Marie Abe Wakana Negishi

THREE MAIN INSTITUTIONS Council The European Parliament The Commission Power to initiate policies Approve or Reject Proposal

Composition President Commissioners Commission Bureaucrats CABINETS

President The leader of the Commission The council nominates and majority votes in the European Parliament is needed Jose Manuel Barroso is current President Decide Portfolio for each commissioner Portfolio is particular areas of Responsibility.

Commissioner ONE commissioner for each member state=27 commissioners Nominated from each memberstate A new group of commissioners appointed in every 5 years Meeting held once a week ( College of Commissioners) College itself has to be approved by the EP

Who can likely to be Commissioners or President? former ministers or senior ministers All governments usually nominate pro-European, and who have not been associated with any extremist party or wing. Only the most prominent national politicians likely to be a President.

Cabinet Assisting Commissioners Meeting is held once a week (chef de cabinet) Group consists of 6 officials + support staffs President has 12 officials Mainly brokering the many different views and interests among Commissioners

The Bureaucracy of the Commission People who are in charge of ADIMINISTRATIVE works. 26,000 staffs, 20,000 administrative - 6,000 senior policy-making - 3,800 research and technological development - 1,940 office - 2,500 translation and interpretation

Dilemma in Staffing Whether to keep national balance or not? 1.wide range of knowledge and experiences 2.get the confidence of national governments and administrations in EU decision-making as their members are involved in policy preparation and administration. 3.easy to deal with the Commissioners when using the fellow nationals as the access points.

Dilemma in Staffing 1.Pure meritocratic principle has been disturbed. 2. Cannot completely divest from national identification and loyalties. 3.Different styles complicate policy making process.

Organization Ministries/Departments= Directorates General and Specialized services DG directly handling policies Specialized Services support for policies Eg) the Secretariat General

Portfolios and Services PortfoliosNames and nationality Supporting Services Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou DG Education and culture, DG Translation, DG Interpretation, Translation Centre for the Bodies of the EU etc…

Decision-making Mechanism The College of Commissioners Accept or reject or ask DG to redraft The Secretariat General monitor Cabinet Extensively revise Lead DG initial draft Model route

Responsibilities 6 major headings - Proposer and developer of policies and legislation - Executive functions - Guardian of the legal framework - External representative and negotiator - Mediator and conciliator - promoter of the general interest

1. Proposer and developer of policies and legislation Power is exclusive Initiation, stimulate Policy – several levels - ×totally free hand…outside voices - major, cross-sectoral, programmes, specific areas

1. Proposer and developer of policies and legislation Legislative - prepalation of policy proposals : sounding & listening process *vast network of advisory commitees - expert / consultative - 3 factors - expert > consultative?

2. Executive functions 3 aspects - Rule-making powers - Management of EU finances - Supervision of front-line policy implementation Comitology

2. Executive functions Rule-making powers - gray area, highly detailed & specialised matters - follow automatically primary legislation Management of EU finances - 2 main duties - expenditure: 40% CAP/35% cohesion policy - weakened - coordinating & managing

2. Executive functions Supervision of front-line policy implementation - supervisor & overseer - 4 important difficulties Comitology - implementing committee system - problem … 2 main reasons distinction delegated & implementing act - cooperation of the Council & EP

3. The guardian of the legal framework supervisory & inplementing responsibilities aware possible illigalities - supply national transposition measures - self-notification - from another party - own efforts constraints & restrictions

What can the Commission do about breaches of EU legislation? Non-compliance by a member state Firms breaching EU law on restrictive practices and abuse of dominant market positions e.g. Microsoft, Intel Firms breaching EU rules on state aid Potential breaches of EU rules on company mergers

4. External representative and negotiator 6 roles - determing & ocnducting trade relations - various special external agreements - international organization - between the EU & non-member states - applocant for EU membership - the CFSP & CSDP

5. Mediator and conciliator Search for agreement between competing interests Grudging incrementalism Why...? - Non-partisan - best position to judge : continuous & extensive discussion not perfect

6. Promoter of the general interest Sectional & national interests conscience of the Union Avoid partisanship Good functioning & cohesion as a whole Difficult … vague ×Detached, far-seeing, enthusiastic Short, possible

The Varying(and Declining?) Influence Provide leadership - 6 key factors Many academics : marked decline influence Weakening real vision & leadership Why...? : several factors

Conclusion The most distinctive: political/administrative/responsibilities academic debate intergovornmentalist suprenationalist remain central & vital