Institutions of the European Union (EU) - PDF

Main Institutions of the EU 1. European Commission (regering met ministeries) (C of Cooking up the laws) Functions: - Executive branch of the EU. - Initiator of secondary EU law. - Protector of EU law. Structure and composition: - 5 year mandate (same as EP). Commission formation follows the EP elec...

Main Institutions of the EU 1. European Commission (regering met ministeries) (C of Cooking up the laws) Functions: - Executive branch of the EU. - Initiator of secondary EU law. - Protector of EU law. Structure and composition: - 5 year mandate (same as EP). Commission formation follows the EP elections. - President (Ursula von der Leyen) chosen by the European Council, reflecting EP election outcomes for a 5 year mandate that is renewable. - 27 Commissioners, one per member state, proposed by national governments but not representing them → No instructions from their domestic country. - Commissioners oversee portfolios (distributed by the commission president) and have their own cabinets. And are head of their own Directorates-General (DG) (ministerie) composed of eurocrats. - Commissioner individually approved by the European Parliament. - High Representative/Vice President (HR/VP) leads EU foreign policy, combining roles in the European Commission and Council of EU. Coordinating member states & external representation. 2. Council of the European Union (1e kamer) (C for country leaders, big round table of ministers from member states collaborating on decisions) Decides on Commission legislative proposals, no legislation passes without its approval. Represents member states’ governments. - Configurations: GAC, ECOFIN, JHA agriculture/transport, ministers etc. (Chaired by semi-annual rotating Council presidency) - Daily meetings by Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) Council meeting structure according to Lisbon Treaty: - Foreign Affairs Council meetings are presided by the representative/Vice President. - The rest of the Council configurations as well as COREPER meetings are presided by the relevant minister or the ambassador from the member state that holds the rotating Council presidency for 6 months. Decision-making: Uses Qualified Majority Voting (QMV): 55% of member states (16 of 28) representing 65% of the EU population must agree. → Some issues require unanimity. 3. European Council (C of Chief leaders as Dick Schoof, the big bosses who make strategies and directions) Provides strategic direction and resolves high-level disputes. Comprised of heads of state/government, President of the European Council, and the High Representative (Foreign Affairs Council). Decisions: Consensus-based (usually unanimous). Presidency: Fixed-term President for 2.5 years. This term is renewable once to become 5 years paralleling EP and European Commission terms. → According to the Lisbon treaty. 4. European Parliament (EP) (2e kamer) (EP, Peoples voices, Elected people vote on behalf of EU citizens) Legislative branch with budgetary powers and supervision over other institutions. - Direct elections (not reps of national parliaments) every 5 years since 1979. - Members (705 post-Brexit) sit by political group/ ideology, not nationality. - Committees and plenary sessions (translating to all languages). - Elections according to the national quota of parliamentarians. - Represents the EU’s citizens, their power is increasing over time. The European Parliament is composed of various political groups that represent a broad spectrum of ideologies. They play a significant role in shaping EU policies, decision-making, and legislation: - Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) → Center-right - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament → Center-left - European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) → Center-right, Eurosceptic - Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (Renew Europe) → Liberal, centrist - Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) → Progressive, green politics - Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) → Left-wing, socialist - Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group (EFDD) → Eurosceptic, populist - Europe of Nations and Freedom Group (ENF) → Far-right, nationalist 5. Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) (Hooggerechtshof) - Ensures uniform application of EU law across member states. - Provides preliminary rulings at the request of national courts. - Major cases have advanced integration (Cassis de Dijon, Article 50 rulings/ brexit). Structure: - 27 judges (one per member state), appointed for 6-year terms with partial replacement every 3 years. - Includes: - The Court of Justice: handles high-level legal disputes and interpretations. - General Court (first instance): handles cases brought by individuals & companies like competition law and trade issues. Subsidiary Institutions European Central Bank (ECB): Manages the euro and monetary policy. Court of Auditors: Oversees EU revenue and expenditure. (Rekenkamer) EEAS (European External Action Service): Conducts foreign affairs and security policy.