What is the Commission?
An executive cabinet + A bureaucracy
Composition: (28 members, 41 DG´s and 36 Agencies)
Tasks: legislative (agenda –setting, proposing legislation) executive (regulation, negotiation, administration)
Logic of working: (College) Mainly by consensus, but absolute majority if disagreement
Name Office Start Commissioner Hallstein I 1958 11 Hallstein II 1962 10 Rey I 1967 15 Malfetti I 1970 8 Mansholt I 1972 9 Ortoli I 1973 14 Jenkins I 1977 13 Thorn I 1981 17 Delors I 1985 18 Delors II 1989 17 Delors III 1993 15 Santer I 1995 18 Prodi I 1999 33 Barroso I 2004 33 Barroso II 2010 27 Juncker 2014 28 Evolution
Hallstein Commission 62-67
Delors Commission 85- 89
Juncker Commission 2014-19 European Commission
Executive power
Political Administrative
Agenda-setting Policy implementation
Tasks Policy initiative Policy application Policy decision Distribution of public funds External representation Policy supervision Main Functions of the Commission
Engine and voice of the EU
European regulator
European Civil Service
European level mediator
External representative of the Union The Role of European Commission Role of the Commission
Drafting legislation: The Commission is responsible for initiating legislative proposals. It is the only institution with the right to draft legislation.
Administration of policies: The Commission manages (some) of the policies of the EU and budget of the EU.
Guardian of the Treaties: The Commission supervises the application and of laws (carried out by and within the Member States by governments and other actors).
Represenation of the EU in exterior trade. aThe Commision negotiates commerical agreements in the name of the EU with third countries, such as USA or China as well as the WTO. Regulations
Directivas
Decisiones
Recomendaciones
Opiniones Proceso de funcionamiento de la Comisión en la elaboración de leyes
Proposal for new law drafted by staff in relevant DG
Review by all other interested DGs and Legal Service
Reviewed at meeting of chefs de cabinet
Reviewed at meeting of College of Commissioners
Sent to Council of Ministers and EP for decision
Implemented by MSs under guidance of European Commission Power 2: Administrative
.Manages EU policies & allocates EU funding
•Sets EU spending priorities, together with the Council and Parliament.
•Draws up annual budgets for approval by the Parliament and Council.
•Supervises how the money is spent, under scrutiny by the Court of Auditors 3) Guardian of the Treaties
. •Together with the Court of Justice, ensures that EU law is properly applied in all the member countries. 4: Represents the EU on the international stage
. •Speaks on behalf of all EU countries in international bodies, in particular in areas of trade policy and humanitarian aid.
•Negotiates international agreements for the EU. THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Executive power
Political Administrative
Agenda-setting Policy implementation
Tasks Policy initiative Policy application Policy decision Distribution of public funds External representation Policy supervision President
College of Commissioners
Committees
Directorate Generals
General Secretariat
Partisan Composition of the Commision Non-Partisan 100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10 La Evolución de la Comisión Europea The Main Actors (Commission)
The President
The College
Committees
Directorates General (DGs)
General Secretary Analyzing The European Commission Role performed by the members of the Commission
RATIONALIST CONSTRUCTIVIST
Inter-governmental logic Supra-national logic
Role of a party Role of country
Role of Role of the country Commission Why Delegate?
• To reduce workload and enhance efficiency in decision-making
• To overcome information asymmetries and rely on experts (‘transaction costs’)
• To solve problems of commitment (tying hands, achieve credibility, limit collective action problems)
• To avoid taking blame for unpopular policies
• To produce policy stability and avoid ‘policy cycling’ Problems of Delegation
• Bureaucrats’ objectives • Policy, budget, bureau (work-related activities), leisure (as opposite to effort)
• Bureaucratic drift
• ‘Capture’ • Iron triangles: interest groups-politicians-bureaucrats
• Unintended consequences Control Mechanism
• Appointment • Budget • Procedural constraints • Sanctions • “Police Patrol” • “Fire Alarms”
• In sum, delegating powers is the result of a trade-off between (the likelihood) of benefits and (the risks of) costs, given the control mechanisms available
Executive discretion in the Commission Summary
. •Delegation as a result of demand for efficiency, specialization, entrepreneurship and independence
•Supply of delegation limited by risk of agency drift, capture and unexpected consequences
•Trade-off: effectiveness, control, credibility and legitimacy