Voting in the EU Commission
- (Photo: Notat)
Decisions in the Commission must be taken with an absolute majority of the commissioners, at least 14 of the 27 members. However, voting takes place very rarely. Most decisions are taken in working groups or by written procedure.
Under the Barroso Commission from 2004 – 09 they have never voted in the college.
Among 9,571 decisions 269 - this is 0,0006 % - were files adopted in oral procedure, 3,067 in writing, 2,227 in Enpowerment procedure and 4,008 in delegation or sub-delegation.
Member states has one commissioner each.
The future
The Lisbon Treaty proposed that each member state would initially have a Commissioner until 2014. The Commission would then be reduced to a number corresponding to 2/3 af the member state s. A system of equal rotation should make sure that no country can be without a commissioner for more that one period at a time. This proposal was archived after the Irish referendum rejecting the Lisbon Treaty 12 June 2008.
The Lisbon Treaty leave it to member states governments to "suggest" names for the Commission. Today member states "propose" their candidate. The new wording means that member states can no longer be sure to have their own candidate approved.
See Commission, and
Voting in the Council
