European Council, EU policy, heads of state, government, decision-making, European integration, TEU, Lisbon Treaty, Eurozone Summit
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Abstract
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Abstract
The European Council defines the Union's general political orientations. Heads of state and government play a major role in EU decision-making and policy.
Extract
[...] Heads of state and government now have mastery of the main gears of European integration. Thus, they are at the center of the treaty revision procedure. It is the European Council that makes the decision, after consulting the Parliament, to authorize its president to convene a Convention that will be responsible for preparing a treaty project or revision in order to propose it to an intergovernmental conference. It is worth noting that heads of state and government, even if they are not the only decision-makers, participate in this Convention. [...]
[...] A role that differs between the treaty texts and practice The place of heads of state and government within the European Union system is certainly important, but it is also ambiguous. Article 15 of the TEU confers on the European Council a role of "impulse" responsible for defining "the general political directions and priorities". The Lisbon Treaty also states that the European Council has no legislative function. In other words, heads of state and government should only make proposals, as the European Council is not, in the legal sense of the term, a decision-making body. [...]
[...] It is also complicated to define because the heads of state and government act at different levels of the European Union's system. B. A presence at different levels whose contours are not always well defined The role of the heads of state and government is difficult to appreciate because they act in different organs, namely the Euro Summit and the European Council. The Euro Summit brings together the heads of state and government of the 19 member states of the euro zone. [...]
[...] Regarding the post of President of the Commission, the European Council, taking into account the results of the European Parliament elections, decides by qualified majority and proposes a candidate to the assembly, which must approve it by a majority (Article 17.7 TEU). The other members of the Commission are also appointed by the European Council after a vote of approval by the Parliament. In addition to the power of appointment, heads of state and government have the power to organize other European institutions. [...]
[...] A role with sometimes fuzzy contours The role of heads of state and government is predominant within the system of the European Union. However, its analysis can be complex due to two parameters. Firstly, its true role seems to differ between that defined by the treaties and that which it actually exercises within the European system Secondly, the presence of heads of state and government at multiple levels complicates the study of their role, all the more so since certain decisions are sometimes taken outside the formal framework of the EU A. [...]
