Council of the european union
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Transcript of Council of the european union
Ananth Saran Yalamarthy | Kapadi Saish Guruprasad
The Main Institutions of the European Union
- Subject of today’s discussion- Not to be confused with the European Council!
History OrganizationRole
Configurations Decision Making
1 2 3
4 5
History
ECSC
Special Council of ministers
Treaties of Rome
The Council of EAEC
The Council of EEC
Merger Treaty(1967)
ECSC's Special Council of Ministers
Council of EEC
Council of the EAEC
Maastricht Treaty (1993)
Council of EU
ECSC
• Coordination between high authority and the member states
• In some cases, monitoring the high authority
ECSC to EEC
• Commission set up to replace the High authority
• Significant transferral of power in favor of the Council
• Member states now had a greater say
From SEA to Maastricht treaty
• more decisions using qualified-majority voting in the Council
Treaty of Nice
• Weighting of votes in the Council
A historical perspective on the role of Council
Role
1• Adopt proposals
2• Initiate legislation concerning foreign and security policy
3• Shape EU budget
4• Coordinate national policies
5• Conclude international agreements
Legislation
The Decision-making
triangle
Council of ministers
European Commission
European Parliament
Member states government
Collective European interest EU citizens
Common Foreign and Security PolicyOther policy areas(Ordinary Legislative Procedure)
Intergovernmentalism
1• Initiates new policy
lines
2• Coordination among
member states
3• High representatives
may make proposal The Decision-making
triangle
European Commission
European Parliament
Council of Ministers
Budget Authorization
Import duties
Value AddedTax
Transfer fromMember States
Sources Budget of 140 billion Euros
Use of annual budget
AgriculturalSubsidies
Development
CommonForeign Policy
Administration
The Decision-
making triangle
European Commission
European Parliament
Council of ministers
Draft Budget
Draft Budget
Amendments
Budget Adopted
Conciliation Committee
Ordinary LegislativeProcedure
Coordination of national policies
1• National competence retained
2• Common goals set
3• Open method of coordination
4• Non binding policy guidelines
Other Roles
Conclusion of International Agreements
• With Non-EU countries and international organizations
• Council may give a mandate to the European commission
Common Foreign and Security
Policies
Organization
Organization
COREPER Council
Presidency
Configurations
Organization of the Council
Presidency of the Council
Rotation after every 6 months Competent ministers of the presiding member state chair the respective
council configurations
Presidency and its influence
1• Administrative tasks
2• Setting political priorities
3
• Mediate between other member states to resolve controversy
4
• Represents council in conciliation committee
The Presidency table
Rotation of Presidencies: Good or Bad?
Rotation of Presidencies: Good or Bad?
FOR AGAINST
Allows leaders of member states to convene meetings and launch initiatives on issues of national interest
EU is huge- so is the workload, difficult to handle for a small country such as Cyprus
Allows countries/leaders to earn prestige and credibility
Countries take nearly forever to get the presidency back- with 28 states, the waiting period is about 14 years!!
Allows small EU countries to directly interact with other world leaders
Makes the EU feel closer to home for the country holding the presidency
Regulations
• Most Powerful
• Directly applicable, binding in entirety
• Take immediate effect on a specified date
• Narrow in intent
• Designed to adjust existing laws
Directives
• Binding in terms of goals
• Member states need to decide how they will achieve those goals
• Include a date by which action is expected
• Member states need to inform Commission about their activities
• Example: Directive to reduce pollution from large industrial plants
Decisions
• Binding in entirety, though fairly specific in intent
• Aimed at specific member states, institutions, or even individuals
• Make changes to powers of Institutions
• Internal administrative matters
• Example:. Setting standard prices for vegetables
Recs & Opinions
• No binding force!
• Used to test reaction to a new EU policy
• Used to persuade /provide interpretation on the application of regulations, directives and decisions
• Example: Express a view to a member state
The Council Configurations
The Configurations
FACECOFI
N
AGRIFISH
JHA
EPSCO
COCOM
TTE
ENVI
EYC
GAC
Peace and Security
Sustainable Develpment
Solidarity amongst citizens
Free and Fair Trade
Eradicate Poverty
Human RightsObserve
International Law
Each council consists of national ministers of particular policy area
Relevant Commissioner attends
Frequency depends on importance of council issues
EU EnlargementProposals for
new laws
Prepares the dossier for the
European Council
Coordinates the work of the other 9 configurations
The most important council configuration
Responsible for all policy areas that the rest of the configurations do not cover
Responsible for the multi-annual budgetary perspective
Action Areas
CFSP+CDSP TradeDevelopment Cooperation
Humanitarian Aid
Action Areas
Most Unique Configuration- Chaired by the “Foreign Minister for the EU”- The High Representative
Sensitive area, hence voting is by unanimity instead of QMV
Ministers try to agree on a “Common European Position” in all Foreign Policy Matters
Unlike other decisions, the Parliament and the Commission have almost no say
Example: The FAC held an emergency meeting on March 3rd ’ 2014 to oppose the Russian deployment of armed forces in Crimea.
Economic Policy Co-ordination
Economic Surveillance
Monitor Member States
Budgets
Monitor Public Finances
EuroFinancial
Markets/Capital Movement
Economic Relations with
Third Countries
Action Areas
Voting happens by QMV, except for fiscal policy-Unanimity
Prepares the budget along with the European Parliament
Decisions regarding the Euro are only taken by countries which have the Euro as the currency
CAPInternal
Market RulesForestry
Quality of food/food
safety
CFPSetting up of
Total Allowable Catches(TAC)
Quotas for each species
Fishing effort limits
Action Areas
Legislation Process: Prior to the Council
COUNCIL COREPER
Heads of diplomatic missions from the member states to the EU-Prepare themeetings of the Council
Chaired by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Acts like a link between Brussels and National Governments-conveys views ofnational governments, and also keeps them up-to-date about the developments inBrussels
COREPER
COREPER I COREPER IISpecialized Committees
Working groups
Specialized Committees
Working groups
Senior diplomats from
EU Member States
COREPER
II: Heads of Delegations
I: Deputy Heads of Delegations
Chair: Member State holding Presidency
Lower ranking officials, specializedissues
All issues not covered in COREPER II
High ranking officials Most important issues concerning
- External Relations- Economic Policy- Judicial Matters- Covers GAC, ECONFIN and JHA
Both I and II prepare the council’s agenda, and try to reach a consensus on as many points as possible
Both I and II prepare and perform a preliminary scrutiny of the council’s agenda, and try to reach a consensus on as many points as possible so that the council’s work is easy
COREPER
Committees
Working groups
Council
Committees and Working groups have significant indirect influence in decision making, as they are the people who make the initial standpoint on a legislation
Committees Focus on highly specialized issues Political and Security Committee Special Committee on Agriculture(SCA Respond to suggestions made by the
Parliament as part of OLP
Working groups Made up of National Diplomats Around 200 to 300 groups work at any
given point of time, on a wide array ofissues
Report directly to the COREPER or theSCA
Ultimately, the COREPER will influence how the Council will handle a certain matter
Items in the Council’s agenda are divided into 3 categories:
A Items
The COREPER has reached a consensus. The Council does not need to discuss in detail.
Council can still reject
I Items
No Ministerial decision is required
B Items
The COREPER has NOTreached a consensus. The Council needs to discuss
Usually returned back!
Legislation Process: Within the Council
Simple Majority
UnanimityQualified
Majority Vote
Commercial Competition
Internal Market
Default since treaty of Lisbon>90% of decisions
Triple Majority- # Votes /Member State (>260/352)- # Member States (>15/28)- Population they represent (>62%)
Double Majority (w.e.f Nov ‘14)- 1 vote per country- # Member States (>55%)- Population they represent (>65%)- Blocking Minority
CFSP Taxation
Change Commission
Proposals
Amending Founding Treaties
EU ExpansionSeats of EU Institutions
Tenet of Intergovernmentalism
Internal Council Rules
Procedural Issues
>15 out of 28 member states
Concept of the Council of the EU: Good or Bad?
Concept of the Council of the EU: Good or Bad?
FOR AGAINST
Enables decision-making to remain in the hands of state ministers
Council meetings can happen in secret on issues that do not relate to legislation
Council more accountable than Commission-ministers answerable to national parliaments
QMV system means countries have decisions forced upon them
Intergovernmental in nature, balances the supranational power of the EU
"The EU is the only legislature in the world, except North Korea, that still makes laws in secret." - Open letter from British Conservative MEPs to the EU, September 2005.
Websites:http://www.eutraining.eu/demo.php?ID=Council%20final&course_id=7http://dadalos.org/www.wikipedia.comhttp://www.consilium.europa.eu/homepagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av2sI0dHXpQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-cRJr7mWw4
Books: Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction (The European
Union Series) [Paperback]- John McCormick
THANK YOU!
COUNCIL
Specialized Committees
COREPERWorking Groups
Last step: Voting in the Council
Compromise Diplomacy
Bargaining
Decisions in the council heavily motivated by national political interests
Views of ministers ideologically driven, authority will depend on the strength/ stability of the governing party at home
Does not have the same structural regularity that the commission enjoys