IPU chapter 3-4 european comission

is the commission supranational or intergovernmental?

supranational

who has the largest infingement cases in the EU

greece and italy

how many votes does each comissioner have

1 vote

how long is the college of commissioners elected for

5 years

what is the goal of DGS

develop, implement , and manage EU law

three stage procedure for the rule of law

1) commission assessment

2) commission recommendation

3) monitoring or follow up

what is the role of the commission president?

allocate portfolios, give a sense of direction, lead the comission

According to a supranational view can the commission act independently from MS?

Yes; the commission is a agent that can escape control for its principle

What is the main advantage of European commission?

Its physically present in all policy making

why do institutions matter?

-alter state preferences
-alter power structure
-provide normative environments (rules of the game)

what does the european comission do?

it promotes the general interest of the european union

roles of the european commission

-guardian of treaties and legal framework
-initiator of law
-external negotiator in trade
-manager of EU finances

How does the european commission guard treaties and legal framework?

bring member states to the court of justice

who is a main coordinator of emergency and humanitarian aid, also giving most staff to 140 delegations in the eeas?

COMISSION

who can draw attention to infringement and what can the commission impose (guardian of treaties and legal framework)?

Individual , company, gov, or commission

can impose:
financial fines or suspension of voting rights

what is process of infringement in the commission (guardian of treaties and legal framework )?

1) letter of formal notice
2)Technical meetings between national officials and EU officials, states have 2 months to reply
3) if the commission doesn't agree w state opinion they have 2 months to comply
4)The case is then sent to the Court of Justice (which almost always favors the Commission) and the state is fined until it implements the law

=usually states comply

what actions can the commission take to firms (guardian of treaties and legal framework)?

-firms breaching market positions
- firms breaching rules on state aid
-firms breaching company mergers

how is the commission a initiator of law?

it is secondary law, primary law are the treaties
-regulations:
applies to all member states and is binding

-directives
binding in terms of goals but members can achieve goals the way they want

decisions:
- binding but targeted at specific member states, individuals, and institutions

nonbinding:
-are recommendations and opinions

how is the commission a EXTERNAL negotiator?

-trade w non members

-EU negotiator beyond trade

-deals w negotiates w non members on internal policies (environment, energy, transport)

-participates w IOs
- main coordinator of EU emergency and humanitarian aid
-major part of the staff : 140 delegations around the world

How is the commission a manager of EU finances?

administers eu budget

eu budget scehme

drafting and implementing budget- commission

the council and EP- control upper spending limits

budget is agreed in the MFF that runs from 2021-2027

who is responsible for drafting and implementing the budget?

The commission works with the MFF (multiannual financial network)

who controls the upper limits and takes the framework for spending decisions?

the council and european parliament

what do neo institutionalists say about the commission?

it is the core of European integration

What is the structure of the European commission?

towards the top (college and cabinets)= political
towards the bottom (DGs and services)= technical

how is the president appointed in the commission?

-by the council with QMV
-approved by EP

how is the high rep appointed in the commission?

-council with QMV
-agreement of the commission president

how is the college and commission appointed?

-member states nominate them w approval of the commission pres and EP
- 1 commission per state; every 5 yrs renewable
- college approved by special hearings of the EP
- must have a portfolio
-must act independently

what was the spitzenkaditat and who won?

said the council should nominate based on EP parties
Jean - Claude- Junker won

two views of the commission?

intergovernmentalist:
sees the commission being a agent of the member states given to it by its principles

supranationalist:
the agent is able to escape control from the "principles" focused on decision making, not only decision taking

when is the commission's potential the strongest?

-when it has strong and clear powers
-QMV applies to council
- control mechanisms are weak in council
- uncertainty of info info
-absence of strong conflicts in the council and EP
-exploiting differences between member states

Ursula von der Leyen facts

- Ursula von der Leyen (UvdL), did not run in the 2019 EP elections in any capacity
- Before that she was the German Minister of Defence
- NOT NOMINATED THROUGH Spitzenkandidat process

Latest Presidents of the Commission

- Jose Manuel Durao Barroso (2004-2014)
- Jean-Claude Juncker (2014-2019) - speitzenkandidat
- Ursula von der Leyen (2019-2024)

how does the college of commissioners work?

They focus on POLITICAL tasks
meeting on a weekly basis

who is the secretary general of the comission?

They are part of the dg TECHNICAL to make sure everything runs efficiently. They act like a DG but are seperate

the commissions hierarchical structure

weekly meetings by consensus
before meeting it must be cleared by first VP and VP
DGS are responsible for their appropriate commissioners

DG structure

DGS headed by Directors general
directorates are headed to directors and report to DGs to a deputy DG
units are headed by heads of unit who report to the director responsible

how do DGS work?

focus is on technical policy initiation and management allied w commissioners

problems with DGS

-horizontal coordination within DGS and EU commission
-->ideas abt one portfolio clash w others
-warning to threat European commission's as a 'block'

model route in decision making

1 )DG is in charge of policy initiation and management w outside resources

2)monitored by SG
3)draft passed up
4)college of commissions decides what to do

what made junkers college so special?

established first vice president with timmermans

written procedure in decision making

circulated among all commissioners and then adopted

how do weekly meetings work?

1) SG reduces the meetings "chefs de cabinet"
2) agenda cleared by first VP and P
3) weekly meetings w commissioners

power resources of the commission

-initiative
-neutrality
-access to info
-well informed
-small states look at commission for protection

which treaty gave more powers the the EP for choosing a president?

lisbon treaty

what does the high rep do?

charge of the european external action service

steers cfsp

implement EU council and council of minister decisions

oversee operational conduct of RU mission covered bby CDSP

how does the college of comissioners vote?

usually by consensus, but simple majority possible