CCSS3 The European Union Reading and Questions

EU institutions and other bodies

(from europa.eu)

In the EU's unique institutional set-up:

• the EU's broad priorities are set by the European Council, which brings together national and EU-level leaders
• directly elected MEPs represent European citizens in the European Parliament
• the interests of the EU as a whole are promoted by the European Commission, whose members are appointed by national governments
• governments defend their own country's national interests in the Council of the European Union.

Setting the agenda

The European Council sets the EU's overall political direction – but has no powers to pass laws. Led by its President – currently Herman Van Rompuy – and comprising national heads of state or government and the President of the Commission, it meets for a few days at a time at least every 6 months.

Law-making

There are 3 main institutions involved in EU legislation:

• the European Parliament, which represents the EU’s citizens and is directly elected by them;
• the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the individual member countries. The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis.
• the European Commission, which represents the interests of the Union as a whole.

Together, these three institutions produce through the "Ordinary Legislative Procedure" (ex "co-decision") the policies and laws that apply throughout the EU. In principle, the Commission proposes new laws, and the Parliament and Council adopt them. The Commission and the member countries then implement them, and the Commission ensures that the laws are properly applied and implemented.

Other EU institutions

Two other institutions play vital roles:

• the Court of Justice of the EU upholds the rule of European law
• the Court of Auditors checks the financing of the EU's activities.  It is responsible for investigating possible corruption with public money.

The powers and responsibilities of all of these institutions are laid down in the Treaties, which are the foundation of everything the EU does. They also lay down the rules and procedures that the EU institutions must follow. The Treaties are agreed by the presidents and/or prime ministers of all the EU countries, and ratified by their parliaments.

The EU has other institutions that play specialised roles, like the European Central Bank, which is responsible for European monetary policy.

Questions:

1.      What are the four main bodies of the EU introduced in the reading?

2.      Who sets the agenda?

3.      In the law-making process, who represents the EU citizens?

4.      Who represents the governments of the individual member countries?

5.      Who represents the interests of the EU as a whole?

6.      Fill in the gaps: In principle, the Commission _______ new laws, and the _______ and Council ______  them. The ________ and the member countries then __________ them, and the Commission _________ that the laws are properly ________ and implemented.

7.      What does the EU Court of Justice do?

8.      What does the Court of Auditors do? What Spanish institution does this remind you of?

9.      What are the EU treaties? Who decides on them?

10.  10.What does the European Central Bank do?

11.  11.What does the EEAS do?

European Parliament (Legislative Power)

Directly elected by EU voters every 5 years, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent the people. Parliament is one of the EU’s main law-making institutions, along with the Council of the European Union ('the Council').

The European Parliament has three main roles:

• debating and passing European laws, with the Council
• scrutinising other EU institutions, particularly the Commission, to make sure they are working democratically
• debating and adopting the EU's budget, with the Council.

Passing European laws

In many areas, such as consumer protection and the environment, Parliament works together with the Council (representing national governments) to decide on the content of EU laws and officially adopt them. This process is called "Ordinary legislative procedure" (ex "co-decision").

Under the Lisbon Treaty, the range of policies covered by the new ordinary legislative procedure has increased, giving Parliament more power to influence the content of laws in areas including agriculture, energy policy, immigration and EU funds.

Parliament must also give its permission for other important decisions, such as allowing new countries to join the EU.

Democratic supervision

Parliament exercises influence over other European institutions in several ways.

(1)When a new Commission is appointed, its 28 members – one from each EU country – cannot take up office until Parliament has approved them. If the Members of the European Parliament disapprove of a nominee, they can reject the entire slate.

(2)Parliament can also call on the Commission to resign during its period in office. This is called a 'motion of censure'.

(3)Parliament keeps check on the Commission by examining reports it produces and by questioning Commissioners. Its committees play an important part here.

(4)MEPs look at petitions from citizens and sets up committees of inquiry.

(5)When national leaders meet for European Council summits, Parliament gives its opinion on the topics on the agenda.

Supervising the budget

Parliament adopts the EU’s annual budget with the Council of the European Union.

Parliament has a committee that monitors how the budget is spent, and every year passes judgment on the Commission's handling of the previous year's budget.

Composition

The number of MEPs for each country is roughly proportionate to its population. No country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 and the total number cannot exceed 751 (750 plus the President). MEPs are grouped by political affiliation, not by nationality.

Questions:

1.      Who are the MEP’s and how are they chosen?

2.      What other institution does the EU Parliament work with to make laws?

3.      What three things does the EU Parliament do?

4.      In what areas does the Parliament work with the Council do decide on the content of EU laws?

5.      What new areas will now be under the influence of Parliament because of the Lisbon Treaty?

6.      In what five ways doe Parliament exercise influence over other European institutions?

7.      How does Parliament monitor the budget? What do they do with the previous year’s budget?

8.      What determines the number of MEP’s for each country?

9.      How are the groups organized in Parliament?

Council of the European Union (Legislative Power)

Also informally known as the EU Council, this is where national ministers from each EU country meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies.

Not to be confused with the European Council– another EU institution, where EU leaders meet around 4 times a year to discuss the EU’s political priorities

What does it do?

1. Passes EU laws.
2. Coordinates the broad economic policies of EU member countries.
3. Signs agreements between the EU and other countries.
4. Approves the annual EU budget
5. Develops the EU's foreign and defence policies.
6. Coordinates cooperation between courts and police forces of member countries.

Who are the members of the Council?

There are no fixed members as such. At each Council meeting, each country sends the minister for the policy field being discussed – e.g. the environment minister for the meeting dealing with environmental matters. That meeting will then be known as the "Environment Council".

Questions:

1.      What is the EU council?

2.      Who is in it?

3.      What six things do they do?

4.      Does the council have fixed members? Who goes to each meeting?

European Commission (Executive Power)

The European Commission is one of the main institutions of the European Union. It represents and upholds the interests of the EU as a whole. It drafts proposals for new European laws. It manages the day-to-day business of implementing EU policies and spending EU funds.

Composition

The 28 Commissioners, one from each EU country, provide the Commission’s political leadership during their 5-year term. Each Commissioner is assigned responsibility for specific policy areas by the President.

The current President of the European Commission is José Manuel Barroso who began his second term of office in February 2010.

The President is nominated by the European Council. The Council also appoints the other Commissioners in agreement with the nominated President.

The appointment of all Commissioners, including the President, is subject to the approval of the European Parliament. In office, they remain accountable to Parliament, which has sole power to dismiss the Commission.

Purpose

The Commission represents and upholds the interests of the EU as a whole. It oversees and implements EU policies by:

1. proposing new laws to Parliament and the Council
2. managing the EU's budget and allocating funding
3. enforcing EU law (together with the Court of Justice)
4. representing the EU internationally, for example, by negotiating agreements between the EU and other countries.

Questions:

1.      What does the EU Commission represent?

2.      What does it manage?

3.      Who forms the Commission?

4.      How are the president and commissioners chosen?

5.      Who has to approve of the commissioners and president?

6.      Which is the only institution with the power to dismiss the Commission?

7.      What are the four purposes of the Commission?

European Council (Guidance from each country’s leaders)

European Council meetings are essentially summits where EU leaders meet to decide on broad political priorities and major initiatives. Typically, there are around 4 meetings a year, chaired by a permanent president.

What does it do?

Its role is twofold – setting the EU's general political direction and priorities, and dealing with complex or sensitive issues that cannot be resolved at a lower level of intergovernmental cooperation.

Though influential in setting the EU political agenda, it has no powers to pass laws.

Who exactly is involved?

The European Council brings together the heads of state or government of every EU country, the Commission President and the European Council President, who chairs the meetings. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also takes part.

When does it meet?

Twice every 6 months, though its president can convene a special meeting if needed.

Questions:

1.      What are European Council meetings, essentially?

2.      What are “summits”?

3.      What two important things do they do?

4.      Can they pass laws?

5.      How often do they meet?