European Commission and

Council of the EU
Institutions of the EU

European Council
28 Heads of State or
government and the
President of the Commission

Council of the EU European Court of Justice

28 ministers 28 ministers

Committee of The Regions European Parliament Econ. & Social Committee

350 members 751 members 353 members

Court of Auditors European Commission

28 members 28 Commissioners

European Central Bank European Investment Bank

European Commission

 Members: 28: one from each of the member states.

 Term of office:Five years

 The Commission is independent of national governments. Its job is to

represent and uphold the interests of the EU as a whole.

 It is also the EU’s executive arm — in other words, it is responsible for

implementing the decisions of Parliament and the Council. That means
managing the day-to-day business of the European Union: implementing its
policies, running its programmes and spending its funds.
 The European Commission

• Seat: Brussels, Belgium

• Has the exclusive initiative of initiating
legislation
• The “executive arm” of the Union
• Oversees the implementation of EU
legislation
• One Commissioner per member-state
• Divided in departments, called Directorate
Generals
 What does the Commission do?

The European Commission has four main roles:

1.to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council;

2.to manage and implement EU policies and the budget;
3.to enforce EU law (jointly with the Court of Justice);
4.to represent the European Union on the international
stage, for example by negotiating agreements between the
EU and other countries.
 The Commission (1)
 The day-to-day running of the Commission is in the hands
of administrative officials, experts, translators, interpreters
and secretarial staff. There are approximately 23 000 of
these European civil servants.
 33 Directorate Generals (DGs) + special services
 Commissioners’ cabinets: from national enclaves to
multinational and increasing internal recruitment
 Commissioners nominated by National Governments
 appointed by the Council of Ministers
 renewable 5 year term in line with EP, which ‘interviews’
them
 President chosen first (by Council)
The Commission (2)

 Functions
 Policy initiations (a Treaty-based justification of the initiative is always
provided)
 Legislative proposals can be amended by the CoM acting
unanimously
 Does the Commission determine the direction in which the EU moves?
 More than an international secretariat but not quite a government
 Opposed to give EP legislative initiative (policy coherence). Maastricht
treaty allows the EP to request (majority vote), legislative initiative from
Commission
The Commission (3)
 Prepares budget
 Financial management, public perception of extended frauds, auditing
 Monitoring of policy implementation as opposed to direct
implementation (as in competition policy, fisheries, humanitarian and
transition aid)
 Mediator (role in European Council and IGC)
 External role (Delegations)

European Commission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWpgO1EPO_Y
The Commission and the EP

 The Commission remains politically accountable to Parliament, which has

the power to dismiss the whole Commission by adopting a motion of
censure. Individual members of the Commission must resign if asked to do
so by the President and the other commissioners approve.

 The Commission is represented at all sessions of Parliament, where it must

clarify and justify its policies. It also replies regularly to written and oral
questions posed by MEPs.
 European Council

 The European Council brings together the heads of state or government of the
European Union and the president of the Commission. It defines the general
political guidelines of the European Union
 The decisions taken at the European Council meetings represent a major
impetus in defining the general political guidelines of the European Union.
 Council of the European Union

 The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union

 The ministers of the Member States meet within the Council of the European
Union. Depending on the issue on the agenda, each country will be represented
by the minister responsible for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social
affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.).

 The Presidency of the Council plays an essential role in organising the work of
the institution, particularly in promoting legislative and political decisions. It is
responsible for organising and chairing all meetings, including the many
working groups, and for brokering compromises.
Responsibilities of the Council

 The Council of the European Union passes laws, usually legislating jointly
with the European Parliament.
 The Council co-ordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States.
 The Council defines and implements the EU’s common foreign and security
policy, based on guidelines set by the European Council.
 The Council concludes, on behalf of the Community and the Union,
international agreements between the EU and one or more states or
international organisations.
 The Council co-ordinates the actions of Member States and adopts measures
in the area of police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters.
 The Council and the European Parliament constitute the budgetary authority
that adopts the Community’s budget.
 Acts of the Council
 The acts of the Council can take the form of regulations, directives, decisions,
common actions or common positions, recommendations or opinions. The
Council can also adopt conclusions, declarations or resolutions.

 When the Council acts as a legislator, in principle it is the European

Commission that makes proposals. These are examined within the Council,
which can make modifications before adopting them.

 On a broad range of issues, Community legislation is adopted jointly by the

Parliament and the Council using a procedure known as «co-decision».
 Votes
 The number of votes each Member State can cast is set by the Treaties. The
Treaties also define cases in which a a) simple majority, b) qualified majority; c)
double majority or d) unanimity are required

 Simple majority: 15 states vote in favor

 Qualified majority: 55% of member states vote in favor, representing 65% of
total population; about 80% of all decisions are made using this procedure (aka,
co-decision)
 Unanimous vote: all states vote in favor
Council Configurations

 The Council is a single body, but for reasons relating to the organization of its
work, it meets – according to the subject being discussed – in different
"configurations.“

 Presently there are 10 Council configurations

 Council decisions are prepared by a structure of some 250 working parties and
committees comprising delegates from the Member States. They resolve
technical issues and forward the dossier to the Permanent Representatives
Committee (COREPER), made up of the Member States' ambassadors to the
European Union, which ensures consistency in the work and resolves
technical-political questions before submitting the dossier to the Council.
How do they work together? (simplified)

Commission
policy proposal

Decision-making
Council European Parliament

Member states
implementation
implemeimntatio