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Major Actors

Major Actors. 5 main institutions The European Commission The Council of Ministers of the European Union The European Council of Heads of State or Government The European Parliament The European Court of Justice. The European Commission. 27 Commissioners

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Major Actors

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  1. Major Actors • 5 main institutions • The European Commission • The Council of Ministers of the European Union • The European Council of Heads of State or Government • The European Parliament • The European Court of Justice

  2. The European Commission • 27 Commissioners • President: Jose-Manuel Barroso (Portugal) • Tasks • Represents the general interests of the Union • Acts as guardian of the Treaties • Ensures correct application of EU legislation • Negotiates international trade of cooperation agreements • Powers • Exclusive right to propose policy • Takes the lead in international trade talks • Ensures compliance with EU law • Has a right of censure over member states

  3. Organization • 2 separate bodies • The College of 27 Commissioners • The administrative commission (the Commission Civil Service – based in Brussels) • The College of Commissioners = the powerhouse of the Commission • President • Is elected by EP • Distributes portfolios (policy responsibilities) • Vice-President is the EU’s High Representative for foreign policy • Vice-President = Catherine Ashton

  4. Organization (2) • 5-year term (similar to EP’s term): 2009 - 2014 • Commission has to be approved by EP • Portfolio allocation: controversial • Collegiality principle • Size / Lisbon • Staff: each Commissioner has a staff (Cabinet) of 7 officials / advisers • Must not be of the same nationality as the Commissioner • 40% of staff are female • Commissioners are expected to be independent from their country of origin • Each Commissioner is responsible for one or more DGs (Directorate-Generals) relating to their portfolios

  5. Organization (3) • Not as large as people think (28,000 approx.) • 2014: European Election = new EP = new Commission • Irish Commissioner: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn • http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/index_en.htm • http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/ • http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/geoghegan-quinn/

  6. Council of ministers • Main decision-making body of EU • Treaties state that: • It shall consist of “a representative of each member state at ministerial level, who may commit the government of the member state in question and cast its vote” • And that it “shall, jointly with the European Parliament, exercise legislative and budgetary function” and • “carry out policy-making and co-ordinating functions”

  7. Council (2) • The Council • Represents the interests of the member states through their national government ministers • Meets in 10 different configurations (agriculture, environment, etc.) • Has a secretariat of 2,500 officials • Has a complex system of voting • Is assisted by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) • Permanent Representatives have ambassadorial status • Rory Montgomery is Ireland’s Permanent Representative – based in Brussels • http://www.irelandrepbrussles.be/home/index

  8. Council (3) • Council Presidency rotates every 6 months • Presidency = chair of Council meetings • No special powers but • Places the country in the media spotlight • Can give the country added influence • Time-consuming, costly, daunting • Agenda dictated by events (limited scope for action) • Denmark: 1 January – 30 June 2012 • Cyprus: 1 July 2012 – 31 December 2012 • Ireland: 1 January – 30 June 2013

  9. Council (4) • A complex voting system • Unanimity required for some policy areas • Consensus preferred in other areas but • Qualified Majority Voting may be necessary • QMV = votes allocated to each member state according to population size • Current = triple majority • Requisite number of weighted votes needed (255 = 74%) + positive votes from a majority (51%) of member states + at least 62 % of the Union’s population • 2014: double majority • 55 % of member states + 65 % of EU’s population

  10. Council (5)

  11. European Council (of Heads of State and / or government) • From informal ‘fireside chats’ to institution (Lisbon Treaty) • Heads of State or government + Commission President • 1stPresident of European Council appointed in December 2009 : Herman van Rompuy • http://european-council.europa.eu/thepresident • Must meet four times a year – six is norm • Function: the European Council “shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and shall define its general policy direction and priorities” (Treaties)

  12. European Council (2) • Major agenda-setter in the EU • Nominates President of the European Commission and board members of ECB • European Council President is electedfor • 2 ½ years (renewable once) • Herman van Rompuy describes himself as • More of a chairman, less a president • More a facilitator, less a dictator • Future president to be elected by all EU citizens?

  13. European Parliament • Only directly-elected multi-national parliament in the world • A instrument towards a federal Europe? • A compensation for loss of national-level parliamentary power • Democratic legitimacy : represents the Union’s citizens • The “voice of the people of Europe” • Image problems: • ‘gravy train’, etc • ‘expensive talking-shop’?

  14. EP (2) • The European Parliament • Is a political and legal equal to the Council of Ministers • Elects the President of the Commission • Confirms and can dismiss the Commission as a whole • Has its own President: Martin Schultz (Germ) • Has 751 MEPs from over 150 national parties • Is a pluralist organization • Is independent of any executive • Has seen its powers reinforced with each treaty

  15. EP (3) • 4 main areas of responsibility • Legislative • Co-decides nearly all legislation with Council • Budgetary • Passes EU budget • Scrutiny • Scrutinizes the work of the Commission and other EU institutions • Appointments • Approves the appointment of the Commission • Can dismiss the entire Commission in a vote of no-confidence

  16. EP (4) • 751 MEPs elected for a term of 5 years • Minimum of 6 and maximum of 96 according to size of member state population • Malta = 6 MEPs • Germany = 96 • MEPs sit in 7 political groups not along national lines • Leaders of each political group + EP President = Conference of Presidents = set EP agenda • Standing Committees carry out most of the work

  17. EP (5) – Ireland • 12 Irish MEPs (Labour, FF, FG, Socialist Party, Independent) • 4 constituencies: Dublin – East – North-West – South • Irish MEPs take their seats in the following groups: • S&D Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Union • ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe • EPP: European People’s Party • EUL-NGL: European United Left – Nordic Green Left

  18. EP (6) • The Irish MEPs are • Liam Aylward – FF – ALDE • Nessa Childers – Labour – S&D • Brian Crowley – FF – ALDE • Emer Costello – Labour – S&D • Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher – FF – ALDE • Marian Harkin – Independent – ALDE • Jim Higgins – FG – EPP • Sean Kelly – FG – EPP • Mairead McGuiness – FG – EPP • Gay Mitchell – FG – EPP • Paul Murphy – Socialist Party – EUL-NGL • Phil Prendergast – Lab – S&D

  19. EP (7) • The EP suffers from a number of problems: • It does not initiate legislation • Its budgetary powers do not extend to taxation • It is dogged by image problems • It has clumsy and costly ‘housekeeping arrangements’ with 2 Parliament buildings in Brussels (3 weeks out of 4) and Strasbourg (1 week per month) • Its debates take place in a multitude of languages - lack ‘cut and thrust’ of national debates

  20. EP (8) • The EP’s legitimacy is undermined by the low and falling turn out for its elections • EP’s future role is tied up with largest questions of democracy and power within the EU • 2009: 43% participation across all member states and below 30% in six member states • http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en • http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/performsearch.html?action=1&webCountry=IE&webTermId=7&name=&politicalGroup=&bodyType=&bodyValue=&type=&filter=

  21. European Court of Justice • ECJ is based in Luxembourg • 27 judges + 8 Advocates-General • It ensures that, in the interpretation and application of the Treaties, the law is observed • It is the final arbiter in legal disputes between EU institutions and between EU institutions and member states • It ensures that the EU institutions do not exceed the powers given to them • It can impose fines on member states for breaches of EU law • http://curia.europa.eu/juris/recherche.jsf?language=en

  22. Other institutions • The ECB (European Central Bank) is based in Frankfurt • It formulates the EU’s monetary policy • It ensures monetary stability • It sets interest rates • It manages the Euro • The European Court of Auditors • It scrutinizes the EU’s budget and financial accounts • It acts as the ‘financial conscience’ of the EU • It has 27 members nominated by national governments

  23. Why institutions matter • The EU’s institutions help illustrate: • The extent to which the European Union is an experiment in motion • The importance of power-sharing and consensus • The capacity of the EU’s structures to cope with the Union’s expanding size and scope • Discussion question: • What EU institution is most powerful and why?

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