The Commission of the European Union

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The Commission of the European Union

• a supranational institution

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What is the function of the European
Commission? A - The European Commission has three
main tasks it introduces EU legislation, it
implements EU policy as approved by the Council
and the Parliament, and it acts as a watchdog to
ensure member states respect EU law and EU policy
decisions. The President and the members of the
Commission are appointed by the member states
(subject to the approval of the European
Parliament).
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Institutions of the EU

• The Commission of the European Union

José Manuel Barroso Presdient of the
Commission, 2004 -
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Commission

• Who/What is the Commission of the EU
• Commissioners are appointed by member states of
  the EU and passed by the European Parliament
• these are political appointments of governments
• the President of the European Union is now
  involved in the appointment of the other
  Commissioners
• the Commission has a five year term
• this coincides with the term of the European
  Parliament

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Commission

• What does the Commission do?
• it is like the Civil Service of the European
  Union
• it is more than a Civil Service, as it has a very
  important right of initiating policy. This means,
  the Commission can try to shape the agenda for
  the European Union and pull often reluctant
  member states into closer integration

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Another view the Commissions role

• CREATIVE
• The Commission makes proposals for policy, i.e.
  CAP, Environment, Competition policy, Social
  policy etc.
• The Commission is the Guardian of the Treaties -
  it has a watchdog role

• BUREAUCRATIC
• a mediator honest-broker between the competing
  interests of the member states and also between
  the institutions of the European Union
• administrators the civil service of the EU its
  job is to ensure that Community policies are
  implemented

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How does the Commission go about its business?
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Standard operating procedures of the Commission

• Innovative forms of regulatory policy have
  developed
• to reduce governments resistance to legislation,
  but without imposing direct costs on EU/member
  states target of regulation in the social
  sphere has been chosen carefully
• Redistribution , not an option - EU budget, only
  2.4 of combined spending of member state
• costs deflected unto individuals, companies and
  away from governments

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Standard operating procedures of the Commission

• Build a constitutency of support for European
  action
• get interest groups representing the vulnerable,
  etc. so harder for govts. to ignore certain
  social problems,
• e.g. EAPN European Anti-Poverty Network
• Equality Womens Networks
• UNICE/ETUC

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Standard operating procedures of the Commission

• Attempt to control the definition of problems
• Commissions analysis of problems will emphasise
  common causes across the EU and suggest the need
  for solutions coordinated from the European
  level, I.e. Brussels
• social policy area
• environmental issues
• competition

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Standard operating procedures of the Commission

• Experiment with alternative institution building,
  to circumvent resistance from member states
• mangement and labour given a greater role in
  policy formulation and policy impelmentation
  (UNICE/ETUC),
• 1995 the first social partner agreement was
  concluded between these two bodies on parental
  leave.

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The Commission - the scapegoat

• portrayed as greedy for power
• politicians, the press, often blame the
  Commission for problems, the Brussels
  bureaucracy, faceless technocrats
• appointees of governments, not elected so they
  have no popular mandate

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The Commission - in the doldrums

• March 1999 - college resigned en masse in the
  face of withering charges of corruption and
  mismanagement
• French Commissioner - her dentist
• Reform in the air - since the Prodi Commission
  this is regarded as a necessity

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Prodi Commission and reform

• The rationale behind the reform is an acceptance
  that the reach of the Commission had extended
  beyond its grasp and that it had failed to keep
  up with developments in its environment. In
  particular, the Commission had been given a
  growing number of executivefunctions by the
  Council and the EP
• The reform process is a multifaceted one
• impact on the formation of the Commission
• conduct of Commissioners,
• the internal operation of the Commission and its
  relationship with other bodies in the Union.

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Reform process is designed to

• 1. strengthen the regulatory framework within
  the Commission to enhance its
• capacity for self-regulation. This facet of the
  reform contains codes of
• conduct for Commissioners and officials,
  modernisation of the internal
• rules of procedure and appointment, and major
  changes in financial
• management and control.
• 2. modernise the management of individual
  directorates by enhancing the
• targeting of particular tasks, evaluation and
  accountability. The emphasis
• here is on Activity Based Management, more
  efficient work practices
• cutting red tape and simplifying procedures and
  systems.
• 3. alter the internal allocation of human
  resources and improve recruitment,
• promotions and training (Kinnock 2000).

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Unique character as an international institution

• no other institution with its mix of political
  and administrative skills
• headed by a cabinet with designated mandates,
  approved by governments acted as a college
• working to a set of goals that had a degree of
  definition in the Treaty of Rome
• has quasi-judicial power in certain areas, e.g.
  abuse of market

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Unique character as an international institution
(b)

• works within, subject to and applies a system of
  rules embodied in the legal system of the
  Community/Union
• has a key position in the diplomacy of the EU,
  can build coalitions among actors, directly
  participates in the discussions of the Council of
  Ministers, has detailed awareness of governments
  difficulties with policies.