The Institutions of the EU

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The Institutions of the EU

• Anamaria Dutceac Segesten
• IPES, November 12th 2007

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The European Commission

• It is the executive branch of the EU
• Roles
• To draft new laws (e.g. single market, single
  currency)
• To oversee the implementation of existing laws
• To draft the EU budget, and to administer EU
  revenues
• To promote integration and the spirit of the EU
• To represent the EU in relationship with third
  parties

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The European Commission (cont.)

• Organization
• Bureaucratic apparatus (cca. 24 000 staff)
• At the top, the College of Commissioners, one
  from each member state, each leading an area of
  specialization (similar to the ministers in a
  national govmt)
• The leading figure President of the Commission
• President has large responsibilities and powers
  distributes commission positions, sets the
  working agenda, can initiate new laws and take on
  new responsibilities, represents the Commissions
  when dealing with either the national governments
  or third parties

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Council of Ministers

• Decision-making body of the EU, representing the
  interests of national govmts
• Has legislative powers, together with the
  European Parliament
• Membership national ministers, meeting in 9
  specialized technical councils (e.g. External
  Relations Councils gathers all the foreign
  ministers)
• Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER)
  gathers the ambassadors to the EU of each
  member state
• Presidency of the Council of Ministers held by
  each member state, rotating every 6 months

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Council of Ministers (cont.)

• Role
• To discuss and approve the legal drafts proposed
  by the Commission
• Voting method
• Unanimity new law in some policy areas (e.g.
  foreign and security policy, immigration,
  taxation)
• Simple majority when dealing with simple
  procedural matters
• Qualified majority votes are weighted in
  proportion to the countrys population approval
  with 72.3 of the votes representing 62 of the
  EU population

6
European Parliament

• Also legislative body, together with the Council
  of Ministers, but much weaker
• Directly elected by EU citizens, thus most
  democratic and representative
• Organization One chamber with 732
  representatives (MEPs), elected for 5-year terms.
• Each country gets a number of MEPs on the basis
  of its population
• President of the EP elected from among the MEPs
  for 2 and a half-year terms
• Specialized Committees where laws are discussed
• There are several political party groups, no
  single party group ever obtained a majority in
  the Parliament (e.g. Party of European
  Socialists, European Peoples Party European
  Democrats)

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European Parliament (cont.)

• Role
• Has increased significantly in recent years
• Can delay a draft by refusing to take it into
  discussion
• Can dismiss the Commission
• Shares the decision task in 38 policy areas
• Must agree with the Council of Ministers in
  matters related to accession of new EU members,
  to association with new states, to all intl
  agreements of the EU
• Can discuss and reject the EU budget
• Approves the College of Commissioners

8
European Court of Justice

• Guardian of the terms and spirit of EU laws and
  treaties
• Highest authority over the interpretation and
  implementation of laws pertaining to the EU
• Last court of appeal on all EU laws
• Organization 25 judges, 6-year terms
• Judges come from each member state but must be
  selected on the basis of merit and competence
• President of the Court of Justice is elected from
  among the other judges for a 3-year term
• Chambers of 3-6 judges that make decisions on a
  regular basis
• Since 1989 there is a Court of First Instance,
  created to streamline the work of the ECJ
• ECJ hears about 600 cases a year and completes
  500-600 cases a year
• Court decisions, made in secret, are supposed to
  be unanimous but in regular cases a majority
  decision in enough
• Enforcement left to national courts

9
European Council

• Membership heads of gvmt and foreign ministers
  of member states, plus the president and
  vice-presidents of the Commission
• Role forum of discussion, sets the general
  strategic direction for the EU, great symbolic
  significance, highest decision making authority
• Key areas political and economic integration,
  foreign policy, budget disputes, enlargement
• Method extensive discussions, negotiation and
  bargaining, during summits twice a year (with
  every new Presidency)
• Powers
• Can set the agenda for the Commission
• Can override the decisions of the Council of
  Ministers
• Can neglect the opinion of the European Parliament

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Other EU Institutions

• European Central Bank
• Formulates and implements EUs monetary policy
• Sets interest rates for the euro, manages the
  official reserves
• European Investment Bank
• Gives support to poorer regions, finances
  modernization projects (ministers of finance of
  member states are governors)
• Committee of the Regions
• Represents the regional and local authorities
  within Eu (317 members)
• Consultative power
• European Economic and Social Committee
• Represents interest groups from areas such as
  business, agriculture, science, environment etc
  (222 members)
• Issue opinions on EU decisions
• European Environmental Agency
• Writes environmental protection policies and
  observes and measures the quality and of their
  impact

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Broad strategic decisions
European Council
Proposal of new laws, intl representation
European Commission
Preparation work
COREPER
Council of Ministers
Decides on laws, represents natl interests
Amends law proposals, represents EU citizens
European Parliament
Implementation and enforcement
Commission
Member States
European Court of Justice
Ensures respect of EU law