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Commission

Commission meeting (Photo: EU Commission)

A commission is normally a group of people that investigate certain matters or, for example, prepare a new law. The EU uses the word for its main law-making and administrative (executive) body, which exercises legislative, executive and certain judicial powers.

The Commission is the only body in the EU that can propose a new law. This is called the monopoly of the right of initiative. No other organisation or country has established a body with similar competences. The Council can only change a law proposal from the Commission if all member states agree.

Role

The Commission decides the majority of EU rules on its own. However, the most important laws are decided by the Council. The Commission can fine companies and bring Member States to the Court.

Appointment

The Commission is appointed by a super qualified majority by 20 of 27 Prime Ministers in the European Council and approved by a simple majority in the European Parliament. The Commission can be sacked by a two-thirds majority of the Parliament.

The Commission has a General Secretariat headed by Catherine Day and 23 standing Directorates General.

Activity

In 2002 the Commission met 46 times, sent 1287 proposals to the Council and the EU Parliament. These proposals consisted of 54 directives, 599 regulations and 634 decisions.

The Commission heads 3000 secret working groups. The expert groups are set up for agenda setting, preparing initiative, mobilising support and building consensus and finally as a fig-leaf when they do not want any action to occur.

Future

The Lisbon Treaty will change the appointment procedure. Under the Nice Treaty Member States "propose" the national commissioner. Under Lisbon the Member States will only "suggest" names to the appointed Commission President. From 2014 there will be a rotation system for a smaller Commission composed from 2/3 of the Member States. See Art. 17-18 TEU and 244 - 250 TFEU in the Lisbon Treaty.

Links

See also Censure and Commission President and Bonde list 

http://europa.eu.int/institutions/comm/index_en.htm