4. Key Institutions of the EU Flashcards
Who are the members of the European Council?
Leaders of each member state
Who are the members of the European Commission?
Headed by the College of the Commission with each Commissioner appointed by the leader of each member state, they serve 5 year terms and they serve a specific portfolio
Divided between the directorates-general and the bureaucrats
Who are the members of Council of Europe/Ministers
Government ministers from the member states according to topics under review
Who are the members of the European Parliament
705 members elected by the European citizens
What’s the function of the European Council?
Make broad policy decisions
Represents the interests of the member states
What’s the function of the European Commission
Initiates the policy process
Supranational
Represents the interest of the Union
What’s the function of the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers)
Makes final decisions on commission proposals
works in conjunction with the European Parliament to legislate
Represents the interests of member states
What is the function of the European Parliament?
works with the Council of Ministers to legislate
Supranational group
Represents the interests of EU citizens
What’s the analogy for the European Council?
Board of Directors
What’s the analogy for the European Commission
Executive/Bureaucratic arm of the EU
What’s the analogy of the Council of Ministers
Voice of the Member States
What are the 5 key tasks of the European Commission
Powers of Initiation: make sure the principles of treaties are turned into laws and policies
Power of Implementation: Once a policy is accepted by Parliament and the Council the
Commission must see its implementation by member states
Acting as Conscience of the EU: Commission is expected to rise above national interests and represent the Union as a whole
Management of EU Finances: Commission makes sure EU revenue is collected and helps draft the budget
External Relations: Represents the EU in international organisations like the UN and WTO
What is the voting system used by the European Council and Council of Ministers?
Simple majority (more than 50% of members) or Qualified Majority Vote (55% of the member states and these states must contain 65% of the population of the EU)
How does the European Parliament benefit small countries?
Number of seats are divided by population
Meaning that bigger countries are under-represented while smaller countries are over represented
How many MEP to people do France and Germany have?
How many MEP to people do Malta and Luxembourg have?
France & Germ have 1 MEP per 830-860,000
Malta and Luxembourg have 1 MEP per 65-80,000
