InstitutionsandchallengesoftheEuropean Union

Session38 October2020

SamuelB.H.FaureAssociateProfessorofPoliticalScience

Session3.Howdoes theEUwork?

Outline

• I. Some preliminary remarks

• II. The community method

• III. The intergovernmental method

• IV. Q/A session

I.Some preliminary remarks

• 1.Three stagesofthedecision-making process

• 2.Three different EUcompetences

• 3.Three decision-making patterns

1) Decision-making is a (political)process

Stage1.Agenda-setting

Stage 2.Decision

Stage 3.Implementation

1. Who makes legislativeproposals on what?

2. Who negotiateslegislative proposals andhow are decisionstaken?

3. Who is in charge ofimplementing EU publicpolicies and whomonitors this process?

2) Types of EU competences

• Two dominant discourses:

• The EU is ‘powerless’: Inability todecide

• The EU is ‘all-powerful’: 80% ofnational legislation comes fromBrussels

• à It doesn’t make any sense (twomirages): it depends on policy areas

2) Types of EU competences

• ‘Exclusive’competences (Article3TFEU*)• EU• Sixareasofpublicaction• E.g.Fisheries Policy

• ‘Shared’competences (Article4TFEU)• EU&MS• Thirteen areasofpublicaction• E.g.TransportsPolicy

• ’Supporting’competences (Article6TFEU)• MS• Seven areasofpublicaction• E.g.EducationPolicy

• Special competences• Economic policy• CFSP

*Treaty ontheFunctioning oftheEU

3) Decision-making patterns

1. Thecommunity method

2.Theintergovernmental method

3.Theopenmethod ofcoordination

3) Why isn't there only one way oftaking decisions in the EU?• The EU can only intervene in policy areas where its MS haveauthorised it to do so (treaties)

• The EU does not have (vis-à-vis the Member States) the samecompetences according to... policy areas

• And so, the power of an institution (and the balance of powersbetween institutions) is not the same according to public policies

• For example, the power of the European Commission is central inthe area of agricultural policy but peripheral in the area ofdefence policy

I.Tosum up

• Thedecision-making process inthree steps• Preparing thedecision• Taking thedecision• Implementing thedecision

• Three different kind ofEUcompentences• Exclusive• Shared• Supporting

• Three mainmodesofdecision-making• Community• Intergovernmental• Openmethod ofcoordination

II.Thecommunity method

• 1)Thecommunity method inpractice

• 2)TheCourtofJustice

• 3)Atypology ofEUlegislative norms

EuropeanCommission

1. What?Making legislative proposals

1)Thecommunity method inpracticeStage1:

Preparing thedecisionStage2:

Taking thedecisionStage3:

Implementing thedecision

2. Who and how?- Commission: monopoly of legislative initiative…- ... at the request of other EU institutions, MS or by citizens' initiative

EuropeanParliament

Council

2. How?- Decision taken at the QM at the Council = 55% of states representing at least 65% of the EU population- The majority of EU legal acts (80%) are adopted at first reading- If not, 2nd reading- If not, Convening of a Conciliation Committee (28 + 28) -> adoption of the text at 3rd reading; Rejection of the text

1)Thecommunity method inpractice

Codecision(the‘ordinary legislative procedure’,article294TFEU)

Stage1:Preparing thedecision

Stage2:Taking thedecision

Stage3:Implementing thedecision

1. What? Negotiation of legislative proposals and decision to adopt them... or not

EuropeanCommission

EuropeanParliament

Council

EuropeanCommission(andMS)

1)Thecommunity method inpractice

codecision

Phase3:Implementing thedecision

Stage1:Preparing thedecision

Stage2:Taking thedecision

1) To sum up

• Main features of the community method:

• Institutional Triangle + Court of Justice

• The ‘ordinary legislative procedure’ (Article 294 TFEU)

• ‘Co-decision’ procedure: Parliament + Council

• E.g. CAP

1) Tosum up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C0Kq7ioOpk

2) A typology of EU legislative norms

• Primary Law(droitprimaire)• Treaty ofLisbon (2009)

• Treaty ontheEuropean Union(TEU)• Treaty ontheFunctioning oftheEuropean Union(TFEU)

• Secondary Law(droitsecondaire)• Bindinglegal acts (hardlaw):

• Directive• Regulation (règlement)• Decision

• Non-bindinglegal acts (softlaw):• Recommandation• Advice

2) Secondary Law

• Directive

• Directives are legislative acts that set objectives for all EUcountries

• However, each country is free to develop its own measuresto achieve them

• E.g. The Consumer Rights Directive prohibits hidden chargesand costs on the Internet and extends the period duringwhich consumers can withdraw and cancel a sales contract

2) Secondary Law

• Regulation

• Regulations must be fully implemented throughout theEuropean Union (no delay)

• E.g. When the EU wanted to ensure that commonsafeguard measures applied to products imported intoits territory, the Council adopted a Regulation

2) Secondary Law

• Decision

• Decisions are binding on the addressees to whom theyare addressed (e.g. an EU country or a company) anddirectly applicable

• E.g. When the Commission issued a decision on the EU'sparticipation in the work of several organisationsfighting terrorism, this decision concerned only thoseorganisations

3) The Court of Justice

3.1)Organization

• Three institutional bodies of the Court:

• Court of Justice• 27 judges, 11 Advocates General

• General Court (Tribunal)• 54 judges (two judges/Member States)

• ‘Specialised Courts’ (Article 19 TEU)• E.g. European Civil Service Tribunal

3.2)Functions

• Three roles:

• Review of the legality of the EU institutions acts (Article 263TFEU)

• Interprets EU law at the request of national judges

• Ensure compliance with EU law through its equal applicationin all MS• Pierre Haski, France Inter, 7 October 2020:https://www.franceinter.fr/personnes/pierre-haski

3.2)Functions

• Three procedures:

• A) Action for failure to fulfil obligations (recours enmanquement)

• B) Action for failure to act (recours en carence)

• C) Action for annulment/Annulment appeal (recours enannulation)

3.3)Gentle reminder

• About the Court(s): Could you fill in this table?

InEnglish CourtofJusticeoftheEuropean Union

European CourtofHuman Rights

InFrench Courdejusticedel’Unioneuropéenne

Coureuropéennedesdroitsdel’homme

EUinstitution(yes orno)?

3.3)Gentle reminder

InEnglish CourtofJusticeoftheEuropean Union

European CourtofHuman Rights

InFrench Courdejusticedel’Unioneuropéenne

Coureuropéennedesdroitsdel’homme

EUinstitution(yes orno)?

Yes No(CouncilofEurope)

III.Theintergovernmental method

Community method Intergovernmental method

Maininstitutions Commission+Parliament+Council

Voting intheCouncil Qualified majority

Policyareas Allofthem (CAP) eveninternal security andmigrationpolicy

III.Theintergovernmental method

Community method Intergovernmental method

Maininstitutions Commission+Parliament+Council

European Council+Council

Voting intheCouncil Qualified majority Unanimity

Policyareas Allofthem (CAP) eveninternal security andmigrationpolicy

CSDP,CFSP,economicgovernance andsocial

policy

IV.Q/Asession

• Could you explain Mangenot's progressivecommunitarization theory? And the link with hisobservation "il n'est pas possible d'évaluer lepouvoir de la présidence sans connaître sa situationdans le système de gouvernance européen"?

• There can be ‘Europeanisation’ – meaning an EU-specific way of doing/acting/negotiating - even in anintergovernmental institution such as the EuropeanCouncil

• Why do we often hear about the triangle ofeuropean institutions and not about the trapezetheory ?

• Not a theory, just a metaphor

IV.Q/Asession

• Is the "Mecanisme d'alerte précoce" often used bynational Parliaments ?• No… why? Because it’s really difficult to implement inpractice (due to a tight political agenda)

• What is the "implicite vote" present in the Council ofministers (p84) ?• Think about the political culture of consensus

IV.Q/Asession

• But what is the difference between the "old"intergovernmentalism and the new one?• In both, member states and so national interests matter• Main differences:

• And also, how is it possible that the place of the Statesevolves, when I thought it was precisely fixed by treaties?• Not just a legal game, but a political one

Liberalintergov NewintergovWhat? Crafting thetreaties Shaping some policiesHow? Negociation Deliberation

IV.Q/Asession

• Why the author says that the Commission holds the monopoly ofinitiatives in the legislative procedure and can adopt unilaterally somelegislative norms, while a few words after, she explains that only theParliament and the Council of the European Union are the co-legislators ?

• It depends on the political context (crisis or not)… but not on the typeof EU legislative norms (directive vs. regulation à in both cases, mustbe voted by the Council + Parliament)

• In the same idea, why do Bauer and Becker state that the EuropeanCommission is the "great winner of the crisis", has it been reinforcedin its supranational institution prerogatives after the crisis ?

• Indeed… however there is a scientific controversy (not everyone agreeswith this argument)

IV.Q/Asession

• I didn’t understand what were these modes, what dothey imply, what power for who, and what was thedominant mode in EU• That’s not legal modes (treaties) but a scientifictypology (Wallace)

• Any other questions on session 3?