STRUCTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

European Comm, The Council of the EU and EU Parliament - 3 main institutions involved in EU legislation
- Commission has the right to initiative, autonomous promotion of the community interest (can initiate
policies)
- The Council of EU Negotiations of national interests
- European Parliament w/c are the direct representatives of European citizens
European Council - guides EU, sets the EU's overall political direction but has no powers to pass laws
European Court of Justice judicial arm of EU
EcoSoc and Comm of the Regions channels advices to delegate pressing projects to European nations

Qualified Majority Voting
number of votes required for a decision to be adopted when issues are being debated in the Union
Number of votes re-weighted according to the number of populations for each state.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL
Heads of State or Government of member states
European Commission President
Meetings: four times a year.
These meetings are also known as summits are convened by its President.
When the situation so requires, the President will convene a special meeting of the European Council.
Headquarters: Justus Lipsius Building, Brussels, Belgium
Current President: Herman Van Rompuy of Belgium
Term of office: 2 years, renewable once

Role: identify problems and propose solutions to the Council of the European Union.
defines the general political directions and priorities of the union, guides them in decision making

How does it take its decisions? Except where the Treaties provide otherwise, decisions of the European
Council are taken by consensus. In some cases, it adopts decisions by unanimity or by qualified
majority, depending on what the Treaty provides for.

Three Pillars of EU
1. 1
st
Pillar: European Community
Common Policies (Agricultural, Transport, Trade)
Economic and Monetary Policy
Employment and Social Policy
Environmental Policies
Consumer Protection
Public Health
Citizenship of the Union

2. 2
nd
Pillar: Common Foreign and Security Policy
Foreign Policy:
i. Peacekeeping
ii. Human Rights
iii. Democracy
iv. Cooperation, Joint Actions, Common Positions
Security Policy:
i. European security framework
ii. Disarmament
iii. Economic benefits of armament

3. 3rd Pillar: Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs
i. Fighting terrorism
ii. Fighting Drug Trade
iii. Fighting organized crime
iv. Combating criminal acts against children
v. Fighting against human trafficking
vi. Combating Racism
vii. Judicial cooperation in Criminal Matters
The three pillars functioned on the basis of different decision-making procedures: the
Community procedure for the first pillar and the intergovernmental procedure for the other two.
However, the Treaty of Lisbon abolished this pillar structure in favour of creating the European
Union (EU). Within the EU, decisions are taken in accordance with a procedure of common law,
called the ordinary legislative procedure. However, the intergovernmental method continues to
apply to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Furthermore, although questions relating to
justice and internal affairs have been communitised, some of them relating to police and
judicial cooperation in criminal matters continue to be subject to those procedures where
Member States retain significant powers.
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/glossary/eu_pillars_en.htm

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
commonly known as the Council of Ministers.
Headquarters: Justus Lipsius Building, Brussels, Belgium
Current President: Italy (July 1, 2014 December 31, 2014)

What does the Council do?
The Council of the European Union meets to discuss specific subjects, and each member state
is represented by a minister. (depending on cause)
Presidency of the Council of the EU: rotates among the 28 member states every six months.
It doesn't have a permanent, single-person president.
Its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency.
The presidency chairs meetings at all levels: Council, Permanent Representatives Committee
(Coreper) and working parties.
It puts forward guidelines and draws up the compromises needed for the Council to take
decisions.



Two major roles:
i. Planning and chairing meetings in the Council and its preparatory bodies
ii. Representing the Council in relations with the other EU institutions

Yet, in the case of ministers of Foreign Affairs, it has a permanent chairperson the EU's High
Representative for foreign and security policy (present Catherine Ashton from UK)
Selection of President - Rotation system every six months.
members of the Council - no fixed members. At each Council meeting, each country sends the minister for the
policy field being discussed.
Presiding Minister during meetings:
The foreign ministers Council has a permanent chairperson the EU's High Representative for foreign and
security policy.
All other Council meetings are chaired by the relevant minister of the country holding the rotating EU
presidency.
How does the Council work?
- a single legal entity, but it meets in 10 different "configurations", depending on the subject being discussed.
- takes decisions by a simple majority, qualified majority or unanimous vote, depending on the decision that
needs to be taken.
- supported by the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), a committee of permanent representatives
of the member states' civil services and more than 150 highly specialised working parties and committees,
known as the 'Council preparatory bodies'. These bodies examine legislative proposals, and carry out studies
and other preparatory work which prepares the ground for Council decisions. The Council is also aided by a
powerful bureaucracy and a General Secretariat to run its administration.
Duties:
Passes EU laws.
Coordinating economic policies
Signing international agreements
Approves the annual EU budget
Develops the EU's foreign and defense policies.
Coordinates cooperation between courts and police forces of member countries.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Headquarters: Berlaymont Building, Brussels, Belgium
Current President: Jos Manuel Barroso, Portugal
Term of office: January 2010 - December 2014
In charge of applying the Treaty provisions of the European Union (EU) and of implementing its policy
measures together with national governments.
It delivers recommendations for Community initiatives and drafts legislative proposals.
has its own decision powers, e.g., in trade and competition.
Laymans term: the EU's chief executive, who reports to two legislative chambers: the Council of
Ministers and the European Parliament.
European Commission Membership
36 directorates-general
20 Commissioners who have generally sat in national parliaments or the European Parliament, or have
held high positions in their home countries
Two Commissioners come from each of the "big" member states and one from each of the "small" ones
a five-year term
answerable to the European Parliament
meets once a week
Can be dismissed with a vote of no confidence.

The European Commission - a body of the EU that takes initiatives aimed at promoting integration,
guarantees that Community legal acts are complied with and puts political decisions into effect.
Nature of its tasks are described by:
Motor of integration - right to initiate legislation; has the privilege to submit new draft legal acts in areas of
Community Policy; to check that these proposals are incumbent to the objectives of the EU
Guardian of the treaties - ensures that Community legal acts are applied at a consistent and continuous basis
and in a proper manner.
Executive body of the EU - deals with implementation of the EU budget and has important decision- making
powers in the areas of agricultural, trade and competition policy. Responsible for representing EU outside of its
borders.



REFERENCES:
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PHOTO REFERENCES:
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TABLE REFERENCES:
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europe.org. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from http://www.dadalos-europe.org/int/Images_neu/gk4_sb02.gif
European Union Institutional structure at the supranational level (I). (n.d.). In dadalos-europe.org.
Retrieved June 30, 2014, from http://www.dadalos-europe.org/int/Images_neu/gk4_sb09.gif