The document summarizes the major European institutions and their roles: 1) The European Council acts as a strategic body that meets 4 times a year to provide top-level political guidance on EU issues. Many initiatives start at the European Council. 2) The European Commission is the executive and bureaucratic arm of the EU. It has the power of legislative initiative and oversees the implementation of policies and management of finances. 3) The Council of Ministers is the main decision-making body that, along with the European Parliament, acts as a co-legislature to pass regulations, directives, and decisions. It consists of technical meetings organized by policy area.

1. The European Institutions
Chapter 4

2. European Institutions II
• Major treaties of the EU
– Rome (1957) Creation EEC
– SEA (1986) Single Market
– Maastricht (1992) Economic Union
– Amsterdam (1997) + Nice (2001) Institutional
changes
– Constitution (2004) 
– Lisbon (2007) Replacing Rome and
Maastricht

3. European Institutions III
• European Council
1. Legal status in SEA
2. Steering committee, meeting 4 times/year in
Brussels
3. Start in 1974
4. Many initiatives start here
5. Europe 2020

4. European Institutions IV
• European Commission
1. Executive-bureaucratic arm of EU
2. Most supranational of institutions
3. More a servant of the countries than powerful
4. Power of initiative; .. of implementation;
conscience of the EU; management of finances;
external relations
5. Regulations, directives, decisions (page 855/836)

5. European Institutions V
• Council of ministers
≠ European Council ≠ Council of Europe!
1. 10 technical intergovernmental meetings
2. Co-legislature [Regulations, directives, decisions]
3. GAC, FAC, Ecofin, Agriculture & Fisheries
4. Coreper
5. Presidency is rotating
6. QMV

6. European Institutions VI
• European Parliament
1. Gained political power, but is only quasi-
legislative
2. Three cities!
3. 751 members, 1 chairperson (each 2½ years)
4. Right of budget
5. Resignation of Commission (2/3 of votes)

7. European Institutions VII
• European Court of Justice
1. Clarifying the meaning of the treaties
2. Preliminary rulings  Direct actions; only in
areas where EU is active
3. 28 judges, 6 years
4. Function ≈ USA Supreme Court
5. Problem: work load

8. European Institutions VIII
• Assignment
See page 222 of the book (6th edition);
in a multinational group of 4-5, create three
different groups of EU member states which
affirm a decision and two different groups
which block a decision [give your calculations]