The Institution of the European Union

1. The Institution of the European Union Lenka Kaderová

2. Content • Executive • European Commission • Legislature • Council of the European Union • European Parliament • Judiciary • European Court of Justice • European court of Auditors • Non-institutional bodies • European Council • European Central Bank • European Investment Bank • Economic and Social Committee • Committee of the Regions

3. European Commissionthe Commission of the European Communities • Established in 1950´s (ECSC) • One of the three main institutions • Acts as an executive or civil service of sorts • Responsibilities: • power of initiative in “first pillar“ • guardian of the treaties • negotiates international trade agreements (WTO) • regulates competition in the Union • monitors member states Berlaymont in Brussels

4. European Commissionthe Commission of the European Communities • Election every five year • The current Commission will serve till November 2009 • President • nominated by the European Council • officially elected by the European Parliament • José Manuel Durão Barroso • Commissioners • are appointed by the member-states • namend by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament • act in European interests • only 8 of the current 27 Commissioners are women Vladimír Špidla José Manuel Durão Barroso

5. Council of the EUCouncil of Ministers • The legislative arm of the EU • Divided into several different councils(Economic and Financial Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries, Justice and Home Affairs Council,..) • Generally the Council meets1 in a month • The presidency is held for six months by each Member State(Germany then Portugal, CR in 2009) • The number of votes each Member State can cast is set by the Treaties(Germany,UK,.. – 29; CR, Belgium,.. – 12) The Justus Lipsius Building

6. Council of the EUCouncil of Ministers • Has a President • Minister of the state currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU (Germany) • Frank-Walter Steinmeier • Has a Secretary-General • Head of the Council Secretariat • Chosen by the member states by unanimity • Serves as the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) • Javier Solana • Ministers usually belong to national parties – European political parties • European People's Party • European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party • Alliance for Europe of the Nations Frank-Walter Steinmeier Javier Solana

7. European ParliamentParliament • Forms the legislative branch together with the Council • Responsibilities: • Legislative power • codetermination about EU laws and directive introduced by the Comission • Budget power • controls the EU budget • must be approved by the Council in order to become law • Control power • monitors all activities of the EU • controls a nomination of the Commission • Protection of Human Rights – appoints the European Ombudsman • Political power • Still grows up • Cooperate with the Council – all foreign policy, new members of the EU,… The EP in Brussels Strasbourg seat of EP

8. European ParliamentParliament • Has a number of governing bodies, committees, and delegations to external bodies • President ▪Quaestor • Vice-Presidents ▪Conference of Committee Chairmen • Bureau ▪Conference of Delegation Chairmen • Conference of Presidents ▪Political Groups • President of the European Parliament • presides plenary sittings and the meetings of the Bureau and Conference of Presidents • represents EP in all external relations, international relations • Hans-Gert Pöttering (Germany) – elected by MEPs • MEPs –Members of the European Parliament • elected every 5 years by universal adult suffrage • currently 785 MEPs – after next election 736 • seats are allocated to member-states according to their population • Political groups • must consist of 20 MEPs from 6 different member states • chairs (Conference of Presidents)– issues to deal with at the plenary • European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP-ED), Group of the Party of European Socialists, European Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA), … The EP groups as of January 1, 2007 Hans-Gert Pöttering Logo of the EP

9. European Court of JusticeThe Court of Justice of the European Communities • The highest court of the EU • Common sentences: • Claims by the Commission – MS has not implemented a EU Directive or other legal requirement • Claims by MS- the Commission has exceeded its authority • References from national courts in the EU – question about the meaning or validity of a particular piece of EU law • Organization: • President (3 years) • directs the judicial business and administration of the Court • selected by the Judges, Vassilios Skouris (Greece) • 27 Judges • nominated by each member state • 8 Advocates General (6 years) • assist with each case and deliver their opinions on questions • Registry • help the President and the Judges in all their official function • Assistant Rapporteurs • assist the President and the Judges Vassilios Skouris Seat in Luxembourg Logo of ECJ

10. European court of Auditors • Established in 1975(Budgetary Treaty) • one member from each EU country • appointed by the Council for 6 years • chosen for their competence and independence • work full-time for the Court • elect one of them as a President - Hubert Weber (Austria) • Functions: • checks that the EU budget is correctly installed • investigates the paperwork of any organization handling EU income or expenditure • helps the budgetary authority (EP, Council) - presents every year a report on the previous financial year • gives an opinion before the EU's financial regulations are adopted Hubert Weber Seat of ECA in Luxembourg

11. European CouncilEuropean Summit • Not currently recognised as an official institution (with no specific authority) • The supreme political body of the EU • gives the Union its general policy direction • Members • the heads of state or government of the member-states • President – Angela Merkel (Germany) • Meeting 4 timesa year Angela Merkel

12. European Central Bank • Responsible for the monetary policy within the Eurozone (13 states) • to maintain price stability • to keep inflation low • to support the economic policies – employment and economic growth • Established in 1998 • Seat is in Frankfurt (Germany) • Government: • President (8 years) Jean-Claude Trichet • Board of directors • Board of governors (members of the board of directors and representatives of the local central banks within the ESCB) ECB tower in Frankfurt Jean-Claude Trichet Logo of ECB

13. European Investment Bank • The EU's financing institution • Non-profit-making • Financed through borrowing on the financial markets and by the Bank’s shareholders (MS of the EU) • Provide financing for: • particular regional development • Trans-European Networks of transport • telecommunications and energy • research, development and innovation • environmental improvement and protection • health and education Seat of the EIB in Luxembourg Logo of the EIB

14. Advisory Committees • The Economic and Social Committee • Advises on economic and social policy (relations between workers and employers) • Members (344) • representatives of various industries and work sectors • appointed by the Council (4 year) • 3 groups - employers, employees, various interests • president is Dimitris Dimitriadis • The Committee of the Regions • No powers of its own it - must be consulted by the Council and Commission on various matters • Advises on regional issues • Members (344) • representative of regional and local authorities • appointed by the Council (4 yeats) • organised in political groups • president is Michel Delebarre Michel Delebarre Dimitris Dimitriadis Logo of the CoR Logo of the EESC

15. THE END Thank you for your attention!!!