European Union
The European Union is an international organization of an economic policy that brings together the state for the wider social inclusion. Since July 2013 it brought together 28 member states. The EU has developed a proprietary management system, based on a specialized authority, separate from the administration in the Member States. Referring to Christopher Hill and Michael Smith “The EU and its member states are important actors on the international development scene. Together they provide more than half of official development assistance (ODA) and two-thirds of global humanitarian aid.”(Hill and Smith, 2005)
Compering to other governmental institutions European Union has a really unique institutional structure. For example. General EU priorities are determined by the European Council witch meetings gathers the leaders of the Union and the Member States. MEPs, who are elected in direct elections, represent the European citizens in the European Parliament. The interests of the whole EU are protected by the European Commission – the members of the Commission are elected by the national governments. EU governments defend national interests in the Council of the European Union.
The European Council determines the overall direction of EU policy, however, it is not empowered to adopt the law. According to Alix Adams “The European Councils function is to provide the Union with the necessary impetus to define the general political guidelines for its development” (Adams, 2001) . Its activities are directed by the chairman - currently Donald Tusk - and it is composed of Heads of State and Government and the President of the Commission. The Board shall meet at least twice for half a year, the meetings last a few days.
Three main institutions are involved in the process of EU lawmaking: The European Parliament, which represents the EU's citizens and is elected directly by them;
Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the Member States, the work of the Council is chaired by individual EU countries in the framework of the so-called Presidency; and last but not least, the European Commission, which represents the interests of the whole Union. These three institutions under the "ordinary legislative procedure" shape policies and constitute law in the EU. Usually, the Commission proposes new legislation, and the Parliament and the Council adopt them. The Commission and the Member States are responsible then for their implementation, the Commission itself supervises its proper use and implementation.
European Council is European Union’s core whose main task is to determine the general direction of development of the Union. Not to be confused with the Council of the European Union, or the Council of Europe. The European Council involves the heads of governments of the Member States, in the case of France and Finland are the representatives of the presidents, but they may be accompanied by prime ministers. The session can also be attended by the foreign ministers of EU member states, as well as one member of the Commission. European Council president is a representative of the state, which currently presides over the EU, his term lasts six months. The European Council meets at 3 - 4 times a year. According to the Treaty of Nice European Council meetings are held in Brussels. The main tasks of the European Council are: planning the directions of development of the European Union; coordination of activities related to the development of the European Union; solving the key problems of the European Union’s functioning; a forum to exchange the views that are on highest political level; developing and signing the final EU treaties.
European Council meeting ends with the issuance of a special statement adopted by consensus. The European Council is committed to provide a detailed report on its discussions to the European Parliament. The European Parliament currently has 732 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The electoral law depends on the laws of the Member States. European Union law requires only that the European Parliament elections were secret, universal, direct and proportionate. European Union law also permits the use of electoral thresholds, but not higher than 5% .The right to vote is entitled to every citizen of the European Union, over 18 years of age. Union citizen residing outside country may participate in the vote on the same conditions as the citizens of that country - a member of the European Union, in which he resides.
The number of deputies elected in each Member State is proportional to the number of inhabitants of a given country .Members of the European Parliament attach to parties which already exist officially in Parliament or remain independent. According to Sebastiaan Princen “A political party is a group of a linked-minded people who organize in order to influence politics through wining political office” (Princen and Lelieveldt, 2011) Members sit in parliament according to their membership of factional rather than national The competences of the European Parliament are: participation in the law making process through consultation, cooperation, co-determination and acceptance, his permission applies only to part of the policy of the European Union, Council, however, deals with the other EU policies; to approve the annual budget and grant the Commission discharge for its implementation; appointing the Ombudsman.
The European Parliament also has the power to control the approval of the Commission and its President, has the right to ask the Commissioners questions, and has a usual opportunity to ask Council the questions. According to John Richardson “European Parliament, in contrast to most national legislatures, actually uses its formal powers to their fullest possible extent” (Richardson, 2001)
Parliament elects from among its members a chairman on a 2.5 year term. President represents the Parliament on the outside and directs the discussion. MPs speak in their own languages, their speeches are translated into all the languages required in the European Union and countries affiliated with it, countries associated with the European Union have the right to passive participation in the deliberations of the European Parliament.
Council of the European Union is the main decision-making institution of the European Union. It was established in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht. The Council consists of the foreign ministers of individual countries, called the General Council, and the ministers of individual departments of the Member States. Chairman of the Council of the European Union is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State, which leads the Union. The Council is composed of a secretariat, which provides the service. At the head of the Secretariat is the General Secretary, currently Javier Solana.
The competence of the Council of the European Union are: Issuing legal acts such as orders, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions; calling for the European Commission to specific actions in the legislative sphere; changing the founding treaties; making decisions concerning the conclusion of the enhanced cooperation; approving the lists of members of the Economic - Social Committee; engaging with the European Parliament in establishing the budget; directing complaints to the European Court of Justice.
Members of the Council must deliberate in person, or in exceptional cases by proxy, deliberations are confidential. The European Commission acts as the government of the European Union. The European Commission consists of commissioners, whose number currently stands at 25, as many as there are members of the European Union. Each Commissioner is responsible for a specific division of work, which is the same as ministers in a particular government, because, as said earlier, the European Commission is considered to be the government of the European Union. Commissioners are appointed by national governments, recommended by the European Council and approved by the European Parliament.
Competences of the European Commission are: managing all current issues concerning the functioning of the European Union, for example agricultural policy, economic, social, defense; preparing the acts and presenting them to the European Commission's; drafting of all treaties and other international instruments; overseeing the work of the governments of the Member States on their implementation of the law, adapting the law to the EU standards; negotiating with the candidate countries to the European Union
The European Commission President is the official "head" of the European Union and represents it internationally. Moreover, the European Commission is the only European Union body has the right of legislative initiative. The Court of Justice is the institution that acts as an international, administrative and constitutional court. It was created under an agreement of joint institutions on twenty-fifth of March in 1957. It is composed out of 25 judges appointed by each Member State and eight Advocates Generals elected for a 6-year term. Court of Justice’s rulings are final. It is based in Luxembourg. Competences of the Court of Justice are: adjudicating on the legality of legal acts issued by individual Member States and their compliance with European treaties; making binding interpretation of laws; making at the request of the European Commission decision against states that do not complete their treaty obligations; resolution the disputes between Member States or between the Member States and the European Commission; delivering verdicts by the Courts of first instance; settlement of complaints brought up by natural and legal people .
Judges cannot adjudicate on matters concerning the state, which has appointed them. The judges from among themselves elect a president of the Court of Justice for a three year term. Also, every three years, replacement of the Judges takes place. The official language is French. The Court of Auditors controls the implementation of the budget, revenue and expenditure of the European Communities. Referring to Alex Warleigh “The Court of Auditors acts as the EU’s independent financial watchdog” (Warleight, 2009). It was created in 1977. His office is in Luxembourg.
The Court of Auditors consists of 25 auditors appointed once for a period of six years by the Council of the European Union. Members from among themselves elect the President of the Court of Auditors for a period of 3 years. The Court of Auditors is competent of: auditing of accounts of all the communities; introducing to the Parliament and the Council a statement of assurance of the accounting records, and checking the legality and regularity of all transactions; controlling the individual EU members.
The European Ombudsman is the European body set up in 1992 under the Treaty of Maastricht.Ombudsman controls the proper functioning of the institutions and bodies of the European Union. Shall report to the European Parliament. Initiate proceedings on complains, and he may also act on its own initiative. The European ombudsman is appointed for a term of Parliament with the right to re-election.
Cooperation of the institutions of the European Union provides its effective functioning and to put into practice the idea of wider integration. According to EU official website: “As it continues to grow, the EU remains focused on making its governing institutions more transparent and democratic. More powers are being given to the directly elected European Parliament, while national parliaments are being given a greater role, working alongside the European institutions.” (EUROPA - The EU in brief, 2016)
References
Adams, A. (2003). Law for business students. Harlow: Pearson/Longman.
Lelieveldt, H. and Princen, S. (2011). The politics of the European Union. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Hill, C. and Smith, M. (2005). International relations and the European Union. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Richardson, J. (2001). European Union. London: Routledge.
EUROPA - The EU in brief. (2016). [online] Europa.eu. Available at: http://europa.eu/about-
eu/basic-information/about/index_en.htm [Accessed 9 Mar. 2016].
Warleigh, A. (2009). European Union. London: Routledge.
