European Commission: concept, meaning and history

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

To keep abreast of the events taking place in the world and understand the political processes, one should understand the structure of the existing authorities in the near and far abroad. One of the largest associations is the European Union, the features of which can be understood first of all.

What is the European Commission?

Any state or association of states needs to be managed. Control over activities within the European Union is carried out by the commission, which is not only the highest executive body, but also has the right to initiate legislation. The purpose of the existence of this authority is to control compliance with treaties and legal acts, the implementation of decisions of the European Parliament and the development of new bills.

Working principles

The Commission of the European Union is made up of twenty-eight members, also called commissioners. Each of them represents a separate member country of the association, in which he was elected to the national government.

However, for the duration of the work continuing forfive years, the members become absolutely independent from the country and act exclusively in the interests of the European Union. There is control over the selection of commissioners. It is carried out by the European Parliament, which approves each proposed candidate put forward by the Council of Ministers. Members of the commission are responsible for various activities of the association, for example, related to the issue of relations with third countries. Each of them is the head of a specific unit called General Directorate.

European Commission activities

The work of this authority is an integral part of the work of the EU. The laws that the European Commission develops are considered by the Council, which further controls the process. In addition, the body exercises control over the implementation of various legal acts and, if violations are detected, it can apply various sanctions. Sometimes the result is an appeal to the European Court. The European Commission can take independent decisions in the areas of agriculture, transport, the work of the internal market, competition and environmental protection. She is also involved in fund management, budget control and the creation of a network of representative offices outside the EU to perform diplomatic functions. To work, the commission meets weekly at its Brussels headquarters. Her official languages are English, French and German.

The emergence of the organization

European Commission, UN or NATO appear ininternational news daily. However, until recently, many of these organizations did not exist. Thus, the first version of the highest governing body in Europe was a commission established in 1951. Its members represented the countries of the European Coal and Steel Community, and Jean Monnet was the chairman of the institution. The commission officially began work on August 10, 1952. Then the headquarters was located in Luxembourg. In 1958, as a result of the Rome Accords, new communities emerged. The New Version Economic Commission for Europe controlled grain prices and participated in tariff and trade negotiations. With each new stage in the history of the development of the EU, the principles of work of its supreme bodies also changed, and the policy and structure of organizations were often determined by the head of the board.

Jose Barroso contribution

The European Commission has been part of the EU's governance structure from the very beginning of its existence, but the modern format of its work appeared only a few years ago. In 2004, José Manuel Barroso became chairman, whose work was decisive for the development of the body. He encountered certain problems in the formation of new members due to protests from the opposition. As a result, the European Commission was limited in the number of commissioners - previously large states could send several representatives at once, and the changes led to the establishment of equality between all countries of the union. Under the Treaty of Lisbon, drafted under the supervision of Barroso, the number of members was fixed at a constant figure.twenty-six representatives: one from each state plus one representative to the union for foreign affairs and security policy from the power that did not receive a seat. Subsequently, the size of the EU changed, which led to adjustments to the current number of twenty-eight people.

Where are meetings held?

The European Commission works in a building located in the heart of Brussels. It was designed specifically for the organization and built on land previously owned by the nuns who lived in the Berlaymont convent. The author of the project was De Veste, who was assisted by such architects as Jean Gilson and André Polak. The building plan uses the wrong cross, making the building one of the most original for its time. To create "Berlaymont" used materials containing asbestos. Later, scientists identified the carcinogenic properties of such compounds, and the European Commission left the headquarters for a while. From 1991 to 2004, the reconstruction and removal of asbestos-containing substances took place, after which the building became wider and deeper. In October 2004, employees started working at Berlaymont again. Another notable event was the 2009 fire, which was caused by problems with the electrical wiring system, but did not require a lengthy evacuation or shutdown of the building.