing the EU budget and its responsibilities for the
external relations of the EU.
Powers of initiation: Commission can draw up proposals for new policy areas
(Single European Act, the Delors package)
Powers of implementation: Commission has to work through national
bureaucracies to make sure that a new law is implemented by the member
states. If a member state is slow, there are 3 options:
- Commission can issue a Letter of Formal Notice, giving the member state time
to comply
- Commission can issue a Reasoned Opinion explaining why it feels there may be
violation
- Commission can take the member state to the European Court of Justice for
failing obligations
Managing EU finances: Commission drafts the budget, monitors its progress
through the Council of Ministers and Parliament, and makes sure that all
revenues are collected and funds spent correctly.
External relations: Treaty of Rome gave the Commission the authority in areas
of exclusive Community competence to negotiate international agreements on
behalf of the member states
- represents EU in international trade negotiations
- processes applications for full or associate membership of the EU
- it is the EU’s coordinator for official development assistance (ODA) and
humanitarian aid
Chapter 11: The Councils
, Council of the European Union: Council of Ministers; consists of national
government ministers and shares responsibility with the EP for making EU law
and approving the EU budget. System of qualified majority voting. Presidency
held by each member state in six-month rotations, while detailed work is
undertaken by the permanent representatives of the members states based in
Brussels (Coreper).
European Council: meeting place for the heads of government of the member
states, in which they make broad strategic decisions and key appointments to
other EU institutions. Headed by a president appointed to limited terms by
members of the Council.
-> they’re both intergovernmental and confederal, they provide indirect
representation of the interests of citizens and defend national interests while
trying to balance them with the goals of European integration.
Council of the European Union: designed to be a link between the High
Authority (ECSC) and national governments, balance the supranational character
of the High Authority and assuage the concerns of the Benelux countries about
the political dominance of France, West Germany, Italy.
Justus Lipsius building (Consilium) in Brussels.
Five main components: the councils themselves: different groups of ministers
that make up the Council are known as technical
councils/formations/configurations. – General Affairs – Foreign Affairs – Economic
and Financial Affairs (Ecofin) – Agriculture and Fisheries. They meet monthly.
The Presidency of the Council of Ministers: leadership of all meetings of the
Council of Ministers except the Foreign Affairs Council. Held by governments of
EU member states in a rotation of six months each. Trio System: arrangement
under which the member state holding the presidency works closely with its
predecessor and successor in order to help encourage policy consistency.
- prepares and coordinates the work of the Council of Ministers, setting the
agenda.
- arranges and chairs most meetings of the council of Ministers and Coreper,
represents Council in dealings with other EU institutions
- mediates, bargains, promoted cooperation among member states.
Permanent representatives/Coreper: Committee of Permanent
Representatives, in which delegates from each of the member states meet to
discuss proposals for new laws before they are sent to the Council of Ministers for
a final decision. They go through the proposals for new laws, argue national
positions, work out agreements and compromises. One of the most powerful
parts of the EU decision-making structure.
Working parties and committees: support the work of Coreper and function
as the foundations of the Council edifice. They bring together policy specialists,
national experts, members of the permanent representations and staff from the
Commission.
General Secretariat: bureaucracy of the Council, helps prepare Council
meetings, provides advice to the presidency, provides legal support to the
Council and Coreper, briefs Council meetings on the status of agenda items,
keeps records, manages the Council budget and generally gives the work of the
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