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The Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers. here the supranational and the intergovernmental sit uneasily together ‘a unique blend of the intergovernmental and supranational’ (Hayes-Renshaw 2002 :67). What is the Council of Ministers?

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The Council of Ministers

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  1. The Council of Ministers here the supranational and the intergovernmental sit uneasily together ‘a unique blend of the intergovernmental and supranational’ (Hayes-Renshaw 2002 :67) Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  2. What is the Council of Ministers? A - The Council of Ministers represents the member states. The Council meets in different formations according to the agenda, for example: foreign affairs, finance, agriculture. It makes its decisions, depending on the issue, either by unanimity or by Qualified Majority Voting (QMV). The Council of Ministers enacts EU laws jointly with the European Parliament Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  3. Ministers COREPER II (ambassadors)_ COREPER I (deputy ambassadors) Working groups: 180 as of early 2001; these are civil servants travelling from National capitals or based in Perm Rep in Brussels Heads Of Govt. Or State Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  4. Council of Ministers • Head quarters,Council Secretariat, Brussels • civil servants are supported by the Council secretariat • 2,465 people, 316 A-grade officials • drafts 6-month legislative program, provides legal advice, briefs government ministers Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  5. Who are the Council of Ministers • ‘representatives of each member state at ministerial level authorized to commit the government of that member state’ • 20+ Councils • strict hierarchy of councils based on political and economic importance, ECOFIN and General Affairs Council (Foreign Affairs) at the top Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  6. Who prepares COM meetings • COREPER - a committee of the member states’ most senior civil servants • Due to workload, COREPER I and COREPER II • its existence, functions, little known outside Brussels Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  7. Role of the Council of Ministerswhat does the COM do? • it makes decisions which eventually become law in the EU • in an increasing number of cases this decision-making role of the COM is shared with the European Parliament. • it negotiates - difficult items often become part of a package deal that accumulates during a number of Council meetings - ‘linkage diplomacy’ • ‘ it represents the interests of the member states’ Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  8. COM - how are decision made • Unanimity - all 15 Member States agree to the proposal • Simple Majority: • Qualified Majority Voting: here votes are weighted crudely according to each country’s size; • Coalition building between a different mix of states occurs all the time Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  9. Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  10. Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  11. Problems facing the Council • lack of transparency, openness, excessive secretiveness • attempts to make Council meetings public not embraced with any enthusiasm; some public ministerial debates, broadcast but with a small audience; • access to documents has improved; no substantive accounts of bargaining and negotiating • Amsterdam Treaty - Article 255 TEC, a transparency clause included Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  12. Ministers - attitudes to EU business? • 2001 - ECOFIN, McCreevy response to criticism of his budget • McCreevy, No to Nice, a healthy development.. • in words of a Commission official‘Ministers [holding] their own press conferences, have a disgraceful habit of presenting the outcome as a victory of their national delegations against the Commission. That’s not the best attitude to adopt if your want to create a European spirit’ Le Monde Oct. 13, 1992, p.2 Charlie McCreevy Minister for Finance, Ireland Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  13. COM - New developments • Treaty changes in the 90s • Amsterdam - appointment of the High Representative (Javier Solana) • Nice Treaty - changes in weighting of votes to accommodate potential new Central and East European states, QMV extended further Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  14. the High Representative • Javier Solana - the first incumbent • in the Amsterdam Treaty Article created this position Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  15. Final points • efficiency and effectiveness • competition for institutional performance • negotiation is endemic • diffuse power relationships • national politics versus transnational governance • (source: Hayes-Renshaw & Wallace, 1995) Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

  16. Continued tensions between intergovernmental and supranational elements Enlargement Challenges for the future Ms Joan Morrison, M.Phil

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