European Commission

Question 1

What is the role of the European Commission?

Answer 1

Promotes the general interest
proposing and enforcing legislation
implementing policies and the EU budget

Question 2

Who are the members of the European Commission?

Answer 2

A team or ‘College’ of Commissioners

Question 3

How many members does each EU country send for the European Commission?

Answer 3

One

Question 4

Who is the president for the European Commission?

Answer 4

Jean-Claude Juncker

Question 5

When was the European Commission established?

Answer 5

1958

Question 6

Where is the European Commission located?

Answer 6

Brussels, Belgium

Question 7

What is the European Commission responsible for?

Answer 7

drawing up proposals for new European legislation

implements the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Question 8

What does the European Commission do?

Answer 8

Proposes new laws
Manages EU policies & allocates EU funding
Enforces EU law
Represents the EU internationally

Question 9

European Commission: proposes new laws

Answer 9

The Commission is the sole EU institution tabling laws for adoption by the Parliament and the Council that:

• protect the interests of the EU and its citizens on issues that can’t be dealt with effectively at national level;
• get technical details right by consulting experts and the public.

Question 10

European Commission: manages EU policies & allocates funding

Answer 10

Sets EU spending priorities, together with the Council and Parliament.
Draws up annual budgets for approval by the Parliament and Council.
Supervises how the money is spent, under scrutiny by the Court of Auditors.

Question 11

European Commission: enforces EU laws

Answer 11

Together with the Court of Justice, ensures that EU law is properly applied in all the member countries.

Question 12

European Commission: represents the EU internationally

Answer 12

Speaks on behalf of all EU countries in international bodies, in particular in areas of trade policy and humanitarian aid.
Negotiates international agreements for the EU.

Question 13

European Commission: political leadership is provided by

Answer 13

28 commissioners - one from each EU country - who are led by the president (Jean-Claude Juncker)

Question 14

The Collage of Commissioners is composed of

Answer 14

President of the Commission, its six Vice-Presidents, including the First Vice-President, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and 21 Commissioners, each responsible for a portfolio.

Question 15

The day to day running of the Commission business is performed by

Answer 15

It’s staff (lawyers, economists etc) organised into departments know. As Directorates-General, each responsible for a specific policy area

Question 16

How is the president for the European Commission selected?

Answer 16

The candidate is put forward by national leaders in the European Council, taking account of the results of the European Parliament elections.
He or she needs the support of a majority of members of the European Parliament in order to be elected.

Question 17

The Presidential candidate selects potential Vice-Presidents and Commissioners based on

Answer 17

suggestions from the EU countries.

The list of nominees has to be approved by national leaders in the European Council.

Question 18

Each Vice-President nominee appears before the European Parliament to explain

Answer 18

their vision and answer questions.
Parliament then votes on whether to accept the nominees as a team.
Finally, they are appointed by the European Council, by a qualified majority.

Question 19

How does the European Commission work?

Answer 19

Strategic planning

Collective decision making

Question 20

The European Commission: strategic planning

Answer 20

The President decides the policy direction for the Commission, which enables the Commissioners together to decide strategic objectives, and produce the annual work programme.

Question 21

The European Commission: collective decision making

Answer 21

All commissioners are equal in the decision making process.
They don’t have any individual decision making powers.
The Vice-Presidents act on behalf of the President and coordinate work in their area of responsibility, together with several Commissioners.
Commissioners support Vice-Presidents in submitting proposals to the College.