Chapter 9 The European Commission

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Chapter 9 The European Commission

• Cini (ed.) European Union Politics, 2nd edition
• OUP Online Teaching Resources

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Structure of the Lecture

• The functions and influence of the Commission
• The structure of the Commission
• An overview of the Commission
• Connecting to national administrations
  committees and networks

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The functions influence of the Commission

• Encompass elements of both intergovernmentalism
  (a national dimension) supranationalism (a
  European dimension)
• Major functions of the Commission
• Policy initiation
• Monitoring of policy implementation
• Management of European programmes
• External relations role
• Mediator amongst 25 member states between the
  Council and the EP

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The functions influence of the Commission

• Limited role of the Commission
• The 2nd pillar the Common Foreign and Security
  Policy (CFSP)
• The 3rd pillar Police and Judicial Cooperation
  in Criminal Matters (formerly within Justice and
  Home Affairs)
• Commission influence
• Relatively insignificant (intergovernmentalists)
• Having an independent impact on policy outcomes
  (supranationalists / institutionalists)

5
The structure of the Commission

• The President and the Commissioners
• College of Commissioners 25 Commissioners,
  including the President of the Commission
• The College operates on the basis of the
  principle of collegiality
• Nominated by national governments
• Commissioners Cabinets
• Portrayed a national enclaves ? become more
  multinational

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The structure of the Commission

• The Commission Services
• 26 Directorates-General (DGs) sectoral and
  functional (horizontal) departments
• Recruitment of officials a merit basis with a
  view to an appropriate geographical balance among
  member states

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Connecting to national administrations
Committees and networks

• Roles of expert committees and standing advisory
  groups
• Assist the Commission in its preparatory work on
  new legislation and in other forms of
  policy-making
• Comitology committee (Implementation committee)
• Monitoring the Commission when issuing delegated
  legislation
• The Commission calls and chairs the meetings,
  sets the agenda, submits the proposals requiring
  discussion writes the protocols

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Connecting to national administrations
Committees and networks

• National officials behave less intergovernmentall
  y in Commission committees than in Council
  committees and comitology