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The European Commission

Structure

Tasks

Powers

Problems

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Recap - The EU institutional triangle

Council of

Ministers

EPEuropean

Commission

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Introduction - Commission in the news

Appearance: Supranational government

EU power centre

Hyper-bureaucracy

Propaganda-machine

Scandals

Fraud (lack of financial control) Nepotism (jobs for relatives and friends)

Over-regulation (tractor seat regulation)

Global trade Trade-wars with US

Subsidies for industries (aircraft, steel, agriculture)

Negotiations on WTO level Recent media

Prices for calls from mobiles

Airport body scanners

Strict monitoring of Greece during austerity measures

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5655115.ecehttp://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/index_en.htmhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5655115.ece

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Responsibilities and Powers

Legislative functions: Implementation and development of policies (right of initiative)

Commission legislation

Commission regulation (competition policy)

Executive Functions: Rule-making (agenda setting)

management (finances)

Guardian of the treaties

Supervision of adoption and implementation of EC law

external representation and negotiation (WTO, UN, OECD)

mediator

conscience of the Union

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/ashton/index_en.htm

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EU Commission

how powerful?

Promoter ofEuropeanintegration

Central to EUpolitical system

Part of decision-making process

Initiator of policies

Legislative andexecutive powers

Not directlyaccountable to EPor national

parliaments Neither staff nor

president elected

Executive and

legislative functionslimited by other EUinstitutions

No power to raisetaxes nor to use

political force

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President

UK DkSloCy

FinMa

COMMISSIONER

Sp Sw

Slo Irl

Ge PCz Gr

F A

Cabinet

Chef de CabinetCabinet Staff

Hu BI Nl

Pl Lit Lux Lat EstDirector-General

Deputy D-G

College of CommissionersUnits

Commission structure

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The Services

15,000 staff (20,000 counting researchers,translators, and interpreters)

36 Directorates-General and specialist

services

Task Forces

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The President Most prominent figures

Walter Hallstein first president (1958-67)

Roy Jenkins only president from UK (1977-1980)

Jacques Delors most active (1985-94)

Appointment:

5 yearrenewable term

By common accord of state leaders, electedby EP (Lisbon)

Tasks

Representationto other institutions and bodies

Headof EU administration Shapes portfolios and allocates Commissioners

Provide political guidance

Commission as a whole

-- subject to confirmationof EP and dismissal

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The College of Commissioners

27 Commissioners Until 2004: One from each member

state plus one extra for Germany,France, UK, Italy, and Spain

From 2005: reduced to one permember state

Further reduction after 2014

Commissioners delegated bymember states

Required to serve EU rather than

national interests Portfolios often overlap

EP has de-facto veto onappointees

The members of the

Commission shal l , in thegeneral interest of the

Communi ty, be completely

independent in their

performance and duties They

shal l neither seek nor take

instructions from anygovernment or f rom any other

body(Art. 213 ECT)

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The 2009-2014 Commission

Finally approved by EP in February 2010

Full list of new commissioners here.

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_designate_2009-2014/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/commission_designate_2009-2014/index_en.htm

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Commission as a powerful actor

Has sole right of initiative

Can set up expert committees and

commission reports Has competition powers under Articles 81-

89 of the TEC

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Implementation

Most day-to-day implementation done by

member state executives

Implementation problems increased in the1990s

Disparities in implementation records of

member states led to calls for more effective

enforcement

Implementation functions increasingly

referred to separate agencies

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The new European

Commission

Lost power in the last 10 years (to EP, European

Council?)

Allegations of fraud and nepotism

Leadership weakened since Delors (Santer,

Prodi, Barroso)

Power centralised within Council

EP extended influence (esp. Lisbon Treaty)

Commission still important on global affairs

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Evaluation

Neither clear cut civil service norEuropean government

Better at policy formulation thanimplementation

Often struggling with capacities

A unique and truly supranational institution