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Provisions - Role:: General Political Directions and Priorities
Provisions - Role:: General Political Directions and Priorities
15 TUE
• Role: art.15(1) TUE: “it is an institution of the European
Union that provides the Union with necessary impetus for
its development and define the general political directions
and priorities thereof. It does not exercise legislative
functions”
• Composition (art.15(2) TUE:
- the heads of states or governments of member states
- the President of the Council of EU
- the President of the European Commission
-the High Rrepresentative for Foreign Affaires and
Security Policy
Presidency of European Council
• Nomination :
- the President is elected by the other members with
qualified majority for 2,5 years (present President:
Donald Tusk)
• Extraordinary summits
• Ordinary summits are held 2 per semester based on the convening of the
president
• During the summits the members can be assisted by one ministry. The president
of the European Commission is assisted by a commissioner
• Decisions:
- if they are taken by vote – the president and the president of the
European Commission cannot vote. Each member can receive the delegation to
vote only for one other member
- the acts voted are submitted to the control of the CJEU
Decisions are taken:
- by simple majority – for procedural issues or the
internal regulation
• Passage clause = European Council can authorize the Council to use QMV
instead of unanimity (ex. decisions on defense matters)
• Qualified majority vote (QMV) – for any field of activities/actions unless other majority is
requested by the treaties
• Rule = each member has one vote multiplied with a number:
COREPER
Council of EUROPE
• created in 1948 by the Treaty of London
• role – to ensure the protection of citizens of European countries and of their human rights
against the abuses from their national authorities and states
• Possible status
a) Founding Members
b) Associate Members
c) Observers
• Within the framework of the Council of Europe it was adopted in 1949 the European
Convention of Human Rights (known as CEDO – la Convention Europeene de droit de
l’homme)- Romania has ratified it in 1951
Institutional Structure
• The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – composed of
representatives of member states at parliamentary level (the deputies are nominated by the national
parliaments for 6 years term).
• This institution is also known as the European Parliament and thus it is confused with the
European Parliament of the European Union.
• The role is to debate the more important issues of interest for the member states and
to adopt “resolutions” (the only acts the Council of Europe adopts).
• The Resolutions shall be applied by the member states directly because they promised
to do that when they signed the Treaty of London or their accession treaty.
• If a country does not apply them willingly, the only possible sanction is a “moral
disgrace” of all the other member states.
• The Council of Ministries of the Council of Europe – composed only of
ministries of foreign affaires of the member states.
• As such it debates, at this level, the important issues for the member states
and applies the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly.