EU integration midterm: Composition
Terms
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- Article 7 of Treaty on European Community
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names bodies: EP, Council, Communities, ECJ, court of appeals
Consulting organizations
and Agencies - where does the democratic quality of the EU rest?
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1 - council of the EU (where member states and its governments are rep); and
2 - EP, directly elected by the citizens - who controls the council?
- national parliaments and the EP
- who has responsibility for the investiture procedure of the Commision?
- member states and EP
- when did the Assembly become the European Parliament?
- Single European Act 1987
- which areas are EP powers limited?
- Common Foreign and Security Policy, Justice and Home Affairs, Common agricultural policy, trade policy (all expensive)
- what are the four functions of a traditional parliament?
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1 - legislative
2 - choice of executive
3 - control function towards government
4 - information and educational function of citizens - How is the EP different from National parliaments?
- no differentiation between legislative and executive functions, so there is no european government which has to rely on a parliamentary majority
- what changed the legislative function of the EP?
- SEA and Maastricht treaty
- Article 251
- co-decision right
- what gave EP more rights in recent treaties?
- the expansion of the co-decision right to other areas
- what are the four practical functions of the EP?
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1 - policy formation
2 - electoral or investiture function
3 - creative function
4 - interactive function - How many MEP are there?
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right now, 732;
after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania: 700 - what does the number of parliamentarians reflect?
- NOT number of inhabitants of the member states; political agreement
- what happened in 1999?
- banning of the creation of a fraction of MEPs from only one country
- how many members must be in a fraction of the EP?
- at least 19 members from 5 different states
- Article 190 TEC (introducted in Amsterdam Treaty
- raised number of MEPs to 700 at most
- which fraction in the EP holds more seats?
- Conservatives (then the Social democrats)
- main rights of the EP?
- consultation, control, codecision and investiture
- what is the EP entitled to talk about?
- every question concerning the EC/EU
- what are the four procedures of the EP?
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1 - consultation procedure
2 - procedure of cooperation
3 - codecision procedure
4 - assent procedure - when was the procedure of cooperation introduced?
- SEA (1987)
- when was the codecision procedure developed?
- Amsterdam Treaty (1997)
- when was the codecision procedure introduced?
- Maastricht Treaty (1992)
- does the EP have any formal right to initiate legislation?
- NO --exception: rules governming duties of MEPs and possible approval of a unified electoral system for electing its own members
- what is the bureau of the EP?
- comprises of the EP president and 14 vice presidents and 5 "advisory" quaestors
- what does the bureau of the EP do?
- makes important budgetary, procedural and personnel decisions
- what is the Conference of the Presidents?
- president of the EP and the heads of political fractions
- what does the Conference of Presidents do?
- seating arrangements in the chamber, arrange EPs work programme and authorise the drawing up of own initiative reports; also right to propose dismissal of EP president, chairman of a committee or other elected officials
- how many plenery meetings each year?
- 12
- where are plenary meetings held?
- Strasbourg
- where are mini-plenaries held? how many per year?
- Brussels, 6 times a year
- what do committees do for the EP?
- provide policy expertise (report on legislation) and discuss report; then pass to plenary for final vote
- how is the EP important?
- decides how Union will spend its money; can amend and block the Union's budget proposal
- what is the central decision-making body in the EC?
- Council of the EU
- what is the main function of the Council?
- the representation of the interests of the states
- what is one main difference between the council and the other institutions?
- The Council has a lot of secrecy
- what is the council composed of?
- national ministers (or their representatives) meeting in the composition of different sectoral councils
- what are the two important councils?
- General Affairs Council; ECOFIN Council composed of national economics and finance ministers
- how many configurations of the council are there?
- 9 configurations
- what are the four main tasks of the council?
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1 - legislative body; usually in co-decision with the EP
2 - coordinates the general economic policies of the member states
3 - concludes international agreements between EC and other states
4 - budgetary authority adopting ECs budget - How does the Council vote?
- usually QMV, but if sensitive by unanimity
- how many votes does each country have in the Council?
- there is a weighted system recognizing its relative size
- what is the threshold required for a qualified majority in the Council?
- 71% until it expands to 27 members, then 74.8%
- how many total votes in the Council?
- 345
- how often does the President of the Council change?
- every six months
- what are the functions of the President of the Council?
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Administrative Function;
Initiative Function
Coordination function
Broker function
Representative function - What does the General Secretariat do?
- prepares the Council's work and ensures it runs smoothly
- who is the General Secretariat headed by?
- Secretary-General, High Representative for the COmmon Foreign Security Policy Javier Solana
- who prepares the decisions of the Council? how often do they meet?
- COREPER (Permanent Representatives Committee); meets weekly
- Is the European Council a body of the Community?
- no, in reality it is a body of the EU
- where was the European Council founded?
- Paris Summit 1974; formally in the SEA (1987)
- how often does the European Council meet?
- twice a year
- what is principle role of European Council?
- provide EU with necessary impetus for development and define general political guidelines
- what is the European Commission? What is their main task?
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supranational body par excellence;
to initiate legislation - what is the composition of the Commission and where does it state it? how long is the term?
- Article 213 TEC; 25 commissioners one of each member state; term = 5 years
- what does the Commission president do and how is he elected?
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elected by QMV of the Council;
say in distribution of the portfolios within Commission (approved by EP) - what does it mean to be a collegial body? which body is collegial?
- Commission is collegial, which means no decisions by single commissioners but only as a whole commission
- how are decisions taken in the Commission?
- simple majority = 13 votes
- what does the Commission consist of beyond the commissioners?
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36 directorates-general and specialized services, headed by director-general;
each commissioner has own cabinet which act as connection between DGs and Commissioner - what are the functions of the commission?
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1 - exclusive right to initiate legislation
2 - formulate recommendations and deliver opinions to advance integration
3 - controls primary and secondary community law
4 - exercises the powers conferred on it by the council
5 - administer the budget