The European Commission

Question 1

How are Commissioners appointed?

Answer 1

By the Council of Ministers and European Parliament

Question 2

What is the role of the Commission?

Answer 2

Implementing and enforcing policy and enjoys substantial discretion as to how this is done

Question 3

Power of the Commission

• Executive power

Answer 3

The Commission holds ‘executive power’ with its governmental powers

Question 4

What did Guy Verhofstadt said about the Commission?

Answer 4

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, have suggested changing its name to the ‘European Government’

Question 5

Power of the Commission

• Legislative initiative

Answer 5

The Commission initiates, and therefore shapes, policy. Other bodies do not have this legislative initiative. It remains closely involved in all discussions that take place while proposals are being debated by other bodies

Question 6

What areas are the Commission responsible?

Answer 6

The Commission has responsibility for specific areas of foreign policy, especially trade and for negotiations with applicant states

Question 7

How did the Lisbon Treaty strengthen the Commission’s power?

Answer 7

Since the Lisbon Treaty the Council of Ministers can no longer withdraw the Commission’s powers, and this was only theoretical. They are now granted directly by treaties

Question 8

Limitation of the Commission

• Not elected

Answer 8

The Commission is not directly elected but is appointed by both the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament having a role in this

Question 9

Limitation of the Commission

• Making proposals

Answer 9

In practice the Commission is mainly limited to making policy proposals

Question 10

The power of the Council of Minister is greater than the Commission

Answer 10

The Council of Ministers makes most policy decisions and is where key inter-minsterial negotiations take place

Question 11

Limitation of the Commission

• Negotiation

Answer 11

Much real negotiation goes on outside of all EU institutions, between ministers from the larger member states

Question 12

The European Parliament has greater power than the Commission under the Lisbon Treaty

Answer 12

The European Parliament, since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, has become more powerful, particularly in EU legislation, and this is likely to curtail the power of the Commission

Question 13

The position of the Commission has been eroded by

• Increasing power of the EP

Answer 13

The increasing power of the European Parliament, which can influence policy and sack Commissioners

Question 14

The position of the Commission has been eroded by

• Separate structure

Answer 14

The establishment of a separate structure to oversee the Common Foreign and Security Policy

Question 15

The position of the Commission has been eroded by

•Expansion

Answer 15

The growth of the EU, making the Commission, with 27 Commissioners, unwieldy

Question 16

The Commission remains significant

• EP’s nuclear option

Answer 16

The European Parliament is reluctant to use its ‘nuclear option’ of sacking the Commissioners

Question 17

The Commission remains significant

• Foreign policy

Answer 17

Its remaining foreign policy responsibilities have grown in importance, especially international trade and the environment

Question 18

What is the Commission’s role in relation to the Council

Answer 18

It can be described as the servant of the Council of Ministers, carrying out their decisions.

Question 19

The Commission is held accountable by

• The European Parliament

Answer 19

The European Parliament, which is directly democratically accountable, elects the President of the Commission

Question 20

Example when Parliament reject a Commission

Answer 20

The European Parliament is able to reject or dismiss the whole Commission, such as over corruption allegations in 1999, and in practice individual commissioners may be reshuffled or withdrawn to prevent this.

Question 21

The Commission is held accountable by

• Regular appearance in Parliament

Answer 21

Commissioners and the Commission President must appear regularly before the European Parliament to account for their actions and must, after each election, be scrutinised and approved as a team

Question 22

The Commission is held accountable by

• Parliament’s rejection

Answer 22

The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers can reject Policy Initiatives from the Commission

Question 23

Controversy of accountability

• Media

Answer 23

There is no direct accountability to the electorate, and a lack of public and media interest in their role

Question 24

Controversy of accountability

• Individual commissioners

Answer 24

Individual commissioners cannot be dismissed or rejected by the EU Parliament

Question 25

Controversy of accountability

• Staffing

Answer 25

There is an imbalance of resources whereby the commission has much higher staffing and funding than those tasked with holding them to account

Question 26

Controversy of accountability

• Operate freely

Answer 26

Although commissioners must account for their actions, in practice they operate freely with their portfolio with little check on their work or decisions.

Question 27

What is the administrative cost of the Commission

Answer 27

The European Commission accounts for half of the total spending on EU administration by employing around 33,600 people in 2009.

Question 28

Limitation of Commission on laws

Answer 28

The Commission cannot foist laws upon EU member states

Question 29

Example of Commission failed to propose law

Answer 29

The Commission spent eight years trying to get EU countries to agree to a law on cleaning up Europe’s contaminated soils, but eventually withdrew the bill in the face of blocking minority, which included the UK

Question 30

MEPs and the president of the Commission

Answer 30

Since 2014, MEPs have chosen who gets to be president of the Commission

Question 31

What is a ‘Spitzenkandidat’?

Answer 31

Major political groups now nominate a lead candidate, or ‘Spitzenkandidate’, for the President of the European Commission, who is then approved by the Parliament

Question 32

Lack democratic accountability

Answer 32

The European Commission is an entirely appointed institution, not democratically elected, and it has the monopoly of proposing laws

Question 33

It’s not a competition

Answer 33

There is no competition over who has political authority and sets the agenda at the European level

Question 34

New legislation needs approve

Answer 34

New legislation proposed by the Commission still has to be agreed by the member states and passed by the European Parliament, which is directly elected by EU voters