03 - EU Institutions.pdf

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POL S 448: „Politics of the EU“Fall Term 20138 October 2013

Dr Frank Wendler



! Understanding the institutions of the EU

! The institutional balance of the EU

! Exercising influence in the EU

! Reading questions for next time



! European Council

! Council of Ministers

! European Commission

! European Parliament

! European Court of Justice

Their roles, competences and interaction are prescribed in the

EU Treaties, last modified through the Treaty of Lisbon (in

force since December 2009)



Strasbourg / France Brussels / Belgium



Justus Lipsius Building hosting the Council on the left,European Commission Building to the RightBrussels, Belgium

Main Meeting Room



! What functions to they have?

! Who do they represent?

! How can they be led politically?

! How are they legitimized?



! European Council!

Political leadership of EU! Authorization of fundamental decisions concerning EU

! Council of Ministers! Legislative decision-making, together with EP! Conduct of executive tasks (foreign policy, EMU, etc.)

! European Commission! Preparation of specific legislative proposals! Oversight of implementation of EU decisions! Limited competences of direct intervention in Single Market

! European Parliament! Legislative decision-making, together with Council! Scrutiny of executive, particularly European Commission! (Representation and debate)

! European Court of Justice! Sanctioning of Member State compliance with EU law! Settlement of disputes between MSs and EU institutions! Interpretation of European law (primary & secondary law)



! European Council!

Members are Heads of Government of Member States, representingnational interests

! Council of Ministers! 11 different sectoral Councils! Members are Ministers from national governments of Member States,

representing national interests

! European Commission! European Commissioners and administrative services: required to serve

and represent the „Community interests“, defined in the EU Treaties

! European Parliament! Members of Parliament represent European citizens! Representations is organized mainly in competing party political groups

(Conservative, Socialist, Green, Liberal, Left, nationalist/Eurosceptic)

! European Court of Justice! Judges stand for independent legal scrutiny, based on European law as

defined in the EU Treaties (primary law) and legislative acts (secondary law)



! European Council! President of the European Council (H. vam Rompuy), acting as chairmanand mediator

! Council of Ministers! 6-month rotating presidency taken on by one of the EU Member States,

acting as chairmen and mediator in Council meetings

! European Commission! President of the European Commission (J. Barroso) and College of 27

Commissioners, 1 from each Member State, providing political leadershipof Commission

! European Parliament! President (M. Schulz) and Vice-Presidents of the EP! Leaders of parliamentary party groups! Committee chairpersons

! European Court of Justice! President elected by the Judges



H. Van Rompuy, President of theEuropean Council

J. Barroso, President of theEuropean Commission

M. Schulz, President of theEuropean Parliament



! European Council! President of the EC: elected by Council Members! Members of EC: accountable to national institutions & voters of Member

States

! Council of Ministers! Members of Council: accountable to national institutions and voters of

Member States

! European Commission! Commission President and Commissioners: controlled and elected by

European Parliament, following a proposal by the European Council

! European Parliament! Members of Parliament: directly elected by European citizens! EP President, party group leaders: elected through internal procedure

! European Court of Justice! One Judge appointed per Member State! Appointment „by common accord of Member States“, based on decisions

by panels consisting of ECJ judges and legal experts from Member States! Judges are legitimized through their judicial expertise and independence



! Vertical balance! Intergovernmental institutions

! Supranational institutions

! Horizontal balance! Executive institutions

! Legislative institutions

! Judicial institutions



! How is it changed?! Mainly through the revision of the EU Treaties! Political practice plays a role, too (ie., to what degree Member

States are willing to follow initiatives by the EuropeanCommission)

! Factors affecting the institutional balance! Amount and scope of competences assigned to EU! Involvement of the European Parliament in decision-making! Voting rules:

! Unanimity

! Qualified majority (ca. 2/3 in favour)! ‚Double majority‘ (introduced by Lisbon Treaty: 55 % of Member

States, representing 65 % of EU population)! simple majority (50 % + 1 vote)



! Great amount and diversity of actors

! High consensus requirements

! Involvement of several territorial levels

! Constant evolution of membership anddecision-making rules



! ‚Hard‘ sources of influence! Veto rights / voting weight! Size of economy and population! Contribution to EU budget! Staff and administrative resources

! ‚Soft‘ sources of influence! Ability to build coalitions / negotiation skills! Domestic pressures / Eurosceptic publics! Expertise! Reputation as ‚honest broker‘ and mediator



Does the EU softenpower differentials

between theMember States?



! ‚Hard‘ sources of influence! Monopoly of legislative initiative

! Oversight of compliance by Member States

! ‚Soft‘ sources of influence! Timing of decision-making

! Agenda control

! Expertise

! Forging of coalitions supporting EU legislation



! What institutional elements have the EU havechanged most over time?

! Why is the current legal base for the EU – theLisbon Treaty – characterized as a turn „back to thebasics“?

! How do institutions, interests and ideas contributeto the development of the EU?

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