WEEK 6: Executive Institutions: The European Council and the European Comission Flashcards
What is the Institutional Architecture of the EU? (Main Institutions)
- European Council (Brussels)
- European Commission (Brussels)
- Council of European Ministers (Brussels)
- European Parliament (Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg)
- European Court of Justice (Luxembourg)
What is the Institutional Architecture of the EU? (Other Institutions)
- The European Central Bank (Frankfurt)
- European Court of Auditors (Luxembourg)
- Committee of the Regions (Brussels)
What is the Institutional Architecture of the EU? (Agencies)
- 35 Agencies including:
European Investment Bank
European Environment Agency
What power did the Treaty of Lisbon grant to the European Council and the European Commission?
- The European Council:
Shall provide the union the necessary impetus for its development and shall define the general political directions and priorities thereof (Art. 15) - The European Commission:
Shall execute the budget and manage programmes. It shall exercise coordinating, executive and management functions, as laid down in the Treaties (art. 17)
What is the history of the European Council?
Origins in the Hague Summit in 1969 and agreed in 1974
What are the reasons for the creation of the Council?
(i) more coordination in context of complex interdependence of the 1970s and the global crisis
(ii) attempt to reassert national government control over the integration process in the face of a weak Commission following the Empty Chair crisis of the 1960s
(iii) Increased EC policy sectors – no single body to provide an overview – risk of policy segmentation
(iv) Provide a united front to the outside world
What are the roles and functions of the European Council?
- Role of political leadership for the entire EU
- Dispute resolution: settles problems unresolved at lower levels of decision making
- Attracts publicity to the EU – media spectacle of the summit
- Constructs a forum for personal contacts between heads of governments – which have become more formal but were initially indented to informally get together heads of government
- Major agenda setter for direction of EU, setting guidelines and objectives for European Comission and meetings of the council of ministers
What is the composition of the European Council?
- Heads of state and Govt, its president and the president of the commission
- Secrective,Informal and Intensive summit meeting
What is the role of the President of the Council?
- Chairing European Council meetings and driving forward its work
- Ensuring the preparation of European Council meetings and the continuity of their work, in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council configuration
- Helping to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council
- Presenting a report to the European Parliament after each European Council meeting
What are some recent features of the European Council?
- the European Council elects its president for a renewable two and half year term
- 1st President Herman Van Rompuy (suceeded by Donald Tusk)
What is the history of the European Commission?
Established in treaty of Rome (1957) – powers incrementally enhanced in subsequent treaties
Origins lie in the High Authority of the ECSC
What are the roles of the Commission?
-Treaty gave 3 basic roles:
: (i) overseeing the implementation of policies, (ii) representing the community in external trade negotiations (iii) proposing new policies
- Function of core executive of EU system (Hix and Hoyland 2011)
- Bureaucratic (the directorate generals): draft legislature and regulatory tasks
- Monitoring and regulation – Network of quasi autonomous agencies
- Agenda setting role in proposing legislation
What is the Composition of the European Comission? (PART 1)
- College of Commissioners
- After Nice Treaty all member states have 1 commissioner
-Weekly meetings with agreement by consensus – any commissioner may request a vote on an issue but this will require an absolute majority
- Results of the meetings: Confidential but often information leakage on high profile issues
- Cabinet government
Each commissioner is allocated a portfolio – high profile portfolios given to Commission vice Presidents and commissioners of previous administrations
Commission President – sets overall policy agenda (prepare the work programme, set agenda and chair meetings of College), in charge of the Secretariat council and allocates portfolios
Each commissioner has a cabinet – previously constituted by nationality of commissioner but recently transformed - denationalized
What is the Composition of the European Commission? (PART 2)
- Each commissioner is allocated a portfolio – high profile portfolios given to Commission vice Presidents and commissioners of previous administrations
- Commission President – sets overall policy agenda (prepare the work programme, set agenda and chair meetings of College), in charge of the Secretariat council and allocates portfolios
- Each commissioner has a cabinet – previously constituted by nationality of commissioner but recently transformed - denationalized
What is the role of the Commission in the decision making process? (Intergovernmentalist Views)
- Commission as a secretariat of an international organisation
- Its main function is to increase the efficiency of intergovernmental bargaining
- The Member states can always find ways to keep check on the Commission:
(i) the role of Comitology
(ii) member states can challenge the Commission through the Court of Justice if it thinks it has stepped beyond its competency (Article 230)
-Commission is also monitored by other institutions (such as the EP, Court of auditors) – that provide member states with information
