The European UnionInstitutions (The Council(s))

Three key players

The European Parliament- voice of the peopleMartin Schulz, President of of the European Parliament

The European Council and the Council- voice of the Member StatesHerman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council

The European Commission- promoting the common interestJosé Manuel Barroso, Presidentof the European Commission

European Parliament

The EU institutions

Court of Justice

Court of Auditors

Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions

Council of Ministers*(The Council) European Commission

European Investment Bank European Central BankAgencies

European Council (summit)*& IGC

*Green= intergovernmental

How EU laws are made

Citizens, interest groups, experts: discuss, consult

Commission: makes formal proposal

Parliament and Council of Ministers: decide jointly

Commission and Court of Justice: monitor implementation

National or local authorities: implement

SOVEREIGNTY

Black's Law Dictionary6th Edition

• The supreme, absolute, and uncontrollable power by which any independent state is governed; • supreme political authority; • the supreme will; • paramount control of the constitution and frame of government and its administration; the self-

sufficient source of political power, from which all specific political powers are derived; • the international independence of a state, combined with the right and power of regulating its internal

affairs without foreign dictation; also a political society, or state, which is sovereign and independent.• The power to do everything in a state without accountability, --to make laws, to execute and to apply

them, to impose and collect taxes and levy contributions, to make war or peace, to form treaties of alliance or of commerce with foreign nations, and the like.

• Sovereignty in government is that public authority which directs or orders what is to be done by each member associated in relation to the end of the association. It is the supreme power by which any citizen is governed and is the person or body of persons in the state to whom there is politically no superior. The necessary existence of the state and that right and power which necessarily follow is "sovereignty.“

• By "sovereignty" in its largest sense is meant supreme, absolute, uncontrollable power, the absolute right to govern. The word which by itself comes nearest to being the definition of "sovereignty" is will or volition as applied to political affairs.

Bouvier's Law Dictionary(1856 Edition)

• SOVEREIGN STATE. One which governs itself independently of any foreign power.• SOVEREIGNTY. The union and exercise of all human power possessed in a state; it is a

combination of all power; it is the power to do everything in a state without accountability; to make laws, to execute and to apply them: to impose and collect taxes, and, levy, contributions; to make war or peace; to form treaties of alliance or of commerce with foreign nations, and the like. Story on the Const. §207.

• Abstractedly, sovereignty resides in the body of the nation and belongs to the people. But these powers are generally exercised by delegation.

• When analysed, sovereignty is naturally divided into three great powers; namely, • The first: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary; the first is the power to make new laws, and to

correct and repeal the old;• The second: is the power to execute the laws both at home and abroad; and the last is the power to apply• The third: the laws to particular facts; to judge the disputes which arise among the citizens, and to punish

crimes.

Council of Ministers – voice of the member states

4 One minister from each EU country4 Presidency: rotates every six months4 Decides EU laws and budget together

with Parliament4 Manages the common foreign and

security policy

Council of Ministers – number of votes per country

352Total:

3Malta

4Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovenia

7Croatia, Denmark, I reland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland

10Austria, Bulgaria and Sweden

12Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and Portugal

13Netherlands

14Romania

27Spain and Poland

29Germany, France, I taly and the United Kingdom

“Qualified majority” needed for many decisions:260 votes and a majority of member states

From 2014: 55% of the Member States with 65% of the population

How the Council Works• The Council meets in different configurations, bringing together the competent Member State

ministers: • General Affairs (coordinates the work of the other configurations); • Foreign Affairs; • Economic and Financial Affairs; • Justice and Internal Affairs; • Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs; • Competitiveness; • Transport, Telecommunications and Energy; • Agriculture and Fisheries; • Environment; • Education, Youth and Culture.

COREPER• The Permanent Representatives Committee or COREPER (Article 240

of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – TFEU) is responsible for preparing the work of the Council of the European Union. It consists of representatives from the Member States with the rank of Member States’ ambassadors to the European Union and is chaired by the Member State which holds the Council Presidency.

• COREPER works in two configurations:• COREPER I, consisting of the deputy permanent representatives, deals with

technical matters;• COREPER II, consisting of the ambassadors, deals with political, commercial,

economic or institutional matters.

Summit at the European Council

Summit of heads of state and government of all EU countries

4 Held at least 4 times a year4 Sets the overall guidelines for EU policies

4 President: Herman Van Rompuy

A high representative for foreign affairs and security

Catherine Ashton

Double hat: chairs the Foreign Aff airs Council meetings + Vice-president of the European Commission

Manages the common foreign and security policy

Head of European External Action Service

Europe's response to the economic crisis

2008: Worldwide financial crisis starts in the United States

Coordinated response from the EU's national governments, the European Central Bank and the European Commission:

4 Commitment to the euro and to financial stability

4 New crisis management tools and reforms of rules:European Stability Mechanism: fund to help extraordinary economic difficultiesEU-wide financial supervisory authorities, new laws for stability of banks

4 Better economic governance:European Semester: annual procedure to coordinate public budgetsEuro+ pact, "Fiscal compact treaty” : mutual commitments to sound public finances

Europe 2020 – Europe's growth strategy

EU leaders agreed in 2010 the overall strategy to get out of the economic crisis by means of:

4 Smart growthBetter education, more research, greater use of communication technologies

4 Sustainable growthA resource - efficient, greener and more competitive economy

4 I nclusive growthMore and better jobs, investment in skills and training, modernisation of the labour market and welfare systems, spreading the benefits of growth to all parts of the EU

4 Good economic governanceBetter coordination of economic policy

The five targets for the EU in 2020

Agreed in the Europe 2020 strategy:

4 Employment 75% of 20-64 year-olds to be employed

4 Research and innovation3% of the EU's GDP to be invested in research

4 Climate change/ energyGreenhouse gas emissions 20% lower than 199020% of energy from renewables20% increase in energy efficiency

4 EducationSchool drop-out rates below 10% 40% of 30-34– year-olds completing third-level education

4 Poverty 20 million fewer people in, or at risk of, poverty and social exclusion