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Council of the European Union



Composition and method of operation

The Council of the European Union is made up of representatives of the governments of the Member States. Its composition varies depending on the subjects on the agenda, as each Member State is represented by the member of the government with responsibility for the area in question (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.).

The Council’s work is prepared by a committee consisting of the Member States’ permanent representatives (Coreper); this in turn is assisted by a number of working parties made up of officials in the national government departments.

The Presidency of the Council is held in turn for periods of six months by each Member State in an order laid down by the Council. The Presidency is assisted by the Secretariat-General of the Council, which prepares the work and ensures that it runs smoothly. The Secretary-General of the Council is at the same time the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

By default, the Council acts by a majority of its component members. The treaty requires unanimity in a limited number of situations. In the majority of cases the Council acts by a qualified majority: to be adopted, a proposal has to receive a threshold number of votes, each Member State having a number of votes determined on the basis of its population.

Powers

The Council has six key responsibilities:

1. on the basis of proposals put forward by the Commission, the Council adopts Community legislation; in many fields it legislates jointly with the European Parliament;

2. it coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States;

3. in the name of the European Community it concludes international agreements between the Community and one or more States or international organizations;

4. it adopts, jointly with the European Parliament, the budget of the European Union;

5. it defines the European Union’s common foreign and security policy on the basis of guidelines set by the European Council;

6. it coordinates cooperation between the national courts and police forces in criminal matters.

European Commission

Composition and method of operation

The Commission consists of 27 members (one per Member State), chosen on the grounds of their general competence, whose independence is beyond doubt. The members of the Commission are appointed by the Council, after approval by the European Parliament, for a period of five years.

The President of the Commission is designated by the Council meeting at the level of Heads of State or Government; this designation is then approved by the European Parliament.

The Commission’s departments are divided into directorates-general, each of which is responsible for a particular area of activity.

Powers

The European Commission has four main roles.

1. It has a near-monopoly in initiating legislation: the Commission is responsible for drawing up proposals for new legislative instruments which it forwards to the Parliament and the Council. It also plays an active part in the successive stages of the legislative procedures.

2. It puts policies into effect and implements the budget of the European Union: the Commission is responsible for managing and carrying out the budget and puts into effect the policies and programmes adopted by Parliament and the Council.

3. It is the guardian of the treaties: the Commission ensures that the legal provisions adopted by the Community institutions are applied by individuals, by the Member States and by the other institutions. In exercising its powers, the Commission can in particular impose sanctions on individuals and companies for infringements of Community law. It can institute infringement proceedings against Member States, as part of which it invites Member States to rectify the situation within a specified period. Lastly, the Commission can bring actions before the Court of Justice on the grounds of infringements of Community law by the Member States or by other institutions.

4. It represents the Community: on behalf of the Community the Commission conducts negotiations with a view to concluding international agreements with non-member countries or international organizations, in conjunction with special committees appointed by the Council and within the framework of negotiating directives established by the Council.







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