Jean Monnet Chair Department of Political Science and European Affairs University of Cologne The New EU System The Evolution of the Union’s Institutional Architecture Wolfgang Wessels i Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ...................................................... Fehler! Textmarke nicht definiert. List of Figures, Tables, Documents, Pictures and Boxes ......................................................... v List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... vii List of Documents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Boxes ....................................................................................................................... ix About this Document: Readers’ Guide - Fascination and Frustration ................................... 10 Our Approach: The TEDO-Scheme ....................................................................................... 11 Part I. The EU System: Many Faces - Multiple Perspectives ................................................ 13 1. Framing and Re-Constituting European Identity ........................................................... 14 1.1 La Longue Durée ...................................................................................................... 14 1.2 La Moyenne Durée – Post WWII Lieu(x) de mémoire ............................................ 16 2. Indicators of Relevance: A Second View ....................................................................... 17 3. Multiple Theoretical Perspectives .................................................................................. 20 3.1 Institutions Matters ................................................................................................... 20 3.2 The Dichotomy: Supranational and Intergovernmental ........................................... 22 3.3 The Principal Agent Approach ................................................................................. 31 3.4 Legal and Living Architecture: (Legal) Words and (Real) World ........................... 35 3.5 Static and Dynamic Perspectives .............................................................................. 35 3.6 System-Making vs. Policy-Making .......................................................................... 36 Part II. Institutional Architecture ........................................................................................... 38 4. The European Parliament: A real Parliament in the Making?........................................ 39 4.1 Tasks: A Broad set of Functions ............................................................................... 41 4.2 Election and Composition of the European Parliament ............................................ 45 4.3 Internal Decision-Making Rules and their Effects ................................................... 50 4.4 Organisation of the European Parliament ................................................................. 51 5. The European Council – The (Unconventional) Key Institution ................................... 57 5.1 Tasks: Legal and Real ............................................................................................... 60 5.2 Election and Composition: The Club of the Highest Political Leaders .................... 64 5.3 Decision-Making: Formal and Informal ................................................................... 65 5.4 Organisation of the European Council ..................................................................... 68 5.5. Euro Summit ............................................................................................................ 69 ii 5.6 General Remarks: Putting the European Council into a Theoretical Perspective .... 72 6. The President of the European Council: Master or Manager? ....................................... 75 6.1. Tasks ........................................................................................................................ 77 6.2 Election: Strong Anticipatory Control by Members ................................................. 79 6.3 Organisation .............................................................................................................. 81 6.4 General Remarks: Low Profile for a High Performance .......................................... 82 7. The Council of the European Union............................................................................... 86 7.1 Tasks ......................................................................................................................... 88 7.2 Election and Composition ......................................................................................... 89 7.3 Decision Making: Rules and Practices of Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) ......... 91 7.4 Organisation .............................................................................................................. 98 7.5 General Remarks: A Hybrid Institution .................................................................. 102 8. The European Commission .......................................................................................... 104 8.1 Tasks ....................................................................................................................... 105 8.2 Election and Composition ....................................................................................... 108 8.3 Decision Making. Power Distribution in a ‘Magic Triangle’ ................................. 112 8.4 Organisation: Directorate Generals and Cabinets ................................................... 114 8.5 General Remarks .................................................................................................... 117 9. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Service: A Hybrid and Challenging Office ....................................... 121 9.1 Tasks: Four Hats ..................................................................................................... 124 9.2 Election ................................................................................................................... 130 9.3 Internal Organisation: The Structure of the European External Action Service .... 132 9.4 General Remarks: A Fusion Perspective ................................................................ 134 10. The Court of Justice of the European Union .............................................................. 137 10.1 Tasks ..................................................................................................................... 138 10.2 Election and Composition ..................................................................................... 145 10.3 Decision Making ................................................................................................... 146 10.4 Organisation .......................................................................................................... 147 10.5 General Remarks .................................................................................................. 148 11. The European Central Bank: A Trustee for stabilizing the EURO Zone? ................. 150 11.1 Tasks ..................................................................................................................... 152 11.2 Election and Composition ..................................................................................... 153 iii 11.3 Decision-making ................................................................................................... 156 11.4 Organisation and Members of the Executive Board ............................................. 157 11.5 General Remarks: Legitimacy as Trustee? ........................................................... 157 On Chapter III .................................................................................................................. 161 12. System Making: Deepening and Widening ................................................................ 162 12.1 Treaty Making: Legal Rules and Real World Patterns ......................................... 165 12.2 The Enlargement Procedure: Legal Rules and Real World Patterns .................... 175 13. Procedures for Policy Making .................................................................................... 182 13.1 Ordinary Legislative Procedure: Rules and Patterns ............................................ 183 13.2 Special Legislative Procedures: Consultation and Consent .................................. 188 13.3 Economic Governance: Towards a ‘gouvernement économique’? ...................... 191 Literature .............................................................................................................................. 219 List of Primary Sources........................................................................................................ 227 Treaties ............................................................................................................................. 227 Protocols ........................................................................................................................... 228 Declarations .....................................................................................................................