www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Overview of the EU and its institutions

Stephanie Newman, IEEP

20 February 2013Fisheries Secretariat Workshop: Fisheries Policy in Poland and EU: How does it work?

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Contents

• What is the role of the Commission, European Parliament and the Council?

• How does the Council work? What is the role of the Permanent Representatives to the EU?

• Who does what in the European Parliament?• Overview of the policy making process• Difference between legislative instruments

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EU Institutions - Who does what?

• EU policy is developed and agreed by three main institutions:– European Commission– European Parliament–Council of the

European Union

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The European Commission

• Initiates Community policy• Enforces EU law (together

with European Court of Justice)

• Manages policy and oversees its implementation

• External representative and negotiator

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The European Commission

• Is led by 27 Commissioners, ‘the College of Commissioners’

• And the President of the Commission (José Manuel Barroso)

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The Commission Services

• Permanent apolitical administration • Organised into Directorates-General (DGs) and

other services– DG MARE, DG ENV, Secretariat General– Split into Directorates and Units

• Prepare policy proposals, manage expenditure programmes, conduct external trade negotiations

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The European Parliament

• The only directly elected EU institution

• Number of MEPs per Member State roughly proportional to population

• Revision of Treaties has seen increase in power• Since the Lisbon Treaty EP is co-legislator (with

the Council)

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The European Parliament

• The European Parliament can:– Ask the Commission to present legislative proposals– Create new laws, especially under the ordinary

legislative procedure– Approve Commissioner appointments– Bring the Commission or Council to the Court– Amend or reject the EU’s annual budget

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The European Parliament

• Meets twice a month in plenary sessions in Brussels and Strasbourg

• MEPs are grouped by political group rather than nationality

• Preparatory work for plenary sessions carried out in specialised committees of MEPs– 20 specialised Committees– PECH Committee, ENVI Committee

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Parliamentary Committees

• Once the Commission has tabled a proposal, a Committee is identified to lead negotiations

• MEP from lead Committee (Rapporteur) coordinates Parliament’s response and drafts report

• Committee’s report is voted on in plenary session attended by all MEPs

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The Council

• European Council or Council of the EU?

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The Council

• European Council or Council of the EU?• Council of the EU (or Council of Ministers)

directly represents Member States• Meets in ten different ‘formations’ depending

on subject– Agriculture and Fisheries Council– Environment Council

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Council of the European Union

• Pass European laws jointly with the EP• However ordinary legislative procedure does

not extend to allocating fishing opportunities

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• Conclude international agreements between the EU and other countries or organisations

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Not to be confused with...

• The European Council!• brings together the Heads

of State or Government from each Member State

• Provide strategic guidance, set general political direction of the EU

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Presidency of the Council

• Rotates among Member States every six months• New Presidencies start in January and July • 3 successive Presidencies adopt 18-month work

programme • Chairs different meetings under the different

Council formations, promote their priorities

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Preparing Council meetings

• The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper)– Consists of representatives from Member States– Responsible for preparing Council meetings– Scrutinises dossiers on Council agenda– Seeks to reach agreement or suggest solutions to

Council– Does not have power to take decisions

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Coreper

• Two configurations:– Coreper I: deputy perm reps, deals with technical

matters;– Coreper II: consists of ambassadors, deals with

political, commercial, economic or institutional matters.

• Permanent presence in Brussels• Meetings weekly

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Working Groups under Coreper

• 300 or so permanent WGs established under Coreper

• Officials from Member State administrations, Permanent Representation in Brussels.

• Try to arrive at a proposal that will reach agreement in Council

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Legislative instruments

• Several types of Community ‘legislation’:

– Regulations– Directives– Decisions

– Recommendations– Opinions

Legislative instruments

Not legally binding

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Regulations

• Directly applicable law• Mostly used for precise purposes such as

financial matters

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Directives

• Addressed to Member States rather than citizens

• Binding as to results but leaves Member States the choice of form and methods

• Transposition

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Decisions

• Binding in its entirety to whom it is addressed• Council can delegate to the Commission

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Decision making in the EU

• Main EU decision-making bodies are the Commission, the Parliament and the Council

• The Commission is the only institution that can table a formal legislative proposal

• The Council and the Parliament vote on the Commission’s proposals

• Their powers vary according to different procedures for decision-making:– Ordinary legislative procedure– Special legislative procedure

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Ordinary legislative procedure

• Previously known as co-decision• Refers to joint decision-making by the EP and

the Council• Co-decision became ‘ordinary’ with Lisbon • Exceptions: fiscal decisions, planning,

quantitative management of water resources, land use, supply and diversification of energy

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Outline of the procedure

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First reading

• The (1) Commission presents a legislative proposal to (2) Parliament and the (3) Council simultaneously.

• EP adopts (4) its position and submits it to the Council.• If the Council agrees with the EP’s position, (5) the legislative

text is adopted.

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Second reading

• If the (1) Council does not accept Parliament’s first reading position, it draws up its (2) position.

• (3) EP has three months to react. It may approve the Council position and (4) the legislative text is adopted.

• Or the EP may amend the Council position.• The Council (5) then has three months to respond. If it approves the

amendments the legislative text (6) is adopted.

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Second reading

• A Conciliation Committee is convened to reconcile the positions

• Consists of:– 27 MEPs – 27 Members of the Council

• Or if the Council rejects them…

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Conciliation and third reading

• After an agreement has been reached the (1) Conciliation Committee adopts a (2) ‘joint text’ based on the Council position and the EP’s second reading amendments

• If the Council and (3) the EP approve the ‘joint text’ in its entirety, the (4) act is adopted.

• If the Conciliation Committee cannot agree, or if the Council or Parliament do not approve it, the (5) act is not adopted.

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Summary

• Commission initiates and enforces policy• Parliament helps to create legislation and hold the

Commission to account• The Council helps to pass legislation• Permanent representatives support the meetings of

Council• There are different types of legislation used for different

situations• A new policy will be scrutinised by a lot of people in the

EU before it gets passed!

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

For further information please visit:

IEEP guide to institutions and decision-making:http://www.ieep.eu/understanding-the-eu/guide-to-institutions-and-decision-making/

European Parliament step by step guide to the ordinary legislative procedure:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/0080a6d3d8/Ordinary-legislative-procedure.html

Contact: snewman@ieep.eu