EU E-Learning Units

HOME

CONTACT

 

E-Learning Unit 3: The EU Institutions and Modes of Governance

  1. Introduction
  2. The Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe
    1. Dissolving of the Pillar Structure
    2. Reforming the Union´s Competencies
      1. A Clear-Cut Catalogue of Competences?
      2. Categories of Competences
    3. Reforming the Procedures and Instruments
      1. Revision Procedures
      2. Legislative Procedures
      3. Budgetary Procedure
  3. A Revised Institutional Architecture
    1. The European Parliament
      1. Increase in Competence and Function
      2. With New Strength Towards a Bicameral System
      3. A Full-Fledged Parliament?
    2. The European Council
      1. An Expanded List of Tasks
      2. The President of the European Council
    3. The Council of Ministers
      1. Composition of the Council and its Presidency
      2. The New Majority Formula
      3. An Enhanced Ability?
    4. The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs
    5. The European Commission
      1. Reforms in the Light of European 'Leitideen'
      2. An Enhanced President of the Commission
      3. The College
  4. Perspectives
    1. Towards a New Institutional Balance?
    2. In a Fusion Trend?
    3. The TCE as a Further Step in the Evolution of European States?
  5. Further Readings

.

 

 

 

 

III.3.2 The New Majority Formula

The rules on qualified majority, as the increasingly important decision making procedure in the Council, proved particularly contentious. This IGC has expanded the opportunities for majority decisions by 12 new cases, as compared to the present regulations [Graphic].

Apart from a few domains - such as Justice and Home Affairs - these extensions primarily concern the executive procedures in existing policy fields, which will include decision making in the structural and cohesion funds. There were, however, intensive negotiations on issues declared central to the sovereignty of single states: foreign and defence policy (Art. I-40 (7) TCE) as well as social and tax policy (Art. III-210 (3) TCE), but also the basic decision on the "multi-annual financial framework" (Art. I-55 TCE) will remain subject to unanimity voting.

On the conditions for qualified majority, which became a matter of might and prestige, (Art. I-25 TCE) the heads of government themselves needed to seek compromise. Consensus was finally reached through an increase in complexity. With the more reasonable system of a "double majority", we can expect higher efficiency than is currently the case under the Nice Treaty; the raising of hurdles and further procedural additions have rendered the new regulations more difficult to understand and cumbersome as compared to the much clearer proposals of the Convention.

 

     

Links:

 

 

 

Source: www.nano.ivcon.org/

 

GLOSSARY: