ENG ELC 220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Radical Change, Flight Controller, Europe 2020
14 Oct 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
EU Politics
A6 Policy & Decision-making procedures in the EU
Problem statement
Policy & decision-making procedures in the EU
Learning objectives
1. Different steps of:
a. Policy procedures
b. Decision-making procedures (= end part of policy procedures)
STEPS OF DECISION-MAKING PROCEDURES
1. INITIATION BY COMMISSION (or by Council → . A. Proposal B. Committees C. EP D. DGs
2. CONSULTATION PROCESS BY EP, EESC, COR (Committee of the Regions)
3. DECISION-MAKING → OLP, Consent, Consultation
4. AFTER ADOPTION
5. TRANSPOSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION
2. Triangle relationship between Council, Commission and EP (balance of power)?
• EP, COUNCIL AND COMMISSION negotiate in trilogues, and making sure they are all at
the same page
• Within procedures
3. Table → Use legal instruments
4. Characterise the EU legislative procedures in the EU
• Variable institutional roles and powers
• Compromises and linkages
• Inter-institutional cooperation
• Difficulties in effecting radical change
• Tactical manoeuvring
• Different speeds
• Many parties, quite low process, difficult process → Is that a problem? → Problem in
case of crises → It takes time for being
Ch18 Policy processes
Introduction
• 4 broad frameworks of policy processes in the EU
• Various sort of policy actors
Various types in EU processes
The actors
• 3 main sets of actors:
1. EU institutions
2. MS governments
3. Non-institutional and non-governmental (Euro and nat levels)
• Responsibilities to fulfil and roles to perform → But nature of responsibilities and roles can
differ according to circumstances
• Example of actors involved in EMU policy: Ecofin Council, Eurogroup (informal gathering of
Ministers of Finance from EU MS), European Council, Euro Summit, ECB, COM, EP
The channels
• Vary in 4 principal respects:
1. Complexity: Some policy decisions are made quickly using procedures that are easy to
operate, while other are subject to complex and exhaustive processes in which many
actors are involved.
2. Relative importance of EU, MS and subnational processes and the links between the 3
levels. EU is multi-layered, with different sorts of power and influence + often no hierarchy
between the different levels
3. Levels of seniority. Representatives of governments can meet in several forms: Heads of
Gov in European Council, Ministers in Council, Permanent Representatives and deputies
in COREPER, officials and experts in committees and working parties
4. Degree of formality and structure. Formal and structured policy processes are supported
by many informal channels
Factors determining EU Policy processes
1. The treaty base
o Treaty legally specifies which different policy-making and decision-making
procedures are to be used
2. The proposed status (statut proposé) of the matter under consideration
o When EU law is envisaged, procedures are more fixed (by treaties and ECJ
interpretations)
3. The degree of generality or specificity of the policy issue
o General issues are dealt with in all levels but most importantly in European Council.
They negotiate and see if there is common ground for policy coordination, setting of
priorities or possible legislation
o Detailed and technical administrative legislation is done by Commission officials,
aided by national officials
