Summary
samenvatting Institutions and policy of the European Union
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summary of the lesson+ course before the Institutions exam (not integration).
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European parliament: Evolution, Structure, PowersOverview
- EP is the only directly elected transnational legislature in the world
- EP consists of 705 members, elected to renewable five year terms,
with seats divided among member states based on population. With
changes in the treaties it is now an equal legislative partner to the
council of the EU
EP shares responsibility with the council of the EU for debating, amending
and voting upon proposals for new EU laws.
Based in Strasbourg and Brussels
It lacks three of the typical defining powers of a legislature:
1) It cannot directly introduce proposals for new laws
2) Cannot decide alone on the content of laws
3) Cannot raise revenues
But also not powerless:
- Ask the commission to propose a new law/policy
- Shares powers with the council of the EU on the approval of
legislative proposels and the EU budget
- Must approve and can remove the commission
- Can veto membership applications
Parliament has a credibility power: not few Europeans care what it does
Evolution
- 1952: Common Assembly of the European coal and steal community
78 members appointed by national legislatures
No power to make law, no influence on the lawmaking process
Only significant power: ability to force the high authority to resign
trough a vote of censure
Advisory forum
- Treaties of Rome: Joint European Parliamentary Assembly
Powers expanded: joint responsibility with Council of ministers over
the budget
Suggestions to EEC law were still non binding
- 1962: renamed the ‘European’ parliament
Still only members appointed by national legislatures
Only pro European volunteer for the appointment
MEP’s where also members of national legislatures: they placed
national interest above European interest
, - 1979
Elections were held for parliament
MEP directly elected and met in open session
- 1970’s
Shared responsibility with the council of ministers over the
community budget: raise or lower community spending, redistribute
spending, reject annual budget
- 1980
Right of parliament to be consulted on draft legislation and giving
parliament standing to bring cases to the court of justice
- SEA and Maastricht treaty
Parliament more powers over more policy areas
Greater input into lawmaking process
Consultation procedure was joined by cooperation procedure (all
laws relating to the single market had to be send to the EP for two
readings)
- Ordinary legislative procedure:
Parliament veto to new legislation
Strcuture
Parliament divides its time among three cities:
1) Strasbourg: The parliamentary chamber. Plenary sessions are here
four days each month. Plenaries achieve little and can last into the
night. Accomodation in Strasbourg is also difficult so plenaries are
not well attended.
2) Brussels: parliamentary committees meet in Brussels for two weeks
every month. Here the real bargaining takes place. Additional
plenaries can be held in Brussels and a third week is set aside for
meetings of politcal groups meetings well attented
3) Luxembourg: administrative secretariat: parliament support staff
work here (translation and interpretation)
Parliament has four main elements: the president, parliamentary
committees, MEP’s and political groups
The president
EP is overseen by a president must be an MEP and elected by other
MEP’s for a renewable term of two and a half years
- Presides over debates during plenary sessions and meetings of the
conference of presidents and the Bureau of the EP
- Sings the EU budget and legislative proposals decided by the
ordinary legislative procedure
- Passes proposals to committees
, - Represents parliament
- President has fourteen vice presidents (also elected) and can
substitute for the president at meetings
- President is elected by a majority vote (interparty bargaining)
Organizational matters in the EP are addressed by four groups:
1) Conference of presidents: Bimonthly meetings, president + heads of
all the political groups. Decides timetable and agenda for plenary
sessions and manages the system of committees (their size and
agenda’s)
2) Bureau of the EP: President, vice-presidents and five “Quasters” .
Responsible for administrative, organizational, staff issues and EP
budget
3) Conference of committee Chairs: meets monthly, chairs of
parliamentary comittees to discuss organizational issues + draft
plenary agendas. Keeps close eye on the progress of proposals
4) Conference of delegation chairs: oversees the running of
interparliamentary delegations, comittees and often receive tasks
from the bureau and conference of presidents
Parliamentary Committees
Detailed work of the EP MEP’s gather to discuss and amend legislative
proposals/
Now: twenty committees
- Meet in Brussels
- Foreign affairs, international relations, public health, gender equality,
….
- Range in size (25-73 members)
- Seats are divided on the basis of: balance of party affiliations,
seniority of the MEP, national interest.
- One appointed MEP’s select their own bureaus ( a chair and three
vice chairs)
- Holds office for half a parliamentary term
- Rapporteur: MEP appointed by a committee to draw up a legislative
proposal for the full EP to vote on (consults with relevant comittees
and stakeholders)
- Temporary committees: mouth dissease, CIA activities in the EU, …
- Conciliation committee: representatives of the EP and council of
ministers meet to try to find an accord whenever two sides have
disagreed on the wording of a, legislative proposal.
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