EU INSTITUTIONS

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EU INSTITUTIONS

• Commission

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President, Members, College

• Changes in post Maastricht era (EP)
• Creation of the Commission (5 years, M.S.
  proposal EP approval MS approval)
• 9 13 14 17 20 25 27 - ......
• J. Santer (E. Cresson) R. Prodi J.E. Barroso

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President

• Primus Inter Pares status
• The best known
• Representative of the C. in dealings with other
  EU institutions and outside bodies
• Gives a sense of direction to the C. (art. 219
  commissioners shall worh under the political
  guidance of its president)
• Coordinates activities of C EP CEU
• Executes some particular issues chosen by him

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Independence

• Art. 213 Commissioners
• Must be completely independent in the
  performance of their duties
• Should neither seek, nor take instructions from
  any other body
• BUT.....
• J. Santers commission (2 former PM, 2MFA, 1 MF)

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Commissions structure

• College
• Commissioner (cabinet)
• DG (General Director)
• Directoriate (Director)
• Unit (Head of Unit)

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Commissions structure

• Cabinet (6 8 p./ pres. 12)
• R. Prodi Cabinets must have a supranational
  character
• Competencies
• - seeking informations
• - administrative matters
• - unofficial advocates of commissioners country

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Commissions structure

• DG (38)
• - policies 17
• - external relations 6
• - general services 5
• - internal services 10
• Work is devided
• DG 100 2500 people
• Devided into 3 4 units

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Commissions structure

• EU bureaucracy
• - 29.000 people (21.000 Com)
• 15.000 administration, 3800 R and D, over 2000
  translations
• NATIONAL BALANCE

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Commissions competencies

• Decision making
• Executive functions
• Guardian of a legal framework
• External representative and negotiator

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Commissions competencies

• Decision making
• A) initial draft from appropriate DG
• B) draft is passing upwards Cabinet, Chefs of
  cabinets meeting
• C) College ACCEPT REJECT REFER BACK
• Written procedure, accelerated written procedure

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Resposibilities and powers

• Art. 211 TEC C. shall formulate recommendations
  or deliver opinions....
• Proposes responsibilities (under II. and III.
  pillar, no exclusive!)
• Formulates and develops policies (C. can be asked
  to draft a proposal)

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Executive functions

• Implementation of EU policies (mainly
  coordination and monitoring)
• Rule making (regulation directive decision
  recommendation opinion)
• Management of EU finances on the basis of EU
  guidelines (guarantee section ERDF, ESF, EAGGF
  guidance section, FIFG)

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Guardian of the legal framework

• Company mergers
• State aids
• Incorporation of directives
• Competition

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External negotiator and representative

• Trade relations (WTO, EIB loans, financial aid)
• Art. 302 304 UN, Council of Europe, OECD)
• CFSP
• New member states
• Countries outside EU

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The Commissions advisory committee network

• Expert committees (nat. Officials, experts)
• Consultative committees (repr. Of sectoral
  interests)
• GIVE ONLY ADVISE!!
• BUT......

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Committees

• ....
• Management Committee can block EC decision (by
  2/3 of votes)
• Regulatory Committee can give approval to the EC
  decision
• THAT MEANS, THAT HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION IS VERY
  IMPORTANT..

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Horizontal communication and conflicts

• Managed by
• - interservice groups, project groups,....
• - general secretariat of the Commission
• - inside college
• - by the EC President

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Council of the EU

• General characteristics
• principal meeting place of the national
  governments
• main decision making institution
• takes policy and legislative decisions
• under II. and III. pillar independent acting
• I. pillar acts onlyon Commissions proposals
  (EP co-operation procedure)

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General responsabilities

• C adopts opinions, resolutions, agreements,
  recommendations
• The movement of the EU into new policy areas not
  covered by Treaties
• Creation of the Council Presidency ? important
  part of influenting policy directions
• Non legal arrangements do not have to be
  initiated by the Commission
• Consensus building M.S./M.S. EP/COM/C
• European Council and EP had limited Council
  responsibilities

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Hierarchical structure

• European Council (.....)
• Council of the EU
• COREPER I. - COREPER II. SCA
• Committees
• Working Groups

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Ministerial meetings configurations

• General Affairs and External Relations (GAERC)
• Economic and Financial Affairs (EcoFin)
• Cooperation in the field of Justice and Home
  Affairs
• Competitiveness (internal market, industry,
  energy)
• Agriculture and Fisheries
• Environment
• Education, Youth and Culture (EYC)
• Employment, Social policy, Health and Consumer
  Affairs (EPSCO)

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General Secretariat

• draft agendas
• legal advice
• documentation
• translation
• monitoring of policy developments
• GS works closely with representatives from the
  M.S. of the presidency in office (or should
  work...)

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Operation of the Council

• Presidency rotates between states JAN JUN/ JUL
  DEC
• Council Presidency is....
• Arranging and chairing all council meetings
• Launching and building a consensus for
  initiatives
• Ensuring some continuity and consistency of
  policy development TROIKA
• Representing the Council in dealings with outside
  bodies

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Legislative procedure

• stage Examination of the Commissions text
• stage Working Groups (70) - COREPER (15 20)
• A point
• B point
• AOB point
• stage Council
• stage General Affairs Council

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Decision making

• Unanimity (new policy, change of existing policy,
  constitutional and financial issues, II. And III.
  pillars issues with exceptions)
• CONSTRUCTIVE ABSTENTIONISM
• QMV
• SMV
• EP proposal 255 votes majority of M.S. 62
  of population
• Not an EP Proposal 255 votes min. 2/3 M.S.
• Blocking minority 91

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COREPERs/SCA

• COREPER I.
• deputy permanent representativessupport staff
  (social, transport,....)
• COREPER II.
• works mainly for Mof F.A., EcoFin
• senior permanent representatives support staff
• SCA
• art. 4 Merger Treaty A committee consisting of
  the permanent representatives of the member
  states shall be responsible for preparing the
  work of the Council and for carrying out the
  tasks assigned to it by the Council

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Committees and Working Groups

• Council committees national officials (energy,
  labour market)
• Committees under II. and III. pillar
• EcoFin committee financial experts (monetary
  relations, capital movement, financial policy)
• Standing Committee on employment
• High level ad hoc groups
• Working groups analyses of Commission proposals

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European Parliament
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European Parliament

• Its influence is exercised in 3 ways
• - through legislative process
• - through budgetary process
• - through control and supervision of the executive

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EPs History

• 1952 first session 58 members
• 1973 198 m. - nominated
• 1979 410 m. direct suffrage
• 1995 626 m.
• 2006 732 m.
• Competencies are growing
• Turnouts are dropping

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EP and the legislative process

• EP participates in discussions with the
  Commission in pre proposal legislative stage
• Formally adopts its own ideas for suggested
  legislation
• Adopts initiative reports (BUT... C does not have
  to act upon them)
• Can request the C. to submit appropriate proposal
• Influence the Cs annual legislative programme
  (voted in plenary session)
• Approval to Councils decisions in cases of
  sensitive legislation (IF NOT ECJs annulation)
  

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Legislative procedures

• CONSULTATION PROCEDURE (EP is asked for its
  oppinion, only then Council can take decision
  weakest procedure)
• COOPERATION PROCEDURE (Common position of the
  Council ? EP )
• CO DECISION PROCEDURE (EP rejects the proposal
  ? Conciliation Committee SO EP can veto the
  proposal strongest procedure most of EU
  legislation is a subject to this procedure
  93-98 127 agreements reached 78 without
  conciliation)
• ASSENT PROCEDURE (veto of EP with no amendments
  enlargementsstructural funds)

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EP weaknesses

• Does not have a direct legislative initiative
• Not consulted under Commissions initiative
• Not consulted on all Councils legislative
• Council does not have to accept EP opinions

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EP and the EU budget

• Propose modifications to compulsory expenditure
  (but....QMV of Council)
• Propose amendments to compulsory expenditure
  proposed by any other institution (QMV of Council
  can modify amendments)... But the EP can reinsert
  them in second reading
• Can reject the draft budget

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Control and supervision of the executive

• Towards Commission EP can dismiss the Com,
  confirms Coms president and the College,
  discussion on general report, EP controls annual
  accounts, Investigation Committees
• Towards Council priorities of presidency are
  explained in the EP, informal discussions,
  Council members are involved in the EP
  discussions
• Towards European Council ...delivering of annual
  report to the EP...

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EP elections

• 1979 The act concerning the elections of the
  representatives of the assembly by direct
  universal suffrage
• DUAL MANDATE (but not in every state
  SpainBelgium)
• Proportional representation
• Variation in the size of the electorate
• Small states more represented
• Turnouts 79 62 84 61 89 58 94 56 ex.
  SR 2004 16
• Why do we have low turnouts?

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EPs structure

• EP president (2,5y Hans Gert Pottering)
• 14 vice presidents (2,5y.)
• Conference of President (president chiefs of
  political groups)
• Committees ad hoc committees and permanent
  committees (20 comm 40 60p.)
• rapporteurs importance
• Plenary sessions Strasbourg (12 by year)
• Mini plenary sessions Brusseles (Committees)
• Secretariat Luxembourg (more than 3000p.)
• 1000p. in Strasbourg Blx and other 700 working
  for political parties

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EPs political structure

• Political groups (more than 100 polit. parties
  inside EP)
• EPP-ED ........................36
• PES..............................27
• ALDE............................12
• Ideological identification
• Maximising of the influence
• Info exchange bodies and coordination
• INTERGROUPS Friends of Israel Intergroup, Media
  Intergroup, etc....

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