lecture 6 - The European Council

Question 1

the European Council

Answer 1

• # EUCO
• member state representation
• not part of the legislative square/triangle

The European Council = summit diplomacy (highest level) + high political power (though small legal power)

origins:

• beginning EU integration 60s-70s ad hoc meetings (for leadership and quick response), but no institutionalization
• Summit Paris 1974 = institutionalization, but no specific roles, functions (was necessary to navigate changing environment + crises (e.g. empty chair crisis)
• ESA= got some legal recognition
• Maastricht Treaty = EUCO provides general direction and strategic guidance
• Lisbon Treaty = it became a formal EU institution

Art.9b Treaty = EUCO provides Union impetus for development + defines general political directions and priorities
!! treaty highlights it has no legislative functions

EUCO consists of: Heads of State or Government MS, EUCO President, President of the Commission, HRVP (only takes part, has no voting rights)

EUCO meets 2x every six months and sometimes extraordinary meetings + informal meetings

decision-making by consensus (but EUCO rarely votes (votes: appointments, sanctions)

Question 2

functions EUCO

Answer 2

1. confidence-building at highest political level
2. identify medium- and long-term EU goals
3. initiates policies and sets general guidelines (ministerial council follows up)
4. contributes to coordination of policy goals
5. political decision-maker, not legislative (it does not make law)

constitutional + institutoinal matters on the agenda

• e.g. treaty dev. and reform, nr. seats in EP, personnel decisions (President ECB)

Question 3

who takes the seat?

Answer 3

members:

• heads of state or government
• European Council President
• President of the European Commission

also: HRVP attends for external relations agenda items (but: no member)

informality, socialization -> bigger chance breakthrough

• Seville -> restriction on two participants per MS
• Lisbon -> more sessions with only heads of States or Government

!representative commission always (also in other EU institutions) opposite to the President of the EUCO

Question 4

outcomes EUCO

Answer 4

= Council conclusions

decided by unanimity

e.g. EUCO invites the Commission to….
e.g. EUCO compliments the dev. of .. on …

Question 5

example of the extraordinary European Council meeting

Answer 5

Special Brexit Summit 10 April 2019

• doorstep comments = heads of states/gov. signal their positions, show dynamics negotiation: implies if the negotiations will be easyer or not

*Luxembourg and France in favor of short extend, rest not really

!no view in the summit, but many journalists present + twitter updates

• in general: over time more transparancy EUCO meetings
• journalism here = highly dynamic: 28 different sources, different stories -> try to find out what was said exactly

Question 6

The President of the European Council

Answer 6

• elected for 2.5 years by the Council QMV, can be re-elected once
• external representation highest EU level
• semi-permanent chair of the European Council
• shall endeavor to facilitate cohesion and consensus (can also be done in advance of meetings
  *art.15
• clear ambitions in the area of external relations

! informal practice: election between top-level, experience in Council candidates

Question 7

should the president of the European Council always have support of the member state?

Answer 7

no: president is for whole EU, national representation is not the role of the president
*president is not the head of gov./state of a MS

e.g. re-election Tusk as President: his party no longer in gov. in Poland -> Poland wouldn’t support re-election Tusk -> vote (!rare) of 27-1 for re-election

! Poland wanted a formal vote to show at home that they tried (backfired: was received as failure)
*vote rather than unanimity/consensus as normal

Question 8

President of the European Council - is the position ‘politicized’?

Answer 8

inside meetings = should be negotiator, neutral broker
outside meetings = often more political opinion

e.g. Donald Tusk strong Tweets about Brexit

outside politicized role can be perceived as positive: leads to more attention/interest EU politics

it is a researchable topic

Question 9

Example recent research

Answer 9

Uwe Puetter: Councils in the center of the ‘‘new intergovernmentalism’’

integration paradox: MS eager for integration, but outside of the community method (which is more supranational, involvement of EP and Commission)

now: European Council prime agenda setter and more important in day-to-day politics in economic governance

• EUCO leadershp role in areas close to sovereignty: eco. gov. + foreign affairs + security and defense + social and employment coordination

joint decision making = non-legislative decision-making, geared towards permanent consensus and direct member states involvement in all stages of policy process